How the cry ‘Jai Radhe’ started in Vrindavan

 

Govinda and his gang set out on their housebreaking expedition. Govinda was their ideas-man as well as an expert commando. Their daily round of duties began. Safes were duly cracked. I mean, what the house-maidens thought to be safely concealed pots, were soon broken, butter and curd taken, some eaten and some smeared on each others’ faces. Not long after, a motley crowd of milk-maidens was behind the culprits and the laughing boys ran way into the meadow with the calves scampering before them.

Radha had come from Barsana on an errand.

‘This Govinda is the villain. If only somebody could tame him’ a milk-maiden complained to Radha.

‘Why don’t you inform his mother?’ said Radha.

‘That’ll make it worse. Yasoda spoils him. Govinda then wrecks a double vengeance on the informer’ the maiden said.

Radha’s face hardened. She determinedly started to stalk Govinda’s gang.

Let’s play something new today’ a boy said. All looked up at their ideas-man.

‘We’ll play water-ball’ Govinda declared. They started to discuss rules.

‘What if somebody ties the ball to his clothes, swims underwater and goes to the goal’ asked a boy.

‘All right, nobody should wear clothes’.

 

Soon Radha came upon this brazen lot.

 

When they tired of the game, the boys were astonished to find their clothes gone.

‘Come in a single file. All your hands up’ commanded Radha’s stern voice.

‘Let’s negotiate’ Govinda pleaded.

They had to unconditionally agree to her terms. The first condition was that they should say ‘Jai Radhe’ 108 times everyday.

 

That night Govinda stealthily went to the Mother’s temple and offered 108 holy leaves. The leaves said, ‘Radhe Govinda’.

 

Swami Sampurnananda; Genre 273, No. 39, Lalgarh Kuthia Veranda, morning 22 Jan 2004