LORD KRISHNA PROTECTING NAND VILLAGE

Hindi

(It’s a looking mirror and this art is known as Mirror Engraving)

In this painting the artist is showing a scene of a story mentioned in puranas where Lord Krishna is protecting Nand village from the anger of Indradeva. There is an interesting story in the Bhagwata and other Puranas about Shri Krishna lifting the “Govardhan Parvat(hill)” when he was only a small child. The story goes like this: Once when the elder people of Nand village including Nand Maharaja were planning for the puja of Lord Indra, Shri Krishna, a child then questioned them as to why they were doing so. Nanda Maharaj explained to Krishna that this was done every year to please Lord Indra so that he continued to grace the people of Nand village by providing rain as and when required. But little Krishna debated that they were farmers and they should only do their duty or “Karma” to the best of their abilities, by concentrating on farming and protecting their cattles, rather than performing pujas or conducting sacrifices like this for any natural phenomenon. Finally convinced by Krishna, the villagers did not perform with the puja. Furious with the inhabitants of Nand village for listing to the little child Krishna and worshiping the Govardhan Hill instead of him, Indra, the king of Heaven, decided to punish them by sending terrible rain clouds to folld the land of Vrindavan. Calling the Samavartaka clouds of deviation, Indra ordered them to lash upon Vrindavan with torrents of rain and thunderstorms and cause extensive floods that would destroy the livelyhood of the inhabitants. As terrible rains and thunderstorms ravaged the land and submerged it under water, the frightened and helpless inhabitants of Vrindavan approached Lord Krishna, who understood the situation perfectly well, lifted up the entire Govardhan Hill at once with his left hand, and held it up like umbrella. One by one all the inhabitants of Nan village came under the shelter of Govardhan Hill, but their cattles did not came, then Lord Krishna with his superpoewrs made the Govardhan Hill still in air and he started blowing it, all the cattles of Nand village came to Lord Krishna under the Govardhan Hill listening to the magical music of Lord Krishna’s flute. For seven days they stayed under hill, safe from the terrible rains and surprisingly undisturbed by hunger or thrust. They were also astonished to see the huge Govardhan Hill resting perfectly balanced on Krishna’s little fingure. Stunned and mystified with the order of events, king Indra called back the clouds of devastation, thus stopping the thunderstorms and the rains. The sky became clear again and the sun shone brightly over Vrindavan. Little Krishna asked the inhabitants to return home without any fear, and gently placed the Goverdhan Hill back to exactly where it was. All the inhabitants of Braj including Nand Maharaj, Yasoda and Balram hailed Krishna and embraced him with happiness. This is how the false pride of king Indra was shuttered to pieces. He came to Lord Krishna with folded hands and prayed to him for forgiveness. Shri Krishna, being the Supreme personality of Godhead, bestowed his grace on Indra and also enlightened him about his “Dharma” and duties.