I was awakened at four a.m. by a great flash of light. I don’t remember the flash, but it must have opened my eyes, because they were already open when I heard a single, compact, focused BOOM that shook the room, freaked me out, and echoed for a few seconds. “Wow!” I whispered, in the dark, expecting DW to have heard it. No response from my sleeping better half. “Did you hear that?” No response again. “Hare Krishna.” My third whisper received no attention, either. She really could sleep through a war, I thought. There was no sound of rain, so I began to imagine that it was a bomb, until I heard the first tentative sprinkles tapping on the metal roof.
I was disoriented. I looked around the darkened room. A twinkle of distant streetlight came in through the cracks in the venetian blinds. I tried to remember which walls were which, but I couldn’t figure out the floor plan—one of those “where am I? who am I?” moments. Faced with the chance to rise at four, unsure where I was or how I got there, after being shocked awake by a sudden, close explosion of lightning, I turned over and went back to sleep.
I dreamt I was in front of my old house in North Syracuse. Three tall, dark-haired girls were playing with dolls in the street. The fact that they were tall, dark-haired girls provided excitement, but then I noticed that the dolls they were playing with were actually deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Except they didn’t look like Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra. They had long black hair, like those girls. My mood changed from “excited anticipation of possible romantic conquest” to “hey, you can’t be swinging deities around like that.”
The dream scene transitioned, and we were all in someone’s living room. The deities were back on the altar, and I was beginning to explain to these girls Who these “dolls” were they were playing with. I wanted to instill the understanding that they’re not dolls, and you don’t go playing with Them in the street. (the concept of Rathayatra didn’t occur to me in the dream).
“This one’s name is Jagannatha. Jagat means ‘universe,’ and natha means ‘Lord.’ He’s Krishna. This one’s name is Subhadra. Su means ‘really,’ and bhadra means ‘auspicious.’ Usually, They look different, with really short arms, really big eyes, and really big smiles.” I love it whenever I’m able to explain any piece of Krishna conscious information in a dream. I’m extremely surprised and pleased that somehow, somewhere in my subconscious, something (Someone) is working even while I’m asleep, giving me clarity on transcendental topics.
I never got around to describing Baladeva, but instead began telling them about Lord Nrsimhadeva. My wife showed up and reminded me Who He was, since my transcendental clarity failed at that point. Just like when I’m awake.
Next time lightning strikes, just get up, you lazy lima bean.
I thought you were going to end the dream with -“the young girls were actually special associates of Krishna and the Deities changed their form for the girls so that they could be played with like dolls”
Keep posting! I’m enjoying getting to know you better.
Wonderful! Jaya Nrsimhadeva :P!
Certainly those tall, dark-haired girls were gopis—lucky for you.