A Tale Of Radha, Krishna and Uddhava – III

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“Do you mind if I ask you one thing?” Uddhava asked Hesitatingly.

“What?” Said Radha.

“I trust Krishna. But everybody in Bharat wonders one thing. If Krishna had so much knowledge and
so much power, why didn’t he stop the Mahabharata war?”

“And how would that be better?”

“Well, obviously there would be no destruction, no death. All the people who died would be still with
us. Things would be much more happy than gloomy.”

“Uddhava, had Mahabharata war been avoided, by today may be there were less deaths. But there
would be a lot more desire to kill. May be today less destruction, but there would be still violent
minds.”

“Krishna did exactly what he should have done. “Radha continued. “He separated people who wanted
war from people who wanted peace. So warriors could express themselves, and so could Rishis and
peasants. Had it not been this way, everybody would be miserable today. ”

“No matter how great leader, king or sage you are, you can’t change what people want. You can’t
change who they are. Your best bet is let each one take his/her own course of destiny. Best leaders ,
may they be leading a government, an ashram or an army, keep interference to minimum. They let
people be themselves. They reduce the conflicts between their followers. They will not preach, but
those who observe them would be left with nothing but clear understanding.”

“Their touch is subtle, yet lasts for ages. Their vision reaches far. They guide their followers not only
away from the danger, but even away from the smell of danger. So the people will never know what
they were saved from.”

“This way, the real achievements of the great leader will never be noticed.”

“Indeed it makes sense. ” Said Uddhava. “But it is so ironic. If the real achievements are never
noticed, then what’s the point in being a great leader?”

“If getting noticed is your goal, then you are not ready to be great in anything.”

“I need to think and digest this.” Said Uddhava.

Uddhava’s bed in verandah offered him a great view of night sky. He was still thinking about the
conversation in the day.

“I guess that’s why Krishna never tries to make a maha-rishi out of Uddhava. He just sets Uddhava on
the path to become Maha-rishi and keeps him free. Evantually all Uddhavas find their own way to the
title. ” He thought.

As his body relaxed, his thoughts slowed down. He aimlessly stared at the sky.
Thousands of stars gleaned in the darkness. Clouds drifted along, hiding one star, showing another.

As the night progressed, Saptarshi constellation arose, their tail pointed to Pole star.

Pole star!!

Silently guiding lost sailors to the land, desert travelers to water. Demanding no cost.

Always there. Always present. Always reliable. Always giving.

Kind of like Radha, he thought.

Then the silence carried him gently to sleep.

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