Lilas Of Lord Krishna

Sri Krishna brought the cowherd boys to the sandy bank of the Yamuna. They all took their breakfast. The calves had strayed away somewhere and could not be found. Brahma came to the spot and removed the calves and the boys to some secured place and vanished.

Krishna could not find the calves. He returned to the sandy bank of the Yamuna and found that the cowherd boys also had disappeared. He at once knew that it was all the work of Brahma. The Lord Himself assumed the form of the calves and the cowherd boys in order to bring joy to the cows, to the mothers of the cowherd boys and to Brahma himself. All the calves and boys resembled exactly the calves and boys that were missing. The mothers became more attached to their sons, because Krishna Himself assumed the form of their sons. The cows also began to show extraordinary love to their calves.

Krishna went on playing his diverse parts for one year. When only five or six days remained for the completion of the year, Balarama saw one day that the cows were grazing on the summit of the Govardhana Hill. They saw their calves grazing near Vraja. On account of extreme affection, they ran towards the calves through a path which was most difficult for either men or beasts to pass. Milk flowed freely from their udders. He observed that the people of Vraja had increased affection and love for their sons. Balarama opened his eyes and saw that those calves and cowherd boys were none other than Sri Krishna Himself.

Brahma wanted to delude Krishna, but He himself became deluded. All the cowherd boys and calves appeared to him in the form of Sri Krishna. All possessed the blue complexion and were clad in the yellow silken robes. All had four hands and the divine weapons. All wore crowns on their head, ear-rings etc. Seeing this wonderful sight Brahma was amazed and stupefied. Sri Krishna drew off the veil of Maya. Brahma regained his consciousness and found Sri Krishna alone searching for the calves and boys. Brahma fell at the feet of Krishna again and again with tears in his eyes and praised Him.

Deliverance Of Dhenukasura

One day Gopas approached Krishna and Balarama and said, "Not far off is an extensive grove of palmyra trees. There are rows of trees full of ripe palmyra fruits. But nobody can enter it, because one Asura Dhenuka by name with many of his kin, prevents people from entering the grove. He has the form of an ass. He has already killed many men.

Dhenukasura and all his kins were all killed by Rama and Krishna. After the death of Dhenuka and his relatives, people entered the grove fearlessly and the cattle also freely grazed on the pasture in that grove.

Bows And Cows Saved From Poison

Once Krishna without Balarama but with his other playmates, went to the Yamuna, after wandering through the forest of Brindavan. As the cowherd boys and the cows and the calves were oppressed by the heat of the summer, they felt extremely thirsty. They drank the poisoned water of the Yamuna. They fell dead on the bank of Yamuna soon after they drank it. Sri Krishna revived them by a mere glance radiating forth the life-giving nectar. They regained their consciousness, got up from the edge of the water and began to look at one another in great astonishment. They came to know that they fell dead by drinking the poisonous water of the Yamuna and that Sri Krishna brought them back to life by his gracious looks.

Grace On Kaliya Serpent

Kaliya sought shelter in a deep pool of water in the Yamuna. Once upon a time Garuda caught a fish in that pool of water and was about to eat it. Rishi Soubhari said, "O Garuda! Do not eat this fish." Garuda did not pay any attention to the words of the Rishi. The wailings of the other fishes touched the heart of the Rishi. In order to save the fishes, the Rishi pronounced a curse on Garuda that he would die if he entered that pool any more. Kaliya knew about this. Therefore he sought shelter in that pool of water with his family.

Sri Krishna noticed that the most venomous snake had rendered the water of the Yamuna poisonous. He wanted to expel the serpent from the river in order to purify the water. Sri Krishna tightened His girdle, climbed a lofty Kadamba tree, and jumped into the pool of water. The serpent fiercely attacked Krishna and stung Him in His vital parts. It completely enclosed Him in its coils. The cows wept and the Gopa boys became senseless. Nanda and other Gopas came out in search of Krishna. They saw Him in the grasp of the powerful serpent and wept bitterly.

Sri Krishna extricated Himself from the clutches of the serpent. He began to sport with it. He got upon its hoods and danced upon them. It had one thousand hoods, one hundred being the chief. The serpent vomited blood. Sri Krishna trampled down with His feet each one of the hoods. The body of the serpent was shattered. The serpent sought the protection of the Lord. The wives of the serpent praised Krishna and prayed for their husband's life. The Lord stopped His dance. Kaliya slowly recovered consciousness.

Krishna told Kaliya to go to the sea immediately with all your kith and kin and, wives and let the water of the Yamuna be used by the cows and men. Now, as kaliya's hoods bore the marks of Lord's feet, he had no fear of Garuda Thereupon Kaliya proceeded to the Ramanaka island in the sea with his wives, friends and children. The waters of the Yamuna then turned as sweet as nectar itself.

Forest Fire Disappeared

The cattle strayed away from the Bhadiraka forest. A huge wide fire suddenly broke out in the forest. The cowherd boys approached Sri Krishna, for protection.

Sri Krishna asked them to close their eyes. Thereupon the boys shut their eyes. When they opened their eyes they found themselves once more in Bhadiraka forest. They were greatly struck with wonder when they saw that all their cows had been miraculously saved from the fire. Observing the Yogic power of Sri Krishna and their miraculous escape from the wild fire, the boys thought that Sri Krishna was no human being but must be immortal God.