King Pariksit said, Would you please describe the qualities and activities of Krishna, the supreme personality of God?
Suka Goswami said, At one time, the earth was burdened by a large number of arrogant kings. Therefore Krishna appeared on the earth as the son of Vasudeva in order to relieve the earth’s burden.
Krishna’s father Vasudeva and his mother Devaki were riding home on a chariot after their wedding. Devaki’s brother Kamsa was driving the chariot. While Kamsa was driving he heard a voice say to him, O foolish one, you are transporting her, but her eighth child will kill you!
When Kamsa heard this he seized Devaki by her hair and drew his sword ready to kill her. Vasudeva said, Kamsa, you are a man of many fine qualities and are admired by the brave. How can you kill your own sister on her wedding day? Death is unavoidable for everyone, whether it is today or in a hundred years.
When the body dies the soul receives another body according to their karma. If we act in an evil way in this lifetime we will have to suffer in the next lifetime. So it is in our own interests not to harm any other living beings, because if we do we will have to suffer a karmic reaction in the future. Devaki is your younger sister so she deserves to be protected. You are compassionate toward those who are helpless, so you should not kill her.
But Kamsa was determined and not persuaded by Vasudeva’s advice. Observing that Kamsa still intended to kill Devaki, he tried to persuade him through other means. Vasudeva could see his wife’s life was in danger and to avoid the immediate threat he said, Kamsa it is not Devaki who will kill you, so you have no reason to be afraid of her. It is her son who will do so. I will hand all her sons over to you.
Kamsa was pacified by Vasudeva’s promise and he desisted from killing Devaki. After some time had passed, Devaki gave birth to a son named Kirtiman. With great difficulty, Vasudeva delivered his son to Kamsa. On seeing Vasudeva intended to keep his promise and give him the child, Kamsa was pleased. He said, Vasudeva, let this child be returned, there is no fear from your first child. My death has been ordained from your eighth child.
Taking his son with him, Vasudeva returned home, but he was uneasy because he distrusted Kamsa. Meantime the great sage Narada approached Kamsa and told him that soon all the impious people on earth would be killed and Kamsa became afraid. So he imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki and bound them with chains. As each of their sons was born, Kamsa would kill the child.
Kamsa had killed six sons of Devaki, and then a portion of Vishnu known as Ananta, became Devaki’s seventh child entering her womb causing her both joy and sorrow. The Lord commanded Yogamaya and said, O Devi, go to the land of Vrndavana where Rohini and the other wives of Vasudeva are living in seclusion out of fear of Kamsa. Within Devaki’s womb is my partial manifestation known as Shesha. Take him from Devaki’s womb and transfer him to Rohini’s womb. I will then be born as Devaki’s son, and you will be born as Yasoda and Nanda’s daughter.
At the transfer of Shesha into the womb of Rohini, all the citizens cried, O Devaki has lost her child. Then the Supreme Lord entered the womb of Devaki. Because the Supreme Lord was within her womb, Devaki’s radiance brightened the whole prison house.
Kamsa thought, Devaki has never looked so radiant, the Supreme Lord who is within Devaki’s womb will kill me. But Devaki is my sister and she is pregnant and killing her now would destroy my reputation. So Kamsa decided to wait until the child was born and then kill the child.
Some time later, at an auspicious time, the Supreme Lord appeared like the full moon rising in the East. Vasudeva’s eyes were wide in amazement when he saw his son. The child’s eyes were like lotuses and he held different weapons in his four hands. The Srivatsa mark was on his chest and the Kaustubha jewel was around his neck. His complexion was as beautiful as a monsoon cloud and ornaments adorned his body.
Realising the child was the Supreme Lord Vishnu, Vasudeva bowed before him and said, How fortunate I am to see you directly, you are the Supreme Lord who exists beyond the material nature. You are the omnipresent soul within the hearts of everyone and the witness of all. How gracious it is that you have descended into my household to protect the world. Hearing the prediction of your birth in my house, the cruel Kamsa has killed all your elder brothers. When he learns of your birth, he will rush here with weapons drawn to try and kill you.
Devaki was very afraid of Kamsa and she said, O Lord, do not let the evil Kamsa know of your birth. I am afraid he will kill you. Withdraw this four handed form so it won’t be seen.
The Supreme Lord said, I have shown you this form so you will believe that I am the Supreme Lord Vishnu. If I had appeared as an ordinary child you would not have known that I had been born. If you are afraid of Kamsa, then take me to Vrndavana and return with Yogamaya who has been born there. Then the Lord stopped speaking and as Devaki desired, he turned himself into ordinary human baby.
Around the same time Yogamaya had taken birth as the daughter of Yasoda and Nanda in the village of Vrndavana. Vasudeva carried the child through the palace and by the Lord’s power all the guards were asleep and the locked doors opened as he approached. Vasudeva was able to carry the child to Nanda and Yasoda’s house in Vrndavana.
Arriving at the house, Vasudeva found all the villagers asleep. Placing his son on Yasoda’s bed, he took her daughter back to the prison house. Vasudeva put the female child on Devaki’s bed and replaced his chains. Yasoda knew she had given birth but was so exhausted she did not know the sex of the baby.
The guards at the palace woke when they heard the baby crying. They informed Kamsa that Devaki’s child had been born and Kamsa hurriedly got out of bed, with his hair dishevelled he rushed to Devaki’s room.
Devaki begged him, Please don’t kill this baby girl, it is dishonourable to kill a female. Impelled by destiny you have killed so many of my beautiful babies. Devaki was crying and embracing her daughter and begging him to spare her child. But Kamsa snatched the child from Devaki’s arms.
He seized the baby’s legs and tried to smash her against the stone wall. The goddess rose up in the air and freed herself from his grip. She had eight arms and each hand was holding a weapon. She wielded a bow, a spear, arrows, a shield, a sword, a conch-shell, a disc and a club. She was adorned with garlands of fresh flowers and jewelled ornaments. She said, Foolish man! What will you achieve by killing me? Your nemesis has already been born elsewhere so do not kill any more innocent babies.
Kamsa was astonished to see the goddess and he then freed Devaki and Vasudeva from their chains and said, O sister, O brother in law, regrettably I have killed so many of your sons. Like a cannibal who preys on his own children, I have killed so many of your children.
Although your sons have been killed by me, please do not grieve for them. Everyone suffers and enjoys the results of their own karma. If one is in the bodily conception they consider the soul to be killed and therefore they must suffer joy and sorrow. Saintly people are compassionate, so please forgive me for the barbarity of my actions. Then Kamsa fell at their feet with tears of remorse rolling down his cheeks. When Devaki and Vasudeva saw that Kamsa was sincerely sorry for what he had done, they were both relieved of their anger.
The next day Kamsa summoned his ministers and told them everything that had happened. The ministers said, O King Kamsa, we must kill all the children in the surrounding area that have been born in the last few weeks. Because Kamsa was afraid of death, he agreed to their proposal and hired the terrible infant-killer Putana to slay the babies.
Putana began visiting the towns and villages doing her evil work. Using her black magic Putana could transform herself into any form she desired. She adopted the form of a beautiful woman and went to the village of Vrndavana where Yasoda and Nanda lived. She was dressed very beautifully and her hair was decorated with flowers. She had beautiful earrings and she smiled sweetly at everyone.
She roamed around in search of babies and in Yasoda and Nanda’s house she found the child Krishna sleeping in his crib. Putana took the baby on her lap intending to kill him. Although Putana was very cruel, she looked like an affectionate mother. Yasoda and Rohini had seen her, but they were overwhelmed by her beauty and they did not stop her.
Taking Krishna on her lap, Putana put her breast, which was covered in deadly poison, into his mouth. Krishna, the supreme person, was enraged and seized her breast and sucked out both the poison and Putana’s life. She screamed, Let me go! Stop. Leave me! She wailed loudly and her eyes bulged and her arms and legs thrashed wildly. As Putana screamed loudly the earth trembled. Putana was killed and when she died she reverted into her original and gigantic form of a demon.
Some time later, Gargamuni, the priest of the Yadu dynasty came to Vrndavana to see Nanda. Nanda received him warmly and offered him a comfortable seat. Nanda said, You are a saintly brahmin and you are aware of astrological knowledge. Using this knowledge you can understand what someone has done in their past life and also what effect it will have on their present life. Would you please perform the purification rituals for my two sons?
Gargamuni said, I am widely known as the Yadu family’s priest. People will assume your son is the child of Devaki if I perform his purification rituals. Kamsa will learn of this and try and kill your son.
Nanda Maharaja said, Then please perform the ceremony in secret so no one learns of it, not even the residents of our village. Gargamuni agreed to Nanda’s request and performed the rituals in private.
Gargamuni said, The son of Rohini will be called Rama, because he will bring joy to everyone. He will also be called Bala because of his great strength. They will call him Sankarsana because he will bring the different branches of the Yadu family together. Your other son has assumed three different colours in different ages – white, red and yellow – and in this form he appears with a dark complexion.
He has many names and forms according to his qualities and deeds he will perform. I know of these but the common people do not. This child will delight all the residents of the village and bring prosperity to you all. Because of him you will easily overcome all dangers. Therefore you should take great care and attention in raising this child. In his qualities, prowess and splendour, this child is comparable to Narayana. Gargamuni then left for his own home. Nanda thought himself blessed with these children and was delighted by the words of Gargamuni.
Soon the brothers Rama and Krishna began to crawl on their hands and knees and playfully moved around the village. They were captivated by the tinkling sound of ankle bells and would follow people thinking they were their mothers. But then after a short distance they would return to their mothers as if they were afraid. Rama and Krishna would catch the tails of the calves and they would drag them back and forth. The women of the village would watch them and laugh, forgetting their household work.
Soon Rama and Krishna began to walk and play with the other children of the village. All the ladies of the village were attracted by Krishna’s mischievous childish activities. They would talk about it so his mother Yasoda could overhear and say, Sometimes Krishna comes to our houses and steals the milk and tasty curds and eats and drinks them. He feeds some to the monkeys until the monkeys are so full they refuse more. If we hang the curd and butter in a high place where Krishna and Balarama will not be able to reach it, they construct bricks and planks to climb on so they can get to it.
But now this naughty boy and expert thief is sitting here before us looking like a very good boy. After speaking in this way, all the women would look at Krishna sitting there and his eyes would be so fearful that he was in trouble, no one would scold him.
One day when Krishna was playing with his friends, the other children came to his mother Yasoda and complained that Krishna had been eating dirt. Yasoda picked up Krishna to scold him and said, Krishna why have you eaten dirt? Krishna replied, Mother, my friends are lying. I have not eaten dirt. If you do not believe me, then look inside my mouth. Yasoda said, Open your mouth so I can see for myself.
When Krishna opened his mouth Mother Yasoda saw the entire universe within his mouth. She saw everything that was mobile and immobile, she saw the vast reaches of space and all the galaxies. She saw the elements, the senses and the modes of nature and she also saw herself and the village of Vrndavana. When Yasoda saw all these things along with herself and the village, she was struck by fear and disbelief.
Yasoda thought to herself, Is this a dream or a delusion of my mind or some yogic feat of my child? I will take refuge of the Supreme Lord who is beyond human comprehension and who is the basis of the entire universe. Krishna had shown Yasoda the truth about her son, but by his power he then forgot her vision and was immersed in maternal affection for her son and she took him on her lap. The Supreme Lord is glorified in all the Vedic literature, but Yasoda simply looked upon him as her child.
One day Mother Yasoda was engaged in churning butter. While she was working Krishna approached her, wanting to drink her breast milk so he grabbed the churning rod to stop it. Yasoda stopped her work and took Krishna on her lap and was affectionately feeding him when she saw that the milk she was heating on the stove was about to overflow. She left Krishna to attend to the stove although he had not finished drinking her milk.
Krishna was indignant and with tears in his eyes he hit the butter churning pot with a stone and broke it. Then he took the freshly churned butter from the pot and hid in the next room to eat it. When Yasoda came back after attending to the milk on the stove, she saw the broken pot. Seeing that Krishna had disappeared, she assumed Krishna had broken the pot and run away.
Krishna was in the next room feeding the stolen butter to the monkeys. He was furtively glancing around him, worried he might be caught in the act. Yasoda saw him and stealthily crept up behind him. Seeing his mother coming toward him carrying a stick, he ran away as if he was afraid. Yasoda began to chase Krishna but couldn’t catch him. Even the greatest of yogis cannot capture the Supreme Lord by penance and meditation, but Yasoda pursued him thinking he was her son.
Although Yasoda’s hair became loosened and she was slowed by her large hips, she managed to capture her son. When he was caught by his mother, he was crying and rubbing his eyes with his hands smudging the black ointment around his eyes all over his face. When Yasoda saw that Krishna was afraid she threw away the stick and decided to tie him with rope as a punishment.
Yasoda thought Krishna was an ordinary child and so she tried to tie him to the mortar which was used to grind the spices. While tying him, she found that the rope was too short by a length of about two fingers, so she brought another rope and joined it to the first rope. Although she had added another rope it was also too short by a distance of two fingers.
She tied another piece and the same thing happened, she kept adding more rope until she had used all the rope in her house, but it was always too short to bind Krishna to the mortar. Yasoda’s friends were watching and laughing and Yasoda joined in the laughing but she was astonished that the ropes were always too short.
Krishna saw that his mother was perspiring and the flowers were falling from her loosened hair and although he controls the entire creation, he graciously allowed his mother to bind him. He who no one can control agreed to be bound by the love of his mother. After Yasoda had tied Krishna to the wooden mortar, she returned to her household chores.
Meanwhile, Krishna saw two arjuna trees growing in the yard who had been the sons of the god Kuvera in a previous lifetime. In their last life, their names were Nalakubara and Manigriva and they lived a luxurious life. But because of their conceited actions they had been cursed by Narada to become trees.
These two sons used to wander in their heavenly garden always intoxicated and enjoying themselves with young girls. At one time Narada appeared in that garden and saw them intoxicated. The girls were ashamed of being naked before the saint Narada and quickly dressed themselves. But Nalakubara and Manigriva didn’t care that Narada was present and remained naked before him.
Seeing them naked and intoxicated Narada decided to show favour to them. He said, There is nothing in the world that can delude someone as much as the arrogance that comes from being wealthy. If someone is wealthy but has no spiritual knowledge they will waste their wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling. Those who are proud of their wealth and material prosperity are benefited by becoming poor.
A person who must suffer poverty is forced to perform austerity because they do not have the money to buy anything. They are always in need of food and shelter so they are never proud of their position. Thus they are cured of pride arising from ignorance. Because these two men are unable to voluntarily control themselves and have become proud and arrogant due to their wealth, I will cure them of their ignorance.
Since they are so intoxicated they are not aware of their nudity, they deserve to become trees, naked and immobile. This will be a suitable punishment for them but I will allow them to retain the memory of their offence while they are trees. After they have spent 100 years in the body of a tree they will be able to personally see the Supreme Lord and consequently they will regain their status in the celestial realm.
In this way Nalakubara and Manigriva became the two arjuna trees growing near the house of Nanda. To prove the truth of the words of Narada, Krishna dragged the mortar to where the two arjuna trees were growing. As he crawled between the two trees the mortar he was tied to became lodged between the trees. Krishna tugged the mortar tied around his stomach between the two trees and the trees were violently uprooted and they fell crashing to the ground.
Two golden people came from the trees. They placed the palms of their hands together, bowed their heads and said, O Krishna, the Supreme Lord in human form. Your power is incomprehensible and you are the primeval person. You are the controller of all, the master of the life force, body, and senses of all living beings.
We bow down before you. The sage Narada has blessed us since his curse allowed us to see you. May we now return to our home? We pray that from this moment onward we will only speak of your activities, our ears will only hear of your splendour, our hands do your work, and minds always be absorbed in thoughts of you.
Krishna, who is the controller of everyone, was still tied to the mortar. Smiling he said to them, Narada is compassionate and although he cursed you, the result is to your benefit. You may both return to your homes. Your desire to develop devotion to me will be fulfilled. Then Nalakubara and Manigriva bowed to Krishna and returned to their home.
When they heard the arjuna trees fall, all the men of the village went to see what had happened. They saw the trees fallen on the ground but couldn’t understand why they had fallen over. All the boys said to them, Krishna did this. When Krishna crawled between the trees the mortar went between the trees and Krishna pulled the mortar which caused the trees to fall down. The cowherd men couldn’t believe that a small child could have uprooted the trees. When Nanda saw Krishna tied to the mortar with ropes, he smiled and untied him.
Sometimes the ladies in the village would encourage Krishna to dance for them. Sometimes he would sing very loudly when they asked him to. Although he is the supreme controller of all the worlds, he would dance and sing as if he was their puppet. Sometimes Yasoda or the other ladies in the village would order Krishna to fetch things for them and he would bring them the things they asked for. These activities of Krishna show how much he submits to the desires of those who love him.
It wasn’t long before Krishna and Balarama became old enough to take care of the calves. One day Krishna wanted to eat his breakfast in the forest. He woke all the other cowherd boys and herding their cows in front of them, they all started out from Vrndavana.
The boys would play many games. Sometimes they would steal each other’s belongings and throw them out of reach. When the boy who owned it would try and get it back another boy near it would throw it still further away. When the boy who owned it would cry, all the other boys would laugh and return it to him.
Sometimes they would play their flutes and their bugles. Sometimes they would imitate the birds by following their shadows on the ground. Sometimes they would play with monkeys and imitate them by pulling faces and climbing in the trees. In this way the boys would play with Krishna.
While the boys were enjoying games in the forest a demon named Agha who had been sent by Kamsa arrived in the forest. Agha took on the body of a gigantic snake as large as a mountain. Disguising himself this way he intended to swallow Krishna and his friends whole. He opened his mouth with his lower lip laying on the ground, and his mouth resembled a big cave in a mountain. When the boys saw the snake they thought it was part of the scenery of Vrndavana.
Laughing loudly the boys entered the mouth of the snake. The snake didn’t close his mouth because he was waiting for Krishna to enter his mouth. Krishna knew that the snake was a demon and when he saw that the boys had walked into its mouth he hesitated and seemed to be unsure of what to do to save them. After a short time, Krishna also entered between the jaws of the demon. Then Krishna enlarged himself within the snake’s throat and suffocated the demon.
Having saved the boys and killing the demon Agha, Krishna brought them to the sandy bank of the river and said, This river is an excellent place for us to play. The sand on the river bank is clean and soft and there are lotus flowers and many birds and bees making wonderful sounds. Let us all sit down and eat our lunch here and the calves can come and eat the grass and drink water from the river.
The boys sat circled around Krishna who sat in the centre. They resembled the petals of a lotus surrounding the centre. They all brought out their lunches and began to eat, sharing their lunches with each other. They were all joking with one another and laughing.
While the boys were enjoying their lunch the calves wandered away into the forest to eat the grass there. When the cowherd boys noticed that the calves had gone they were all afraid they had lost them. Krishna said, You should all keep eating. I will go and find the calves and bring them back.
Carrying a morsel of food in his hand, Krishna went to look for the calves. Meanwhile the god Brahma had been watching Krishna when he killed the demon Agha and was amazed. While Krishna was away in the forest, Brahma took all the calves and the cowherd boys away. When Krishna couldn’t find the calves he returned to the riverbank and couldn’t see the cowherd boys.
Understanding what Brahma had done Krishna expanded himself into their exact forms and returned to Vrndavana. Then Krishna went into each cowherd boy’s house and acted just like each boy. Their mothers thought they were bathing and feeding their sons but they were actually personally serving Krishna. The mothers of Vrndavana had motherly affection for Krishna and in this way they could express that affection for him.
In this way Krishna had become the cowherd boys and the calves and he continued in this way for one year. When Brahma returned after only a moment of his time, one year had passed in Vrndavana. Brahma saw that Krishna was playing with his friends and tending the calves just as he had been doing when Brahma left.
Brahma was confused because he knew that the calves and the cowherd boys had been taken by him and they were still sleeping under his mystic spell. Yet here were the exact same boys and calves still playing with Krishna after one whole year. He could not understand where the boys and calves had come from.
Brahma was contemplating this for a long time, but he couldn’t understand which of the boys and calves were the real ones. Because Brahma had tried to confuse the Supreme Lord, it was Brahma who ended up being confused. While Brahma was looking at the boys and the calves he saw that they had a dark complexion like a monsoon cloud and they were wearing yellow silk clothing.
They all had four arms and were holding a conch-shell, disc, club and lotus flower in their four hands. They wore helmets and were decorated with beautiful ornaments. They had bracelets on their arms and the Kaustubha jewel hung around their necks.
Brahma saw that all living beings were worshipping them. In his amazement at the sight, Brahma was stunned and fell silent. He could not even see. Krishna could understand what had happened to Brahma and he removed the veil of his illusory power. Brahma’s vision was restored and he opened his eyes and saw the universe as well as himself.
Then Brahma saw that the Supreme Lord was playing the part of a child in a family of cowherds. He saw him standing alone with a morsel of food in his hand, looking this way and that as he searched for the calves and his friends. After he saw all of this, Brahma bowed down at Krishna’s feet. With tears in his eyes, and his voice choked with emotion, Brahma began to offer prayers to Krishna.
Brahma said, I offer my respect to the Supreme Lord. You are the son of the cowherd Nanda and your body is decorated with garlands of forest flowers. You hold a stick for herding cattle and a buffalo horn and a flute. You are holding a morsel of food in your hand. I cannot comprehend this form you have revealed to me which is not composed of material elements. Those people who live very simply and listen to descriptions of your qualities and activities are able to capture you even though you are invincible.
Devotion to you is the most beneficial path for everyone. Those who try to achieve only knowledge will achieve trouble, just as an empty husk of rice gives only trouble to those who thresh it. In the past, many people have offered all their activities to you and engaged in hearing and singing about you. They have all come to understand you and reached the supreme destination.
Anyone who sincerely leads their life with the aim of self-realisation and is detached while enduring the reactions of their past actions will be entitled to receive your mercy and be liberated from the material world.
O Lord, I have been foolish and impertinent. I tried to place you in illusion to display my power, but compared to you, I am like a spark emanating from a bonfire. Would you please excuse my ignorant behaviour? I thought that my power was independent of you. Is a mother offended when her fetus kicks her? Is there anything that exists outside of you? You are the supreme master and creator.
O Supreme Lord, no one is capable of knowing the extent of your incarnations and forms you take in this world. No one can understand your infinite powers. Because of your power this entire temporary dreamlike world appears to be real. You are the one self within the hearts of all, the original person, eternal and imperishable. You are free from impurity and infallible.
Being bound to matter or liberated from matter both come from ignorance. When one understands that the soul is beyond all such designations, bondage and liberation are meaningless, just as day and night are meaningless in the sphere of the sun.
Only the ignorant think that you are a manifestation of the illusory material energy. Such foolish people think that the soul is the physical body and something to be looked for in the outside world. If you show someone even the slightest mercy they can understand you, but that is not true for anyone else. No matter how long they study the Vedas they cannot understand you.
My Lord, I therefore pray that in this birth or the next and in whatever species I am born I will be able to serve you. The residents of Vrndavana have the highest blessing because they are friends of the eternal and perfect Lord who is the embodiment of bliss.
As long as people are not devoted to you, their worldly attachments are like thieves and chains and their homes are prisons. There are people who are certain they know everything about you. Others may think that way, but I consider your glories to far above the horizon of my body, mind and words.
After he had offered his prayers, Brahma bowed down to the Lord and then returned to the celestial realm. The Supreme Lord then took the calves to the riverbank where they had been before. Although a year had passed, for the cowherd boys covered by the power of illusion it seemed only a moment.
His cowherd companions said, You were very quick, we haven’t had time to eat any of our lunch. Come and sit with us and eat your meal. Then Krishna finished eating his lunch with his friends. As they all returned to the village all the boys sang, Today Krishna saved us by killing the great snake.
Anyone who hears these stories of Krishna’s childhood activities with his friends will attain all their desires.
In this way, the Supreme Lord wandered around Vrndavana with his friends. One day, without Balarama accompanying them, Krishna and his friends went to the Yamuna river. It was a very hot day and because the cows and cowherd boys were very thirsty they drank from the river, but they didn’t realise the river had been poisoned. Because of drinking the poisoned water, they all became unconscious. Lord Krishna glanced at them and brought them all back to life.
Krishna could understand that a serpent called Kaliya was living in the river and poisoning the water. He wanted to kill the serpent and purify the river. So Krishna jumped into the river and began splashing around. The serpent Kaliya could understand that someone was trespassing in his river and he approached Krishna and bit him on the chest.
Then he coiled his body around Krishna. When the cowherd boys saw this they became so anxious they fell to the ground unconscious. At that time, many bad omens arose in Vrndavana and the residents of the village were afraid because his elder brother Balarama had not accompanied Krishna that day. So they all ran to try and find Krishna.
The people of Vrndavana followed Krishna’s footprints leading to the Yamuna river. When they reached the river they saw Krishna wrapped within the coils of the serpent not moving and the other boys were unconscious by the side of the river. All the residents of Vrndavana felt the greatest despair. Krishna stayed motionless for some time and then he stopped acting like he was mortal and threw off the serpent’s bond.
The serpent became very angry and raised his hoods. He was breathing poison from his flared nostrils. The serpent Kaliya licked his lips and stared at Krishna with poisonous and fiery eyes. Krishna circled the serpent playing with him. After tiring the serpent by circling him, Krishna then climbed onto Kaliya’s head and began to dance.
Whenever one of Kaliya’s 101 heads would not bow down, Krishna would kick it down. This caused the serpent to spit blood and poison from his mouth and nostrils. Whenever one of Kaliya’s heads would rise in anger, Krishna would dance on it and force it into submission. Broken and defeated by Krishna’s dancing, the serpent Kaliya remembered the Supreme Lord and mentally sought his protection.
Seeing that Kaliya was defeated by the Lord, Kaliya’s wives came forward in anxiety and approached the Lord. Kaliya’s wives said to Krishna, Kaliya has committed many offences so your punishment is fair. You always treat friends and enemies equally and any punishment you give will eventually bring a beneficial result. Your punishment is actually merciful because it purifies the recipient. We think our husband must have undertaken great penances or shown compassion to all living beings for you to be pleased with him and favour him in this way.
We cannot understand what virtuous actions he must have taken to receive the highest blessing of the touch of your lotus feet. To achieve this same blessing the goddess of fortune executed difficult austerities for a long time. Anyone who gains the dust from your feet does not desire dominion over the celestial realm or the entire world, nor mystic powers or even liberation from birth and death. You are present within everyone’s heart but you are also indiscernible.
You are time, you are beyond the universe and also immanent within it. Please let us offer you our homage. A single offence of a servant should be forgiven by the master. Forgive the ignorance of our husband Kaliya because he did not recognise who you are. Show compassion for us and be merciful to our husband. Our husband is close to death, please spare him and return our husband to us.
After hearing the prayers of wives of the serpent, Krishna allowed the serpent to escape. Kaliya’s senses were slowly restored and he said, Because I was born as a serpent, I am dominated by the qualities of envy, ignorance and anger. I think the body is the self, so it is difficult to give up the qualities associated with this serpent body. Being overcome by your power of illusion how can I become free of it by myself? You are omniscient and the only cause that can relieve us of illusion, therefore you should punish me or show me grace as you see fit.
Krishna said, You cannot stay in this river. You and your wives should go and live in the ocean where you will not disturb anyone. Then Kaliya and his wives worshipped Krishna with flowers, fine clothing, valuable gems and fragrances. Then they left and went to the ocean and the Yamuna river became free of poison.
Krishna came out of the lake wearing his new clothes and decorated with his jewellery. When the residents of Vrndavana saw him they were revived as if they had regained their life, and they all embraced him affectionately. Then Krishna and his family and friends returned to Vrndavana.
One day Krishna and his brother Balarama saw that the people of Vrndavana were busy arranging a sacrifice to the god Indra. Krishna said to his father, What is everyone doing father? What is the meaning of all this activity? Are you preparing for a sacrifice? Who is the sacrifice being offered to and what will it achieve? Would you please tell me all about this?
Krishna’s father Nanda said, We are preparing to offer a sacrifice to Indra who controls the rain. The clouds are Indra’s manifested form in the world and they provide the rain which nourishes all living beings. So we worship Indra by offering him grain and other items which are produced from the rain in this traditional religious ceremony.
When Krishna heard this from his father he wanted to make Indra angry so he said, A living being is born according to their past deeds, and dies through the power of their karma. Karma causes our pleasure and pain, anxiety and fear and our blessings. All the living beings must suffer or enjoy the karmic results of their own actions. Why should we worship Indra if he does not have the power to alter the destined results of our own actions.
All people follow their own nature. So everyone should dutifully perform the work and activities corresponding to their nature. It is work that is actually sustaining us. The brahmin sustains their existence by studying and teaching the Vedas and the kings maintain themselves by administration of the society. The merchants support themselves by trade and agriculture and the workers support themselves by serving others. The merchants engage in farming, trade and cow protection. Our village consists of merchants engaged in protecting the cows and dairy farming.
It is the cows, the forest and the hills which are the source of our sustenance. Therefore, we should arrange paraphernalia to offer a sacrifice for the pleasure of the cows and Govardhana Hill. Let us cook a variety of foods with our milk products for this sacrifice. Let the brahmins arrange a proper sacrifice of the food and we will pay them with cows and food.
Then we should distribute all the food to everyone, including all the lower class people and also low animals like dogs. We should feed the cows on sumptuous grass and offer items to Govardhana Hill. This is my idea of the sacrifice we should perform. If you think this is a good idea we should do this. A sacrifice like this will be very pleasing to the cows, Govardhana Hill, the brahmins and also to me.
Krishna wanted to crush Indra’s pride so he suggested this to his father. Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vrndavana agreed to Krishna’s idea. The people of Vrndavana performed the sacrifice just as Krishna had suggested and then returned to their village.
When Indra found out that his sacrifice had not been performed, he was angry with the residents of Vrndavana. Indra said, These people of the village of Vrndavana are very proud. They have taken the advice of the human being Krishna and disregarded the gods.
The boy Krishna thinks he is very wise, but he is only a proud, foolish and talkative child. These people have become too prosperous and it has made them arrogant. I will send destructive clouds to destroy their animals, their village and their pride.
Then Indra released his clouds and they poured torrential rain on the village of Vrndavana. The clouds roared with thunder as they threw down bolts of lightning and poured hailstones on the village. The downpour was incessant and the earth was flooded. The people and animals of Vrndavana were distressed and they approached Krishna for protection. They said, Krishna, please protect us all from Indra’s anger. Please save us.
Krishna thought to himself, Indra is responsible for this downpour, his affluence has caused him to be proud and think he is the supreme ruler of the world. I will destroy his ignorance and also his pride.
Then with one hand Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill into the air and effortlessly held it over his head as if it was a mushroom. He said to the residents of the village, You and your cows may all take shelter under this hill. There is no need to be afraid that Govardhana will fall from my hand or be scared of the wind and rain because you will be safe under here.
The residents of Vrndavana all went underneath the hill and there was plenty of space for the village and their cows and possessions. While the residents of Vrndavana all looked on, Krishna held the hill aloft for seven days without moving. When Indra saw this he was amazed. His pride was destroyed and he stopped the torrential storm of his clouds.
Seeing that the storm had stopped Krishna said to the village, You may all go home now. The wind and rain have stopped and the floods have subsided. There is no need to be afraid any more. The residents of the village loaded up their possessions in their wagons and went out from underneath the hill. They all watched as Lord Krishna put the hill back in its original location.
All the cowherd men who witnessed Krishna lifting Govardhana hill were amazed at his feat and confused how he could accomplish such a thing. They went to Nanda and said, The deeds of this boy are miraculous. How is it that he is living among such humble people as us? He is only 7 years old and yet he lifts a hill as easily as an elephant would lift a lotus flower.
When he was a baby he sucked the breast of the witch Putana along with her life. Another time when he was only a small child and his mother had tied him to a mortar, he dragged the mortar between two arjuna trees and uprooted them. He also subdued the serpent Kaliya and survived his poison. We cannot understand all these things about your son.
Nanda said, When Krishna was a baby, the brahmin priest Gargamuni spoke to me about Krishna and said, According to the ages, your son Krishna appears in three different colours, white, red and yellow. Now he has appeared in a blackish colour. Your son has many names and forms according to his qualities and activities. I can understand this, but most people do not understand these things. This son of yours is as good as Narayana, so you should not be surprised by his amazing activities.
Gargamuni told me this, so I can only assume that Krishna is a partial manifestation of Lord Narayana. The cowherd men became joyful hearing Nanda’s words and their confusion was dispelled.
Lord Indra was ashamed of himself and he approached Krishna with folded hands and said, You are the supreme controller of the entire universe. You destroy the pride of those who think they are masters of this world. You punish those who deserve it, to educate them. I was absorbed in pride because of my controlling power and so I have offended you. Please forgive me for this.
May my consciousness never again be corrupted in this way. You come to this world to punish those who are a burden on the earth and to protect those who are your faithful servants. When my sacrifice was suspended I was very angry and I tried to destroy Vrndavana with a fierce storm. You mercifully destroyed my pride by crushing my attempt.
Krishna smiled at Indra and said, Indra, you were intoxicated with your power as the king of the celestial realms, so I stopped the sacrifice which was meant for you. I did this for your welfare so you would remember me. Those who are engrossed in material power and prosperity are unable to perceive me. In order to bless them I take away their prosperity. You may return to your home and rule without pride or arrogance.
Sometime after this, it was autumn in Vrndavana and the nights were filled with the scent of jasmine blossoms. Krishna’s mind was absorbed with matters of the heart. When Krishna saw the reddish full moon rise and illuminate the forest in its cooling rays, he played his flute to steal the hearts of the gopis with beautiful eyes. Hearing the melody of Krishna’s flute, the gopis of Vrndavana were captivated and they went to meet him.
As the flute began to play, some of the gopis were milking cows, some were cooking, but they all abandoned their activities to go and meet Krishna. Although they were obstructed by their husbands and relatives who all tried to stop them, they refused to stay because Krishna had stolen their hearts. Some of the gopis couldn’t get out of their houses so they closed their eyes and absorbed their minds on Krishna. Their karma was burnt to ashes by the intense feeling of separation from him.
When the gopis arrived to see Krishna, he said to them, Welcome to you all. How can I please you? Is everything alright in Vrndavana? Why have you all come here? There are creatures of the night lurking about so you should not stay here and instead return to your homes. Your families will be worried about you if they cannot find you and you shouldn’t cause them to worry. You have seen how beautiful the forest is, with its flowers illuminated by the moonlight, now you can return to your homes to look after your husbands and your children.
The perfection of a woman’s religious duty is to look after her husband and his relatives and take care of her children and in this way she can achieve the celestial realms. When the gopis heard Krishna speaking in this way, they became despondent. With their faces cast down and tears in their eyes, they scratched the ground with their toe-nails and stood silently disheartened by their distress.
Then the gopis wiped their tears away and said to him, You should not say these unkind things to us. Please do not reject us. We have renounced all material enjoyment to serve you, so please reciprocate with us. You have given us wise advice about our religious duty and of course it is good to care for our husbands and families.
But this advice should be directed toward you because you are the innermost soul of all living beings and their most beloved and faithful friend. Please be compassionate toward us and do not dismiss us. We were previously content with our home and family, but now you have captured our hearts and minds and our feet refuse to move. We cannot return to Vrndavana because now we only desire to serve you and for this we have left our families and our homes.
Krishna laughed when he heard the gopi’s pitiful words. Although he is always satisfied in his own self, he gracefully satisfied their desires and went to the bank of the Yamuna river and embraced them. Having received such personal favour from Krishna the gopis became proud thinking themselves superior to others. When Krishna saw this had happened to them he disappeared to destroy their pride.
When Krishna disappeared the gopis were very sad at losing him. Singing loudly they searched for him in the Vrndavana forest. They became like madwomen and even asked the trees if they had seen him. When they couldn’t find Krishna anywhere, the gopis came back to the bank of the Yamuna river and sat down together to sing about him.
They said, O Krishna, it is because you were born in Vrndavana that is has such splendour. Our lives depend on you, and we have searched for you in all directions. Please reveal yourself to us. You have protected us from death many times, so why are you abandoning us now? You are not really the son of Yasoda, you are the innermost soul in the hearts of all. Your voice is like nectar and your words are enchanting.
Descriptions of your qualities and activities sustain the wise and bring prosperity to anyone who hears them. Your laugh, tender gaze and secret exchanges all touch our hearts. During the day when you wander in the forest and we cannot see you, each moment is like an era to us. When you return in the evening we curse the creator for giving us eyelids that blink and deprive us for even a moment the joy of seeing you.
The gopis cried and lamented in this way, they wanted to see Krishna and they wept loudly because they could not find him. In the midst of this, a smiling Krishna arrived and the gopis sprung to their feet as if the life force had animated their limbs. The gopis and Krishna returned to the bank of the Yamuna.
Although they were very glad to see him, they spoke as if they were somewhat angry with him and said, Some people show favour only to those who love them in return, while others show favour to everyone. But there are people who do not show favour to anyone. Can you explain why this is so?
Krishna said, People who show love for others only to achieve their own purpose are selfish and not true friends. People who love others who do not return their love are the true friends, they are like parents and that kind of love is pure. Sometimes I do not respond to the love and devotion of living beings so they will continue to meditate on me just as someone who has lost their money then becomes solely focused on the wealth they no longer possess.
For my sake you have renounced the conventional decorum and the good opinion of society and your relatives. I disappeared from your view to enhance the intensity of your devotion to me. You have destroyed all material bonds to worship me. I am unable to repay you for your pure devoted service to me. Therefore, please let your own wonderful deeds be your reward.
Listening to the enchanting words of Krishna, the gopis forgot all their anxiety at being separated from him. On the bank of the Yamuna, the gopis joyfully linked their arms together and danced with Krishna. With the gopis arrayed in a circle and by his mystic power Krishna manifest as many forms as there were gopis and each gopi thought that he was dancing with only her.
The gopis and Krishna sang and danced together. Although completely satisfied within himself, Krishna assumed as many forms as there were gopis and joyfully danced with them. After the night had almost passed, Krishna advised the gopis to return to their homes they reluctantly agreed. Those who hear the story of Krishna’s dancing with the gopis of Vrndavana will achieve intense devotion to the Lord.
Meanwhile, in the city of Mathura the great sage Narada had gone to see King Kamsa. He approached King Kamsa and said, Vasudeva and Devaki’s 8th child was taken to live with Nanda and Yasoda, and his brother Balarama is the son of Vasudeva and Rohini. The daughter you tried to kill was really the child of Yasoda.
King Kamsa was enraged on hearing this and he was about to kill Vasudeva, but Narada reminded him that he was to be killed by the two sons of Vasudeva. So Kamsa refrained from killing him and had Vasudeva and Devaki placed in chains.
Then King Kamsa called for his ministers and said to them, The sons of Vasudeva, Balarama and Krishna are living in Vrndavana. There is a prophecy that these two boys will kill me. I will bring them to Mathura for a wrestling competition. I want you to build a wrestling arena with galleries for an audience and arrange for all the residents of the city to see the competition. Then make sure the elephant Kuvalayapida stands at the entrance to the wrestling ring and have him kill Balarama and Krishna.
After Kamsa had instructed his ministers, he called for Akrura and said to him, Go to the village of Nanda, there you will find the two brothers Balarama and Krishna. I want you to bring them here, along with Nanda and the other men of the village who should bring me tribute. I will have my elephant kill Krishna and Balarama and if they evade death that way, I will have my strongest wrestlers kill them.
The next morning Akrura mounted his chariot and departed for the village of Vrndavana. On his way he was filled with devotion to the Lord and thought to himself, I must have performed some virtuous acts because today I will be fortunate enough to see Krishna. Today my life has become successful because I will offer my respects to the Supreme Lord.
By his own desires, the Supreme Lord Vishnu has incarnated as a human being and soon my eyes will see him and their existence will be fulfilled. Although I have been sent by Kamsa, the Lord will not judge me to be his enemy. He is equal toward everyone and does not dislike anyone. But in whatever way one approaches him, he responds accordingly.
In this way Akrura was contemplating his meeting with Krishna on his journey and he reached the village of Vrndavana just as the sun was setting. Akrura saw Krishna and Balarama going to milk the cows. Krishna wore yellow garments and had a dark complexion, while Balarama wore blue and his complexion was white.
With his eyes full of tears and overcome by feelings of love, Akrura got down from his chariot and bowed before Krishna and Balarama. Krishna embraced him and Balarama grasped Akrura’s hands and led him to their house. They welcomed him and offered him fine food. After Akrura had eaten Krishna said to him, Did you have a comfortable journey? Are all our friends and relatives well? What is the purpose of your visit? Akrura described the situation including Kamsa’s hostility towards their family and gave them Kamsa’s message.
Krishna and Balarama then told their father Nanda about Kamsa’s orders. Nanda and the cowherd men gathered valuable gifts and yoked their wagons ready to depart for Mathura for the festival. The next day Akrura, Krishna and Balarama mounted the chariot and departed for the city of Mathura. Nanda and the cowherd men followed behind in their wagons. They had brought many offerings for Kamsa including clay pots filled with milk products.
At the end of the day, Akrura’s chariot reached a garden outside the city of Mathura and Akrura, Krishna, and Balarama met up with Nanda and the other cowherd men. Krishna said to Akrura, Take the chariot and enter Mathura. Then you should go home. We will rest here for a while and then we will go into the city.
Krishna, Balarama and the cowherd men spent the night in that garden. The next day the arrangements had been made for the wrestling festival. The residents of the city had all gathered to watch the wrestling matches. Nanda and the cowherd men presented their gifts to King Kamsa and took their seats in the wrestling arena.
Krishna and Balarama heard the drums playing at the wrestling arena and went there to see what was happening. They came to the entrance and saw the elephant Kuvalayapida and his keeper blocking their path. Krishna said, Make way and let us pass!
The elephant keeper provoked his elephant. The elephant charged at Krishna and tried to grab him with his trunk. Krishna slipped past him and hid himself between the elephant’s legs. Catching hold of the elephant’s tail, Krishna dragged him along the ground. Then Krishna went in front of the elephant, slapped him in the face and ran away. The elephant chased after Krishna, but every time it came close enough to touch him, Krishna made the elephant stumble and fall to the ground.
The elephant became enraged and provoked by his keeper he charged at Krishna again. Catching hold of his trunk, Krishna hurled it to the ground. He then pulled out its tusk and used it as a weapon to kill the elephant and his keeper. With tusk in hand, Krishna entered the wrestling arena. Then the wrestler Canura addressed Krishna and Balarama and said, Krishna and Balarama, hearing that you are both well respected and skilled at wrestling, Kamsa has invited you here to witness your prowess.
Hearing what Canura said, Krishna welcomed it since he enjoyed wrestling. He said to Canura, we are boys and should wrestle against those who are equal in strength. Canura said, Neither of you have the strength of boys, you have just killed a powerful elephant so you should both wrestle with the strongest opponents and there is no injustice in that arrangement. You will wrestle against me and Balarama will be paired with Mustika.
With the pairs of fighters decided Krishna advanced toward Canura and Balarama toward Mustika. Wanting to conquer their opponents, they grabbed each other’s hands and legs and tugged each other. They struck each other with fists, knees, and chest. They pulled their opponents around in circles, pushing them onto the ground. They lifted and carried each other and pinned each other to the ground.
Then Krishna seized Canura by his arms and whirled him around and around and then killed him by throwing him to the ground. Then Balarama struck Mustika with a blow from his palm and Mustika fell lifeless to the ground. Another wrestler ran forward and attacked Balarama, but he easily killed him as well. Krishna killed the wrestler Sala by kicking him in the head.
When the rest of the wrestlers saw the strongest fighters were all killed, they were afraid for their lives and ran away. Kamsa became enraged when the wrestlers fled and he yelled, Drive Vasudeva’s two vicious sons from the city! Seize the property of the cowherd men and arrest the evil minded Nanda. As for Vasudeva, kill him along with my father Ugrasena and all the others who are on the side of our enemy!
As Kamsa ranted and boasted Krishna became enraged and he leapt onto the royal platform. Kamsa took up his sword and shield to protect himself. But like Garuda seizing a snake, Krishna seized Kamsa by the hair and toppled his crown. Then he threw him into the wrestling arena, jumped on top of him and killed him. Then Krishna dragged Kamsa’s dead body around the arena so everyone could see.
Kamsa’s wives and relatives were desolate at his death. The grieving wives cried loudly and said, O dear husband, you perpetrated cruel and violent acts on those who were innocent. Anyone who harms other living beings can never achieve peace.
Lord Krishna is the creator and destroyer of all the worlds. How can anyone who opposes him be happy. Krishna consoled Kamsa’s widows and arranged for the funeral rituals.
Krishna then installed Ugrasena as the King and brought all his relatives back from the places they had escaped to in fear of persecution by Kamsa. Then Krishna and Balarama went to see Nanda and said, Dearest father, both of us have been nourished and cared for by you and Yasoda. Parents have more love for their children than they have for themselves. Those who care for children who have been abandoned by their relatives because they are unable to look after them are the real parents. You should all now go home to Vrndavana and we will come to visit soon.
Nanda hugged Krishna and Balarama and then he and the cowherd men returned to Vrndavana while Krishna and Balarama stayed on in Mathura with their father Vasudeva.
Some time after this, Krishna called for Uddhava. Uddhava was an adviser of the Yadu dynasty. He was intelligent and Krishna’s dear friend. Krishna said to him, Uddhava would you please go to Vrndavana and give a message to my parents and also to the gopis. They are all completely devoted to me and so are overcome with grief because we are separated so I must console them.
At Krishna’s request Uddhava departed for Vrndavana in his chariot and arrived at Nanda’s home at sunset. After Uddhava had been properly welcomed and offered food and a comfortable seat, Nanda said to him, Tell me Uddhava, is Krishna well? Does he remember his parents and his friends, the cows and the forest and Govardhana? Will he come home, at least once, to visit his family and friends? When we remember his exploits, his smiles and talks we become neglectful of our duties. We are reminded of him whenever we see the river and the forest and all the places he played, and we cannto stop thinking about him.
As Nanda remembered Krishna he became overwhelmed with love and stopped speaking. Yasoda shed tears as she listened to Nanda speaking about Krishna. Seeing the love Nanda and Yasoda felt for Krishna, Uddhava said, You are both extremely fortunate and deserving of praise because you have such a deep love of the Supreme Lord, the creator of all the worlds.
If someone at the time of their death concentrates their mind on Krishna, they destroy all their karma and reach the highest goal. Both of you have the utmost devotion for him, the cause of everything in existence so what virtuous acts are left for you to perform?
It will not be long before Krishna will visit Vrndavana and bring joy to his family and friends. You should not be unhappy, just as fire is present in wood, Krishna resides in the hearts of everyone. He does not love or hate anyone or think anyone is superior or inferior, he is equal toward all. He is not bound by karma to force him to take birth, but of his own desire he comes to the world to enjoy his activities and protect the virtuous souls.
The next morning the people of Vrndavana noticed the chariot in front of Nanda’s home and wondered who it belonged to. Just then Uddhava appeared in front of the house. The young gopis were amazed when they saw Krishna’s servant Uddhava.
Uddhava was handsome, he was wearing yellow clothes and bore a striking resemblance to Krishna. The gopis said, Who is this man, where has he come from? He looks just like Krishna. The gopis all surrounded Uddhava and offered him a comfortable seat and they asked him about Krishna.
They said, You must be Krishna’s servant who has sent you here to make his parents happy. There is nothing else in Vrndavana that he would value, but affection for family members is difficult to relinquish. Friendship for those who are not family is only maintained for personal benefit and when the benefit is gone, the friendship is also gone. Courtesans abandon a man with no money, students who have completed their studies abandon a teacher and citizens abandon an incompetent king.
Birds abandon a tree when they have eaten its fruit and guests leave a house once they have had their meal. We gave up our husbands, relatives and children for him but he is not grateful and has deserted us. So although we cannot stop thinking about him and talking about him, we should give up any friendship with him.
Hearing about Krishna is sweetness to the ears and anyone who enjoys that nectar will lose interest in their worldly life. We trusted him and thought his deceitful words were true. Now we would like to discuss something else instead of always talking about Krishna.
Uddhava consoled the gopis and said, You have all achieved the goals of human life and dedicated your hearts to the Supreme Lord, so you are sure to be worshipped by everyone. Devoted service to Krishna is achieved by giving charitable gifts, singing his names, practising vows and penance, studying the Vedic literature and other virtuous acts. You are all blessed because you have achieved pure devotion for the Lord which is difficult even for the renounced sages to achieve. You have renounced attachment to your homes and families and by your separation from him you have demonstrated your pure love for him.
Krishna has asked me to deliver this message to you. He said, My dear gopis, we are never apart because I am the inner soul of everything. Just as the five elements of space, air, fire, water and earth pervade the entire world, I pervade the mind, life air and senses of every living being. The soul is distinct from matter and the objects of the senses are like the things one sees in a dream, so one should be vigilant and control their mind.
Control of the mind is the goal of the spiritual paths – the study of the Vedas, the practice of yoga, renunciation, austerity and honesty – just as all rivers end on reaching the ocean. It is to bring your minds to constantly focus on me that I have stayed away from you. Since you have dedicated your hearts and minds to me and are always thinking of me, we will be united again soon.
Hearing this message from Krishna, the gopis became very happy and they said to Uddhava, Does Krishna remember us or speak about us in his conversations? Does he remember those nights in the forest of Vrndavana when he danced with us? Will Krishna ever come back to see us and save us from the grief we feel from being separated from him?
The cows, the forest, the hills and rivers of Vrndavana all remind us of Krishna. We can never forget him, because our hearts have been stolen by his enchanting acts, magnanimous smile and poetic words. Uddhava was amazed by the devotion of the gopis and their constant absorption in thoughts of Krishna.
Uddhava said, These simple cowherd women have achieved the perfection of life, because they have achieved pure unmotivated love for the Supreme Lord Krishna. Even the great sages desire to achieve such love. The ladies of Vrndavana have given up the bonds of familial affection, which are very difficult to renounce, to seek refuge at the lotus feet of Krishna. I would consider it the highest good fortune if I could be born as a blade of grass in Vrndavana, so the gopis will bless me with the dust of their feet.
