Srimad Bhagavatam – day 702
The cowherd boys now approach the wives of the priests and beg for food
Narayana Hare Krishna.
Krishna said to the cowherd boys, “You approached the men who were engrossed in Yagna. From where would they get food to feed you, when they are engrossed in their activities? It would have been nice if at least they had signalled to their wives to offer food. Or perhaps they could have clearly stated whether they were inclined to give food or not. Or perhaps they could have offered you some fruits.
One who needs food must approach the lady of the house. Hence approach the wives of those Brahmins and inform that I, together with Balarama, have arrived in these forests for cattle grazing. It is always the mother who feeds. Being mothers, their hearts naturally overflow with love. In their minds, they eternally think about me. They will definitely offer food to you”.
The cowherd-boys now approached the wives of the Brahmins who were near the kitchens, and prostrated before them. Then addressing these ladies all of whom were elegantly decorated, the boys said,
“O mothers, please accept our obeisance. With compassionate hearts please listen to what we say. Together with Balarama and other cowherd boys, Srikrishna has come to these forests for cattle-grazing. He has sent us to you. He is at a very close distance from here. Krishna and we, who are his followers, are being tormented by uncontrollable hunger. Please be generous and feed us all. O mothers, please douse the pangs of hunger that is tormenting us”.
The wives of the Brahmins had a deep longing to see Srikrishna, the Supreme Lord. For a very long time, they had nurtured this deep yearning. The stories of Krishna which they would periodically hear intensified this desire in them and lured them towards him”.
These days news is transmitted through TVs and mobile messages. In that era, news travelled quickly through the wind. The first person to receive the news of the death of any demon in the hands of Krishna was demon Kamsa. Despite not having spies, the news would travel quickly from one village to another. Such heroic activities of Krishna had come to the knowledge of these ladies. They nurtured a deep longing to see him but sadly for them, their husbands never permitted them to travel to Krishna’s village. They too realized that their husbands had turned egoistic, but they hesitated to openly speak about it as it was sinful.
It was not that the Brahmins who were engaged in Yagna were unaware of the transcendental sports of Krishna. During their evening leisure time, they too would discuss about Krishna and his extra-ordinary deeds, but then in the end, would conclude that he was a human with some supernatural powers. ‘He is some ascetic who has performed supreme penance in his past birth. Hence in this birth he got some yogic powers, that’s all. Such power of penance helps him to kill the demons. What could be extra-ordinary about it?’ They discussed about Krishna but then failed to realize that He was the Supreme Lord himself.
On the other hand, their wives believed Krishna to be none other than the Supreme Lord. Fearing their husbands, they supressed their innermost devotion towards Krishna. Their husbands would have rudely rebuked, ‘For a woman, her husband is her God. Hence, when we, your Gods are before you, why do you seek to see Krishna?’
Maharishi Śuka continued, “Upon learning from the boys that Krishna was at a very near distance from their residence, the wives of the Brahmins turned ecstatic. At the same time, hearing that He was tormented by hunger they were agitated”.
‘Oho, is little Krishna tormented by hunger? Isn’t it sad? He is after all a little boy. More importantly He himself is the Supreme Lord. The Lord should never go hungry.’- they thought.
“These ladies immediately carried vessels containing the four types of foods viz., solid foods that need to be masticated (bhakshya); soft foods that can be gulped (bhojya); foods that need to be licked (lehya, eg. honey) and foods that need to be sucked (coshya) and walked towards Him”.
They carried all the food that was readily available including that which was to be offered to God as Naivedya during Yagna.
“In their eagerness to meet Srikrishna, they forgot completely about themselves. Just as rivers eagerly rush to meet the ocean, these ladies rushed from their homes to meet Srikrishna”.
The moment they learnt that Krishna was in the vicinity, the ladies forgot about the Yagna, about their husbands who were engaged in the Yagna, and about the Naivedya food to be offered as part of the Yagna. They were literally running towards Krishna just as river rush towards the ocean.
“The food preparations that they carried was extremely nutritious and tasty”.
Food that is cooked as offering during Yagna is always delicious and tasty. We perhaps would never have tasted such delicious food ever in our lifetime. More importantly, they are nutritious and body building foods consisting of all the six types of tastes. These mothers carried such food and rushed to see Krishna.
Certain rituals require a person to give up salt on the first day. On the second day in addition to salt he will give up pungent foods such as tamarind. Thus with each passing day they give up more and more tastes. However, they compensate by increasing the intake of pepper, jeera and many types of medicinal herbs. For this reason, they remain healthy despite the disciplines during the entire period of Yagna. These nutritive foods ensure their voice remains loud and clear.
“Unmindful of their husbands and other male members of their family the ladies rushed forward to meet Krishna”.
Narayana Narayana Srihari