Rukmini and the Turning of Time: The Dawn of an Era

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The main story of Rukmini & the Turning of Time takes place before, during and after the Mahabharata war, an event that marked the ending of one era and the beginning of another - a time when the spiritual knowledge was decreasing but the material development was on the rise. The story begins in the ancient city of Dwarka, India and is narrated by the voice of a dancer of that time. It is a story about Rukmini, who is said to be the rebirth of Mata Sita, both of whom are avatars of the great deity Narayani. Although Rukmini is the consort of the much beloved Bhagavan Krishna, her story has been lost in time, but it is essential now to recall her as the energy and presence of the divine female incarnations is highly critical for the healing and evolution of the human society. As with all of Dena Merriam's books, this story explores the complex and wondrous workings of cause and effect, the law of karma, as it guides and shapes our lives. But it is also a story of love, one that transcends time and place and that persists from one incarnation to the next. As we leave one form and take another through the laws of rebirth, we bring with us our love, the relationships that have left deep impressions and that have helped in our awakening. This tale follows the dancer of Dwarka through a series of rebirths, as she unknowingly carries with her the love and teachings of Rukmini, who patiently and silently guides her evolution. It is a story that applies to each one of us, because we all participate in this great cosmic dance of love as the illusion of time keeps turning.

Dena Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year 2000. She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002, an organization chaired by a multi-faith group of women spiritual leaders. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. The purpose of the Alliance is to bring together meditation teachers and practitioners in a collective effort to uplift and transform society, while caring for and honoring our Mother Earth. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. She is also a long time student of the great texts of the Vedic tradition. Ms. Merriam received her master's degree from Columbia University and has served on numerous boards. She is currently the Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Auroville Foundation in India. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Peace Studies from Mahachulalongkornvajravidyadara University (MCU) in Thailand. She is the author of My Journey Through Time, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time and To Dance with Dakinis.

It was my love for Sita Ma that led me to write the story of Rukmini- Sita Ma's next incarnation and an avatar of Narayani-as well as my own personal affinity with ancient Dwarka and the era in which this narrative unfolds. While Sita's story has been muted in the traditional telling of The Ramayana, Rukmini has been practically erased from history, and yet she had a profound effect on the unfolding events of that time and on the people who lived during that era. It is not in the historical narratives that we find the personal accounts of the avatars, but in our individual and collective memory banks; I draw upon those to recount the narrative in this book.

This is not a retelling of The Mahabharata, but the great war described in that epic is the backdrop to this book, and so I include a synopsis in the end matter. For those not familiar with the epic, it may be helpful to read the synopsis first. Some of the personalities key to the era appear in this story, in particular Arjuna and Shri Krishna. I write about them with a great deal of devotion and love, but also with some apprehension, as Arjuna and Shri Krishna hold a very sacred place in my spiritual lineage. and I cannot possibly do justice to who they truly are. So, I must clarify that I am sharing only how they have appeared to me. Others may have far different accounts.