Revathi and Balarama - Part 2 of 2

As the brothers were going to Dwaraka after escaping the fire, they saw the beautiful mountain of Raivataka on the way.

But that was not surprising.

What was, was that there was a ravishing beauty standing beside the mountain and beside the girl, there was an old man – a very troubled looking old man.

Though the old man was troubled, there was no doubt that the man was a king and the jewels that he wore looked like the jewels of very old times.

But the man carried himself like a king and had perfect regal bearings as he studied the two brothers, looking a little worried.

"Who are you, sir?" Balarama asked as he was studying the old man.

The girl was breathtakingly beautiful. So beautiful that Balarama could not even look at her.

"My name is Kakudmi. Some people even call me Revata." The man spoke in an ancient language which was almost forgotten by the locals. Mercifully, the two brothers were able to follow him. "I am the king of the kingdom of Kusasthali."

Balarama was shocked.

"Kusasthali?" He demanded looking like he was unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Yes." That was the first time the girl spoke. She had a beautiful voice and it was definitely haunting Balarama. "I am the princess of that kingdom." There was a slight anger in her voice as if she just could not believe that someone would doubt her and her father.

"You do not understand, my princess," Krishna said with twinkling eyes. "We have only read about the kingdom of Kusasthali. That kingdom is spoken of in the history of the Yadavas. And incidentally, our kingdom of Dwaraka is built on the place where the kingdom of Kusasthali once existed." Krishna told the stupefied princess.

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"Why don't you tell us about yourself, king?"

Krishna asked the king, as they had reached the kingdom of Dwaraka.

The moats of the kingdom were drawn in and the princess and the king were treated with utmost respect.

It was only after this that Krishna had started talking.

Balarama for his part was strangely silent.

If Krishna found that odd he made no mention about it. But absolutely everyone could know that Krishna's eyes were looking unduly mischievous. Even more mischievous than he usually looked.

Kakudmi, unfortunately did not know much about Balarama or Krishna and the king saw nothing unusual as he continued.

"As I have told you I am the king of Kusasthali." Kakudmi paused as he studied his beautiful daughter.

She blushed slightly and she looked dazzlingly beautiful as Kakudmi turned to Krishna.

"I wanted to find a good groom for my daughter."

Balarama nearly gasped as he caught himself at the last minute, as the king continued. "I could not find anyone on earth or even among the Devas. So I approached Lord Brahma, the Creator Lord."

"Lord Brahma?" Krishna murmured. "You went to Satyaloka, the realm of Lord Brahma?"

Kakudmi nodded as he realized that Krishna had understood his problem. But for the benefit of Balarama, Kakudmi continued. "When we arrived at Satyaloka, Lord Brahma was listening to the musical presentation of the Gandharvas - the musicians of the Devas."

Balarama frowned as Kakudmi continued. "I waited for the presentation to get over. That proved to be a mistake." Kakudmi said heavily.

"Mistake?" Balarama asked almost harshly.

"Yes." Kakudmi continued. "You see the time in different realms pass differently. A few minutes in Satyaloka, is a few years on earth. Me and my daughter were there for the entire musical presentation. So, by the time the presentation was over, all the people that I knew on earth were dead - even their families were all gone. Nothing remained."

"What happened after that?" Balarama asked and now he was really intrigued.

"At that time that I was talking to Lord Brahma, I did not realize this. I told him of my problem and asked him to suggest a good groom for my daughter." Kakudmi looked at the fierce eyes of Balarama and continued.

"Brahma told me of what had happened on earth during the time that I had heard the musical presentation. After that, Lord Brahma told me another story and then the Lord asked me to come back to Raivataka."

"What story?" Krishna asked, struggling not to smile. He just knew where this was going.

"He told me the story of Chakshush Manu, a powerful king who ruled over the earth." Kakudmi sounded worried as he looked at the two brothers.

"What about Chakshush Manu?" Balarama demanded impatiently.

"Not him." Kakudmi corrected slowly. "Manu's daughter - Jyotishmati."

"Who is Jyotishmati?" Balarama was almost exasperated as he threw up his hands in despair.

"Chakshush Manu conducted a great sacrifice and Jyotishmati was born from the sacrificial fires. She was supposed to be a great beauty. When she grew up, she wanted to marry the mightiest of them all."

"Alright." Balarama said realizing that he had to let the king go at his own pace.

"So, Jyotishmati first approached Indra."

"Indra, the Lord of the Devas? The bringer of the rains?" Krishna asked and he rolled his eyes looking very mischievous.

Kakudmi nodded.

"But Indra said that Vayu, the Lord of the Wind was stronger than him. And he sent Jyotishmati to the Lord of the Wind."

Balarama and Krishna looked at each other as Kakudmi continued.

"Vayu said that he was not strong enough and that the earth was stronger than him and that the Goddess of the Earth would know who was stronger than Vayu."

Now, Balarama realized why Krishna had been smiling the whole time and he nearly blushed.

Naturally, Kakudmi did not realize this, as he continued.

"The Earth Goddess told Jyotishmati that Sesha, the thousand headed Snake on which Lord Narayana rested was even more powerful than the earth because Sesha held up the very earth on his head."

"Sesha?" Balarama nearly croaked as Krishna just could not stop laughing.

"But the story does not end there." Kakudmi said, not realizing the mood of the two brothers. "Lord Brahma it seems, told Jyotishmati, that an incarnation of Lord Sesha would appear on earth. But that incarnation would appear 27 Yugas after she was born."

"Oh." Was all Balarama could manage as he was struggling not to look at the laughing Krishna.

"Jyotishmati was furious with this. That was when Brahma hastily told Jyotishmati that she would cross those 27 yugas and still marry the man." Kakudmi said as he looked at the two brothers a little hopefully.

"I just do not know what this story has to do with me or my daughter."

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Naturally, Revathi, the daughter of Kakudmi who was Jyotishmathi reincarnated, married Balarama, who was said to be the incarnation of Sesha, the thousand headed snake on which Lord Narayana rests.

(The story of Jyotishmati, the daughter of Chakshush Manu, is found in the Garga Samhita)