A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 50

PRANKS OF THE BOY.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 8.*

With growing childhood, Krishna became very naughty. Once the Gopa women made the following complaints. Krishna would untie their calves before the milking time. He would steal their milk and curds and divide the remnants, after eating, among the monkeys. If they did not eat, he would break the pot. If he did not get the things he wanted, he would curse the inmates and other boys. If the pots were out of reach, he would raise himself on seats or husking stools and bear those hanging pots away to get at their contents. He would illumine the dark room by the glitter of his own body and that of his jewels, to serve his purpose. He would talk insolently, and spoil the ground. The Gopa women exclaimed: - "But now how innocent he looks before you." Krishna betrayed fear in his eyes. Yasoda would not beat him. So she only smiled.

One day Rama and other boys complained to Yasoda that Krishna had eaten earth. The mother remonstrated. "They have lied" exclaimed Krishna "Or if they have spoken the truth, then examine my mouth." "Open it," said Yasoda. But what did she find within that mouth? The Seven Dvipas, the planets, the stars, the three Gunas and all their transformations, even Vrindavana and herself. "Is this dream or delusion or is this all the power of my own son? If Thou art then the Unknowable, my salutations to Thee. I take the shelter of Him, by whose Maya I seem to be Yasoda, this Nanda my husband, this boy my son, the Gos (cows) Gopas and Gopis to be mine." She had the true knowledge, but it was soon eclipsed by the Maya of Vishnu and Yasoda again knew Krishna to be her own son.

Raja Pariks.h.i.t asked: -

"What did Nanda do that Krishna would be his foster son? And what did Yasoda do, that Krishna should suck her breast? Even his own parents did not witness the deeds of the child of which poets have sung so much."

Suka replied: -

"Drona, the chief of the Vasus, with his wife Dhara shewed great obedience to Brahma. 'When born on Earth may we have the highest devotion for Him.'" Such was their prayer to Brahma and it was granted.

Drona was born as Nanda and Dhara as Yasoda.

THE TYING.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 9.*

One day Yasoda was churning curdled milk and singing the deeds of her son. Krishna came up and, desirous of sucking milk, held the churning rod. Yasoda placed him on her lap and gave him milk to suck. But the milk that was boiling on the oven overflowed the pot and she hurriedly left her son. In anger Krishna bit his lips, broke the milk pot with a stone, took the fresh b.u.t.ter to a retired corner and there partook of it. Yasoda came back after a while and found the pot broken. Her son had left the place and she could easily see that it was all his doing. She found Krishna seated on the husk stand, freely dividing the contents of the hanging pots among the monkeys, and she quietly approached him with a stick. Krishna hurriedly got down and ran away as if in fear. Yasoda ran after him and caught him at last. Finding him fear-stricken, she threw down the stick and tried to fasten him to the husking stand. The rope fell short by the breadth of two fingers (say two inches). She added another rope. The gap remained the same. She added rope after rope, as many as she had of her own and of her neighbours, but could not bridge over the distance. She stood baffled at last, amazed and ashamed.

Finding that his mother was perspiring in the effort and that her hair had become dishevelled, Krishna allowed himself to be fastened to the stand.

THE ARJUNA TREES.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 10.*

The Yaksha King Kuvera had two sons - Nalakuvara and Manigriva. They became maddened with power and intoxicated with drink. Narada pa.s.sed by them while they were playing with Gandharva girls stark naked in a river bath and they heeded him not. Narada thought how best he could reclaim them. "Poverty is the only remedy for those that lose their heads in wealth. These sons of the Lokapala Kuvera are deep in ignorance, insolence and intoxication. Let them become trees. But they shall not lose memory by my favor. After one hundred Deva years, the touch of Sri Krishna shall save them." These sons of Kuvera in consequence became a pair of Arjuna trees in Vrindavana.

While Krishna was fastened to the husking stand, the pair of Arjuna trees drew his attention. He was bent on making good the words of Narada. So he approached the trees, drawing the husking stand behind him by force and, placing himself between them, uprooted the trees. They fell down with a crash and lo! two fiery spirits came out, illumining s.p.a.ce by the splendour of their bodies. They prayed to Krishna and then rose upwards.

The Gopa women had been engaged all this time in their household duties and the crash attracted the attention of all the Gopas and Gopis. The boys told what they had seen. But some were loath to believe that all this could be done by the boy Krishna.

THE FRUIT SELLER.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 11.*

One day Krishna heard a woman crying out "Come ye buy fruits." He took some paddy and hastened to her side. The woman filled both his hands with fruits and lo! her basket became full of gems and precious stones.

VRINDAVANA.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 11.*

Seeing that calamities befell Brihat Vana (Vraja or Gokul) so often, the elders put their heads together to devise the best course to adopt. Upa Nanda, one of the oldest and wisest of them, said: -

"We that wish well for Gokula must hence get away. Evils befall that bode no good for the children. This boy was with difficulty saved from that child-killing Rakshasa woman. It is only by the favor of Vishnu that the cart did not fall on him. When he was taken high up by the whirlwind Asura, and when he fell down on the rock, it was the Deva Kings that saved him. If this boy and others did not perish when they were between the two trees, it was because Vishnu preserved them. Ere this Vraja is visited by fresh calamity, let us go elsewhere with the boys and all attendants.

"There is a forest called Vrindavana with fresh verdure for cattle, where Gopas, Gopis and Gos will all enjoy themselves. The hills, gra.s.s and creepers are all holy there. This very day let us go to that place.

Make ready the carriages. Let the cows precede us, if it pleases you all."

With one heart, the Gopas exclaimed: - "Well said! Well said!" They prepared their carriages and placed on them the aged, the young, the females and all household articles. They drove the cows in advance. They blew their horns and beat their drums. Accompanied by the priests, the Gopas went on their way. The Gopa girls, seated on chariots sang the deeds of Krishna and Yasoda, and Rohinl attentively listened to them.

At last they entered Vrindavana, which gives pleasure at all times, with the carriages; they made a semi-circular abode for the cattle.

Rama and Krishna saw Vrindavana, the hill Govardhana and the banks of the Yamuna and then became very much pleased. In time they became keepers of calves (Vatsa). They tended the calves in the company of Gopa boys on pasture lands near at hand. They played with other boys as ordinary children.

VATSA OR THE CALF.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 11.*

One day Rama, Krishna and other boys were looking after their calves when an Asura, with the intention of killing them, a.s.sumed the form of a calf (Vatsa) and got mixed among the herd. Krishna pointed this out to Balarama and silently moved behind the Asura. He held it aloft by the hind feet and tail and gave it such a whirl that its life became extinct. The boys, cried out "Well done! Well done!" and the Devas rained flowers on Krishna.

BAKA OR THE CRANE.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 11.*

One day the Gopa boys went over to a tank to quench their thirst. They saw a huge monster in the form of a Baka (crane). It rushed forth and swallowed Krishna. Krishna caused a burning in its throat and the Asura threw him out. It made a second attack and Krishna held the two beaks and parted them asunder as if they were blades of gra.s.s, And the Asura died.

AGHA OR THE SERPENT.

*SKANDHA X. CHAP. 12.*

One day Krishna was playing with the boys in the forest. Agha, the youngest born of Putana and Baka, the Asura whom even the Devas, rendered immortal by _Amrita_, dreaded, burning with a spirit of revenge at the death of his brother and sister, thought of killing Krishna and all his attendants. He stretched himself forth as a huge serpent, spreading over one yojana, the extremities of his open mouth touching the clouds and the earth. The Gopa boys took the Asura to be the G.o.ddess of Vrindavana. "Or if it really be a serpent opening its mouth to kill us, it will instantly be killed like the Asura Vaka." So with their eyes fixed on Krishna they clapped their hands and with a smile entered the mouth of the serpent, even before Krishna had time to warn them. The Asura still waited with its mouth open for Krishna. Krishna thought how he could kill the serpent and at the same time save his companions.

On reflection, he himself entered the mouth of the serpent and stretched himself and his comrades. The Asura lost breath and breathed his last. A shining spirit emerged from the Asura body and entered the body of Krishna. Krishna gave fresh life to his comrades by his Amrita bearing looks.

Krishna killed Agha in his fifth year, but the Gopa boys who witnessed the act said, when Krishna entered his sixth year, that the act was done that very day.

"How could that be?" enquired Pariks.h.i.t.

Suka explained this with reference to the following story.