(P) Krishna Lifts Govardhana Hill
Krishna lived in the village of Vrindavana. The men of the village were farmers and looked after cows and bulls. The ladies would milk the cows and make cream, cheese, yoghurt, butter and ghee. The bulls were used for ploughing and for pulling carts.
One day, Krishna saw that the cowherd men were getting ready for a big religious festival. They were preparing to worship Indra, the god of rain..
Krishna asked His father, “What is the purpose of this ceremony?”
Nanda replied, “My dear son, we celebrate this festival every year. Without rainfall we cannot farm. Simply from water and grass, the cows produce milk. From milk, we make so many healthy foods. We also need rain to grow grains like wheat and rice. Rain is therefore necessary for living well. From milk, we make ghee which we use in divas (lamps) and in worship. Therefore, rain is needed for our religious practices. Water is so important in our lives! Because rainfall is due to the kindness of Lord Indra, we must thank him. Therefore, we are arranging this festival to please him
Upon hearing this, Krishna disagreed with his father. He told Nanda that there was no need to worship Indra; simply by worshipping the one Supreme God (Vishnu), rain will come and everyone will be happy. There is no need to worship other lesser gods, such as Indra, the rain god, or Surya, the sun god. If God himself is pleased, then everyone will be happy.
Krishna wanted to make Indra angry. Although Indra was a servant of Vishnu, he was proud because he was so powerful. Why, he could even control the weather – the rain, the storms and even the thunder! His own weapon was the thunderbolt, which could smash the tops off mountains!
Nanda agreed with Krishna. He told the other men of the village that they weren’t going to worship Indra. This year, they were going to worship Vishnu. They would also honour Govardhana Hill and the local brahmins (priests)
And so they cooked delicious vegetarian food, from grains, vegetables and spices, and from dairy products such as butter, cream and cheese. They made foods such as puris, curry and samosas, and also sweets such as barfi. The people off Vrindavan put on their best clothes. The ladies wore bright coloured sarees. Golden earring swung from their ears. The men wore silk turbans. The priests offered food to the murti of Vishnu in the temple, and they performed the arti ceremony. Krishna’s father gave charity to the priests and made sure that prasada (sacred food) was given to everyone – to the poor, to the rich – even to the animals. It was a great celebration!
But, up in the sky, Indra was seething with anger. He understood that Krishna had stopped the sacrifice which was meant for him. He called for all his servants, the different types of clouds. Especially, he called for the rain-cloud called Sam-vartaka, which is inky-blue in colour. He uses this cloud when the universe is destroyed. Indra ordered these clouds to go Vrindavana and flood the village.
All the dangerous clouds floated towards Vrindavana. The sun disappeared and the sky became dark. It was morning but it looked as if evening had already come. Frightened birds flew to their trees. All was very quiet. Then, with a crack of lightening, the rain began. It felt like piercing sharp arrows. In some places, it fell as thick as the pillars of a church or temple. Everywhere there were swirling streams of muddy water, like tiny rivers. A gale began to blow and the icy air bit into the skin.
The villagers all went to Krishna’s house. They prayed. “You are very kind towards your devotees. Please protect us from this terrible rain!”
Krishna understood that Indra was behind the storms. The rain god was feeling hurt and humiliated, and was therefore very angry. Krishna thought to himself, “This demigod thinks himself to be the greatest. He thinks that he is the Supreme God. He has shown great power, but I will teach him a lesson. I will teach him that I am the Supreme Lord, and I will destroy his pride.”
With one hand , Krishna lifted the Govardhana Hill, just like a child picks up a frog’s umbrella (a toadstool). Krishna told the villagers not to be afraid. They brought all their belongings and all the cows, bulls and calves, and sheltered underneath the gigantic umbrella.
The villagers stayed there for one week. They had everything they needed, and were not disturbed by hunger, thirst or any other problems. They were simply amazed, and watched Krishna holding up the mountain with the little finger of his left hand!
Seeing Krishna’s fantastic strength, Indra, was also astounded and ordered all the clouds to leave Vrindavana. The sky became clear again, the sun appeared, the wind slowed down, and the birds burst into song. Krishna spoke to everyone, saying, “My dear friends, you may now go home because the destruction has ended.”
After the inhabitants had cleared everything away , Krishna very slowly out back the hill. Everyone thanked Krishna with great affection and embraced him, with big smiles on their faces. In the heavens, the demigods scattered flowers on the earth. They played musical instruments, like the sitar, tablas and conch shells.
Indra came down to earth on his white elephant. He fell to his knees and prayed to the Lord. He admitted that his great wealth, power, beauty and intelligence had made him proud. He said that whatever we have comes by the kindness of God. We should not use it for our selfish plans but to serve God and to help others. He also praised Krishna who – although God – always tries to serve his devotees.
After praying to Krishna, Indra returned to heaven. Lord Krishna, who is the same as Vishnu, returned to his home in Vrindavana, surrounded by his dear relatives, friends and animals.
Even since then, Krishna has been known as Giridhari – ‘the Lifter of the Hill’. Every year, in October or November, Hindus celebrate this day. They make a mountain out of cakes and sweets. They remember how God protects us, as long as we also care for other people, for the animals, and for the earth.