Radha and Krishna Celebrating Diwali on the Banks of Yamuna Maa
Five thousand years ago, during the Dwapara Yuga, the festival of Diwali was celebrated with immense joy in the land of Braj. In Nandagaon, the palace of Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya was washed clean and decorated for the occasion. Shree Krishna sat between His parents on the royal throne, wearing beautiful new clothes and distributing sweets to the steady stream of Brajvasis who came to visit. For the people of Braj, Krishna was their own beloved child. They lifted Him into their laps and held His small hands, while the Supreme Lord completely reciprocated their simple, pure affection.
By midday, Nanda Baba and Mother Yashoda arrived at Barsana with young Krishna. When Radha and Krishna met outside the palace, they held hands, displaying their sweet relationship as innocent children. The afternoon passed with festive folk dances and celebrations, bringing great joy to the parents and the residents of Barsana.
The Descent of Divine Love: Who is Shree Radha?
A few miles away, atop the hillock of Barsana, the festival was also underway at the palace of King Vrishabhanu and Mother Kirti. The villagers gathered to celebrate and to receive gifts from their young princess, Shree Radha, who was distributing sweets with a generous and compassionate heart.
To understand this pastime deeply, we must understand who Radha truly is. The one Absolute Truth manifests in two forms for the taste of divine pastimes: Shaktimaan (the possessor of all energy) and Shakti (the energy itself). Shree Radha is Krishna’s supreme internal pleasure-giving potency (Ahladini Shakti). She is the personification of absolute, selfless love, desiring absolutely nothing for herself. Her only desire is to give happiness and pleasure to Shree Krishna.
The Secret Celebration at Prem Sarovar
As night fell and the residents retired to their homes, Mother Yashoda and Mother Kirti tucked their children into bed, believing they were fast asleep. However, the Divine Couple had planned a hidden celebration.
Slipping silently out of their bedrooms, Krishna joined His cowherd friends (sakas), while Radha met with her close friends, the gopis. They all converged deep within the midnight darkness at Prem Sarovar, a special lake in Braj.
Beneath the starry sky, the cowherd boys and gopis lit hundreds of small clay lamps (deepaks) and brought out firecrackers. Radha held a sparkler (phuljari), waving it through the midnight air to draw glowing patterns of light in the dark forest, bringing a radiant smile to Krishna’s face.
The Grand Boat Race on the Waters
To enhance the joy of the Divine Couple, the gopis organized a playful competition. Everyone sat on the edge of the lake and crafted toy boats using multiple folds of paper. Each participant placed a glowing deepak inside their boat and gently launched it onto the calm waters.
On one side stood Radha and the gopis; on the other stood Krishna and the cowherd boys. The challenge was simple: whose lamp-lit boat would sail the furthest?
The dark lake was instantly transformed into a floating galaxy of tiny lights. To push their boats ahead, the cowherd boys cheered wildly, and Krishna eagerly blew air from His mouth to propel His boat forward. On the adjacent side, Radha created gentle ripples in the water with her hands to urge her boat along.
As the boats drifted into the center of the lake, Radha’s boat took the lead among the gopis, and Krishna’s boat surged ahead among the cowherds. The air was filled with laughter and playful banter as the two leading boats drifted closer and closer together.
Two Lights Become One
At the very center of the silent lake, Radha's boat and Krishna's boat gently collided and locked together, floating as a single unit.
A collective cheer went up from the banks. The gopis laughed and shouted, "Radhe! Join Krishna just like the boats!" In that exquisite moment, amidst the floating lights of Diwali, the Divine Couple shared a beautiful embrace. The wise gopis smiled, recognizing a deep truth: There was no question of victory or defeat, because Radha is Krishna and Krishna is Radha. They are forever inseparable, like heat and fire.
As the midnight hours advanced, the beautiful pastime drew to a close. Waving goodbye, the cowherd boys and gopis slipped quietly back into their homes, and Radha and Krishna returned safely to their beds, leaving the quiet night behind.
Spiritual Reflection: A Prayer for Selfless Love
Looking back through the corridor of time to this beautiful pastime in Braj, the soul bows down with folded hands before the lotus feet of Shree Radha and Shree Krishna:
"O Divine Couple, I am a tiny soul, a small part of Your creation. For lifetimes, I have wandered in the darkness of ego, pride, and worldly attachments. Today, on this festival of lights, I surrender my false identities at Your feet. I do not understand the depths of the scriptures, nor do I comprehend the complex processes of devotion. I simply pray for Your causeless grace. Please bless me with the power of divine love, soften my heart, and grant me the opportunity to serve You selflessly."