The Epic Love Stories of Vishnu: Introduction
by Priya V. Patel

                                                                                         

In this small world that you live in, I have taken on many incarnations, embarking on life's long journey in order to destroy evil and preserve the so little good I have found. I am Vishnu, the preserver god, and today I have decided to not dwell on all the battles that I have fought, but all the love I have experienced and attained during two of my incarnations on earth. I am a resident of the heavens and I sit among the stars, but I also enjoy all the peace and humility that this world has to offer. Although I have found and destroyed numerous demons, I have also found many humans with a pure heart dedicated to rectitude. I see and have seen all the good, the bad, and the ugly but the most beautiful of all that I have seen, attained, and experienced is LOVE.  I have gone through the experience of true love while also experiencing the insane lust that other lovers have held for me. Based on my experiences living among you on earth, I would like to tell you about four such love stories.

When I was incarnated as Rama, I fell in love with the woman who would become my wife, Sita.  From her I learned what is like to love and to be loved. To me, she was more than just my wife. She was my lifelong companion, and she made many sacrifices to be with me. She was the most beautiful person on earth and was always so loving and caring about everyone. Our relationship was based on honesty, trust and, most importantly, friendship. It was love so pure that it hurt like splinters in my heart when she was away from my eyes.

I thought I had learned all aspects of love when I was with Sita. In the second story, I will tell you of a love that hurts. Surpanakha, Ravana’s sister, became part of my life during my incarnation as Rama. From Surpanakha, I learned that love could also have negative effects on people. She was a demon, disguised in the most beautiful body any man has ever seen. She became infatuated with me at first sight. Although she called it love, she was head-over-heels insane. From her I learned that some aspects of love can also inspire a passion that is full of lust and evil. Even though her lust was evil, it was part of a cosmic plan of salvation that I had to carry out during my life as Rama.

Being Rama gave me the knowledge of true love and helped me distinguish between love and lust. During my incarnation as Krishna, however, I learned a new love that I hadn’t experience before. In this third story, I will tell you about India’s most famous love story: the love of Radha and Krishna. Since my childhood as Krishna, I remember I had always enjoyed being around the gopis (cowherds) of my village. Radha was the most beautiful of the gopis, and I married her. She was my first wife, and was the most favorite of my wives. I had many wives but I loved Radha the most. From her I learned the beauty that is bestowed on love and its lovers. Her love gave me pleasure and helped me experience  all the joys of my life. She was my loyal companion of love even when I was courting many other women. I had many wives but I was satisfied by just her.

I have experienced the incredible power of love through my incarnations as Rama and Krishna and now I want you to experience them for yourself. I would like to tell you these three love stories through the letters that each of my lovers has written me at different points in their lives. These letters will teach you the different states of love that exists. Sita, Surpanakha, and Radha will all be composing letters addressed to Rama or Krishna. To spread this knowledge of love that I have discovered, I will write of the thoughts and feelings that I experienced as a result of the love of these different women. I will also let each of my lovers share the feelings and thoughts that filled their minds during each such incident. Then I, Vishnu, incarnated as Rama and Krishna, will share with you the letters that each of the women in my lives have written to me.

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Image Information:
First image: Rama and Sita in the gondola. Web source: Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient India
Second image: Surpanakha meets Rama in the woods. Web source: Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient India
Third image: Radha and Krishna. Web source: Bhakti Yoga