Why Krishna lifted the mighty Govardhan hill – A good lesson to learn

Pic courtesy: Gayatri Sankar

Among the many tales based on the life of Lord Krishna, the Govardhan Hill story finds a special mention.

Krishna was a little boy when he lifted the Govardhan Parvat with the little finger of his left hand. The profound meaning and the moral of the story will help us become better humans.

Here’s the story:

Krishna’s foster father Nanda and the rest of the villagers were once preparing for a Puja. Krishna, who was a young boy then was curious to know what the people of his village were busy with. And that’s when he was told that the Puja and the sacrificial arrangements were being made to please Indra Dev so that he could bless them with ample rain for good harvest.

Krishna, who believed in Karma, told the villagers to do their duty and not get worried about something that they can’t control. He was of the opinion that one must do his duty and not worry about the consequences or expect something in return.

Convinced by Krishna’s views, the villagers decided not to do the Puja.

This angered Indra Dev, who decided to avenge the insult. He caused torrential rains and thunderstorms to destroy the village. Krishna understood Indra’s intention and to save the villagers, he lifted the Govardhan Parvat on his little finger.

The villagers along with their cattle and other belongings took safe refuge under the Govardhan umbrella for seven days.

On seeing Krishna’s leela and divine power, Indra Dev had no choice but withdraw the rains and thunderstorms.

Moral of the story:

Ego, anger, pride and hatred will invite only sufferings. Krishna’s leela taught Indra the hard lessons of life. One cannot earn respect and love by force and compulsion. It’s a reward one earns by showing humility and sincere love.

Expectations invite depression so just do your duty. If you do good, you will reap fruits.