Hastin was the stud bull of Vrindavan, a ferocious and uncontrollable creature. Some of Krishna's friends wagered that he could not ride Hastin and Krishna accepted the bet. But Radha intervened. "You cannot kill yourself in this crazy manner, Kahn!" she said angrily. Kahn was her pet name for Krishna. Krishna softly stated that he was not killing himself, simply riding Hastin. "Then you will do so over my dead body!" shouted Radha. A fierce argument followed, which ended by Radha saying that she would allow this stupid antic only if Krishna let her ride with him.
Krishna went into Hastin's stall and began to play his flute. When the savage beast was soothed Krishna summoned Radha. "Are you sure that you will not be afraid?" he asked, wanting to give Radha a chance to back out. Radha replied, "When I am with you I am not afraid of anyone or anything." Radha clung onto Krishna's back as he mounted Hastin. Krishna then untied the bull and raced through the lanes of Vrindavan to the pastures and hills with Radha sticking to him.
Krishna knew that not even his closest friends would have sat on Hastin with him. He could feel something of the immense faith Radha had in him and knew that she was sincere when she had said that she would rather die with him than live without him. His perception of Radha began to change.
But the villagers were aghast at Radha's behaviour. They could not comprehend how a mature woman, and one who is engaged, could cuddle so cosily atop a stud bull with a man other than her fiancé. Krishna was no longer a cute child but a strapping youth. If this incident boded ill for Radha, the next one a year later was totally disastrous.
There was a stagnant pool near the river Yamuna that was inhabited by a huge poisonous snake, Kaliya, and his brood. The pool was a danger to beast and man. Krishna decided to take Kaliya head on. He jumped into the pool to battle it out with the poisonous creature. His friends rushed to the village to tell everyone what had happened. The entire village rushed to the pool. Radha raced ahead like a woman possessed. The moment she saw Krishna bobbing up and down entwined in the coils of the snake, she let out a shriek and swooned. Krishna vanquished Kaliya and emerged from the pool unscathed. Radha was roused from her faint. "My Kahn! Why do you trouble me so?" she admonished Krishna.
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