The following story appeared in the
magazine Bhaktha priya a few days back.
About
70 years ago everybody who came to Guruvayur could see a cow roaming around. It was a red
cow with white dots and its neck was tilted to one side. Otherwise it had all the features of a
beautiful cow. Devotees and the local
people called her by the name Radha. She
came there as an offering to Lord Guruvayurappan. She had unusual beauty and
intellegence. There is a story behind
her coming to Guruvayur.
She was born in a village near
Mananthavadi at Wayanadu in North Kerala.
Even as a calf she was very attractive and was loved very much by the
family which brought up her with much care and affection. So she grew up very fast. The centre of attraction of the whole family turned to her first pregnancy. They were all over joyed at that. God’s ways
are strange indeed. We can never understand the reason behind them. He designs
each and everyone’s life according to their vasanas and prarabdhas. This Radha – the cow who was leading a very
peaceful and comfortable life at the place suddenly found everything totally
changed.
It
was at the advanced period of her pregnancy that a tiger attacked her in the
cowshed one night. Hearing her cries the
family members woke up and were shocked to see the tiger holding the cow’s neck
with its cruel jaws. It was a fairly big
tiger which tried to cut her neck off.
She was keeping her neck tilted to one side due to the weight of the
tiger which was sprawled on her back and drinking her blood from the neck. Nobody dared to go near her as the tiger was
very ferocious. The members of the family began to shout aloud for help.
Hearing that people around the neighbourhood came running there. Inspite of people gathering there the tiger
was busy trying to kill her. The heart
rending cries of the cow went in vain.
At last the locals tried to throw fire
torches towards the tiger in an attempt to distract it. When the tiger was inflicted with burns it
was forced to release its hold from the
neck of the cow. It ran away from the
place in order to save itself from the people.
Shocked and full of pain, Radha – the cow was lying down with broken
neck. The members of the family
thought this pregnant cow would die due to the injuries. The cut in the neck was very deep. There was injury on its back also. Anyway
they did whatever they could to save her life.
They consulted gypsy doctors, and vetenerary doctors and started special
treatment for her. Slowly she showed signs of recovery. She started stretching
her neck and drinking water and by and by started eating also. The whole village became astonished at her
recovery. It was indeed a miracle to
survive the attack of a ferocious tiger.
The family members prayed to Lord
Guruvayurappa and made a vow that if she recovered she would be offered to Him.
The ocean of mercy, Lord Guruvayurappa
heard their prayers and decided to accept Radha as his Gopi. Soon she became
normal but for the tilt in her neck. The
pregnant cow was given as an offering to the Lord. Many people came to see the strange cow with
tilted neck who was miraculously saved by Lord Sri Krishna. The devotees began to love this special
gopi. She comfortably delivered her first
pregnanacy in Guruvayur itself. After
delivery, care and attention were given to her in the proper way by the temple
officials. Visitors and devotees
gathered to see Radha and her first calf.
Her health started improving. She became an asset to the Guruvayur
Devaswom. She started giving milk for
her Guruvayurappan. She was milched twice a day. Always there was never ending flow of milk in
her breasts. Her milk was taken for abhishekam
in the morning as well as for palpayasam nivedyam
for the noon puja. Still
there was excess milk which was sold out.
Within six months the mother and the cow started roaming around Guruvayur
temple and became a sight for visitors.
Daily during Seeveli she would come and
stand near the lamp post at the east nada. She was never tied and always roamed
around with full freedom wherever she wanted. Devotees used to feed her with
offerings like plantains, payasam, malar, and appam which is offered to the Lord at night. She joyfully accepted
those things as they are the Lord’s nivedyam. She
bore 12 calves, both male and female.
All of them were handsome and beautiful.
In fact each of her delivery was celeberated as a function by the local
devotees. There was great competetion among devotees in bidding tenders to take
her calves home to be brought up.
As years rolled by Radha the cow became
weak with old age. After dedicating her
milk, calves and her whole life itself for her Kannan one day, facing the
Devaswam office gate she breathed her last. The last rites for her body were done in the
presence of a large crowd of devotees, in a devotee’s mango grove. Her body was covered with yellow
silk cloth, a thyulasi garland adorned
her neck, and on both her horns bhagavan’s two garlands were tied. Sandal paste was applied on her forehead and
incense sticks were kept all around the pit where she was to be buried. The chanting of Hare Rama Hare
Rama.....Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, arose from the throats of all the people
gathered there when she was buried. Thus
the Gopi left her abode in this earth after a dedicated life for her Kannan.
Reminiscing we would be wonderstruck
at the turn of events in her life. On
the outset though one might feel that
the attack of a tiger was a set back in her life, on deep analysis we can find
that the incident came as a blessing in disguise for her. If the tiger had not attacked her, Radha the cow would never have seen Guruvayur
in her life. Her previous owners made
the decision of giving her to Guruvayurappan only with the intention of saving
her life. Otherwise they would never
have thought of giving her away. Only
because she came to Guruvayur she had the fortune of having darsan of her
beloved Lord daily when He came out for Seeveli. Also she could offer the sweet milk from her
body to the Lord of Lords which made her janma fruitful. She was a Gopi in her heart of hearts and
wanted to serve her Kannan. Lord planned
the tiger’s attack on the cow in order to bring her over near Him. So it
was only a divine drama!
Radha’s
life story teaches us a lesson that whatever happens in our life we should
never lose our faith. Be assured that Bhagavan is doing only good for us!
Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!
