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Paarijaat Tree
In English Paarijaat is called the Queen of the Night or Coral Jasmine, in Hindi it is called Haar Singaar or Haarshringaar and in Sanskrit it is called Paarijaat. Paarijaat means descended from the sea. Haarsingaar is the ornament of the gods or beautiful ornament. Its flowers are gathered for religious offerings and to make garlands. Its orange heart is used for dyeing silk and cotton, a practice that started with Buddhist monks whose orange robes were given their color by this flower. Paarijaat tree is regarded in Hindu mythology as one of the five wish-granting divine trees of Dev Lok.

Why Paarijaat blooms only at night? - Legend in the Vishnu Puraan tells of a king who had a beautiful and sensitive daughter called Paarijaat. She fell in love with Soorya, the Sun. "Leave your kingdom and be mine," said the Sun passionately. Obediently Paarijaat shed her royal robes and followed her beloved. But the Bun grew cold as he tired of Paarijaat and soon he deserted her and fled back to the sky. The young princess died heartbroken. She was burnt on the funeral pyre and from her ashes grew a single tree. From its drooping branches grew the most beautiful flowers with deep orange hearts. But, since the flowers cannot bear the sight of the Sun, they only bloom when he disappears from the sky and, as his first rays shoot out at dawn, the flowers fall to the ground and die.

How Paarijaat tree came to Earth is an interesting story. This story comes in three Puraan, Vishnu Puraan, 5/11,  Padm Puraan, 5/45 and Bhaagvat Puraan, 10/u8.  All these versions are similar to one another and are given on Previous Page. But the following story is different from all of them.

(1) Satyabhaamaa and Rukminee - Paarijaat Tree
When the Ksheer Saagar (Ocean of Milk) was churned (Saagar Manthan), the Paarijaat tree came out of it, but Indra, the chief of the gods, thought it was far too beautiful for the Earth. Its bark was of gold and it was embellished with young sprouting leaves of a copper color and its fruit stalks bear numerous clusters of fragrant fruit. Anyway, he took it to his heavenly garden Nandan Van in Amaraavatee and there it grew as one of his five celestial trees, till Krishn brought it to Earth.

How did Krishna bring it to Earth? In the days when the gods visited the Earth and sometimes even took human form, lived a divine sage called Naarad Muni. Naarad Jee traveled frequently between Swarg Lok where the gods lived and Earth. He was a mischievous sage who took great delight in creating problems for both gods and humans. One day Naarad Muni arrived in Dwaarakaa where Krishn lived with his 16,008 wives. Naarad Jee brought a single Paarijaat flower with him as a gift for Krishn. He said with mischief hidden in his voice - "My Lord, This flower is so beautiful that I thought you might like to give it to your wife Rukminee who so much loves flowers. Krishn was very pleased. He said - "What a good idea, Muni. But I don't Think Rukmini has ever seen a Paarijaat flower before." He took the small orange and white blossom and went to Rukmieei's chambers.

Naarad Jee saw his opportunity. He sped to the rooms of Krishn's other wife Satyabhaamaa and, as he entered her room, he made his face mournful. Satyabhaamaa looked concerned. She immediately asked Naarad Jee - "Welcome Muni, But what troubles you? You look sad, what is the matter?" Naarad Jee replied sorrowfully - "Devee, You know how special you are to me. I had brought a Paarijaat flower from Indra's garden for Krishn. I told Him to give it to his favorite wife. I thought that He would give it to you and you would enjoy the gift. But, alas, He has given it to Rukminee." Satyabhaamaa had a short and explosive temper. She said crying angrily - "How dare He! I won't let Rukminee have it. I'll go and ..."

Naarad Jee consoled her - "Calm down, Calm down, Devee. What will you do with a single flower? Now, if Krishn loved you he would bring the whole tree itself from Amaraavatee." Satyabhaamaa's face lit up. "How clever you are, Muni." she exclaimed. Naarad Jee bowed in acceptance of the compliment and Satyabhaamaa also left the room hurriedly.

In olden times, in every palace, there used to be a room called Kop Bhavan (The Chamber of Anger). Any wife who felt herself insulted or mistreated in any way could retire to this room and her complaint would be heard by her husband. Satyabhaamaa, with her face like thunder, entered the room and sent her maid to call Krishn. As soon as Krishn heard this He rushed to Satyabhaamaa's Kop Bhavan. As He walked through the doorway, Satyabhaamaa burst out weeping - "You love Rukminee more than me. Why did you give her the Paarijaat flower? I won't stay here any more." she wailed. Krishn was taken aback. What has happened to her? It was too late to recognize the trap of Naarad Jee that He had fallen into. He consoled her - "My beloved, Naarad Muni is just like that, you know him." He started to explain, but Satyabhaamaa cut Him short - "No, no, I won't listen to any of your excuses. If you love me you have to bring me the Paarijaat tree. Or I will stay in this room forever and forever and refuse to eat anything."

Krishn saw no way out so He gave in and said - "Very well, You shall have the tree."
He flew to Amaraavatee to bring the Paarijaat tree, but Naarad Jee had already been there. He was whispering into Indra's ear - "I have heard that some thieves are coming to steal your Paarijaat tree from Earth, My Lord." Alarmed Indra sent his celestial guards to surround the garden. Krishn knew that how dear the tree was to Indra and that he would not give it away readily, so decided to steal it. He engtered the grove at night with the intention to steal that tree, but the guards were too quick for Him. He was captured and taken before the chief of gods.

"Krishn, You?" exclaimed Indra, "Why should you come to steal my tree?"
Krishna told him how He had been trapped by Sage Naarad. He further said shrugging his shoulders - "You know Indra Satyabhaamaa's temper. I cannot return to Dwaarakaa without the tree." Indra laughed - "These wives!" He ordered the Paarijaat tree to be uprooted and gave it to Krishn immediately.

On his way back Krishn found Himself in a greater dilemma. "If I give the tree to Satyabhaamaa, Rukminee will also demand it. Where will I get the other one from? Oh dear. How to sole the problem." Then He smiled to Himself as He hit upon a solution. Satyabhaamaa was ecstatic when she saw Krishn and the tree. She cried flushing with happiness - "Thank you, my Lord, Thank you." She turned to order her handmaid to take it away but Krishn said firmly - "I have brought the tree for you. But I Myself will decide where it is to be planted."

Clever Krishn! Both his wives, Satyabhaamaa and Rukminee, had adjoining gardens. He planted the Paarijaat tree in such a way that while its trunk stood in Satyabhaamaa's garden, while its branches drooped into Rukminee's garden and she collected the flowers that fell from that tree every morning. And so Krishn kept both his wives happy and the Paarijaat tree came to Earth.

(2) Satyabhaamaa and Rukminee - Tulaa Bhaar
Satyabhaamaa was very proud of Krishn's love for herself and her love towards Krishn. Naarad Jee knew this and one day he thought to teach a lesson to her. Once Naarad Jee came to Dwaarakaa and visited Krishn and His wives. During His visit he told Satyabhaamaa that Krishn's love towards her was not so real, rather it was Rukminee who was the real controller of His heart. Satyabhaamaa could not bear this truth so she challenged Naarad to prove it. Naarad Jee was looking for this opportunity.

Naarad Jee tricked her with his words, that she should keep a vow and after the completion of that vow, she should give away Krishn to Naarad in donation. She may reclaim Him from Naarad by giving him as much wealth as His weight (this is called Tulaa Bhaar). Naarad Jee lured her that if she will take up this vow, give away her husband in donation to him and then taking Him back giving Tulaa Bhaar, Krishn's love will increase towards her hundredfold. He hinted her this also that her real wealth may not be sufficient to take Him back from Naarad. Satyabhaamaa accepted the challenge that she could raise so much wealth that it would be much more than His actual weight. At this Naarad Jee warned her that if Satyabhaamaa could not provide so much wealth, Krishn would be his slave and he would do with Him whatever he pleased.

So Satyabhaamaa observed the vow, and gave Krishn away to Naarad, although Krishn's other wives pleaded her not to do so, but she didn't listen to anybody. Krishn also had always been mischievous, so He did not say a word about all this, He just kept quiet and smiling. Now it was Satyabhaamaa's turn to take Him back from Naarad. Satyabhaamaa immediately got all the wealth she had collected to weigh Krishn. A scale was set up. On one side sat Krishn and on the other side Satyabhaamaa started to put her collected wealth. She put all the wealth on that pane, but the scale did not shake even a bit.

She had finished her all wealth, but Krishn could not be bought back, so she had to ask others to give her their own jewelry so that she can get her husband back. Satyabhaamaa desperately begged Krishn's other wives also to put their wealth on the scale. They did help her, but still no use. Krishn was silently seeing all this and was sprinkling salt on Satyabhaamaa's open wounds of her ego. Many other women kept their own jewelry on the pan but Krishn still could not be bought back with all those riches. Satyabhaamaa started perspiring. Naarad saw an excellent opportunity to tease Satyabhaamaa, so he said to her that if Satyabhaamaa could not buy her husband back, he was taking away Krishn and that from that day, Krishn would not belong to her; He would belong to him, and he could take whatever work he wanted to take from Him, rather he might auction too Krishn.

Hearing this Satybhaamaa helplessly started crying and she held Naarad's feet. Naarad got pity on her but still he intended to teach her a lesson. He said - "Why don't you ask Rukminee to help you?" In fact because of the jealousy of Rukminee, she did all this, and now Naarad was asking her to go to Rukminee? She was not ready to go to Rukminee at all, but at this time there was no alternative. If Krishn was not taken back from Naarad, what she would answer to Rukminee, at the same time she did not want to lose Krishn too. Seeing no other alternative, she swallowed her pride, and she hesitatingly and unwillingly went to Rukminee. She found her performing Tulasee Poojaa. She hesitatingly told her that she did this on Naarad's advice only to make Krishn wholly of her own. And now she is not able to give gold needed to equal Krishn's weight, and thus getting Him back.

Rukminee smiled, plucked a leaf of Tulasee plant and followed Satyabhaamaa where the balance was set and Krishn was sitting on one of the pans of that balance. She said to Satyabhaamaa that gold will never outweigh God. And saying this she placed that Tulasee leaf she brought with her in the other pan of the balance, uttering the name of Krishn. [in another version it is said that Rukminee kept just a petal of a flower adorned in her hair]. Lo and behold, the other pan immediately went down and Krishn got lighter in comparison to the Tulasee leaf [or petal of a flower]. The scale from wealth side became so heavy that even after removing all the wealth that it touched the ground with just the weight of Tulasee leaf. hus Rukminee got Krishn back just giving out only a Tulassee leaf. Satyabhaamaa got very ashamed of herself.

Satyabhaamaa and Draupadee
Another notable point here is this also, that there is another incident, besides this Tulaa Bhaar incident, where Satyabhaamaa asks Draupadee as how she controls her five husbands. This is given here in MBH, G-4-Van/44. It seems that she always had inclination towards controlling Krishn herself only.

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