Forgotten Love Story

Not many years back, in the beautiful foot hills of a hill station, there lived this young couple. Their tender and innocent love for each other was as vibrant as the fragrance of wild flower which enchants the entire forest. Residents called them incarnation of Adam and Eve. 

Every morning the two used to go to the hill. Adam used to cut logs of woods while his lady, Eve used to sing a folk song while playing with her lamb and secretly admiring her man flexing his muscles. 

Even that day, the two were there on the hill. They were done with cutting the wood which Adam had piled up and was carrying on his large shoulders. The lady was leading him to the local market. On the way, while crossing a cliff, the lamb ran to the edge. Anticipating an accident Eve cried out for help. Adam, immediately dropped his woods and sprang with great swiftness to save the animal, but losing his balance, he himself fell off the cliff. Down he went to a speeding stream of water. Helpless in the current, he was swept away like a straw. While he was tossed in the rough rocky path, his head struck with a rock and he soon went senseless wrapped up in envelope of darkness. 

After a passage of unknown days he found himself waking up in an unknown room, next to him was an elderly couple, surrounded by the unknown tribe. 

He gathered his senses but realized he remembers nothing. He had lost his identity. The elderly couple said, they were childless, and had prayed to the river goddess (Vani) to bless them with a boy who would take care of them at their old age. Hence, considering Adam a gift of the river Goddess, named him, Vanki which means "The gifted by Vani". Vanki, with no prior memory, took their words to be true and accepted them as his parents. 

Days passed, Vanki slowly was remembering his previous days but as dreams. Vanki used to show interest in the forest and cutting woods, even though his parents tried to train him pottery. Vanki also found himself enjoying more in the lap of nature, gazing at the slow cliffed mountain peaks garlanding the horizon. He used to feel a strange attraction to women but couldn't understand why he was never able to get into a relation with them. The most beautiful women, who were admired by all, seemed dull to his mind. It was as if subconsciously he was searching for his Eve in everyone. 

After few summers rolled by, Vanki was at the local trade fare for selling pots, where he saw a lady with piles of wood. He was sure, he had never seen her but still, she seemed to attract him. Vanki took a step and enquired the lady about her identity. To his utter surprise, the lady leaving all her woods ran to him and embraced Vanki. She was his Eve!! She recited the entire incident to Vanki. After hearing the incident, his memory slowly revived and he was able to recollect his lost identity and relation with Eve.

And then, they lived happily ever after. 

[Any Resemblance to Actual Persons, Living or Dead, or any Novel / Movie is Purely Coincidental. 😛]

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Actually, if we see with the eye of scripture, we will understand, we are all playing the role of Adam of our story.

Scriptures, like Srimad Bhagavatam, says each and every living soul (starting from human to bacteria) were eternally resident of the Spiritual world. There all water is nectar, every word is a song, and every step a dance. Each one of us, have an eternal form, which is fully conscious, and blissful. Each of us used to serve Krishna, play with Krishna, entertain Krishna, pray to Krishna... each one of us used to have an eternal relation with Krishna. (Like Adam & Eve of our story). Not only we, but even Krishna takes pleasure to serve his devotees.

Now a day came when we got envious. "Why should we serve Krishna? Why should Krishna enjoy everything? Even we should be the enjoyer with others serving us." This is the cause of our fall down from the spiritual world to this material world. Just like Adam fell from the cliff, into the rapid stream and lost his consciousness & remembrance, even we get trapped and shackled in an illusion of Maya and become conditioned. Hence we are The Conditioned Soul - unlike The Liberated Souls. In this state, we have no remembrance of our past or actual identity. Thus many "learned people" comment (in ignorance) - "This is the only life so eat drink and be merry."

Adam heard a story from his new parents and got a new name Vanki. Since he had lost his memory, he believed his new identity. Same happens with us. When we are out of mothers womb we have no memory of our past life, in addition, we get entrapped with Maya and affection that we receive from our parents and relatives makes us bewildered, and we believe our new body, new identity, new relation, new name, new attachment.

But one thing keeps chasing us. The unconditional love we had for Krishna (before we fell down) and what Krishna has for us, even now. It is said material world is the perverted reflection of The Spiritual World. We keep looking for "that" love. We try everything and everyone, parents, son-and-daughter, kids, relatives, friends, partners, spouses, pets, gadgets, everything. But no one satisfies us. Many times people we love the most breaks our heart - resulting suicides. Just as Vanki was subconsciously looking for Eve's love in every woman, we are also looking for Krishna's love in everyone. But how can tiny droplets compete with an ocean? Krishna is the reservoir of pleasure (an ocean) and we, the spirit souls, are His minute part. How can His great causeless love and affection be compensated by spirit souls limited in quantity?

Just like Vanki showed interest in the forest and cutting woods even though his parents didn't teach him, many of us are born with talents which no one has taught in one's current life time. This is due to our past life experiences, which we have forgotten.

Just like Vanki was sure that he had never seen Eve but still she seemed to attract him, most of us (especially devotees of West) initially have a misconception that they are unfamiliar to Krishna. But, when we hear about Krishna from His devotees, they immediately feel a connection. Greatest proof is the huge population of ISKCON devotees who appeared in Western Countries. Neither did they ever hear anything about Krishna before nor did their parents, relatives or society knew about Krishna. But, when they heard about Krishna from a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada, the tsunami of love for Krishna broke them free from the powerful clutches of Maya. This is nothing but they were getting back their memories. The more we chant the clearer will our memory be and we will remember everything about Him and Us.

Just like Vanki took a single step to enquire about Eve and Eve ran the entire distance to embrace him, Krishna does the same. If we show a little interest in Krishna, Krishna sits up, if we sit up, Krishna stands up, if we walk towards Him, He runs towards us. Hari Bol!! 

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The point is we all are having an eternal love story with Krishna - our true intimate lover, the actual Benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities. But we are all lost due to our forgetfulness. Due to this forgetfulness, we have accepted a false identity. Ultimate Goal of our life is, we should remember our lost identity, re-establish our forgotten relation with Krishna, something which Krishna is long waiting for. 

The bird on the left is captivated by the fruits of the tree, while the friendly bird on the right acts as witness and waits for His friend to turn to Him. [Bhagavad-gita 2.22] 

(Source: http://www.asitis.com/gallery/plate10.html)

In Bhagavad Gita, 15.15, Krishna says 

I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. 

And hence if we sincerely chant His holy name, He will give us the remembrance and we will be able to reestablish our forgotten eternal relation with Krishna. 

Thus we would finally remember the forgotten love story.

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Hare Krishna!