Never Fear Part III

This is part of my ongoing series on the Mahabharat, an epic poem of ancient India. For links to all previous Mahabharat posts go here. Or you can simply click on the Mahabharat page link above.


This is the third part of my Never Fear series. Click to read the first and second parts.

We saw previously that Indra reacted with anger when Krishna told the people of Vraj not to worship him. He caused a massive storm to sweep over Vraj and destroy everything. The people ran to Krishna and told him to stop the destruction by begging forgiveness of Indra.

This is what happened next:


The people watched Krishna as he stood there, his yellow silk robes whipping around his dark body as he looked up at Indra's storm. They didn't know what he would do and it terrified them. But he'd protected them so many times before. They couldn't help but look to him for salvation.

Krishna stepped down into the street and walked through the fast flowing water. The people, not knowing what else to do, followed him. The more streets he passed, the more joined the crowd that followed him, until all the village people were behind him. He passed the outskirts of Nandgaon and headed away from their homes.

"Krishna, where are you going," Yashoda cried, holding onto Nanda. "We have to find somewhere safe!"

He kept walking out through the forests that were slowly becoming wetter and wetter. The trees were acting as a barrier to the rain but the water level was rising fast anyway.

The crowd kept following, stumbling in the mud beneath their feet, and they began to realise where he was going. Govardhan.

Krishna walked to the foot of the mountain.

The people looked at each other in confusion. Yes, they could climb Govardhan and remain above the water, but in a storm like this they needed protection from the wind and the lightning. How could Govardhan protect them from that?

Krishna was facing the mountain. He bent down. He sank his fingers into the soaked earth at Govardhan's feet.

"What is he doing?" The people asked each other. "We can't stand here in the open. We need shelter."

But those who kept their gazes on him saw something amazing. He was driving his hand underground, under the mountain, and - the people swiped the water out of their eyes to see - the mountain was beginning to shift!

Krishna went farther. The mountain moved so he could put his feet beneath it and keep going. The mountain lifted higher.

The people were now watching in shock. With the roar of the rain in their ears and the flood level rising over their ankles, they could hardly believe their own eyes!

He was several feet under the mountain now and still Govardhan lifted higher. Krishna went deeper until they couldn't see him. Nanda and Yashoda rushed forward in fear but then, in one stunning move, the entire mountain was above Krishna's head. He stood on a rock, looking down upon all the people.

Govardhan was resting on Krishna's left hand. And when they looked closer the people saw he held up the entire mountain with just his little finger.

"Come beneath Govardhan," Krishna said, "and bring all the cows."

The people were frozen, staring in shock. Then lightning struck the ground just before them and they all jumped.

Not stopping to question the unbelieveable sight they were seeing, the women and children and elderly moved fast to join Krishna. The younger men rushed back to the village to release the cows from where they were penned. The cows, needing no direction from the men, rushed towards Krishna. They all came under his shelter.


The people of nearby villages also came, having run to Krishna to find a way out of the danger. Nanda directed the influx of people as they crowded together under mountain.

It wasn't until they were all safe beneath Govardhan that anyone could speak of their amazement. The storm lashed the world around them but in their dry refuge supported by Krishna, the people and cows were safe. They hugged each other and raised their arms and cried out: "Jai ho! Jai ho!"

Krishna's mother and father moved to stand as close to him as they could. There were so many who surrounded him they had to push their way through. "My darling," Yashoda cried when she reached his side.

"How are you doing this, son?" Nanda asked, gaping.

Krishna smiled and said nothing.

"It must be that Govardhan became light," a village man said, "and allowed Krishna to lift him."

"Yes," a village elder said. "We have Govardhan's blessing. He must have lightened his weight to provide shelter to us."

"And somehow my son knew it would be so," Nanda said. "Yes, that must be it."

The rain continued for the entire day. Night fell. The storm roared but with the protection of the mountain above them they were able to speak normally and be heard. The people began making preparations for sleeping but they worried about Krishna, standing above them on his rock and holding the mountain up all by himself.

"How will he sleep?" they asked. "He can't hold the mountain constantly." They stood around talking, trying to figure out what to do. "If Govardhan became light for Krishna then we should be able to hold him too," someone said while everyone nodded. "Let's try it. Krishna," they said, looking up at him.

"Yes?"

"You need to rest," Nanda said. "If we all put up our staffs and rest the moutain on them then we should be able to bear the weight."

"Do you think that will work?" Krishna asked, looking like he was laughing at some secret joke.

"We can try it at least. We can't let you do all the work."

Krishna nodded. "As you wish."

All the men set up their staffs around Krishna so that when he removed his hand the weight would immediately be distributed over the sticks. "Ready?" He asked them.

"Yes," they said.

Krishna removed his hand. The mountain began slowly to sink. The staffs snapped under the strain. The men gasped and raised their arms to hold it up but the weight was too much. They would have all been crushed if Krishna had not put his hand up again and caught the burden.

Now understanding that Govardhan had not become light at all, the people stared at Krishna yet again in amazement. He wasn't using a staff or both hands or even one hand. He was using the little finger of his left hand, the weakest part of his body, to hold up the entire mountain.

"Jai ho! Jai ho!" the people cried, raising their arms in surrender. They danced around him and praised this miracle who was their prince. "Giridar!" they called him. Mountain lifter.


Indra's storm raged for seven days and seven nights. Krishna sheltered the people under Govardhan for all that time.

Then the rains stopped. The clouds cleared. The blue sky came out.

"Is it over?" The people asked, peering at the sky. Though there was no rain, they were afraid to step out from under the mountain.

"It is finished," Krishna said. "Father, we must begin moving the cows back to the village. They haven't eaten in days while we have nourished ourselves on their milk. See to the cows."

The people jumped to on his orders. Nanda got the herders organised but the cows were not listening. Instead of following the direction of their herders, they walked towards Krishna. The thousands of cows all circumambulated the one who had protected them. Once, twice, three times they circled. Then they turned and moved out from under the mountain.

The people followed, glancing up every few moments in wonder at the peace of the blue sky.

Krishna waited until the last person was gone. His parents lingered, anxious to stay with their son. "Go, Mother," he said. "I will set Govardhan back in his place and join you at home. Father, the people need you to see to the rebuilding of the village. You must both go."

"You will come soon?" Yashoda said.

"Of course," he told her.

They left and with the last of the people gone, Krishna set Govardhan down. He did it slowly so as not to disturb Mother Earth with a sudden weight. Then, finally free of his burden, he sat down upon a convenient boulder, waiting.

Lord Indra, his body resplendent with the glow of the celestial realm, appeared before him. "Forgive me, Lord!" he said, throwing himself at Krishna's feet. "I have been a fool. I have been blind. Thank you for crushing my arrogance, Giridar!"

Krishna didn't smile. "Indra, you have misused the power bestowed upon you."

Indra clasped Krishna's feet. "Yes. I have not been worthy of your grace."

Krishna glared. "You used your powers to bring harm to others. This is against all bounds of dharma."

"Lord, I beg your forgiveness. I see clearly that I've done wrong. You were right to tell the people not to worship me. You were right to teach me this lesson. I accept all the blame, Lord. I am your humble servant," Indra pressed his forehead against Krishna's toes.

Krishna was unmoved.

"Forgive him, Lord," came a feminine voice.

Krishna looked up and saw a cow, pure white in colour, descending to earth from the celestial realm. She wore dainty golden bells on her ankles. Her eyes were dark and liquid and her horns curled upwards, gleaming gold in the sunlight. It was Kamdenu, the celestial cow. The moment her hooves touched the earth, she assumed human form with milk white skin, white robes, and dark liquid eyes.

"Mother Kamdhenu," Krishna said. "You, here?"

"I have come to speak on Indra's behalf, Lord," she said, her voice soft. "Krishna, Giridar, you are an ocean of mercy. Indra's penitence is geniune. Please forgive him."

"He sought to cause devastation."

"Yet you prevented that devastation from occurring. Truly, Lord, you only allowed this all to go so far because you were worried that Indra had lost his way. In your compassion you sought to bring him back to you. And you have done so, Lord. Forgive him."

Krishna's face softened. "You speak so much for him?"

"He has learned from his mistake, Giridar. Now grace him with your compassion. Saviour of my people, bring balance back to the world."

Krishna, for the first time, looked with kindness down at Indra. "If anyone but Mother Kamdhenu had spoken for you, I would not have forgiven your offense. Rise, Indra, you are absolved."

Indra raised his head from Krishna's feet. His face shined with tears. "Lord, I have a request."

Krishna arched a perfect black brow. "What is that?"

"I wish to crown you Indra. I wish to show all the universe who you truly are and that I am only your humble servant."

"Yes, Lord," Kamdhenu agreed. "You should be called Govinda, Protector of cows. I too desire this."

Krishna nodded his acquiesance. Within moments all the celestials appeared in the sky. Indra's royal elephant, Iravat, appeared next to Indra, bearing divine waters in his eight trunks. Guru Brahaspati appeared to chant the mantras for the coronation.

Indra removed his crown.

As Brahaspati chanted, Iravat performed the ceremonial bathing of Krishna as befits a king about to be crowned. The celestials raised their hands in surrender and the nymphs danced in the heavens, singing Krishna's praises.

With the bathing complete, Indra used his own cloth to dry Krishna's body. Then, as Brahaspati chanted the sacred mantras of kingship, Indra placed his crown upon Krishna's head. "All glories to Lord Govinda!" He called.

"Jai ho! Jai ho!" The celestial cried, showering flowers upon the king. "Govinda ki jai ho!"

Indra sank to his knees and touched his head to the ground at Govinda's feet.

Krishna raised his hand in blessing, favouring the celestials and Indra with his smile. Mother Kamdhenu turned again to her original cow form and bowed at his feet. He put his hand upon her head and granted benediction, making the celestials shout their praises once more. "Govinda! Govinda!"


In the Hindu scriptures, cows represent nature. They represent the Earth herself. Many times, Mother Earth assumes the form of a cow. So when Krishna protected the cows from Indra's storm, it was symbolic of his protection of all nature. This was why Mother Kamdhenu also called him Govinda, Protector of Cows, because it was symbolic of his role as protector of the earth. He maintains balance and keeps order.

Indra's request, to crown Krishna as Indra, is also highly meaningful. By doing this, he was abandoning all arrogance and returning to his true role of a faithful servant. He thanked Krishna for crushing his ego because that ego had taken him far from his purpose and his God. By doing so he was able to bring the world back into balance.

This is why Hindus worship Krishna as Govinda and Giridar. He protects nature. He maintains balance. But he also protects us from ourselves. When our egos overcome us and distort our understanding of the world, the Almighty is the only one with the power to remove that blindness from our eyes. The people of Vraj thought that they too could hold the mountain above their heads so Krishna let them try. But when they realised that they were in fact powerless, he quickly moved to protect them once more. Because he is the protector from storms. He is the shelter from danger.

Govardhan, in this part of the story, represents the burdens of life. The people, in need of help, ran to Krishna. He in turn lifted Govardhan for them and provided shelter not just for the people but for the cows. He gave love to everyone who came to him. The Mahabharat is saying that once we turn to the Almighty, he takes all our burdens from us. He assumes responsibility for our safety and our happiness.


Go here for the previous Mahabharat post entitled Never Fear Part II.

Go here for the next Mahabharat post entitled Hidden Gem.