Transcript Krishna Lifting Govardhana Hill

Krishna Lifting Govardhana Hill
By: Ria Madan
One day in Vrindavana…
• Krishna and
Balarama saw the
cow-herd men
preparing for a
yajna.
• Krishna asked the
need for this
yajna.
• Nand baba said
that yajna is being
done to show
gratitude towards
Lord Indra.
Krishna suggested…
•
Forgo the yajna
for two reasons:
1. Benefits from
demigods are
temporary.
2. Actually granted
by the permission
of supreme Lord
Himself.
Bhagvad Gita says…
Mayaiva Vihitān Hi Tān
Which means…
Whatever one might get by
worshipping any other God is infact
bestowed by Krishna himself.
Here goes the Sloka (next slide)…
Bhagvad Gita 7.22
sa tayā shraddhayā yuktas
tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate ca tatah kāmān
mayaiva vihitān hi tān
Lord Krsna says, “Endowed with
such sraddha, he attempts to
worship that particular devata
and thus attains fulfilment of his
desires, which in actuality are
granted by Me alone. ”
Krishna proposed…
• Stop the Indra yajna!.
• Instead, do a Yajna to
satisfy the local
brahamanas and
Govardhan Hill.
• Prepare nice foods and
invite brahamanas who
can chant hymns and
oblation to fire.
Inhabitants of Vrindavana…
• Called in learned
brahamanas who chanted
Vedia hymns.
• Assembled and performed
Govardhan Puja.
• From that day on,
Govardhan Puja has been
going on and is also
known as “AnnaKuta”.
Krishna assumed…
• A great transcendental
form and declared he was
himself Govardhan.
• Identity of Krishna and
Govardhan hill is still
honored.
• Devotees take rocks from
Govardhan hill and
worship them exactly as
they worship deity of
Krishna.
Lord Indra …
• Became angry and
called upon
“Samvartaka” to flood
Vrindavana.
• Could not understand
that Krishna was the
supreme Lord.
• Incessant rain was
followed with strong
winds and lightening.
• Rain filled all land in
Vrindavana.
Inhabitants of Vrindavana…
• Approached
Krishna for
mercy.
• Began to pray
to Krishna to
save them.
• Krishna
understood
that Indra was
pouring
incessant rain.
Thinking this way, Krishna…
• Concluded it was
time to take away
false prestige of
Indra.
• And protect his
devotees.
• Picked up the
Govardhan Hill with
one hand.
• Addressed his
devotees to enter
under the hill.
• Inhabitants entered
under the hill.
It rained for 7 days and 7 nights…
• Inhabitants of
Vrindavan
remained safely
under the hill.
• Baffled and
dumbstruck,
Indra, called
back the clouds
of devastation.
• Rain stopped
and the sun
shone over
Vrindavana.
After that…
• Krishna replaced
Govardhan hill.
• Mother Yashoda,
Nand baba, Balarama
and inhabitants
embraced Krishna.
• Gopis began to sing
beautiful songs.
• In the heaven,
demigods showered
flowers and sounded
conch shells.
Quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why were the cowherd men preparing for a Yajna?
Why did Krishna ask the cowherd men to stop the Yajna ?
Why did Krishna want to teach Indra a lesson ?
What is the meaning of shloka - “Mayaiva Vihitan Hi
Tan”?
5. What was the main cloud that Lord Indra sent to
Vrindavana?
6. What did the inhabitants of Vrindavana do when clouds
started pouring rain on Vrindavana ?
7. For how many days, did Krishna hold the Govardhan
Hill?