Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 25
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Next heading, Chapter Twenty-fifth. Subject: "Devastating Rainfall in Vṛndāvana."
Next paragraph.
When Indra understood that the sacrifice offered by the cowherds men in Vṛndāvana was thus stopped by Kṛṣṇa, he became too much angry upon the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana headed by Nanda Mahārāja, although he knew it perfectly that Kṛṣṇa personally was protecting them. Indra is actually the directors of different kinds of clouds, and as such he called for the sāṁvartaka cloud. This sāṁvartaka cloud is invited when there is need for devastating the whole cosmic manifestation. The sāṁvartaka cloud was ordered by Indra to go over the head of Vṛndāvana and inundate the whole area by extensive flood, thinking himself as all-powerful supreme personality.
This is an instance of demonic tendency. The demons, when they become very much powerful, they defy the supreme controller, Personality of Godhead. So Indra also, being puffed up by his material position, wanted to challenge the supreme controller, and he thought himself, at least for the time being, as good as Kṛṣṇa. Indra began to say, "Just see the impudency of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana! They are simply inhabitants in the forest, but being infatuated by their friend Kṛṣṇa, who is nothing but an ordinary human being, has dared to defy the demigods."
Kṛṣṇa has declared in the Bhagavad-gītā that the worshipers of the demigods are a less intelligent person, and He has also declared that one has to give up all kinds of worship and simply concentrate to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa's invoking the anger of Indra and later on chastising him is a clear indication to His devotee that those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no business to worship any demigod, even if sometimes it is found that the demigod becomes angry with such persons. They should completely depend on the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and even the demigods are angry upon them, Kṛṣṇa will give them all protection.
Next paragraph.
Thus Indra defied the action of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana and he began to say that "The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, by defying the authority of the demigods, will thus suffer in their material existence, because neglecting the sacrifice of the demigods, they cannot cross over the impediments of the ocean of material existence." Indra also declared that "These cowherds men in Vṛndāvana have neglected my authority, believing on this talkative boy known as Kṛṣṇa. He is nothing but a child, but by this action of believing the child, they have enraged my passion." Thus he ordered the sāṁvartaka cloud to go there and destroy the prosperity of the cowherds men in Vṛndāvana.
He said that "The cowherds men in Vṛndāvana have become too much puffed up for their material opulence and evidence of their tiny friend Kṛṣṇa, who is simply a talkative, a childish, unaware of the complete cosmic situation and thinking Himself as very much advanced in knowledge. Because these cowherds men have taken Kṛṣṇa so seriously, they must be punished." And he ordered the sāṁvartaka cloud to go there and inundate their place. "Specifically destroy their cows." In other words, it is indicated here that in the villages or outside the towns, the inhabitants must depend for their prosperity on the cows, and when the cows are destroyed, they will become destitute from all kinds of opulences.
Although King Indra ordered the sāṁvartaka cloud and his companion to go to Vṛndāvana, they were afraid of doing this mischief, and therefore, to give them assurances, King Indra said that "You go first of all, then I am also going there, riding on my elephant, accompanied by the great storms. And in order to punish the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, I shall apply all my strength there."
Next paragraph.
Thus being ordered by King Indra, all the dangerous clouds appeared on the head of Vṛndāvana, and they began to pouring water incessantly with all strength and power. There was constant exhibition of lightning and thunderbolt, blowing of severe winds and incessant falling of rains, and the rainfall was experienced as very much piercing and sharp like arrows. In this way, when the clouds were pouring water as thick as pillars incessantly, gradually all the lands in Vṛndāvana became filled up with water and there was no distinction to find out which land was higher and which land was lower, specifically creating a situation very much dangerous to the animals.
The rainfall, being accompanied by great wind, every living creature in Vṛndāvana, namely all the animals, all the cowherds men, all the gopīs, began to tremble on account of severe cold. And without finding any other source of deliverance, all of them approached Govinda, Lord Kṛṣṇa, for taking shelter at His lotus feet. The cows especially, being too much aggrieved on account of heavy rain, bowed down their head and took their calves underneath their body and thus approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead to take shelter of His lotus feet. At that time, all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana began to pray to Lord Kṛṣṇa as follows: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are all-powerful, and You are very much affectionate to Your devotees. Now You please protect Your devotees in Vṛndāvana who have been so much harassed by angry Indra, King of the demigods."
Upon their prayer, Kṛṣṇa also could understand that Indra, being bereft of his sacrificial honor, is certainly pouring so heavily accompanied by heavy pieces of ice and strong wind, although time was out of season. So Kṛṣṇa could understand that this was deliberately the exhibition of anger by Indra. Kṛṣṇa thus concluded that "These demigods who are thinking themselves as the supreme have shown their extreme powers, but I shall reply them according to My position and I shall teach them that they are not all in all in the matters of managing universal affairs, but I am the Supreme Lord over all of them. So I shall thus take out their false prestige out of material power."
Lord Kṛṣṇa thought within Himself that the demigods are His devotees, and “Therefore it is not possible for them to forget the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But somehow or other, they have become a little bit puffed up on account of their material power, and thus they are now maddened with you. As such, I shall act in such a way that they will be relieved from such false prestige. I shall therefore give protection to My pure devotees in Vṛndāvana, who are at present completely at My mercy and whom I have taken completely under My protection. I must save them by My equally mystic power."
Thinking like this, Lord Kṛṣṇa immediately plucked up the Govardhana Hill with one hand, exactly like the children pluck up the mushroom from the ground. Thus He exhibited His transcendental pastime of lifting the Govardhana Hill. After thus lifting the Govardhana Hill, Lord Kṛṣṇa began to address as follows: "My dear brothers, My dear father, My dear inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, you can now safely enter under the umbrella of the Govardhana Hill, which I have just now lifted. Do not be afraid of the hill and think that it may fall down from My hand. You have been too much afflicted by the heavy rain and strong wind; therefore I have lifted the Hill, which will protect you exactly like a strong and huge umbrella. I think this is the proper arrangement for relieving you from your immediate distresses. So you be happy along with your animals underneath this great umbrella."
Being assured by Lord Kṛṣṇa in this way, all the cowherds men and inhabitants of Vṛndāvana entered within the hole underneath the great hill and appeared to be safe and sound, along with their property and animals, in that way.
The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana along with their animals remained in that way continually for one week, without being disturbed by any hunger or thirst or any other comforts. They were simply astonished to see how Kṛṣṇa was holding the mountain, resting on one finger of His left hand. At this Indra, the king of heaven, became too much astonished by seeing the extraordinary mystic power of Kṛṣṇa and thus, himself being thunderstruck and baffled in his determination, immediately called for all the clouds and asked them to stop their action. In this way, when the sky became completely cleared without any cloud and there was sunrise again, the strong winds stopped.
At that time Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as the lifter of Govardhana Hill, began to address the cowherds men in Vṛndāvana as follows: "My dear cowherds men, now you can get out from this great hole along with your wife, children, cows and valuables, because now everything is ended and the inundation flood has also gone down, along with the flowing waters of the river."
Upon this, all the cowherds men along with their respective cows and other paraphernalia came out of the hole and loaded their valuables on carts, and slowly they cleared off the hole of Govardhana Hill. And when they cleared off everything, Lord Kṛṣṇa also very slowly placed the Govardhana Hill exactly in the same position as it was before. When everything was done, all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana approached Kṛṣṇa with their feelings of love and began to embrace Him with great ecstasy. And the gopīs, being naturally very much affectionate to Kṛṣṇa, began to offer Him curd mixed up with their tears of the eyes, and began to pour incessant blessings upon Him. Specifically mother Yaśodā, mother Rohiṇī, Mahārāja Nanda and Balarāma, who is the strongest of all the strong, began to embrace Kṛṣṇa one after another, and out of their feeling affection began to bless Him over and over again.
In space also, different demigods from different planetary system as Siddhaloka, Gandharvaloka, Cāraṇaloka, they also began to show their complete satisfaction and began to pour on the surface of the world showers of flowers. They also sounded their different conchshells, beating of drums, being enthused by godly feelings, and the denizens of Gandharvaloka began to play on their tamboura to please the Lord. After this incidence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being surrounded by His dear friends and the animals, returned His village Vṛndāvana, and the gopīs as usual began to chant the glorious pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa while feeling as if they were chanting from the heart.
Next paragraph.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twenty-fifth Chapter in the matter of "Devastation of Vṛndāvana."
Is now…Kṛṣṇa, tape number twenty-seven. Kṛṣṇa, tape number twenty-seven. July 21st, 1969.