Extracted from Bhagawan's Divine Discourse on Sri Krishna Janmasthami in 1963.
"There was an occasion when Krishna laid His Flute
aside and declared that He would not play on it again. It is a long
story, not found in books. I alone must tell you about it, for, it is
only the Person who has experienced it, that can describe it.
A bride called Neeraja came to Gokulam as the
daughter-in-law of a Gopa family. Her husband and parents-in-law warned
her against Krishna and His pranks and threatened her, on pain of dire
punishment; to keep away from Him and to avoid Him by every possible
means.
It was Govardhana Puja Day and all the gopas
and gopikas had to go beyond the village limits to circumambulate and
worship the Govardhan Hill, a Festival they celebrated every year.
Neeraja too went with the others and in spite of the severest warning,
she peeped into a crowd of enthusiastic gopis watching the dance of
Radha with Krishna, in a flower bower near the Hill. She was so
captivated by the Divine presence that she was no longer the same
person.
Another day, while on the Yamuna Bank, she saw
Krishna fashioning a flute from a reed taken out of Vamsi Kunj and she
heard Him play! Oh, it was overwhelmingly ecstatic! It was a Call to
transcend the material bonds, to free oneself from the trammels of
earthly endeavours. Neeraja did not care for anyone now. She became
God-mad. In fact, she was the first to hold the reins of Akrura's
chariot when he was taking Krishna to Mathura away from Gokulam, and try
to push the vehicle back!
Well,
she was driven out of her house by the mother-in-law for that. She was
an outcast. The whole village rose up against her; she spent her days in
the Vamsi Kunj, her whole mind fixed on the Lord whom she had installed
there. Years passed. Nanda, Yasoda and Radha left the world. She was
now 52 years old. One day, she prayed desperately to Krishna; I can no
longer bear this forlorn life. My eyes have gone dry, they have no more
tears to keep this Love, green. My heart too is fast turning a
wasteland. Come, O Lord, come and save me, take me unto Yourself.
Krishna heard the prayer.
He responded to her yearning and called her by
name, so sweetly that the very Voice filled her with new life. The Vamsi
Kunj was fragrant with Divine glory. Krishna came near and took
Neeraja's palm in His Hand.
What do you desire? asked He. She asked
"What is the purpose of life?"
"To merge in God."
"Well, let me merge in
You... but, before that, before my Prema merges in Yours, let me hear
You play on that flute for a short while."
Krishna smiled and gave the
excuse that He had not brought His flute. But, seeing Neeraja's
yearning, He plucked a reed from the Vamsi Kunj and broke it right and
in a trice converted it into a flute. With Neeraja on His lap, Krishna
played so melodiously on the Flute that the entire gokula and even the
whole world, was bathed in ecstatic joy. When He stopped, Neeraja had
attained final beatitude and was no longer a limited individual gopi
separate from Him.
Krishna laid aside His flute and said He will
not play on it again. That is the story of one gopi; the story of every
gopi will be interesting, each in its own way, for they were all so
transmuted by the Bhakti they bore towards the Lord. The gopis were
declared by Narada in the Bhakti Sutras to be the greatest among the
Bhaktas."
(Source: Sai Spiritual Showers)
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