The clouds rumbled with menacing intent, and they soon burst into a downpour that refused to subside. First, the river overflowed, which was followed by fields getting inundated, and eventually the villages that floated in the water. The villagers cried, howled and begged for mercy from Indra, to whom they had prayed for centuries. ‘It’s Indra’s wrath that we’re bearing the brunt of,’ cried one of the villagers as others agreed with him. ‘We shouldn’t have stopped praying to him.’
Only recently, on young Krishna’s insistence, they had prayed to their cows, nearby trees, fields and the surrounding mountains, including the mighty Govardhan, instead of the traditional yagna for appeasing Indra. And now they were facing Indra’s ire. Since they heeded Krishna’s words, they again turned to him for a solution.
Krishna was witness to the mayhem. Vrindavan, Gokul and its nearby villages, that till a few days ago were mesmerising and enchanting, now bore the brunt of savagery. The plight of the hapless villagers and the animals made Krishna realise that it was time to step in. Asking the villagers to gather at the base of Govardhan mountain, young Krishna lifted the mountain on his fingertip. It became a shelter for the villagers, along with the animals. For days on end, Indra thundered and spewed venom through unbearable lightning, storms and incessant rain. During all this, Krishna steadfastly held the mighty Govardhan. Soon, the villagers felt a warm embrace in Krishna’s compassionate presence, and Indra realised the futility of punishing people just because they didn’t pray to him.
Going through the old narrative, we must ask ourselves what Krishna intends to convey through his actions and words. Was he merely asking the village folks of Gokul and Vrindavan to pray to Govardhan instead of Indra? Was he asking posterity to follow suit, even if they stayed at faraway places? Or is there a deeper meaning hidden in it?
While we might revel at the rich narrative and continue with our centuries-old traditions, let Krishna’s words and actions go deep inside our hearts and minds. The story seems to offer a different perspective. Perhaps Krishna is asking us to acknowledge and connect with the accessible energy that manifests all around us. He’s asking us to revere the nature around us in its different manifestations, as it is the ultimate nourisher and protector. This Janmasthami, while we continue with our traditional worship, let’s also acknowledge the importance of the nature around us and reverently bow down to it. Merely touching a vernal wood, caring for a stray animal, or planting a sapling could be an ideal starting point. That’ll definitely please Krishna, the ultimate eco warrior.
Blurb:
This Janmasthami, while we continue with our traditional worship, let’s also acknowledge the importance of the nature around us and reverently bow down to it. That’ll definitely please Krishna, the ultimate eco warrior.
