Holding of Govardhan Mountain

---

Preprations of indra Yagya

While staying near Govardhan mountain with Lord Krishna,who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Balram and many people were doing different kinds of activities. One day Krishna saw that all the people there were preparing to perform Indra Yagya.Lord Shri Krishna is omniscient. Nothing was hidden from him, he knew everything. Still, he humbly asked his father, What huge task, what festival has come before you? What is its result? For what purpose, which people, through what means, do you perform this Yagya? I am very eager to hear these things.

Father !This worldly man performs many types of rituals without understanding. Among them, the actions of those who do them knowingly are successful, as are the actions of those who do them without understanding.Therefore, whether the yagya that you are going to do at this time, discussed with your friends, is it according to the scriptures or is it only secular – I want to know all this Please tell me clearly.

Nand Baba said- Son! Lord Indra is the lord of the rain-giving clouds. These clouds are their own form. They shower water that satisfies and gives life to all living beings.My dear son, We and others also worship the same Lord Indra through Yagya. The materials with which the yagya is performed are also produced from the powerful water showered by him. Indra is the one who gives the fruits of human efforts like farming etc.This religion has been passed down from our family tradition. The person who leaves such a traditional religion due to lust, greed, fear or hatred never gets any happiness.

---

Krishna’s Point of view regarding Karma

Lord Krishna after listening to his father and other Vraj residents, asked his father Nandababa to enrage Indra.He said- Father! A living being is born according to his karma and dies due to his karma. He receives happiness, sorrow, fear and the causes of auspiciousness according to his actions. Even if actions are not considered to be everything and God is considered to be the one who gives the results of the actions of living beings other than them, then He can give results only to those who do the actions according to their actions. He cannot have dominion over those who do not do deeds. When all the living beings are suffering the fruits of their own deeds, then why do we need Indra? Father ! When Indra cannot change the results of human actions received as per previous sanskars – then what is the use of Indra? 

 Man is subject to his nature (pre-sanskaras).That’s why a man should respect his karma by following the rituals according to his previous sanskars and according to his varna and ashram. The one through whom man’s livelihood runs smoothly is his favourite deity. Just as an adulterous woman who leaves her married husband and takes care of another husband never attains peace, in the same way a man who leaves the one deity who sustains his livelihood and worships someone else never attains happiness.  Brahmins should earn their living by studying and teaching the Vedas, Kshatriyas should earn their living by maintaining the earth, Vaishyas should earn their living by agriculture, commerce, cow protection and taking interest and Shudras should earn their living by serving Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. 

---

Idea of Worshipping Govardhan

Father ! Neither do we have any country’s kingdom nor any big cities under our control. We don’t even have villages or houses. We are forever forest dwellers, forests and mountains are our home. Therefore, let us prepare to perform the Yajna of cows, Brahmins and Giriraj. Let the rituals of this Yagya be performed with the materials that have been collected for Indra Yagya. A proper Havan should be conducted by Vedist Brahmins and various types of grains, cows and dakshina should be given to them.

Furthermore, the fallen and even the dogs should be given appropriate things and fodder should be given to the cows and then food should be offered to Giriraj. After this, after eating and drinking a lot of Prasad, wearing beautiful clothes, adorning yourself with jewellery and applying sandalwood, one should circumambulate the cow, brahmin, fire and Giriraj Govardhan. Father ! That is my opinion. If you are interested, then do so. Such a sacrifice is dear to cows, Brahmins and Giriraj.

---

The offerings to Lord Govardhan

It will definitely happen; I also love it very much. Krishna wished to shatter Indra’s pride. Nandababa and other Gopas listened to him and accepted it with great pleasure. He started the same kind of Yagya that Lord Krishna had asked him to perform. First, after reciting Swasti Vachan to the Brahmins, he gave respectful gifts to Govardhan and the Brahmins with the same material and fed green grass to the cows. After this, Nandbaba and other Gopas led the cows and circumambulated Giriraj Govardhan.

After receiving the blessings of the Brahmins,all the Gopis, adorned well and riding on carts drawn by oxen, started circling Giriraj Govardhan singing the songs of Lord Krishna. To make the Gopas believe, Lord Shri Krishna appeared on Giriraj Govardhan in another huge body and started healing all the things saying ‘I am Giriraj Govardhan’.

Lord Krishna himself bowed to that form along with the other residents of Vraj and said – ‘Look, what a surprise! God Giriraj Govardhan appeared in person and blessed us. They can take whatever form they want. They destroy those forest dwellers who disrespect them. Come, let us salute this Govardhan for the welfare of ourselves and the cows.In this way, with the inspiration of Lord Krishna all the elders and the Gopas returned with cows and Brahmins as per the rituals.

---

The Anger of Indra

When Indra came to know that his puja had been stopped, he became very angry at Nand Baba and other Gopas. But what would have happened if he got angry, Lord Shri Krishna himself was the protector of those Gopas.Indra was very proud of his medal, he thought that he was the God of universe. He, furious with anger, ordered the destroyers of the clouds named Samvartaka to attack Vraja and said – ‘Oh, these wild cowherds are so proud! Truly this is the intoxication of money.

If you look at it, it is true that on the strength of an ordinary man Krishna, they insulted me, the king of gods.Despite being talkative, ignorant, arrogant and foolish, Krishna considers himself very knowledgeable. Firstly, they were getting intoxicated with money; Second Krishna has given them further encouragement. Now you all go and destroy their pride and arrogance of wealth and kill their animals. I also come following you on the elephant Airavata with the mighty Marudganas to destroy the Gokul.

---

The effect of Rain

Indra thus ordered the clouds of doom and freed their bonds. Now they climbed Nand Baba’s Vraj with great speed and started tormenting all the Vraj by raining torrential water. They collided with each other and started thundering and with the inspiration of the fierce storm, they started raining huge hailstones. In this way, when groups of clouds came again and again and started dropping streams as thick as pillars, then every corner of Vrajbhoomi was filled with water.

It became difficult to know where it was low and where high. In this way, when every animal started shivering due to the torrential rain and storm, the cowherds also became extremely distressed due to the cold, then they all came to the shelter of Lord Krishna. Due to being harassed by the torrential rain, everyone had bowed their heads and hidden their children under their bodies and they reached the Lord’s feet trembling. And said- ‘Dear Shri Krishna! You are very lucky. Now Krishna! Only your luck will save us. Lord! You are the only owner, the only protector of this entire Gokul. Now only you can protect us from Indra’s anger.

---

Holding of Govardhan Mountain for 7 Days

God saw that everyone was becoming unconscious due to rain and hailstorm. They understood that all this was the work of Indra. He himself has done this out of anger. They started saying in their mind – ‘We have broken Indra’s yagya, that is why he is causing this heavy rain with strong wind and hail without any season to destroy Vraja.krishna said that indra foolishly consider himself asLokpal, his pride and ignorance of wealth and opulence, I will shatter them to pieces. The deities are sattva-oriented. They should not be proud of their wealth and medals. Therefore, it is appropriate that the evil gods who have fallen from these Sattva Gunas should be punished.

---

Breaking of Indra’s pride

Let me break the honour.This entire Vraj is dependent on me. It is approved by me and I alone am it’s protector. Therefore, I will protect it with my Yogamaya. My duty is to protect the saints. Now the opportunity to nurture him has arrived. Saying this, Lord Shri Krishna took hold of Govardhan mountain in the same way as small children pluck a flower and keep it in their hands while playing. After this the Lord said to the Gopas – ‘Mother, father and Vrajvasis! You all come to the pit of Govardhan mountain with your cows and all the materials and sit comfortably.

Don’t be afraid at all. I have devised this trick only to save you from the fear of this storm.When Lord Krishna thus assured everyone and consoled them, then all the cowherds, taking with them their cattle, rods, dependents, priests and servants, entered the Govardhan pit as per their wish. In full view of all the people of Vraj, Lord Krishna forgot the pain of hunger and thirst, the need for rest, etc. and carried that mountain continuously for seven days. He did not move even a single step from there.

---

When it stopped raining

Seeing this effect of Sri Krishna’s Yogamaya, Indra was astounded. Due to his resolve not being fulfilled, all his arrogance stopped and he was left stunned. After this he stopped the clouds from raining on their own. When Lord Krishna, holding the cow, saw that the fierce storm and heavy rain had stopped, the clouds had disappeared from the sky.He Said .’My dear Gopas! Now you all go fearlessly and come out with your family, cattle and children. Look, now the storm has stopped and the water in the rivers has also receded. After receiving such orders from God, everyone took along their cattle, women, children and elders and after loading their belongings on the rods, everyone slowly came out. Almighty Lord Shri Krishna, in front of all the living beings, while playing, placed Govardhan mountain in its previous place.

---

The Love of Vrajvasis for Krishna

The hearts of the people of Vraj were filled with the passion of love. As soon as he placed the mountain, he ran towards Lord Krishna. Someone started hugging him and someone started kissing him. Everyone welcomed him. Elderly Gopis blessed him with curd, rice, water etc. with great joy and affection and gave auspicious blessings with open hearts. Even Meerabai is said to be a Gopi in her previous birth. Yashodharani, Rohiniji, Nandababa and Balramji, the best among the strong, embraced Shri Krishna with affection and blessed him.

At that time, the gods present in the sky became happy and started praising God and showering flowers on him.The gods in heaven started blowing conches and drums and started singing the sweet songs. After this Lord Shri Krishna travelled to Vraja. Balramji was walking beside him and his lover Gwalbal was serving him. In the same way sudama served lord krishna. Along with them, the loving Gopis also returned to Vraj with great joy, singing the songs of the God who attracts their hearts and awakens love in them, the pastimes like Govardhan Dharana etc.

God says-The one who takes refuge in me and prays like this ‘I am yours’, I make him fearless from all living beings.