AaJao!: Story: All Around Me

Ghosts in the Forest
by bluesbby on flickr

I am reborn. I have a new lease on life: I am woman. I am strength. I am power. I am Motherhood. I am energy. I am cosmic energy. I am primordial cosmic energy, the greatest energetic force that this Earth and her inhabitants have seen, nay, will see. I am ALIVE.

Her previous physical form, Mirabai, had thwarted death. Banished to the river to kill herself for shaming her husband, she had been saved at the very last moment. Revived, re-invented, a new woman.

Power. Sheer power, with the free agency to do with it as I please. What is my purpose now?

She began to float away from the river, and closer towards the forest. She was not destined for anywhere in particular, rather, she was feeling out this new form she had and wondering at its capabilities. She explored, she meandered, she experimented with this visceral power. After many days of using her powers on nothing but trees, or leafs, or playing with fire, she ultimately determined that she was being useless in her new powerful form.

Enough. This is not what this change was given to me for. I've idled away my time for nothing. Here, look, a lonely aesthetic in the woods. I shall nudge his fire back into life. Aha! There you go ascetic, yes, that was me. No, no, you can't see me, don't look around for me like that, I am not visible to you. Oh, I'm not audible either? What if I shout very loudly LIKE THIS! Oh, no, that didn't work either? What if I nudge you to move your encampment to a safer grove over here, where the Rakshasas likely won't find you as easily......... That's right, there you go, now you've got the idea. Pick up your few pieces of encampment and move over here to this grove. MOVE, I SAID! I'll even restart your fire for you..... Bravo! Good move! You may not see me, or apparently hear me, but you certainly felt the force compelling you to move to safety! Well, that's the proper use of this power then: imposing upon humanity what is good for them.

And then a glint twinkled in her eye, akin to the very first inkling she had when she realized the magnificent power she held within her.

Imposing on humanity what is good for them.....

She thought maniacally.

I can save the humans from their own stupidity! I can salvage the rivers, the oceans, and the atmosphere from the brutal trashing it has received from negligence! I can settle peace between the warring tribes! I AM POWER!

She set off to wield her influence upon anyone whom she could find. But, alas, No! She quickly stumbled upon a problem! She could only wield her power among places of nature it seemed: forests, rivers, oceans, atmosphere (clouds, rain, sun).

No, this still isn't working! I'm so frustrated! Why won't my influence move people here. What was it about the mendicants of the forests that made it so easy??? ARRRGGHHH.

It took a few more days of attempting to persuade humans to doing her bidding, but she soon learned one key element to her new form.

Ah, I see. I can only influence those who are seeking the primordial cosmic power. *SIGH* Humans are some of the most stubborn creatures.....

And so Radha, The Great Divine Mother, used her influence of power to those who sought her in the forests, those seeking by the riverbanks, and those on the ocean in need of some change of winds. She helped poured down the rain when they asked for it, she helped bring the sunshine when the monsoons were overwhelming the people and their crops, and she attempted to right the world through the only instrument she had available to her: influencing humanity.

Author's Note:

Thoughts or words spoken out loud are in this typeset.

Narration is in italics.

This week I was inspired to write about Radha, who is the divine companion to Krishna. I only learned about Radha because I was reading an Amar Chitra Katra comic book about Mirabai, a saint who gave her heart to Krishna. Village people, upon hearing of Mirabai's escape from death and subsequent musical worship to Krishna said, "She is Radha reborn!" I had to go research Radha, and this led me to dwelling on the idea of the primordial cosmic energy that moves throughout the whole earth, like a Great Divine Mother. I wanted to create some sort of mental back story to flesh out Radha more, and I tried to incorporate a ghost theme, since we are fast approaching Halloween. Everything mentioned above, outside of the reincarnation of a "new woman" and being called "Radha reborn" is of my own creation.

Radha: Radha in Sanskrit means fortunate and successful. Almost always depicted as the goddess next to Krishna, she is considered to be the embodiment of Shakti herself, the original goddess, and the embodiment of the female creative powers, sometimes referred to as "The Great Divine Mother", and she is the primordial cosmic energy that moves throughout the whole earth.

Shakti: power, primordial cosmic power. In Sanskrit, it is from the word Shak, which means "to be able."