So, in our last blog, we dove into the fascinating stories about how Shukadeva Ji was born. But did you know there’s another intriguing tale passed down through various Hindu scriptures? It’s a story that involves none other than the divine couple, Radha and Krishna.
Shuka in Sanskrit also means “parrot.” Let’s discover the connection between a parrot of Radha and Shukadeva in this story.
Radha used to convey her message to Krishna with the help of her parrots. Now, you might be wondering, “What messages could she possibly send when Radha and Krishna were essentially two halves of the same whole?” But hey, love works in mysterious ways, am I right? 😀
Anyway, there was this one little green parrot that was particularly eager to deliver Radha’s messages. It would flap its wings anxiously, feeling a sense of importance. Although many parrots delivered messages to Krishna daily, this little one felt a unique sense of importance when carrying a message from Radha. 🦜
I mean, who wouldn’t feel special carrying a message from the goddess of love herself?
So one day, Radha told this little parrot, “Go tell Krishna that the butter is extra delicious today and we’re eagerly waiting for him!” So off the parrot flew, full of purpose. Even though the messages were simple, they meant the world to him. The parrot’s life and thoughts moved between Radha and Krishna, between longing and love.
As time passed, Radha was about to leave her physical form, and the parrot wanted to go with her. But Radha had other plans for him. She told the parrot to stay, promising that it wouldn’t miss her. Radha said that whenever people talked about the love between her and Krishna, the parrot would feel her presence. Its new mission? To share the teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavatham.
Now, this parrot had been soaked in the sweet nectar of devotion, because he lived in Radha’s presence. But he had only delivered Radha’s simple messages. He didn’t know the stories of Lord Krishna in detail. That is, until one day when the parrot wandered into Parvati’s gardens in Kailasha. And that’s where the story takes an unexpected turn!
The Parrot’s Innocent Trick During Shiva’s Storytime
The little parrot noticed Lord Shiva was about to tell Parvati a story (Hari Katha). The parrot perched on a branch above them and started listening in. Luckily, Lord Shiva started sharing detailed stories about Lord Krishna, and Parvati was encouraging him with a gentle ‘hmm’ from time to time.
But then, Parvati dozed off without Shiva noticing. Lord Shiva got so deep into narrating the tales that he didn’t realise Parvati had fallen asleep. The parrot didn’t want the stories to stop, so it started imitating Parvati’s “hmm” sounds to keep Shiva going. Pretty smart, right?
Well, eventually Parvati woke up and realised she had fallen asleep. She apologised to Shiva, but then Shiva got curious.
“If you were sleeping, who was making that humming sound just like you?” he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. He felt angry, his brows came together, and his third eye seemed ready to open.
Uh oh, the parrot was in trouble!
Shiva felt the parrot’s presence. Realising he was about to be caught, the little parrot panicked and flew away as fast as he could. Just in the nick of time too!
What do you think happened next?
To know the next part about how this little parrot tricked Lord Shiva innocently, click here.