The Glory of Goverdhan Parvat Lifted by Lord Krishna
Universe, the creation by the almighty has immense esoteric splendours which are yet not disclosed. Whether related to mythological or spiritual facts there are stories of many gods that contain unrevealed incidences. One such incident is from the life of Krishna when he lifted up the magnificent Goverdhan parvat on his little finger. Yes, this is a real incident which took place during the life span of Krishna on earth.
According to the spiritual belief Goverdhan parvat is not only a hill in a rock form but it is considered as the pious replica of Lord Krishna. The glory of great Goverdhan is well defined in many Hindu texts which are admired till date.
About Krishna
The finest example of a powerful, self-sufficient and complete personality on earth, Lord Krishna established the identity of existence and changed the way of life through his 'Bhagwat Gita.'
Krishna is not only the manifestation of God but reflects the self of every being in the universe. As he announced himself the strength in the strong, wisdom in the wise, Samaveda in the Vedas, Sun and Moon in the Nakshtra, Ganga in the rivers and dignity in the dignified. He is the replica of a successful personality, proficient politician and a veteran adviser for a given situation in life.
As it is difficult to understand the enigma of the universe, so it is to understand the personality of Krishna. His actions are always in favour of his beloved devotees and when it is about his favourite brijwasis (residents of brij kshetra) then no one can stop Krishna from saving them from any of the worst conditions.
Krishna was born on Ashtami in Rohini Nakshtra on the eighth day of lunar fortnight or the half moon. His birth was during the midnight in Rohini Nakshatra that bestowed him with the mastery over the balancing art. He was born in Mathura and shifted to Gokul and from there they travelled to the places like Nand Gaon, Vrindavan and Govardhan.
He could create a balance in every situation and see through the visible and invisible too. This art not only helped him in lifting the Govardhan parvat during diverse situations but also to face the ups and downs of life.
How, why and when Krishna lifted Goverdhan Parvat
Goverdhan or Giriraj Shila is the rock formed from Govardhan Hill settled in Brij kshetra of Mathura district. The glory of Goverdhan parvat is unrivalled and described by various Hindu texts through stories, verses and facts. Its presence on earth in Brij is like a saviour for many villagers and people residing nearby. The story of Goverdhan getting lifted by Lord Krishna and the beginning of its worship dates back to treta yug when Krishna appeared on earth. There was a time when people of Brij used to worship Indra, the God of rain, water, thunder and storm in order to get his blessings and protection from his anger. Lord Krishna noticed people doing preparations for the pooja of Indra by making lots of food, sweets and other eatables including various materials of worship required to be offered as a ritual. He then put up a question that why are they worshipping and offering so much to Indra for a natural phenomenon. It was Indra’s duty (Dharma) to provide rain without any rituals done by the people of brij. Krishna then decided to teach a lesson to Indra for not performing his duties properly.
Krishna advised people for the worship of Govardhan parvat and said that the hill should be praised for its fertility which offers trees, fruits, vegetables and allows cows and bulls to graze over it. People of brij were influenced by the words of Krishna and they started praising Govardhan parvat.
As Indra came to know about this, that people have stopped worshipping him and they are worshipping Goverdhan parvat instead, he got angry. He decided to trouble the people of brij with immense rain, thunderstorms and lightning. He ordered the Samvartaka clouds to destroy the entire Vrindavan.
Just after that there was a blast of thunder, heavy rain and storm all over the place which frightened the people. They went to Kirshna for help and asked to save them. Lord Krishna understood the wicked intentions of Indra, so he planned to lift up the Govardhan parvat on his little finger to save the people from calamity.
The storm continued for seven days and seven nights, till then Lord Krishna did hold the Govardhan parvat on his little finger and provided shelter to the people. Later, Indra realised his mistake and withdrew his order from the Samvartaka clouds. They came back and the weather was clear with the sun shining brightly over the sky.
Indra then came down to earth in Vrindavan and pleaded in front of Krishna to forgive him for his unpleasant behaviour.
Later, people of Vrindavan started the worship of Goverdhan parvat as a ritual every year by offering chappan bhog to it.
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