ARRIVING RUNNING, HE EXTENDED HIS HAND TO PULL OUT THE ARROW FROM THE LEG.
KRISHNA RAISED HIS HAND IN OBJECTION…
JARAA SAID, “WHY? O LORD, WHY?”
“LET IT BE BROTHER..! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE MOTHER GAANDHAARI’S WORDS GO IN VAIN..!” KRISHNA REPLIED IN A VERY STEADY TONE.
“I HAVE COMMITTED A GREAT SIN. PLEASE FORGIVE ME, O LORD..! THINKING THAT YOU WERE A JUNGLE ANIMAL….I…. SHOT AT ARROW AT YOU. JARAA STARTED MOANING IN A PITEOUS VOICE.
“GET UP, SON..!” KRISHNA SAID. “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”
“MY…MY..NAME IS JARAA..!”
“JARAA..! OK..!” YOUR NAME IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT, SON..! JARAA MEANS OLD AGE, NEVER EVER LEAVES ANYONE..! YOU ARE MERELY AN INSTRUMENT, SON..!”
THERE IS NO SUCH INDIAN LANGUAGE IN WHICH, POETRY, STORY, NOVEL, DRAMA, REFERENCE-BOOK AND SUCH OTHER HISTORY HAS NOT BEEN CREATED—KEEPING KRISHNA AS THE CENTRE-POINT. THE NOVEL “SHYAM FIR EK BAAR TUM MIL JAATE” (ORIGINAL GUJARATI) IS AN UPANISHADIC NOVEL.
DURING THE PREVAILING ARYAVART, KRISHNA WAS AN IMPOSING-PERSONAGE. WHEN THIS PERSONAGE DISSOLVED IN THE DEADLY SILENCE THAT HAD OVERCAST, THIS IS A WRITTEN DISPLAY OF THE SHRIEK OF ‘THAT-SILENCE’. WHEN KRISHNA WAS IN FRONT IT WAS A DIFFERENT MATTER. THIS NOVEL TAKES THE CONFUSED STATE OF MIND OF THE CHARACTERS—BEGINNING WITH VASUDEV DEVAKI, AKROOR, UDDHAV, AND RADHA— UPTO AN UNPRECEDENTED HEIGHT, WHEN KRISHNA DISSOLVED.
श्रीकृष्णाच्या मृत्यूनंतर अक्रूर, उद्धव, अर्जुन, द्रौपदी इत्यादी त्याच्या स्मृती जागवत आहेत. त्यांच्या स्मरणातून कंसवध, स्यमंतक मणी, उग्रसेन-पवनरेखेची कथा, अश्वत्थाम्याने पांडवपुत्रांची केलेली हत्या, रुक्मिणीने त्याला केलेलं शासन, जरा पारध्याचा बाण लागून श्रीकृष्णाचा झालेला मृत्यू इत्यादी अनेक घटना उलगडत जातात. वर्तमान-भूत या दोन काळांमध्ये आंदोलणाऱ्या या घटनांना चिंतनाची जोड आहे. हे चिंतन म्हणजेच ‘परतुनि ये घनश्याम...’ ही कादंबरी. श्रीकृष्णाच्या मृत्यूमुळे भकास झालेल्या द्वारकेपासून सुरू झालेली ही कथा उद्धवाच्या परममुक्तीच्या बिंदूशी येऊन ठेपते, या दोन बिंदूंमधील हे अंतर नक्कीच अनुभवण्यासारखं.