Ecstasy of the Universe

Madhura Bhava

The room was enclosed with walls and curtains and entry of sunlight was resisted. The room was painted in golden and Prabhu felt the room was cooler; as if a break from the hot summers. He would sit in front and breathe heavily, with his back held straight and his long beard hair itching him. As he gazed at the small window decorated with curtains, a heavy fist pounded on the door. He jumped with the sudden shock of the thunderous noise; he certainly was not ready to handle it. He got up and walked up to the door to look at a tall figure drenched with sweat. It was his friend though Prabhu was not expecting him at this awkward time.

The man entered and was instantly relieved with the climate. "It is much cooler inside" said he. Prabhu shut the door and turned up to him, "Well, that is how I keep the house every summer. But... But what are you doing here at this awkward time?" The man paused. He was huffing and puffing all this while and suddenly seemed embarrassed.

He walked to the other corner and sat, breathing freely. Prabhu studied him for a while. He did not seem unwell. Though his questionable behavior had taken Prabhu someway. "How is OM doing?" asked he with not even a last speck of curiosity in his tone.
"Oh! Don't worry about him. He is doing fine. Though he sits all day near Hari, sometimes weeping, but he did not show any signs of sorrow or regret." Prabhu's tone was casual but the man seemed eager to start a topic.
"That is good" said he in a baritone, "What is he doing now?"
"He is sleeping. That is why you are finding me here alone with my lord. Orelse it is always OM here chanting the holy name of the lord." he joked.
"Prabhu, I need to talk to you about something. Actually... A really serious affair"
"What?" the word of his friend had hit Prabhu with high level of inquisitivity. He dragged a small stool and sat beside him with his legs folded and his hands clenched with each other. There was an awkward silence for a while. It was killing Prabhu but the man needed it. He had framed what to say in his mind several times yet didn't seem satisfied; for the issue he was about to raise was sensitive. What is it?
"I was wanting to speak to you about... about OM" and his frankness poured out in ruthless words, "I do not know how you might feel about it but OM... I am not sure of what is happening to him. The previous day you were not at home and... and..." he fell silent. Prabhu, who was already irritated with the amount of pauses screamed at once, "Listen, If you really have to tell something, say it quickly. Testing my patience is not of any help."
"Well, OM was behaving like a woman. I... I seriously could not believe my eyes for a while but... he really did. So I am really confused what is happening with him. And this is why I felt an urge to talk to you and walked all the way in this scorching heat."

At this, Prabhu burst out with laughter. He would crawl like a baby and point fingers at his friend while still rolling on the carpet laughing louder. Tears came rolling out of his eyes as he felt his breath turn heavy. He paused for a while and took a deep breath and laughed again; this time while less energy. "I..." said Prabhu continuing laughing, "I thought that I told you about this, didn't I?"
"About what?" asked a confused man. He pinched his eyes, threw his head a little back and stared at Prabhu in suspicion.
"Madhura Bhava" said he and fell silent. His friend nodded and he continued, "I know that OM likes dressing as a woman. This is all because of this Madhura Bhava."
"I am sorry pal but what is Madhura Bhava?" his question irritated him. His mind was not in a state to preach yet he sat down, cooled himself and started speaking.
"There are in total five moods or bhavas to worship the lord and one of them is this - Madhura Bhava. The first one is Santa. This is the peaceful attitude.
"Next comes dasya. This is the most frequently seen bhava. In this, the devotee worships his lord as his servant. He spends whole life in his service. People practising this usually make up Hanumana in them and worship Lord Rama; as Hanumana is the greatest devotee of him.
"The third type is Sakhya. In this, the relationship between Lord and the devotee is of friendship. He worships Lord as if his own best friend.
"The fourth type is Vatsalya. Mother Yashoda is the perfect example for this bhava. Krishna was not her own son. But she worshipped him as if her own son. This is Vatsalya Bhava where the devotee worships Lord as if her own son. Many yogis couldn't catch hold of Krishna and his mischievous activities but mother Yashoda was the only one who not only caught him but also punished him.
"The last one is Madhura Bhava. This is considered to be the most prominent of others as it contains a little essence of all the bhavas. In this, the devotee develops love for the lord as a woman. Men and women both practise this. The man develops the attitude of Sita towards Rama. This way he considers Lord as his husband. Example, the legendary saint - Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He often said that he saw Sita entering him. And since then, the love for Lord Rama developed in him. Also Mirabai, who is still known for her love and devotion to Lord Krishna."

The man who was all ears smiled at times seeming to understand everything. Though he was not sure. He pretended not to understand anything so that Prabhu himself could clarify the little doubts dusting his clarity. "So Prabhu" he finally says, "What is 'madhura bhava' related to do with OM? Are saying that..." he paused."Yes" said he, "OM has developed the attitude of Shakti towards Shaktiman. Though he is not aware of it. Now he has come here, so we must teach him.""When do we start. It's been three or four days and he is not leaving this hut!""Don't worry about that, my friend" he assured.