Krishna Story 14

IS IT “ONE DAY” OR “ONE YEAR”?
by J.K. Sivan

You are all aware that if something is extraordinarily done, it is remembered for long not because of the act itself, but because the person performing it becomes well known and is reputed. The incident of Agasuran, the giant snake demon having been killed by the small boy Krishna became a much talked about event, not only among the people in Brindhavan but by the Devas and demi gods, who witnessed the great feat of Krishna. The news of Krishna’s successful combats with various demons had already reached the ears of Lord Brahma, the God of Creation. He came to see himself personally when Agasuran swallowed Krishna and the other cowherd boys and wondered how this small cowherd boy Krishna was able to easily tackle and kill the various mighty demons. Brahma wondered if the boy Krishna really had the ability to deal with demons and wanted to convince himself by testing Krishna’s bravery and prowess. This is what happened as a result:

The moment the cowherd boys were saved by Krishna after Agasuran, the snake demon, suddenly swallowed them, they were not relieved of the shock of life they had. Krishna pacified them and tried to bring them back to their normal mood. It was lunch time for them So Krishna told the boys "Friends go and bring your lunch packets we brought this morning from home, Let us all sit under one of the shady trees on the banks of Yamuna and share them. We must all be hungry now"

He further told them "Let us free the calves to go and drink water. They have already grazed stomachful, in the yonder green fields. We will keep watch on them while we rest here for lunch and play”. He selected a big shady tree. The fragrance of the flowers charged the air, with gentle breeze spreading the enchanting sweet smell everywhere. Krishna plucked variety of fruits from the trees and served them.

Dear children, imagine the scene!.-- A beautiful, clean. free flowing river, sandy banks, surrounded by various big shady trees bearing fruits and sweet smelling multi color flowers, gentle breeze, velvety green graass on earth, Krishna sitting in their midst with the boys seated in a circle around him, all with their food packets open and sharing the variety of food brought by them among themselves with Krishna tasting every item they brought! Krishna in fact looked like a bluish bud amidst numerous beautiful lotus petals in the greenish graassy field they were sitting! They were not only enjoying the food but exchanged jokes and were singing in between with Krishna playing his flute melodiously. His hands, mouth, face, and body had patches of butter, curd, fruit pulp,various types of sweetmeats, eatables and milk which he shared with other boys tasting from each and every food packet.

As they were enjoying their lunch time happily one of the cowherd boys shouted “Krishna, look, there is no calf to be seen, where have they gone?” Everyone looked at the Yamuna river bank and adjacent fields. It appeared the calves after drinking water, slowly entered the green pastures inside the deep forest for further grazing and thus were out of sight. Probably, the calves after quenching their thirst were lured by the green pastures and so they slowly walked into the forest. Krishna then told them "all of you sit and enjoy your food and play. I will go and find them and bring here"

When Krishna looked for the calves, he could not find them anywhere even after walking for long inside the forest. He called them by names but no response. Usually they would answer him. Everything was silent and Krishnan realized he had covered the maximum area which could normally be covered by the calves in the circumstances. Their absence made him suspect some foul play. He realized it is no act of any rakshas or demon as they would only aim at him and not the little innocent calves. Who could have done this? What would have happened to the calves?This must really be some one else's clever act. He returned back to the banks of Yamuna to alert his friends and send them on different directions for tracing the calves.

"Alas!, there was no trace of the cowherd boys also!!! Under the tree there was not a single boy. He was surprised. Where had these boys gone? He looked in the river, in the forest nearby and everywhere. His calling them by names yielded no response. He realized someone much more intelligent than any demon had done this. Who could it be? If no demons involved then it must be Devas!

But Krishna had no time now to pursue this. It was already dusk. The cowherds back in the village will be looking for the boys and calves! He should not allow them to be panicked and worried ! What do do? where to go and get them back? After a minute’s thinking Krishna decided that he will multiply himself and take the exact forms as the calves and the cowherd boys of the village and go back to their respective homes until the boys and calves are restored safely. Also he MUST solve the mystery, latest by tomorrow!!. Dear Children, Do you realise Krishna's predicament?

That evening the cowherd families were exceptionally very happy with their children, unusually. They were given food and refreshments and found them very lovable than normal. The cows too licked their calves more than normal, with abundant love, Is it all because of all of them being Krishna and none else?

This went on for a year without anyone noticing any difference. Krishna had replaced exactly and adequately as the boys and calves, without raising any doubt or suspicion in the minds of the parents and cows. Meantime Krishna vigorously pursued the matter to find out who outwitted him. He ultimately narrowed down the suspects to Brahma and Indhra. Indhra too was eliminated after Krishna’s checking. Krishna now was convinced that it was Brahma who kidnapped the children and the calves!! He went to Brahmaloka and occupied the chair of Brahma much earlier than Brahma used to attend his Dharbar, the place of Creation.. When Brahma came there he was shocked to find another Brahma sitting before him in his place. When he loked around for his staff, what a wonder, everyone around him was a Brahma!!! Bewildered, Brahma then walked to his seat occupied by another Brahma and looked at him. Now everything and everyone was Lord Vishnu only for a fleeting second. The seated Brahma smiled at him and asked “do you wish to put me to any test further?” Brahma realized that in fact he had tested not the cowherd boy Krishna, but Lord Vishnu who took his form. Brahma prostrated before Vishnu and worshipped his feet. Then Vishnu appeared as Krishna, the cowherd boy before him and asked "where are the cowherd boys and calves you kidnapped? Brahma immediately brought them safely and admitted "I was wondering why no one had cared about the boys and calves kidnapped by him and realised Krishna had multiplied himself in their respective forms"

“Yes my lord I know now it is you, Lord Vishnu Himself who appeared as Krishna, and I am very happy to have your Dharshan.

Krishna then returned with the calves and the boys who were sleeping all the time in Brahmalokam under good care of Brahma to Brindhavan. That evening the real boys and the real calves returned to their respective homes.

But some thing funny happened in the homes of the cowherds in the village that evening. All the boys were telling their parents and others in the house, without exception, about how they all entered the mouth of a big black snake mistaking its mouth to be a stone cave entrance and and after it swallowed them, how Krishna redeemed them and saved them by killing the demon Agaasuran. Also they were mouthful of stories of how they enjoyed the food eating together under the tree and Krishna ran into the forest to look for the calves.

The parents were perplexed and wondered why all these boys are telling with so much emotion and enthusiasm what they ate one year ago, and the incident of Krishna killing Agaasuran and saving their lives, which was exactly one year ago, as if it happened that day!!

The secret of why the boys told about the incident exactly after one year is because what is one day for Devas in Brahmalokam is one year for us in this world!!! the time difference in space !!!! Krishna went the next day to Brahmalokam and retrieved the boys but it took one year for us. That is why in this story it is mentioned that Krishna kept the mystery not blown up during the one full year, by taking the forms of the boys and calves until they returned to their respective homes. But this took about an year . As for the boys, they came home "that evening" after their escape from Agasuran and a sumptuous lunch that afternoon, when the calves were lost and Krishna went after them to trace. They were totally oblivious of Brahma kidnapping them, and retained them at Brahmalokam, until the next day Krishna recovered them . Because they were asleep--- “for one day only” in Brahmalokam until Krishna recovered them which was "one year" for us !!

As for the cowherds’ families, they realized that during the last “one year” it was Krishna who was their children and calves until the “real ones” returned back to their normal life and praised Lord Krishna.





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