The Story - Krishna and Sudama

Krishna and Sudama story portrays The Eternal Bond of True Friendship.

Sudama was one of the friends who studied with Krishna.

Krishna became a king, and Sudama was a very poor man, He did not have anything at all. And once Sudama’s wife told him, “See, Krishna is your very close friend, dear friend. Why don’t you go and ask him for some help?” Sudama was a little shy, “How can I ask a friend for something? I don’t feel like doing it.” But when there was no other way to go, he decided to meet Krishna. There is a custom in India that when you go to meet somebody, you don’t go empty-handed. So what could he take? He had nothing. His clothes were torn. He was so poor! And then at home, he had few rice krispies. So he packed them in a piece of cloth and took them to Krishna.

He entered the palace, it was gorgeous and beautifully decorated. Krishna was sitting on his throne, and there were so many servants around. And the moment he saw Sudama, he rushed down, and washed his feet and offered him his own seat. He put him on the throne. And then Krisha asked Sudama, “What have you brought for me? Come on!” Krishna is always mischievous, he would make fun all the time. So he said, “What have you brought?” He knew that he was so shy, that he was trying to hide his rice krispies. “How I can offer these rice krispies?” asked Sudama, But then Krishna grabbed hold of it and caught on, and then he went on stuffing it in his mouth. The joy of meeting his old friend was so much that Sudama even forgot to ask anything and forgo why he had come to meet his friend and Krishna forgot to give him anything! They both forgot!  

When two souls meet in such deep friendship, they forget everything.

Sudama thanked Krishna and left the palace. And it is said, when Sudama went back to his home, he found his whole house was transformed, and he had all the riches in his house. His wife was very happy. Somebody had come with a lot of gifts. Without asking and without giving.

So it’s said, from any angle you see there is a totality, there is a uniqueness in Krishna’s personality.

And that is to indicate that you are like that. Your innermost Self has all the qualities in it, like a ray of sun has all the colors in it. Through a prism, all the colors get manifested. But the same ray of light through a black or blue or red glass reflects only that particular color. But through a prism, the rainbow comes out. And Krishna was such a prism, so clear, so full of joy. It’s wrong to say Krishna was. Krishna is, because it is the eternal presence that is never lost.

Krishna says “Though I am in the body, I am not this body. Though I am working through the mind, I am not the mind. I am not what you see me as. I am much more than what you perceive me as. I am present in your heart as you. And anytime you need me, you call me, I’ll be right there with you, to take you out of your troubles and difficulties. You can always count on me.” 

Source: from internet

The Story - Krishna creates copies of himself and the gopas and cows

The below story around Krishna creates copies of himself and the gopas and cows is an excerpt from Bhagavatam - Tenth Skandha , Chapter 13 - Brahma Stealing Boys & calves

Suka Deva Continued...

‘ O King ! after killing Aghasura and rescuing cowherd boys and the calves , Krishna led the Gopas to the banks of the river Yamuna . In order to get over the excitement of Aghasura's death , Krishna told them that they should all relax on the banks of the river Yamuna. The boys first ensured that the calves drank water on the banks and let off the calves to graze in the fields on their own . They then sat down in a circle with Krishna to enjoy their own lunch. With the flute stuck between waist cloth and abdomen , with staff in the left hand and the ball of curd rice in his palm , sitting in the middle of his own friends , making them laugh with his jokes, Krishna made the celestials look on with wonder at the fortunate Gopas.

While eating the lunch the boys suddenly noticed that the calves have moved farther away and wanted to go and bring back the calves .

Krishna stopped them saying that he will go and get them , and left immediately carrying the morsel of food he is having in his hand . Krishna looked every where in the mountains , caves and bushes for the calves of his friends . At this time Lord Brahma , born out of Lotus , and also greatly astonished at the killing of Aghasura , got involved in the affair of the boys . Wanting to see the other glories of the boy Krishna , Lord Brahma hid the Calves and the boys too .

After a long search , having not found the calves , Krishna came back to the banks of Yamuna where he left his friends. To his surprise he found that even the boys have disappeared.

Krishna immediately realized this as the act of Lord Brahma .

Krishna then set out to teach Brahma a lesson on the limitation of his powers .He also needed to ensure that the parents of Gopas and the calves too are not deprived of their pleasures . There after Krishna in order create pleasure for the mothers of the boys and also teach Brahma, manifested himself in the form of all the boys with their bugles , flutes , sticks and bags as well as their other characteristics , habits and physical form along with the ornaments they were wearing , matching them in all respects. He also manifested himself in the form of the calves too . Enjoying himself in the form of the boys and calves , Krishna came back to Vrindavan with all the entourage consisting of himself in the form of the all the boys and all the calves. Being in the form of every boy and the calf , he led each one to their respective household. The mothers alerted by the sounds of arrival of the Gopas and the calves , left their household chores to welcome back their sons. Not knowing that they were actually bathing , feeding the Supreme Lord himself , the mothers were lost in their own love for their own children. The cows were feeding the calves which were none other than the supreme being himself . All the Gopis had motherly affection for Krishna , and loved Krishna even more than they loved their own children , enchanted by his child hood pranks . Now unknowingly they were showering all their love on the real Krishna thinking that the one in their lap is indeed their own son. Indeed it is part of the divine mystery that the all mothers and even the cows were fortunate enough to feed the Supreme Lord himself so easily while lot of others do penance for ages to achieve the nearness enjoyed by the Gopas and Gopis .

One day Balaram and Krishna moved to the forest with the calves . The cows which were also nearby saw the calves and rushed to them to feed . The elderly cowherds soon followed the cows unable to control their rush towards the calves . After reaching the place where the cows came to feed the calves , the elderly Gopas saw their own children and immediately their irritation disappeared and they took their children in their hands embracing them with pleasure. Balaram who was seeing all this wondered at the increased love and affection between the parents and the boys as also the cows and calves . Having known the love of all in Vrindavan towards Krishna , he felt all of this is indeed Maya of Krishna himself.

Krishna continued this play in Vrindavan and the forest for one full year.

When Lord Brahma returned , after a moment in his time, it is an year in time in this world . Then he saw Krishna playing with the cowherd boys and the tending the calves as before . He was wonderstruck . He was unable to decide who was real , the Gopas hidden by him or the Gopas playing with Krishna on the banks of Yamuna . Unable to fathom the secret of the calves with Krishna and calves hidden by him , Lord Brahma realized the mystic powers of the Supreme Lord Vishnu who manifested himself as Krishna. Even as he was looking on, it appeared as through each of those boys were having four arms wearing the traditional yellow cloth and resembling The Lord himself . Even the calves seem to appear as the form of Lord himself . Then like a person whose eleven senses have been jolted by a reality , Lord Brahma became silent . Krishna seeing this predicament , removed the Maya , and Lord Brahma was able to see the universe and himself . He could see Vrindavan as the abode of the Lord . He saw Krishna with a morsel of food in his hand searching for calves . He immediately came down and fell the feet of Krishna ,the Supreme Lord , with tears of joy reflecting the supreme realization.

Source: from internet

The Story - Govardhana

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There is an interesting story in the Bhagwata and other Puranas about Shri Krishna lifting the ‘Govardhan Parvat’ or Govardhan Hill when he was only a small child. The story goes like this:

Once, when the elder people of Braj including Nanda Maharaj were planning for the Puja of Lord Indra, Shri Krishna, a child then, questioned them as to why they were doing so. Nanda Maharaj explained to Krishna that this was done every year to please Lord Indra so that he continued to grace the people of Braj by providing rain as and when required. But little Krishna debated that they were farmers and they should only do their duty or ‘Karma’ to the best of their abilities, by concentrating on farming and protecting their cattle, rather than performing pujas or conduct sacrifices like this for any natural phenomenon. Finally convinced by Krishna, the villagers did not perform with the puja.

Furious with the inhabitants of Braj for listening to the little child Krishna and worshipping the Govardhan Hill instead of him, lndra, the King of Heaven, decided to punish them by sending terrible rain clouds to flood the land of Vrindavan. Calling the Samavartaka clouds of devastation, lndra ordered them to lash upon Vrindavan with torrents of rain and thunderstorms and cause extensive floods that would destroy the livelihood of the inhabitants.

As terrible rains and thunderstorms ravaged the land and submerged it under water, the frightened and helpless inhabitants of Vrindavan approached Lord Krishna for help. Krishna, who understood the situation perfectly well, lifted up the entire Govardhan Hill at once with His left hand, and held it up like an umbrella. One by one all the inhabitants of Vrindavan, along with their cows and other household possessions, took shelter under Govardhan Hill. For seven days they stayed under the hill, safe from the terrible rains and surprisingly undisturbed by hunger or thirst. They were also astounded to see the huge Govardhan Hill resting perfectly balanced on Krishna’s little finger.

Stunned and mystified with the order of events, King Indra called back the clouds of devastation, thus stopping the thunderstorms and the rains. The sky became clear again and the sun shone brightly over Vrindavan. Little Krishna asked the inhabitants to return home without any fear, and gently placed the Govardhan Hill back to exactly where it was. All the inhabitants of Braj including Nanda Maharaj, Yasoda and Balarama hailed Krishna and embraced Him with happiness.

This was how the false pride of King Indra was shattered to pieces. He came to Lord Krishna with folded hands and prayed to Him for forgiveness. Shri Krishna, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bestowed his grace on Indra and also enlightened him about his ‘Dharma’ and duties.

Source: from internet