Srimad Bhagavatam – day 646
The Supreme Lord enters every home in the form of every cowherd boy and calf
Krishna
“Krishna manifested in exactly as many calves as had gone missing. He manifested exactly with the bodily features of every boy who had gone missing. He was dressed exactly as each boy had dressed. He further manifested as the ornaments worn by each boy as well as the bugle, flute, lunch bag, leaves, flowers and batons held by each of them”.
He transformed into an exact replica of every cowherd boy who had gone missing.
“More importantly, Krishna who had manifested as the thousands of cowherd boys and calves, exhibited the same qualities, nature and tendencies of each of them. He also took on their names, age, hobbies, tantrums and mischief.”
The Lord took on the bodily appearance, way of walking, talking, complexion, age, hobbies, names, habits, tantrums and mischief of the boy into whom He had transformed.
“Thus, Srikrishna, the birthless Lord, transformed into many boys and calves. In every way, He became a perfect replica of the original missing boy. ‘Everything is Vishnumaya’- this statement from the Vedas was now proven.
Krishna, who had transformed into the boys and the calves, was now playing with Himself in the forest. In the evening, Krishna, who had manifested as the many cowherd boys, led the calves, who were also His forms, back to Brindavan. In the form of different cowherd boys, He led the respective calves to their respective cattle-sheds and tied them. Thereafter, in the form of the different cowherd boys, He entered into different homes to bring joy to those mothers”.
Thus Krishna, in the form of thousands of cowherd boys, entered thousands of homes in Brindavana.
“Hearing the sound of the flutes, the mothers of the boys, who always treated their sons as Krishna himself, immediately got up, rushed forward and carried their little sons and seated them on their laps, not knowing that they were actually seating Krishna on their laps”.
The ladies were extremely fortunate. In the form of their sons, it was Srikrishna who had actually entered their homes. It was normal for them to see Krishna in their sons and shower love upon their sons believing them to be Krishna himself. Now Krishna had actually taken on the form of their sons and had entered their homes.
“Showering motherly love upon their sons, the mothers embraced them and lovingly fed them with milk.
In accordance to his principle that He should return home by Sunset, Krishna returned home and brought joy to his mothers. As per their daily practise, the mothers lovingly bathed their sons, applied sandal-paste on their bodies and decorated them with all ornaments. They performed the rituals to ward off the evil eye. They applied tilak on their forehead, fed their sons and lovingly put them to bed”.
The mothers were so fortunate that they offered these services directly to the Lord himself! The mothers of the cowherds believed that they were attending to the needs of their sons, when, in reality, they were offering services directly to the Supreme Lord himself.
“The calves would return back to the cattle-sheds exactly at the stipulated time daily. The cows would moo lovingly calling their respective calves, who were none other than manifestations of the Supreme Lord, and feed them with milk that overflowed from their udders. The mother cows would, with overflowing love, again and again lick the tender bodies of their calves as they drank milk.
Mothers behaved with Krishna, who had manifested in the form of their sons and in the form of the calves, exactly as they behaved with their own sons. Nonetheless, they found their love towards their sons multiply significantly with each passing day. Their hearts overflowed with love towards their sons. The Lord who was in the form of their sons showed the same love as was shown by their sons previously. He was careful lest he gets bound by attachment caused due to spiritual ignorance (ajnana).”
Krishna did not suddenly show too much love towards the mothers. He showed the same love as their sons would normally show to them. In each home, He behaved exactly as that particular cowherd boy would normally behave. Despite this, the mothers found their love towards their sons surging uncontrollably. The Lord, while showing the same love, ensured that He would not get bound in attachment.
“The cowherds of Brindavan loved their sons as much as they loved Krishna”.
Feelings such as ‘my son is different; Krishna is different’ did not exist in these men and women of Brindavan. From the time Krishna was a tiny boy, they always treated their sons believing them to be Krishna Himself. It could be possible that such deep love of these mothers caused Krishna to enter into their homes as their sons and to help them stabilize their mind and establish it firmly upon the Supreme Essence.
“This went on for a year. During this year, the cowherds and their wives found their love towards their sons significantly increasing”.
For an entire period of one year, the Lord thus threw the residents of Brindavana into the illusion cast by Him. This Supreme Lord threw even Brahma into illusion. Not even once during this period did anyone suspect that Krishna had taken on the form of their sons and calves. There was absolute perfection in the actions of every cowherd boy and every calf.
As a calf, He drank only as much milk as it normally would. The mother cow lovingly caressed its calf, not knowing that the Lord had manifested as her calf. The mother of the cowherd boy would lovingly tend to the needs of her son, not knowing that the Lord had manifested in the form of her son. The fact that He simultaneously enacted all roles to the absolute degree of perfection stands as a proof that the Lord remains an inner witness in every moment and in every situation. The mind of the Lord, who is the inner witness, remains the same everywhere.
Srihari Krishna