Shattering of Durvasa’s misgiving

Krsna and Balaram had nothing else to do than play all day, and Yashoda, having given her household duties to Rohini, had decided to chase them around wherever they went. Yashoda had to practically run to keep up with them as they roved around the entire village, sometimes playing near the palace and sometimes far away on the banks of the river Yamuna.

It was a day when they chose to play near Yamuna. Yashoda was watching over them, keeping a tight check on their activities. Summoned urgently by Nanda, she left them for some time. As soon as the guardian became absent, the games became boisterous in nature. They started chasing and pouring soft white sand onto each other. Krsna targeting Sridama, threw a handful of sand at him. Some of it went into Sridama’s eyes, and he began to chase Krsna. Krsna realizing his imminent capture, lay face down on the bank. Scooping up handfuls of sand, Sridama started covering Krsna’s body with it. Coming to Krsna’s rescue, Balarama inundated Sridama with sand. Seeing Sridama distracted, Krsna quickly got up and ran away.

Rishi Durvasa, having heard of the advent of the Supreme Lord, arrived in Gokul to get a glimpse of Nanda’s son. While passing by, he saw a group of young kids playing by the river. He stood under a large tree and watched them play. He soon realized that Krsna was among the crowd and was the one being chased by Sridama. Durvasa became doubtful about the young boy, all covered in dust and sand, with disheveled hair being the Supreme Lord. He pondered, “Maybe my understanding is misplaced. The son of Nanda is no God but an ordinary child. Why would the supreme lord act in this way? ”

Krsna being aware of his presence and his thoughts, approached him and enquired of him whether he had won against Sridama. Durvasa, whose calm countenance displayed the aura born of his austere penance, with eyes shining bright with spiritual knowledge, was suddenly overcome with rapture, and his body started shaking. Unable to keep standing, he slumped on the ground, resting against the tree. Krsna sat on his lap and asked again, “Baba, who do you think won the game? Please tell”. Durvasa couldn’t speak. Krsna got up from his lap and started laughing.

Durvasa felt himself being pulled into the open mouth of the Lord. He says to himself, “What is happening to me? Where am I? What place is this? So huge but devoid of any life. No one in these vast forests that I have been wandering in for eons. This python that I see it’s swallowing me, but I am still alive. An entire universe within its belly. All the sixteen lokas I see. Oh!! The time has come for the final dissolution. The raging waters are inundating the lands. There is water everywhere and no land to be seen. I am flowing in the vast currents but to where? What do I see, another Universe? Has an entire lifetime of Brahma elapsed? I am entering the new universe through this hole. I again see all the lokas. Narayan!! Narayan!! I am entering another hole, and now I have come out the other end. I see the unlimited expanse of water and countless universes floating on its surface. Jai ho!! Jai ho!! Unbelievable!! This is the Virja River. Now I have crossed Virja and approached the Goloka. I see Mount Govardhan and then Yamuna of raging waters with its loud roar. What I see now is a huge palace, walls and pillars embellished with gems and diamonds. I am at the first entrance guarded by a gopa named Veerbhanu. I am at the second gate under the protection of a gopa named Chandrbhanu. Suryabhanu is at the third gate, Vasubhanu at the fourth, Devbhanu at the fifth, then sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth gate I have crossed. The tenth is guarded by Sudama and the eleventh by Sridama. I have crossed twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, and now I am at the last gate, the sixteenth guarded by innumerable gopas. What I see now is an extremely bright ball of light, brighter than a thousand suns. I can’t see directly at it, but wait!! Its brightness is dimming now, and it reveals an extremely beautiful lotus within it. Jai ho!! Jai ho!! It’s the Lord himself sitting on it. How do I describe his beauty? Words lose their meaning. He’s laughing. Where have I seen this laughter before? Wait!! I am entering his gaping mouth. I am feeling sleepy now”

And Durvasa popped out and onto the sandy beach of the Yamuna. His sleep now broken, he found himself in Gokul. Krsna is still playing with his friends. Durvasa says to himself, “It was only a moment ago that I was doubting the activities of the Lord, and having made up my mind that it couldn’t be the Lord himself, I was pulled into his mouth.”

Durvasa joining his hands together, saluted the Lord. He was overwhelmed and crying, “Krsna, Krsna,” he proceeded to Badrikashram. He had received the result of all his penances. So much transpired, but no one noticed anything out of the ordinary. They could only see that Krsna had climbed onto Durvasa’s lap and got down a little later. An innocuous activity, not to be thought about much.

Yashoda came back, picked up her son, and walked back to the palace. Just another ordinary day for the lord had reached its end.