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When krishNa was seven years old, he performed a super-human act which was amazing. Let us enjoy it now.
One day, in vrindhAvanam, the elders of the cowherd clan were gathered and discussing about a festival. krishNa who came there at that time, asked them “Which festival are you discussing about?”. They told “This is a feast which we offer to indhra every year”. krishNa asked “Why should we give a feast to indhra?”. They told “Since he gives us rain and helps us live with prosperity”. krishNa thought “Why should anyone worship any other dhEvathA in this town where I am physically present?” and with the desire to eliminate that, he charted a plan. He told “As the gOvardhana hill is helping us in all ways such as blocking the clouds and making them rain, giving grass for the cattle and is giving vegetables and fruits for us, let us give the feast to the hill itself”. They accepted krishNa’s proposal.
The date was determined for the feast. On that day, all the people of the town brought many carts filled with different food items and made a mountain of food in front of the gOvardhana hill. krishNa came there, praised them and told them “All of you close your eyes now. Let me offer this food”. All of them closed their eyes. krishNa entered the gOvardhana hill, told “aham gOvardhanOsmi” (I am this gOvardhana hill) and consumed all of that food. The people of the town opened their eyes and were happy to see that all the food was consumed.
Seeing all of this from his heavenly abode, indhra became very angry. He became angry towards krishNa who stopped the ancient tradition of the offering of the feast. He ordered the clouds which are under his control to cause a great hailstorm.
Huge clouds surrounded vrindhAvanam and a great hailstorm started. The cowherd people and the cattle became frightened seeing that and asked krishNa “What shall we do now?”. krishNa gave them protection and lifted the gOvardhana hill upside down like an umbrella and held it. He fully protected all the people and the cattle without even a drop of water falling on them. The cowherd people asked “Are you a dhEva? Are you a yaksha? How are you holding this huge hill with your hand?”. krishNa told them “I am only a cowherd boy. If you don’t accept it, I will drop the hill now”. They became frightened and told “Alright. So be it”.
In this manner, krishNa held the hill for a whole week with his hand and protected everyone. indhra who was observing this, understood the truth about krishNa and his own mistake, stopped the hailstorm and came running to krishNa, fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. He further praised krishNa with sthOthrams and performed gOvindha pattAbhishEkam. In this manner, krishNa eliminated indhra’s pride.
Many AzhwArs have enjoyed this leelA in detail. pEyAzhwAr said in mUnRAm thiruvandhAdhi “avanE aruvaraiyAl AniraigaL kAththAn” (He himself protected the cattle with the great mountain); periyAzhwAr said in his periyAzhwAr thirumozhi “padangaL palavumudaip pAmbaraiyan padar bUmiyaith thAngik kidappavan pOl thadangai viral aindhum malara vaiththuth thAmOdharan thAngu thadavarai thAn” (Just as AdhiSEsha holds the earth on his expanded hoods, krishNa held the vast gOvardhana hill with his hand fully opened up); he also enjoyed this leelA elaborately in “attuk kuvisORRu” decad; nammAzhwAr in thiruvAimozhi says “kunRameduththa pirAn adiyArodum” (With the devotees of the one who lifted the gOvardhana hill); thirumangai Azhwar in his thirunedundhANdagam says “kalleduththuk kal mAri kAththAn” (krishNa protected everyone from hailstorm using the hill).
Essence in this incident:
- If one totally believes in bhagavAn, bhagavAn will do any great task and protect such believer.
- Since he first told gOvardhana hill was the protection for us, when the hailstorm occurred, he protected everyone using that hill and proved those words.
- When bhagavAn is present himself, he would not like those who are surrendered to him, to worship other dhEvathAs. Hence he stopped the worship of indhra in vrindhAvanam.
- Since indhra, who was a dhEvathA and a devotee of bhagavAn, committed a mistake, bhagavAn himself held the hill for his sake and made indhra realise his mistake when he ran out of options, and finally forgave him.
Source – https://granthams.koyil.org/2023/09/25/krishna-leela-20-tamil/
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
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