KalyanRaiji: Swaroop
The swaroop of KalyanRaiji is tall and jet black. Both his feet are straight. He stands on a half-open lotus. He usually wears a tanio and a kirit/ paag/pagdi. His eyes remain downcast. KalyanRaiji’s Peethika is triangular at the top, unlike Shrinathji’s Peethika which is oval-shaped.
Essence Of Kalyanraiji’s Swaroop
The Half Open Lotus
An inverted lotus represents the Bali Peetam. We often find this at the entrance of temples. It reminds us that we should surrender our desires and ego and enter God’s realm with a pure mind. But KalyanRaiji stands on a half-open lotus because he wants us to complement our worldly desires with spiritual pursuits.
The left side of the body represents the heart, our emotions and the material aspect of our lives while the right side of the body represents the mind, our thoughts and the spiritual aspect of our lives.
Symbols On Kalyanraiji’s Left
The kumarika to KalyanRaiji’s left bottom holds a lute, a symbol of Saraswati’s knowledge, in her hands. KalyanRaiji holds the conch, a symbol of communication in his left lower hand which is close to the kumarika. He holds aloft the Sudarshan Chakra, the wheel of Time, in his left upper hand
KalyanRaiji says, “You are but a mere kumarika – naïve, innocent, unaware about the ways of the world. You think knowledge alone is enough to get what you want in your material world. You want to enjoy your life to the fullest and have myriad dreams, ambitions and desires. Yes, I will listen to all that you have to say with an open heart. And I will do my best to fulfil all your wishes too. But karma has to do its duty too….”
No, it is not wrong to have and pursue your dreams, ambitions and desires either. You live in your world after all. But know now – that you will not always get what you want all through your life either.
In Time, slowly, one experience at a time – you will learn to distinguish between your needs and wants, dreams/desires and contentment, peace and satisfaction. You will understand what duty and responsibility are all about too.
But fear not. I will help you adapt, compromise, sacrifice on dreams that you hold closest to your heart and surrender everything to me. Over Time, you will understand what faith is all about when you feel the peace seeping into your very being. Ah…you will now understand the difference between ‘knowledge’ and ‘wisdom’ too.”
The Symbols On Kalyanraiji’s Right
KalyanRaiji holds the mace, a symbol of discipline in his right upper hand and the Padma, a lotus bud in his lower hand. The kumarika on KalyanRaiji’s right lower bottom too holds a lotus bud with a stalk in her hands.
After we internalize KalyanRaiji’s message, He says, “Understand the value of traits like self-control. Yes, you will falter and fumble. Very often. Because the minute you let go of one desire/expectation or dream, another one takes its place. You will practise the art of cleansing and controlling your thoughts and emotions regularly now. And you will be surprised when you realize that even something as simple as this requires a lot of discipline. But you know it is worth your while when you derive a deep sense of peace consistently now.
And then, you will foolishly assume that you have reached your destination. Look at the Padma that I and the kumarkia hold in our hands closely. They are not half bloomed or fully bloomed lotuses. Understand this. Properly. No matter how much spiritual progress you feel you have made – you will never be able to fully grasp the essence of an entity like Krishna. For I KalyanRaiji, represent just one aspect of Krishna.
The Stance Of The Kumarikas
The kumarika with the lute sways to her right and says, “I can cope with the challenges of the material world when I focus on the spiritual nature that lies dormant within me.”
While the kumarika with the lotus bud sways to her left and says, “I may have evolved spiritually over years with practice but I cannot sustain my spiritual pursuits on a hungry stomach. I have to be realistic for whether I like it or not, I have to live in the material world.”
The Downcast Eyes
The downcast eyes convey the most beautiful message of all. Kalyanraiji says, “Put your awareness – your wisdom- to good use. Reflect on the message that I am conveying to you. Don’t get so embroiled in the rituals that you lose out on the essence of my swaroop. Look at my swaroop closely. Repeatedly. As many times as you want to. And keep this mind – for every outer journey that you make – make an inner journey too – dedicate everything to me. Yes, I know this is not easy. But do your best. And leave the rest to me.”
History Of Kalyanraiji’s Swaroop
At a little distance from Prayag, was a small village called Kada. One day, the villagers found KalyanRaiji’s swaroop in the village pond. Since they were all devotees of Devi, they naively assumed that this idol too was a form of the Devi herself. So they built a small shrine on the banks of the pond and started worshipping the swaroop. They adorned the deity with feminine clothes and ornaments. This Mohini swaroop, the feminine form of KalyanRaiji is revered even today.
Mahaprabhuji was living in Adel at that time. Krishna blessed him with divine insight and said, “Go to Kada. The villagers are simpletons. They worship me in the form of a Devi alone. Guide them with your knowledge. Tell them that Radha is incomplete without Krishna.”
So Vallabhacharya went to Kada and explained the significance of KalyanRaiji’s swaroop to them and guided them on the right path. He then removed the saree that the villagers had draped on the swaroop. Vallabhacharya tore it into two pieces, crafted a dhoti and fashioned a Paag out of it and gave the name of KalyanRaiji to this swaroop.
He appointed a man called Venu as the sevak of the shrine and explained the rituals to him in great detail. Gusainji and Yadunathji performed the seva of KalyanRaiji’s swaroop after Venu passed on to a divine realm. This swaroop of KalyanRaiji is currently enshrined in Vadodara, Gujarat.
KalyanRaiji’s Laghu Raas Leela
The kumarikas of Vrindavan religiously performed the Katyayani Vrat because they wanted only Krishna for their husband. In the material world. Nothing else mattered to them.
So KalyanRaiji multiplies himself and engages in a Laghu Raas Leela with each kumarika in Vrindavan. He displays his Tamas Guna at this time. He embraces each kumarika and becomes her husband, Krishna. But only for a short time. Krishna transports them to his eternal realm, Goloka during this time. But none of them gets to stay there forever. They get but a glimpse of Krishna’s vast cosmic presence. It fills them with Ananda. But they continue to reside in the material world.
After this experience, the kumarikas realize that Krishna is everywhere – in everyone- within them too. So they forge bonds of love with the Krishna that resides in others and create Ananda where ever they go…
And that’s the kind of transformation we too should aspire for – where we let go of everything, even Krishna and learn to create our own Ananda by doing the darshan of the Krishna that resides within others.
Photos given by: Rashmi Ben, Vadodara and Shri. Bansiji, Surat.
Click here for more information on other Nidhi Swaroops of Pushti Marg.
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