Srimad Bhagavatam – day 628
Slaying of demon Vatsāsura
“Krishna pointed this calf to brother Balarama and said, ‘Just observe the way that calf walks. Its actions, style of walking and behaviour are distinctly different from other calves. He is a demon in the guise of a calf’. Then with an innocent face, the Lord walked towards that calf”.
Krishna had to take great care lest the demon understood that Krishna had recognised him. If the demon got even the slight hint that he had been recognized, he would vanish instantly. So very cautiously Krishna proceeded towards the demon putting on an innocent face.
“Having neared the demon who was in the guise of a calf, Krishna swiftly caught his hind legs and tail”.
Isn’t it surprising that the Lord caught the hind legs of the demon instead of catching him by the neck? Another noteworthy point is that once Krishna lays his hand upon any demon, he cannot escape.
“Having caught the hind legs and tail of this calf, which was far bigger than Him in size, little Krishna swirled it vigorously above His head, until the demon died. Thereafter He flung the body such that it landed on a wood-apple tree at a distance.”
Was this feat humanly possible? Could a child drag a huge stone mortar as he walked? Here He swirled a huge calf vigorously over His head. It appeared as if He was spinning His discus at rapid speeds. This itself proves His divinity.
“The corpse of the demon, which landed upon the wood-apple tree, crashed to the ground with a huge thud breaking all the branches of the tree and bringing down many wood-apples. The demon’s corpse was restored to its original form”.
Every time Krishna killed a demon, the corpse was restored to the original form. Using their illusionary powers, the demons would take on different forms. Upon their death in the hands of the Lord, their body would attain the original demonic form.
“All the boys now surrounded the corpse and eagerly stared at his fearsome, awful form, which was almost the size of a mini mountain. They spent enormous time observing the gigantic hands, legs, nose and other limbs of the demon. They then applauded Krishna saying, ‘Wah! Well done Krishna! Well done! What a wonderful accomplishment this is!’ All the children who had witnessed this incident shouted victory slogans praising Krishna.
The Devatas who witnessed this incident from heaven, showered flowers upon the Supreme Lord, who had incarnated as Krishna”.
Behaving like ordinary cowherd boys, Krishna and Balarama would hang their lunch bags on their shoulders and take the calves for grazing every single day. He was the Supreme Lord of the universe! Everything was under His control alone! He was the Lord who protected this creation! This Lord, in the form of small cowherd boy, took the cattle for grazing every day. Can this be found in any other incarnation? What to say of this beauty?
Just close your eyes and recollect that form. See Him in your mind’s eye as a small cowherd boy who is taking his cattle for grazing. See that cloth lunch bag that is hanging from His shoulder. See the stick He holds in his hand. You will surely see Him.
“One morning, as the calves were thirsty, the cowherd boys walked towards the lake with each boy managing his herd which consisted of a few thousand calves. Balarama and Krishna also took their respective herds and went along with them”.
Calves recognize their master. Each calf will approach only the boy who is responsible for it. The risk that calves can get exchanged does not exist. Isn’t it wonderful? Long back I had explained how a bird recognises its nest and its chicks from among the millions of similar nests filled with chicks located adjacent to one another in the deep forests. Isn’t it wonderous? They have a perfect sense of direction and are extremely intelligent. Some birds talk. Some understand the nature of the human being who approaches it. Like an x-ray machine such a bird scans the person’s nature. Hence we should not utter lies in their presence. God has filled them with such intelligence.
Some birds can predict the future. The birds in the aviary begin to chirp before it rains. These are not birds which are seated on trees in any forest. They are pet birds and they live indoors. Even then, they predict rainfall with their chirping. When it is humid and hot, they remain silent. Thus they predict climatic changes.
Even calves remain in their own group and follow the cowherd responsible for them. So these boys took their respective groups and walked towards the lake. After the cows had quenched their thirst, the boys drank water.
Narayana