Thus meditating and displaying the strength of his arms Krishna, having truth for his prowess and resembling the best of mountains, uprooted that hill with his hands (30). Then that foremost of mountains, containing clouds, upheld by Krishna with his left hand, shone there like a house on account of its caves (41). When that mountain was uprooted the rocks, at its table-land, were shaken and the trees fell down (32). And although that mountain was immoveable still, on account of Krishna's power, with its whirling summits, falling trees and trembling tops it went up to the sky (33). All the clouds, united, were pouring down their watery contents in its side. With their quick-coursing streams the rocks were loosened and the mountain too was continually agitated (34). The milk-men however could not perceive the raining clouds, the rock-pouring mountain and the roaring wind (35). The clouds, attached to the mountain, coming in contact with the springs that best of mountains shone there as if bedecked with peacock feathers (36). Vidyadharas, Uragas, Gandharvas and Apsarās began to exclaim from all sides—"Gifted with wings the mount Govardhana is flying up" (37). White, crimson and dark mineral substances began to trickle down from the earthen layer of that uprooted mountain containing a thousand of layers (38). Some of the summits of that best of mountain were slackened, some were shattered and the highly elevated ones entered into clouds (39). With the shaking of the mountains, the trees also shook, and their flowers fell down on all sides of the ground (40). The big-hooded serpents, having half of their body adorned, issued out of their holes and the birds began to fly up in the sky (41). Out of fear consequent upon the raising up of the mountain and of heavy downpour these sky rangers began continually to fly up and come down (42). The lions in anger began to roar like clouds surcharged with water and the tigers like that of the churning rods (43). Having its form metamorphosed that mountain, consisting of even, uneven and impassable places, appeared like another mountain (44). On account of the excessive downpour of showers it appeared like Tripura[234] stupified by Rudra in in the sky (45). Upheld by the rod-like hand of Krishna that huge mountain, covered with dark-blue clouds, appeared there like an umbrella (46). The muttering of the clouds making him dream, Govardhana slept there placing his cave-like face on the pillow of Krishna's arm (47). Having its summit covered with trees divested of the notes of the birds and soaked with the showers and shorn of the cries of peacocks, that mountain shone there like the sky (48). The summit and forest of that high mountain were as if possessed by fever on account of its table-lands shaking and trembling (49). Hastened by the king of gods and driven by the wind the clouds began to pour down before it continually their contents (50). Upheld by Krishna's hand that mountain, covered with clouds, appeared like a country marked with the signs of wheels when oppressed by a king (51). As a populous village places before it a city so the clouds stood encircling that mountain (52).
For protecting the Gopas like unto Brahmā the Lord Krishna raised up that mountain and kept it on the tip of his finger. He then smilingly said (53).
"By some heavenly means which is even beyond the comprehension of the gods I have constructed this mountainous house, an asylum for the cows where no wind blows (54). Let the flocks of cows speedily enter into it and peacefully and happily live there where no violent wind blows. Do ye, of your own accord, make divisions of the room proportionate to your superiority of position and the number of flocks and put a stop to the downpour of showers. The big house, that I have constructed by uprooting this hill extending over five Kos and one Kos in breadth, can even accommodate the three worlds, what to speak of Vraja (55-57)".
There arose a great tumult of the Gopas accompanied by the mutterings of clouds outside and the noise of the cows. And arranged in rows by the milk-men the kine entered into the huge cave of that best of mountains (58–59). And standing at the foot of that mountain like a rising pillar of stone Krishna held that hill with one hand like a beloved guest (60).
Thereupon taking with them their carts and vessels the inhabitants of Vraja, afraid of rain, entered into that rocky house (61). Beholding this superhuman feat of Krishna and finding his words falsified the powerful Satakratu asked the clouds to desist (62). And surrounded by clouds which deprived the earth of all festivities for seven nights he returned again to the celestial region (63). Thus after seven nights when the king of gods desisted and the sky was freed of clouds and become clear the sun rose in its full effulgence (64). The cows and the milk-men returned to their respective quarters by the same road by which they had entered (the cave) (63). For the well-being of all the worlds the Lord Krishna, the giver of boons and identical with all the elements, established, with a delighted heart, that best of mountains[235] (66).
| [232] | Literally the word means one who protects kine from go, kine and the root pa, to protect. |
| [233] | A root of acquatic animal resembling a crocodile. |
| [234] | The Danava chief who was defeated by Rudra or Siva in the war between the gods and demons. |
| [235] | This miracle of Krishna's holding up of the mountain Govardhana on one of his fingers has been described in almost all the Puranas and even in the Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata. This incident, no doubt, on the face of it, appears highly incredible for, it is not possible for a man, nay for a boy of ten years of age to raise up a huge mountain like Govardhana. It is undoubtedly an allegory signifying the wonderful power of Krishna displayed by him for protecting the Gopas. The following explanation may be safely vouchsafed of the allegory. When he suppressed the worship of Indra and all his followers attacked the Gopas, Krishna placed them all, with their cattle and goods, on that hill and himself fought with the followers of Indra. It is mentioned in the latter portion of this Chapter that the Gopas entered into the hollow of the mountain, their 'hilly house' and so forth. This probably may suggest an explanation that they took shelter in one of the huge caves of the mountain and Krishna guarded them against the attack of the worshippers of Indra. Whatever may be the explanation it is undoubtedly true that he displayed a superhuman feat on this occasion. |