Yamunaji has many names. And we can learn a lot more about Yamunaji’s other traits when we reflect on the interesting stories related to each of her names.
Viraja
According to the Brahma Vaivarta Puran, Yumunaji was initially known as Viraja. Viraja lives in Goloka, the eternal abode of Krishna and Radha. One day, when Krishna is spending his time with Viraja, Radha gets to know about it. So she rushes to the place to catch them red-handed.
Radha finds Sudama standing guard there. When Sudama tries to stop her from disturbing them, Radha curses him saying that he will be born as a demon on earth. Sudama in turn curses Radha saying that she too will have to live her life as a mortal for a hundred years.
When Krishna hears the commotion outside, He disappears. Viraja does not want to be a hindrance to Radha’s eternal unconditional love for Krishna. So she goes around Goloka once, turns into a river – Yamuna – and flows away from Goloka.
After a while, Krishna and Sudama visit Radha. Radha asks Krishna to revoke Sudama’s curse and Sudama too has the same request. Krishna consoles both of them saying that He does not have the power of revoking his devotees’ curses. But He assures them that they will reunite with Him again in Goloka after living out their curses.
Sudama is reborn as Shankhachuda and marries Tulsi. Radha manifests as the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kritidevi. And some say that Viraja flows as river Chandravali in Goloka even today.
Suryatanaya
The Sun god, Surya is also known as Vivasvan. He marries Saranya, the goddess of clouds. Saranya is the daughter of Vishwakarma, the architect of gods, and the twin sister of Trisiras. She also has a sister called Chhaya. Saranya gives birth to the first pair of twins – Yama and Yamuna.
After a while, Saranya is unable to bear the heat and the splendour of Surya. So she takes the form of a mare and flees to the forest to perform austerities. She asks her sister Chhaya, the goddess of shade/shadow, who looks like her to take her place and look after her husband and children.
Surya and Chhaya beget three children – Shani (lord of the planet Saturn), Tapti (a river) and Savarni Manu (the eighth father of Mankind). After some time Yama realizes that Chhaya is always partial to her own children. He is unable to tolerate this unfair treatment so he questions her.
Yama ends up kicking her one day. Chhaya becomes furious at Yama’s behaviour and curses him saying that maggots will infest his leg. When Surya gets to know about this, he gives Yama a cock that eats all the maggots on his legs. Yama’s leg is permanently damaged though. That is why he is also known as Sirnapada or the one with a shrivelled foot.
Surya then threatens Chhaya who reveals the truth to him. He is shocked to know the truth. So he finds Saranya and brings her back to his kingdom. He decides to live with both his wives and children. Yamunaji is known as Suryatanaya because she is born from Surya’s body. She is Surya’s favourite child.
Yami
Some say that Yama and Yami were the first humans to be born on earth. But the Rig Veda says that Surya, the sun god, sired the first mortal twins, Yama and Yami.
Yami asks Yama, her brother, to father their children. Yama feels shocked by this suggestion and refuses to do so flatly. Yama dies without fathering any children. So he gets trapped in the land of the dead forever. He goes on to become the lord of death and rules over his kingdom which is known as Yamlok. According to some stories Agni, the god of fire, is the child of Yama and Yami.
Yamini
Yami mourns the death of her brother. So the gods turn her into Yamini, the goddess of the night so that she can offset her sorrow with the hope that each new day brings. Some say the tears of Yami flow as Yamuna the river.
Yama Dwitiya
Yamuna loves her twin brother Yama. She keeps requesting him to visit her house for a meal. Yama too loves her but is very busy with his work. He keeps postponing his visit. One day, Yamuna goes to him and refuses to leave without him.
Yama agrees to visit her house and enjoys a meal with her. He feels very pleased with all the attention and love that Yamuna lavishes on him. So he showers her with gifts and promises to give her whatever she asks for.
Yamuna asks her brother to visit her house on this particular day every year. She then asks him to bless all the brothers who visit their sisters on that particular day with happiness and free them of the sorrows of hell.
Yama promises her that all the brothers and sisters who get together on that day and bathe in the waters of Yamuna will never see the gates of hell and will attain Moksha.
We refer to this day as Yama Dwitiya, the second day of Yama or Bhai Dooj and celebrate it two days after Diwali. Sisters welcome their brothers, renew their childhood bond and refresh their childhood memories on this day.
Kalindi
And the dark serene Kalindi, whose story we are all familiar with, is Krishna’s fourth wife.
The Essence Of Yamunaji’s Many Names
The essence of these stories highlights Yamunaji’s inherent nature. Yamunaji, as Viraja, does not crave for external validation. Like Krishna, she is complete on her own. She flows her course gently. Unlike Radha and the other gopis, Yamunaji makes no demands on anyone. Not even on Krishna. She leaves even Krishna’s Goloka willingly when she realises that her love for Krishna is causing Radha unbearable pain.
As Suryatanaya, she is a loving daughter who never speaks to her father about the atrocities that her stepmother puts her through.
As Yami, when Yama rejects her offer of populating the world, she does not foist her concerns on him. Neither does she ask Yama to look at the bigger picture. And she understands that her brother has a tough job to do and is busy. She is content when Yama comes to meet her just once a year. Even that is a good enough reason for her to celebrate.
And as Yamini, Yamunaji mourns the loss of her twin brother but buries her sorrow in her bosom. She never speaks a word about it to anyone. The gods intuitively sense her sorrow and bless her with hope.
And as Kalindi, she waits patiently, for years together to wed Krishna. She is a part of him after all. She yearns to merge with him at least in the physical realm. And Krishna fulfils her wish, at the right time, as usual.
All of us are not blessed with such a beautiful nature by birth. Some believe that even the nature we are born with depends on our karmic tendencies. We cannot undo our karma. That is why Vallabhacharya asks us to consciously work on our inherent nature with awareness and do all that we do with bhakti in our hearts. He says, “The easiest way to connect to Krishna is to emulate Yamunaji traits. The rest will automatically fall in place. At the right time.” It’s time we engraved Vallabhacharya’s words in our hearts.
Pictures given by Shri.Krishna Akhileshji.
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