Krishna Story 11

The Fruit Basket

by J.K. Sivan

 

Before  we open the basket to see what is in it,  we have to move to the two villages  where Krishna lived most in his childhood. As  you would by now understood, the villages Gokulam and Brindhavan  are closeby and these two were very popular  and mostly busy villages.

Among the cowherds, there lived in Brindhavan village, a  ripe old woman who lived all by herself.   She  made her living by selling  fruits.  She would collect fruits from the nearby forests and from the gardens of many cowherds in Brindhavan

She used to collect various seasonal fruits, carry them in a basket on her head, and  roam about in the streets of Brindhavan and  sell them.  Her  special technique was to sing various  spiritual songs instead of crying and selling the fruits.   Whenever  her voice is heard, people would call her and buy whatever  fruits they want giving her money or food stuffs or  grains.

If she had enough fruits unsold  in Brindhavan, she would walk upto Gokulam also and sell them.   Thus she used to go to Gokuam from time to time. I must mention here that this grand old lady had a special liking for children and did not mind  giving the fruits free of cost to children  when she saw them and could not buy fruits from her.

News of  Krishna and Balaram  reached even this old lady in the Brindhavan village and she wanted to see them after hearing earful of their supernatural feats. And she was already informed of the beauty of  Krishna.  She felt like giving very good fruits to Krishna as her gift to him.

One day her desire was fulfilled.  That day she picked up good red pomegranate fruits and guavahs wishing to give some of these to Krishna at Gokulam.  With fruit basket on her head, she walked to  Gokulam village and  waited in front of the  gate of Nandagopan palace.  There was a guard on duty.

Nowadays,  strangers are not allowed to enter the palace and have access to the children after so many attempts were made to kill Krishna by Kamsan.

When the fruit vendor waited for long the guard took pity on her and asked her: 

- What do you want and why are are you waiting here?

- Are Krishna and Balaram living in this house?
- Yes
- I want to see them and give some fruits
- No. You cannot.  Better you go back.

She waited for some time and returned back and was unhappy that she could not  see the children whom she loved most.

She made another visit after a few days this time with some more fresh fruits including some jamboo fruits and was determined to somehow wait ande see   Krishna at least from a distance from the main door.  Luckily for her, this time the main door was open and she could see movement of people inside  Nandagopan palace.  Suddenly the guard appeared there

And the moment he saw her, he chided her “Paatti! (granny)  how many times to tell you not to come and disturb us. Get away.”

The old woman was clever.  She just moved a few inches from the gate and began singing loud  some songs on Narayana.   Her  voice was vibrant and this attracated Rohini who was in the palace to come out and see who was singing so nicely.   The moment she saw the fruit vendor, she  moved in and told Yasodha about the old woman with the basket waiting out.

Yasodha came out carrying Krishna.  He was very tired that day after hours of playing .

When Yasodha met the old woman, she recognized her because she had known her for long and many times bought fruits from her in the village.

- How are you patti.  Still you are selling fruits?

- Yes .  I have not seen you for a long time.  Is this little boy in your arms, the famous Krishnaa.  I     
   have heard enough of him and it kindled the desire in me to see him somehow.
- Yes  this Is Krishna, my son, replied the proud mother.

Meantime, while the two women were talking, Krishna  slipped down and slowly walked towards the basket which was kept on the floor.  He  looked at the fruits and was attracted by the red pomegranate fruit and without any hesitation went near the basket and grabbed a good one. 

The old woman  caught hold of his hand and embraced him and told strictly

- No little fellow,  You cannot have the fruit without paying for it.  Go and get something in return 

  to own this fruit for you

Krishna  took the fruit and walked inside while the women were still speaking of their old days of association. Krishna  looked for rice and found it stored in a container and picked up a handful of the rice grains and walked to where the old woman was waiting.

By the time he reached the vendor, almost all grains in the closed fist had spilled down and when he opened the palm there were only a few grains which he dropped into her basket.  The old woman was thrilled.

 

- My darling, you are so responsible and honest.  I wanted to give you the fruit without  anything from you  in return and just kidded but you took it seriously.

 

Again she hugged him and felt very happy.

When she returned from Gokulam she was the most happiest person on earth as she was lucky to see Krishna, hug him and give him a good fruit she selected for him.  Though she had disposed of all the fruits she was singing until she reached home.

She did not realise that her basket was still heavy until then. She wondered why still heavy even after selling the fruits?   When the basket was taken off her head and put down on the pial of her house, she  looked for the cause of the weight and was astonished to find the basket full of   precious stones like rubies, emeralds, corals, pearls and  so many other  stones the names of which both she and I don’t  know!  She recognized that all the rice grains  which were dropped down into her basket by Krishna had turned into these precious stones.

- Krishna,  is this what I demanded from you for parting with my fruit?

No,  it is no bargain.  Krishna knew what brought her to him.  She wished to give him what best she had, out of her pure love without seeking money in return, and He rewarded her for such an act.

The old woman was stunned and tears dropped down from her eyes in gratitude as  the words came out from the deep recesses of her heart  “K R I S H N A A A !”

Dear children, you know that Krishna worships His devotees  more than  their worshipping Him!

 

 

 

 

                                            The author can be reached at: jksivan@gmail.com