GOVARDHANA GIRI UDDHARNAM

 


KRISHNA LIFTS THE GOVARDHANA HILL



KRISHNA LIFTS THE GOVARDHANA HILL


The cowherds of Vraja used to celebrate a grand annual festival called ‘indra yagya’ in which Indra was offered milk, curd, butter, cooked rice and lentils, ghee, vegetables, fruits, sweets, snacks, etc. Indra roamed around in false pride that He is the sole cause of rains for the universe. Lord KrishNa wanted to teach him a lesson and show Indra the reality. He stopped the offerings to Indra and ordered the cowherds to divert their offerings to the Govardhana Hill which He deemed fit to be worshipped as Rain God. After the rituals, KrishNa and the cowherds had a sumptuous meal at the festival.  

An insulted and angry Indra showered incessant rains on Vraja, causing floods. The gOpas and gOpis prayed to KriShNa thus:

Srimad bhAgavatam 10.25.13

कृष्ण कृष्ण महाभाग त्वन्नाथं गोकुलं प्रभो । 

त्रातुमर्हसि देवान्न: कुपिताद् भक्तवत्सल ॥ १३ ॥

kriShNa kriShNa mahAbhAga tvannAtham gOkulaM prabhO |

trAtumarhasi dEvAnnah kupitAd bhaktavatsala|| (13)

Oh kriShNa! krishNa! The all prosperous one! You are the master of gOkulam.  Please protect us from indra dEva who is angry. Oh bhaktavatsala, the one who is the beloved of his devotees!

 KrishNa then used His transcendental potency and effortlessly lifted the gOvardhana hill with his one hand (left hand according to Hari Vamsha), just like a child holding the mushroom and gave shelter to all the inhabitants of Vraja for one whole week. Indra then accepted his defeat, stopped the rains and surrendered to KrishNa in a secluded place, praising Him to be the sarvEshwara. (Srimad bhAgavatam, Canto 10.25).


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