The word Krishna evokes myriad emotions. It is very difficult to define what he means to his lovers. What each one shares is a very personal, sacred space... just like his dance with the gopis. The love is so special, the experience so precious.
And yet, those who lived in his times, who received the warmth of his presence, the comfort of his guidance and love, are looked upon as truly blessed. Indeed, their stories have been celebrated through songs, music, dance, poems, stories, plays and paintings through the ages.
There is one such story  that I read a long time back which which left an indelible impression on me.  It was a novel by Gujarati Sahitya Akademi winner Dinkar Joshi, which was carried in a serialised form by a Hindi weekly magazine, Dharmyug, more than 25 years ago. 'Shyam, Phir Ek Baar Tum Mil Jaate' (Shyam Ekvar Avaone Angane in Gujarati) is a heart-rending rendition of the pain of each one of the characters, so dear to Krishna, when they come to know that their beloved, is no more.
Over the next four days, I will read from the chapters introducing you to the characters who resonated with me the most -- Arjun, Uddhav, Draupadi and Radha.
In today's podcast, we read about how a distraught Arjun, who is being taken to Dwarka by Krishna's charioteer,  Daruka,  battles with the crushing thought of returning to a Dwarka bereft of Krishna.