The people of Braj thrived mainly on breeding cows and agriculture. The pastures required timely rains, as did the crops. It was customary therefore of them to observe a big festival every year to honour Indra, the lord of rains and thunder, in the hope that the deva would send them timely rains in adequate quantity. A whole lot of money, time and effort were spent on making preparations for the festival, so much so that the normal activities of the residents were affected to a considerable degree.
Ancients Speak
Suman K Sharma
Krishna had been observing this tradition ever since He was a child. Now that He could see the meaninglessness of it all, He tried to wean away his people from it. It was not an easy task though. He had to use all the other devas; they should be exerting themselves to improve other available sources of water. his persuasion and charm to convince the elders that more than trying to win favours with one or It was for them to do their karma to the best they could and leave the rest to Parmatma. If they were to worship anyone at all, they should worship Mount Govardhan which fed their cattle with its grass and provided them everything they needed to have a contented life.
That year they heeded His advice. The auspicious day of the offerings to Indra came and went. But this time there were no celebrations in the deva’s honour. A puja was held for the Govardhan instead.
It is well known that Indra, the king of devas, is no less conceited than any monarch on earth. Enraged at his perceived insult, he let loose the terrible Samvartaka clouds on Vrindavan. The sky became inky black and lightning struck the trees with deafening thunder. The torrential downpour threatened to submerge man, beast and everything that stood on ground.
The terrified populace crowded around Krishna, seeking relief. As always, he pacified them with his beatific smile. If, by following his advice, they had provoked Indra to anger, He would offer them a refuge. Thus saying, Krishna went to the bottom of Mount Govardhan and with one quick movement, lifted the mount up on his little finger. Before the awestruck eyes of the gathering, Krishna’s stature grew loftier and loftier. The mount too rose higher and higher, till everyone could be sheltered under it comfortably with his or her belongings.
Clouds thundered around Mount Govardhan and water poured down ceaselessly by its sides, as if some unseen barrage up in the sky had crashed. But the life under the mount, held up by Krishna like a giant umbrella,went on untrammelled. It lasted for seven days. Eventually, Indra realised his folly and making an appearance before the Godhead incarnate, abjectly sought His apology. The devastating rain had stopped and a spell of sunshine and high wind dried up the land in no time. The dwellers of Vrindavan came out of the retreat to go back to their homes. Then Krishna brought down the mount and gently placed it back at its location.
Krishna, first and foremost, was a reformist. He perceived the uselessness of a tradition and motivated His compatriots to change it for something more practical. To an agrarian community like the cowherds of Vrindavan, there could not have been a better advice than holding the resources of their land sacrosanct. Krishna did not only preach, he walked the talk. During a particularly troublesome monsoon, he must have taken the villagers to the relatively dry refuge in the mountainside. Of mundane concerns are the myths made.
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