Sankari Khora, the narrow passage
In Sankari Khora (Varsana) there is narrow passage-way lying between Brahma-parvata and Vishnu-parvata, and both gopas and gopis would make their way along it. After milking the cows, the gopas would carry the milk on kamvars, which is a bamboo stick with ropes attached to each end for carrying loads. They used this pathway to cross from one side of the hills to the other.
Frolicsome Krishna would plunder the milk, yoghurt and butter of the jovial gopis here. Every year in the month of Bhadra on Sukla-trayodasi (the thirteenth day of the bright moon), budhi-lila is enacted here, as inaugurated by Sri Narayana Bhatta. Today this pastime is also enacted here annually on the occasion of Radhashtami, the appearance day of Srimati Radhika.
At this dana-ghati, Sri Krishna and His gopa friends would become tax collectors and demand milk, yoghurt and butter as toll- tax from the gopis. When the gopis refused to give any tax, Krishna would forcibly plunder and relish their milk products.
The gopis, being tired of these daily encounters, decided one day to retaliate strongly. They decided that on a chosen day they would all hide in the caves and dense kunjas on the hill on both sides of the narrow pathway. A few gopis would then cross Sankari-khor carrying pots of milk, yoghurt and butter on their heads. The plan was that the moment Krishna and His sakhas would stop them and try to plunder their load, the gopis would call out to their friends hiding nearby, who would at once descend from their hideouts. Then, under the leadership of Lalita, they would teach Krishna and His sakhas a good lesson.
And so it happened that the next day thousands and thousands of gopis divided into groups and hid themselves in the dense kunjas and large caves around Sankari-khor.
Then, as usual, a few gopis placed pots of milk and yoghurt on their heads and made their way towards Sankari-khor.
Krishna, Madhumangala and the other sakhas obstructed their path and forcibly began to plunder their milk and yoghurt.
At once, these gopis signalled the gopis who were hiding, and a wonderful pastime took place. Five to ten gopis forcefully caught hold of Krishna. Another five to ten caught hold of Madhumangala, and further groups captured Subala, Arjuna, Lavanga and the other sakhas. They slapped their cheeks till they were swollen.
They then tied the tuft of hair on the back of their heads (sikhas) to the branches of the trees and asked them,
“What pleasure is there in plundering our yoghurt? Will you ever do it again?”
Madhumangala folded his hands and prayed at the feet of Lalita.
“Please spare me. I was very hungry. I am a simple brahmana boy who fell under the influence of that fickle Krishna. I shall never behave like this again.”
The gopis thus taught the sakhas a lesson.
Srimati Radhika, Visakha and some other gopis had captured Krishna. They slapped His cheeks a few times and then forcibly dressed Him like a woman with a blouse and skirt.
They even put vermilion in the parting of His hair, bangles on His arms, anklets on His feet, and so on.
They covered half His face with a veil, placed a pot of yoghurt on His head and began to make fun of Him by demanding tax on the yoghurt.
From the top of the hill, Lalita Sakhi aimed a stone at the pot of yoghurt on Krishna’s head, breaking it and drenching His whole body.
All the sakhis began to laugh and clap, and Syama felt very ashamed.
“Will You dare to demand tax on our yoghurt ever again?” they asked. “Hold Your ears and vow, ‘From today, I will never try to tax the gopis’ yoghurt.’ ”
They forced Krishna to repeat this.
Sankari Khora
Sankari Khora is a very narrow gorge between the two hills, Brahmagiri Parvata and Vilasa Parvata, where Sri Krishna would regularly stop the gopis and demand a tax on the milk products that they were carrying to the market.
This pastime is known as ‘dana-keli’, which means the game (keli) of tax collection (dana).
The word ‘sankari’ means ‘narrow’ and ‘khora’ means ‘sacred place’, and it was the ideal spot to stop the gopis and demand a tax before letting them through the narrow pass.
On some occasions, if the gopis refused to pay any tax, Krishna and His friends would forcibly break the gopis pots and distribute all the milk, yoghurt, and other dairy products between themselves.
On some occasions, as a reprisal, the gopis would gang up on the cowherd boys and sometimes tie them up to trees and give them a good slapping.
Once the gopis caught Krishna and forcibly dressed Him up as a gopi with a ‘gagra and choli’ (a girl’s skirt and blouse), along with bangles and a nice veil, and after balancing a large yogurt pot on His head, the gopis broke it by throwing stones, causing Krishna to get drenched from head to foot in yogurt.
This is a section of the book “Vrindavana Lila”.
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