Bits of life

S-2 Words-2000

Enraged and incensed beyond words. He decided to punish the population of Brindavan. He had sent his soldiers to drive the cattle of Brindavan to Mathura. Kamsa’s men came riding through the fields and streams and frightened the peacefully grazing cattle and drove them to the path that led to Mathura. The villagers and cattle herds were speechless with fear and shock at this unexpected turn of events. They straight went to Krishna to tell him of what they saw in the fields that morning. After listening to their grief-stricken description of that which transpired in the peaceful outskirts of Brindavan, Krishna quietly went to the spot from which he could see the cattle still being driven by the men of Kamsa. He took his flute out and played a touching melody for the cows. They moved their heads to the direction from which the strains of divine music flowed and followed the tuneful song. They stated ambling to Brindavan once again and were soon in the fields of the village.

The villagers were delighted and relieved at the sight of their cattle making their way back to their homesteads.

Kamsa was bewildered at the way the cattle reacted to a mere flutist. He couldn’t make out the meaning of the whole episode. He decided to make use of his asura servants to frighten and kill the flute playing boy named Krishna.

He sent two of his most powerful demons. They came to Brindavan and set fire to the homes of the villagers by bellowing winds of fire. Soon there were screams of fear and anxiety. Krishna saw this and along with his elder brother Balarama he went to the demons and engaged them in a fierce fight. Finally he killed one with his divine wheel and Balarama threw the other demon that died after his head dashed against a boulder. Thus Kamsa’s henchmen met their sorrowful ends.

During the rainy season, it was a custom prevailing among the villagers to worship Indra the chief of devas or deities. Yashoda was performing it with a lot of devotion, devotion mixed with fear too. when Krishna saw the arrangements he questioned her thus:

“Mother what is happening here?”
Yashoda replied,
“Darling Krishna, I am performing the puja for the sake of propitiating the chief of gods, Indra. I am doing this not to incur his wrath. His anger could be terrible and devastating.”

Krishna had a doubt. He asked her.

“Why should we worship a god whose anger causes devastation? Why should we be forced to worship such a god? Isn’t god supposed to look after the welfare of the people? Isn’t he the protector and benefactor?”

Yashoda could not find the right answer. She kept quiet. She was afraid that listening to the words of logic from Krishna, the god of deities might take offence. Her worst fears had come true. Indra heard what Krishna said and decided to show his wrath on the people. He ordered a storm that spread havoc among the villagers. Trees were uprooted and mud houses washed away in the downpour.

Krishna knew how this happened and what caused Indra to act in this vengeful manner. He went to the mountain called Govardhana and lifted it with the little finger of his right hand. People were astounded and so was Indra. The villagers, their families and their cattle took shelter under the raised mountain. Since then Krishna was called Govardhana giridhari meaning the one who had borne the mountain Govardhana.

In Mathura, Kamsa was planning to put an end to Krishana’s life. Since it was not possible to kill him in his own village Brindavan, Kamsa thought of inviting him to Mathura and plot against him. Now Kamsa was pretty sure that Krishna was the child who went missing on that fateful night when his sister Devaki gave birth to the eighth child.

He called for Akrura, a cousin of Vasudeva now imprisoned with Devaki. He requested him in a cunning way to go to Brindavan and ask Krishna to come and meet him. Akrura was Kamsa’s minister and a blood relative of Krishna. He was very much focused on Krishna. He was an ardent devotee of Krishna.

When Akrura reached Brindavan, the people wondered why Krishna was sent for by the fearful Kamsa. Yashoda was reluctant to send him to Mathura. She was afraid for her son’s safety like any other mother in this world. But her husband Nanda and uncle Akrura convinced her that if they don’t obey the orders of Kamsa, he was capable of annihilating Brindavan. So it was in everyone’s interest to send Krishna to Mathura without argument.

Yashoda was much sad and she could not sleep the night before Krishna’s departure to Mathura. Krishna’s devout friend and companion in Brindavan was a young maiden named Radha. She took much pleasure in listening to his flute on moonlit nights. They were inseparable. In this moment of separation, Radha did not feel the pangs of pain but rather philosophical thoughts occupied her mind. She and Yashoda stood at the outskirts of Brindavan as Krishna and his older brother Balarama drove away in a horse drawn coach to Kamsa's Mathura along with their maternal uncle Akrura.

Soon they reached Mathura and as they went about the streets people took note of these two young boys aged about fifteen and sixteen. Krishna in particular attracted their attention with his sweet smile and youthful looks.

On the next day before meeting the Maha raja Kamsa the two boys wanted to see the city of Mathura. As they walked on they saw a hunch backed young girl selling flowers. She was painstakingly bending and walking. Her gait was uncomfortable and her life appeared to be troubled. When Krishna approached her, she offered flowers. Young Krishna asked her what was wrong with her. She said she was always like that hunch backed and lame. Krishna asked to try and stand straight. He also told her if she made an effort to stand upright she would succeed. The young maiden did her best to stand straight and lo! She was able to walk tall without hunch or lameness. It appeared as though her sincere effort had paid off. But in actual fact, it was one of Krishna’s miracles.

As they walked through the streets took in the newness of the city atmosphere, people stood by and appreciated the handsome brothers.
At the city outskirts they came upon a dhobi ghat where washermen wash the clothes in their allotted places. Looking at the colorful clothes, Balarama asked a washerman jokingly to lend them some of those rich clothes. The man got angry and tried to beat them with his stick. He went on doing the gesture of beating only in the air much to the amusement of the two boys and the lookers-on. Thus he became a butt of ridicule. Others realized that this was not an ordinary boy and joined their hands in respect for the brothers duo.
At the entrance to the palace of Kamsa, there stood wild elephant. The king Kamsa ordered it to be placed there in order to get Krishna killed by it. But the moment the elephant eyed Krishna and his brother Balarama, it raised its trunk in respect and saluted them. Kamsa was shocked by this event when he was informed by his guards. Slowly but definitely, he was becoming desperate. Wheels started rolling in his mind which was sick with fear and anxiety. Carefully, he started making plans for his final move against Krishna and Balarama.
Kamsa arranged for wrestling competitions. He called his teams of wrestlers and announced the date for the contests. A series of competitions were to be held on the date appointed for that much loved sport in Mathura. On the day of the competitions a huge crowd gathered at the grounds where they were to witness the sport. Kamsa’s famous wrestlers Chanura and others flexed their muscles in anticipation of winning all the competitions.

From Krishna’s native place Brindavan, his father Nanda and friends had arrived to see their best friend participating in the sports events. Finally, the drums beat and the wrestlers entered the arena. In every event Kamsa’s team of wrestlers won. Kamsa’s hopes to get Krishna and Balarama into the strong arms of his wrestlers and get them choked thus ending their lives, rose by the minute. But the best laid plans were known to have been dispelled.

Chanura challenged the crowd to come and fight with him if anyone had the guts to do so. Krishna and Balarama rose from their seats and walked into the arena without much ado. People commented that they were mere children and it was not fair on the part of the king to let children participate in competitions such as those.

However, it seemed to have made no difference to the brothers duo. They walked unafraid to their rivals and caught two of their rivals by the arms and lo, threw them in go to the ground. They did this to all of them and within no time all the big and strong wrestlers were on the ground writhing in pain.

Kamsa felt waves of fear and shock at the way things were happening. He felt the ground on which he was standing slipping away. Fear traveled up his spine. In panic, he got up and raised his sword and ran to behead Krishna. And Lo! The sword disappeared from his hands. Then he started running to kill Krishna with bare hands. To the amusement of the crowd he kept on running on the same patch of ground without reaching his target. The crowd started openly laughing at him. And Krishna in his true avatar appeared before Kamsa as he stamped him to death. Thus an age of untruth and injustice came to an end.

Then Krishna was impatient to meet his biological parents, Vasudeva and Devaki. He walked with Akrura and other leaders to the prison cell where they were kept imprisoned for many years. Alongside Kamsa’s father Ugrasena, was also incarcerated. For Vasudeva and Devaki it was a moment of fear, doubt and thrilling happiness. Devaki was afraid that if Kamsa came to know of Krishna’s arrival, he would not hesitate in killing him. She didn’t know that Kamsa was already done with by her son, Krishna.

The union between Krishna and his parents was as expected, full of emotions of love and reunion. Devaki hugged him and cried tears of joy.
Then Krishna walked to the cell where the erstwhile king Ugrasena was in captivity and ordered the soldier in attendance to break open his shackles. Later, he addressed him as Maharaja and asked him to give orders to release his parents. Ugrasena walked to the cell of Devaki and Vasudeva and he opened their shackles with his own hands.

The shouts of “Jai Ho Krishna” reverberated in the air.
On a fine day, Ugrasena once again was made the king of Mathura by his ministers and Krishna. Days passed happily for all. Then Nanda, Krishna’s foster father came to Devaki and Vasudeva’s palace to bid good bye and return to Brindavan. Krishna wanted to go with him to meet Yashoda his foster mom. But Nanda asked him to stay with his own parents. Krishna had declared that he would definitely go to Brindavan to meet his mother Yashoda who took care of him since his birth.

When Nanda returned to Brindavan rather remorseful, Yashoda was getting all the preparations done to welcome her darling son, Krishna. She saw her husband Nanda return and called out for Krishna. When there was no response, she presumed Krishna must be hiding playfully. She laughed at this thought and started calling his name again and again. When she was about to go out to search for Krishna, Nanda told her that Krishna would come a little later. When Yashoda was heartbroken at the fact that