“When everything was complete, Krishna assumed a great transcendental form and declared to the inhabitants of Vrindavana that He was Himself Govardhana Hill in order to convince the devotees that Govardhana Hill and Krishna Himself are identical. Then Krishna began to eat all the food offered there.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 1, Chapter 24)

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Starting a new religious tradition is a risky business. You invite all sorts of scorn, ridicule, name-calling, and perhaps violent interference. That was the case a long time ago in the farm community of Gokula-Vrindavana, where the immediate aftermath of a formal ceremony in honor of a nearby hill unleashed the wrath literally capable of ending the world, through a devastating flood. There were two distinct aspects to the first Govardhana Puja which gave validation, sufficient to satisfy the skeptics and also potent enough to maintain the tradition going forward.

There is the Vedic tradition. It is rooted in the Vedas. The literal meaning to that Sanskrit word is “knowledge.” The Vedas are like the first collection of knowledge. The original slide-deck presentation, if you will. The first set of encyclopedias to line the bookshelves. The first resource of authority, to settle doubts, to provide direction, and to unravel the mysteries of the creation.

Otherwise, birth in the material world is strange. You spend all of this time learning. Years sitting in a classroom. Waking up early in the morning. Travelling from here to there. Working hard during adulthood. Only to then see everything gradually taken away. Your friends. Your family. Your abilities. Soon, the life experience itself is gone. It is like Bhagavad-gita was right all along, that death was the guaranteed end as soon as there was birth.

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

The Vedas shed light on the puzzling nature to the experience. There is a purpose. There is a reason for taking birth. There is a way to stop it moving forward. Follow the lead set by the Vedas themselves, which are like hymns in praise of the origin of everything. Follow traditions specific to the time and circumstance, guided by expert leaders, who themselves have seen the truth. They are tattva-darshi, and so they can back up the claim of authenticity to their recommendations.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

But what should happen if something new gets introduced? That is usually frowned upon. It is strictly forbidden for disciples under the guidance of a guru. There is free will, and so disciples can always choose to disassociate from their guru. They can venture off and start their own tradition. But how to validate that the newly created rules, recommendations, and rituals are working?

Any person can say anything. I can knock on the doors of my neighbors and ask them to join me in worshiping a tree. We can gather offerings, repeat some formulas considered sacred, and walk away pleased. But how do we know that this was actually worthwhile? How is this new tradition going to continue, with dedication? What will the results be? What is the phalam?

This was the very question once posed by a young child of bluish complexion. He asked His father, “Kim phalam?” What was to be gained by the upcoming yajna in honor of Indra? Why were the people preparing for such an elaborate affair? What would happen if the religious ceremony should be skipped?

कथ्यतां मे पित: कोऽयं सम्भ्रमो व उपागत:
किं फलं कस्य वोद्देश: केन वा साध्यते मख:

kathyatāṁ me pitaḥ ko ’yaṁ
sambhramo va upāgataḥ
kiṁ phalaṁ kasya voddeśaḥ
kena vā sādhyate makhaḥ

“My dear father, I am very respectfully and humbly inquiring. What is this arrangement? Why you are busy in making some sacrificial ceremony, what is the reason, and what is the result? For whose benefit is it and by what means will it be accomplished?” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.24.3)

The father, Nanda Maharaja, answered as best he could. The child, Krishna, was not satisfied with the response. He proposed something different. The people should keep the preparations they already worked on, but transition everything towards the nearby hill known as Govardhana. If the Indra-yajna was to honor the king of heaven, for showing appreciation for the rain that falls, then there is equal justification for appreciating Govardhana. The hill was dear to the cows. The cows were dear to the community. There is nothing lost in showing appreciation.

In one sense, Krishna was like an iconoclastic rebel. He was going against tradition. He was proposing something that could not be found within sacred texts. There was nothing in shastra [scripture] to support His idea. Still, since He had that charm, since He had that way about Him, since the people of the community loved Him so much, Govardhana Puja commenced.

य: शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारत:
न स सिद्धिमवाप्‍नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

“But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.23)

The same puja has taken place annually ever since. But why? How was this any different from someone making up a new worship, on the spot, that has no basis in reality? Shri Krishna knew what He was doing. He had a plan in mind. He made sure two things occurred in the aftermath to provide assurance.

1. The symbol

The people took the best preparations of food. The Sanskrit is chhappan-bhoga. Consider visiting a buffet-style restaurant that has fifty-six different food items. There was nothing missing. Every kind of taste. Every kind of texture. Every kind of culinary art. The people went all out. They appreciated Govardhana, and they also had faith in Krishna.

The immediate aftermath was direct confirmation. It is said that Krishna assumed the form of the hill and spoke to the residents. Govardhana was pleased with the worship. There was a kind of symbolic association with something higher. This worship wasn’t going towards an inanimate object. Govardhana was a person. It was identical to Krishna. In this way, the people should not feel guilty about forgetting Indra for a moment. There was nothing sinful about what they did.

2. The reality

Govardhana might voice its satisfaction, but Indra also had a say. He was watching the affair the entire time. It turned into a case of a person not allowing others to enjoy a peace that those people created on their own. Indra had nothing to do with the first Govardhana Puja. The people were following Krishna, who was a young boy. How could someone so young dare to challenge someone so powerful and respected as the king of heaven?

Indra decided to retaliate. He did not hold back. He brought out his most potent weapon, the samvartaka cloud. The rain fell in torrents. The flood threatened to wash everyone away. The remnants of the first Govardhana Puja would be swept away. Hopefully, everyone would learn their lesson, to not mess with tradition again.

Krishna then did something amazing. He lifted Govardhana Hill. He held that massive tract of land on His finger. He urged everyone to take shelter underneath. Govardhana turned into the world’s largest umbrella. It was literally providing protection. For seven days and seven nights, the rain from Indra could not harm the innocent people. In this way, the newly introduced worship was blessed with the timeless image of Krishna as Giridhari, showing that the protection of the Supreme Lord is greater than anything else. That protection is the very goal of following the Vedas in the first place.

In Closing:

If ever a dilemma to face,
Understand goal in first place.

That towards Krishna to go,
Those many hymns to know.

Govardhana in literal detection,
That from envious protection.

For residents of Vrindavana devoted,
That puja into tradition promoted.

Categories: govardhana, holiday

Tags: dailyprompt, govardhana puja, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry