Brahma's Theft

King Parikshit said in wonder, “Great sage, what trouble is this? They came to the bank of the Yamuna for a picnic, and now this has happened? Where did the cowherd boys’ cows and calves all go? Who stole them away? Well then, did even the Lord Himself not know that?”

Shukadeva Goswami replied, “Kanai himself is thinking the same thing. He is standing alone in the forest. So he is calling out loudly by the names of the cows and calves, ‘Dhabali, Harid, Kamali, can you hear me? Where are you all? What happened? This never happens. I am calling, yet none of them is answering. I hope no danger has come.’”

Then the sage said gently, “Even the Lord Himself is surprised. When God takes the form of a human, then He must behave like a human, O King. He does not go about all the time with divine sight open. But yes, the moment He wishes, He can see and understand everything. Can anything happen without His knowing? Never. But He does not let others understand that. Otherwise, how would the divine play happen, do you understand, Parikshit?”

“Yes, great sage, I understand,” said Parikshit. “Well then, please tell me what happened in that forest after that, O Brahmarshi.”

The forest land beside the Yamuna stretched deep within, and the cows and calves of Vrindavan used to graze there. Calling each one by name, Kanai went searching into that place. He walked far inside the forest. But no—no one was there. Had so many cows and calves truly vanished?

To tell his friends, Kanai ran quickly back toward the bank of the Yamuna.

“Shridam, Sudam! Shridam! Shridam, Sudam, Shridam!”

No one answered.

They were his dearest friends. The moment they heard his voice, they would come running, even from far away. But now no one replied. Kanai became very surprised.

He hurried on and reached the sandy bank of the Yamuna. But what was this? No one was there either. Just a little while before, that bank had been full of laughter, movement, and happy noise. How had it become so silent and still?

Calling out for his friends, Kanai ran farther.

“What is this? I cannot see even one of them. Where did everyone go? The cows and calves are not there, and my friends are not here. Who has done such a thing?”

Then Kanai stood still. He closed his eyes and entered deep thought. In that moment he understood everything. Behind this strange kidnapping was Prajapati Brahma himself. Brahma had taken away the cows, the calves, and even the cowherd boys, and had placed them all in a magical sleep.

Parikshit cried out, “Who? Creator Brahma himself stole them? Why did he do such a thing, great sage?”

Shukadeva answered, “No, O King, this was not a crime. Brahma did not steal them with any bad purpose. You may say he wished to enjoy seeing the divine play of Shri Hari. There is no lack of divine play in the life of the Lord of divine play. This time the Creator himself became absorbed in that play. He wanted to see how little Kanai would handle this situation.”

“Then what happened after that, revered teacher?” asked the king.

When little Kanai learned of Brahma’s act, he felt amused. In his sweet childlike voice came a soft promise.

“You wished to see my play, Brahmadev? Very well. You will see such a play as you have never seen before and will never see again. I will become the cows, the calves, the cowherds, everything. Just watch, Brahmadev.”

Parikshit said in amazement, “That little Kanai alone in so many forms?”

“Yes, O King,” said the sage. “However each one looked, whatever color each one had, whatever special mark each one had, that little boy created his different forms exactly like that. Then, taking the forms of countless cows, calves, and many cowherd boys, he returned to the village while playing. Whatever each had in his hand, they returned with those very things in their hands. Each one went to his own home. The calves entered the very sheds where they belonged. After sending them all home, Kanai went and sat in Mother Yashoda’s lap.”

Parikshit asked, “Did no one in Braj understand this, great sage? Parents know their children. Did they notice no change?”

“No, O King. No one understood anything. Instead, their love and affection for their children seemed to grow even more. The cows that had refused to graze that day became almost mad with joy and affection when their calves returned. Milk began to flow from them. They licked the bodies of their calves with their tongues as if they had never seen them before. And the human mothers and fathers were in the same state. At the sight of their sons, their joy could not be held back. At once they ran, picked them up in their arms, and began to love them.”

“What was the reason for such behavior, great sage?”

“Because all of them were really forms of Kanai himself. Where can the attraction of God go? Because of that attraction, whether human or animal, all became carried away. In truth, the name Krishna itself means attraction.”

Though no one else in Braj noticed anything unusual, Balaram became very curious. He was still small then, not more than seven or eight years old. Yet his mind was sharp and alert.

He thought, What is happening in Braj? I do not quite understand it. Why are even the parents of the older boys holding them in their laps? They are not of the age to sit in laps anymore. Does Kanai know something? Yes, he does. Let me go to him.

“Kanai? Kanai? O Kanai.”

“Were you calling me, brother?”

“Come here, Kanai, behind this tree. I need to speak to you.”

“Yes, brother, tell me what you want to say.”

Balaram looked carefully at him and said, “Tell me, Kanai, what is happening in this Vrindavan? Do you know anything? Everything here is not the same as before. What has happened? Tell me. You surely know something.”

Kanai answered lightly, “Nothing has happened, brother. What has changed anywhere? I do not know anything.”

Balaram said, “You may fool others, Kanai, but you cannot fool me. These cows, calves, and cowherd boys who are here now—how is it that never before did they feel so close? Never before did I feel so much love for them.”

“You love everyone, brother. Do I not know that?”

“This love is not that kind of love, Kanai. Why does everyone seem like you to me? Why do I feel like loving everyone the way I love you?”

Kanai smiled and said, “Then someone must have created some magic, brother. Otherwise why would it happen like this?”

“No, Kanai. No magic can work on me. I am not confused by any illusion. You know that very well. Now tell me the truth. This, all this, is your cleverness. You have surely done something. Tell me, what have you done?”

Kanai’s smile softened. “How can I hide it from you anymore, brother? Will you hear the truth? Then listen. All the cowherd boys and calves in Gokul are really my forms. I myself have become all of these, brother. That is why you feel like loving everyone so much.”

“Kanai! What are you saying?”

“Yes, brother, I am speaking the truth. Brahma has stolen all the cowherd boys and calves of Vrindavan. He wants to test me. Now tell me, what would happen to the human mothers and the cow mothers if they could not see their children? So I myself have taken all these forms. No one can even understand anything.”

Balaram bowed inwardly and said, “Blessed Kanai, blessed brother. The Supreme Person Vasudev has become everything in this world. I bow to that Shri Hari.”

Meanwhile, in the world of humans, one whole year passed. But in Brahmalok, that time was only a few moments.

Leaving the cowherd boys and calves of Braj asleep under his magical spell, Prajapati Brahma came to see Vrindavan. Moving unseen along its pathways, he looked around the land.

But Brahma was astonished.

In one place the cowherd boys were playing. In another, the calves were grazing peacefully on grass.

Prajapati Brahma could understand nothing at all.

The number of cowherd boys in Vrindavan had not decreased. The calves also appeared exactly the same as before.

Where had these come from? I cannot understand anything, he thought. I must sit in meditation and see.

So Brahma sat in meditation and opened his inner sight. Then he saw the cowherd boys and calves lying in the bed of his own magic, still fast asleep. Yet here, at the same time, they all were—walking, playing, moving freely in Vrindavan.

He could not tell which group had come first and which later. His vision itself became confused.

“What is this? What am I seeing? Who are these? Then who are in my Brahmalok? Which group is real, and which is illusion? Why can I not understand it? Has my knowledge been spoiled?”

The Creator himself could no longer recognize his own creation. And as he kept looking, he became stunned, for suddenly everything in his sight changed once more.

“What am I seeing now? All the beings of Braj are that dark-blue, yellow-clothed Vasudev Himself. There is no one else anywhere. So many endless forms of Vasudev! This too, this is impossible. All the flowers, water, leaves, tulsi, sandalwood of the world, even all the heavenly worlds, and I, I myself too, am worshipping those countless Vasudevs. But I did not come to worship. I clearly remember that I had come to see. Then who is this me sitting in the place of worshipper?”

Wherever Brahma looked, he saw nothing except Krishna.

Pride, intellect, desire, longing, and all the states of the mind stood there in separate forms, and together they worshipped those countless Vasudevs. Brahma trembled in wonder. In his heart he began to say, all is Vishnu, the whole world, all is the world.

As soon as he finished his prayer and bowed with folded hands, the vision changed again. He now saw little Kanai, food in one hand, walking on tiny feet through the forest, searching for his friends and the calves, calling each one by name.

After seeing all these scenes one after another, Brahma could no longer remain hidden. He came out openly.

There in the deep forest, Prajapati Brahma fell at the two tender feet of little Kanai. Brahma himself prayed and begged forgiveness.

“O Lord, O Supreme God, O Shri Hari, forgive me. In blind attachment I went to test You.”

Kanai said gently, “Be calm, Brahmadev, be calm.”

Brahma said, “I had forgotten that I too was born from You. My place is upon Your navel. You are my Lord. I had forgotten that. Lord, forgive me, forgive me. Narayan, forgive me.”

Kanai answered, “You were born from the quality of rajas, so delusion came upon you. Let that delusion now go away. Let your knowledge return, Brahmadev.”

Brahma bowed again. “I am returning all the cowherd boys and calves of Your Vrindavan, Lord. Please, please be gracious to me. Knowing me to be surrendered to You, forgive me, Narayan.”

Kanai said, “So be it.”

After receiving Shri Hari’s blessing, Brahma returned all the cowherd boys and calves from Brahmalok to the paths of Vrindavan. They all remained sitting in the same place as before, still in the middle of their forest picnic.

As soon as Kanai returned after finding Kamali and Dhabali, his friends shouted happily, “Here you are, Kanai! You have come back? So soon! Come, come, come, we still have not eaten. Come on, what food will you give us? Give it. I am very hungry.”

Kanai laughed and said, “Here, take this, take this, take this. Eat well. Yes, eat well.”

On the way back from the bank of the Yamuna, everyone also noticed the skin of Aghasur lying on the road. As they walked, they talked among themselves.

“That snake was so big, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, I did not even understand that it was a snake.”

“Truly, how lucky that Kanai was there, right?”

“Yes, truly, how lucky that Kanai was there.”

After returning home, they all began talking about that python in the form of Aghasur and how Kanai had saved them. Joy rose all around Kanai. No one remembered anything about that one year.

Parikshit asked, “Revered teacher?”

Shukadeva said, “No, O King. By the power of Yogamaya, everyone completely forgot that time of enchanted sleep. As soon as the cowherd boys and the herd of calves returned home, Shri Hari gathered Himself again. He remained alone in the form of little Kanai. All the other forms of Braj merged back into Him.”

Parikshit asked, “What was the real purpose of this divine play of Shri Hari, revered teacher? Did He only want to remove Brahma’s delusion? Or was there some other reason too?”

“There was one more deep reason, O King,” Shukadeva replied. “No one in Braj could ever have enough of seeing little Krishna. All the women of Braj wished to have him as their child. And the cows too loved Kanai even more than their own calves. To honor all that parental love, Shri Hari became everyone’s child for one whole year. The people of Braj were able to fully enjoy that joy of parental love.”

Parikshit sighed in wonder. “Ah, what great fortune! This is, this is very rare, even for the gods. Can such fortune come to humans, Lord?”

“The people of Braj were all divine beings, O King. That is why they had such fortune. Without being divine, can anyone serve the Supreme Lord?”

“Parikshit?”

“No, that is impossible. I have one question, revered teacher. Where God Himself is present, that land of Braj still has no end of danger. Why do such things happen again and again, Lord?”

Shukadeva answered, “When a fire is lit somewhere in bitter cold, what happens, have you seen, O King? Everyone comes before that fire to warm themselves. A kind of gathering forms there, does it not? In the same way, wherever God dwells, all who seek liberation come there. That is what is now happening in Vrindavan.”

“I understand, Lord, I understand. Those whom I think of as demons or monsters are really rushing near because their time for liberation has come.”

“You are right, O King. Krishna means attraction. Where else can they go, leaving aside His attraction?”

“Then even after Brahmadev’s test, Vrindavan did not become peaceful.”

“Parikshit, troubles and dangers did not lessen at all. Now let me tell you about Dhenukasur.”

“Dhenukasur?” said Parikshit. “Who was Dhenukasur, revered teacher? Did he also come from Mathura?”

“O King, he did not even know Krishna and Balaram,” said the sage. “He guarded the biggest palm forest of Vrindavan. The taste of the palm fruits in that forest was unlike anywhere else on earth. Everyone in Braj longed for them because of their sweet smell. But no one could even touch them. Out of fear of Dhenukasur, no one could even go near there. As great as his strength was, so was his terrible form.”

One day Kanai and Balai took their friends and ran toward that forest. The boys were excited.

“Have you seen those palm trees, Kanai?” they cried. “What a lovely smell! Will you pluck some palm fruits for us, brother? If you shake the tree, the fruits will fall.”

Kanai said playfully, “Then shake it, all of you, shake it, shake it.”

The boys protested at once. “What are you saying, Kanai! Do you not know? A great demon lives in that forest. He will kill us all. Please, brother, get us some palm fruits. You can kill demons. Kill this demon too, Kanai.”

Kanai pointed to Balaram. “Not I, not I. Brother Balai will kill that demon. You have nothing to fear. Right, brother? Pluck fruits from whichever tree you want.”

Balaram said calmly, “No, you do not have to worry about the demon. I will deal with him. Look how many palm fruits there are here.”

The boys shouted, “No, no, let us go that way. There, that tree there.”

Kanai laughed. “Look, brother, how happy our friends are.”

Then the boys called again, “Look, Kanai, hey Kanai, come here. You come. It is no fun without you. Come, come, come here.”

Balaram said, “Go, Kanai, go with them. Play.”

But Kanai answered, “No, brother. That Dhenuka demon will come right now. I know it. I will not leave you.”

“Go without worry,” said Balaram. “That demon can do nothing to me. You know that. Go.”

Hearing his brother’s words, Kanai went with his friends to gather palm fruits. The boys were full of joy to have him beside them. Laughing loudly, they began plucking and collecting fruits.

Meanwhile, the noise of the boys woke Dhenukasur from sleep. Taking the form of a huge donkey, he came rushing with terrible roars.

“Who dared to come into my forest and touch the palm trees?”

Balaram stepped forward. “Beware! Do not take even one step toward my friends. I will kill you right here.”

The demon sneered. “So much courage in a mere boy! You try to frighten me? Come, I will kill you first and finish my feast, then I will kill and eat them.”

Balaram answered fearlessly, “You will eat me? Come then, come and eat me. Come, let me see how you do it.”

Dhenukasur rushed at Balaram. Young Balaram carelessly caught his two back legs, whirled him through the air, and threw him far away. The force of the fall shook the whole palm forest. Under the weight of the demon’s huge body, tree after tree crashed and broke.

When Dhenukasur was killed, all his relatives and companions attacked Krishna and Balaram. But the two little brothers seized those huge demons in their small hands and flung them away one after another.

When the whole demon clan had been destroyed, the people of Braj came gladly into that palm forest. Singing the victory of Krishna and Balaram, they happily ate the sweet palm fruits.

Parikshit asked, “Did the people of Braj wonder, revered teacher, how two little boys of six or seven years could kill such terrible demons?”

Shukadeva replied, “They knew that these two boys were blessed by a great power. So they did not deeply think whether these deeds were really done by them or by some mighty unseen being. Their belief was this: whenever danger came upon Krishna or Balaram, by some divine means that danger went away. And besides that, because of Yogamaya, by the wish of the Lord of divine play, no one raised questions about Krishna and Balaram.”

“I understand, revered teacher. Under the power of Yogamaya, they could not grasp the Lord’s divine play. But please clear one more doubt of mine, Lord.”

“Speak, Parikshit. What do you wish to know?”

“God was so near them, and yet no one among the people of Braj understood His divinity or His divine play. Then were they not deprived of God’s glory?”

Shukadeva smiled and said, “What shall I tell you, O King? Braj is not the land of His majesty. Braj is the land of love. So the people there do not seek shelter from the Supreme Lord. They are eager rather to give Him shelter. They worry that no danger should come to Krishna, that no accident should happen to Krishna, that no evil eye should fall upon Krishna. Without this sweetness, God cannot be fully tasted, O King. No, majesty is far from sweetness.”

Parikshit said softly, “Ah, ah, what unearthly love, what a strange pull toward God. This love is possible only in Braj. It seems all the merit of creation is there. Please tell me more about the land of Braj, great sage.”

“But now I will not speak of love, Parikshit. First let me speak of danger. The dangers of Braj have not yet ended.”

“Did some new danger appear again, revered teacher? Was there another attack by a demon this time too?”

“No, O King. This time the danger was even more terrible than that. Now I will tell you that story, listen.”

It was a day in the heat of summer. The sun blazed fiercely. Early that morning the cowherd boys had gone out with the cows and calves. Comfort-loving Balaram had not come in such heat. But Kanai never grew tired. Since morning he had wandered with his friends, grazing the cattle.

That day the boys suffered greatly. Under the midday sun, the heat seemed to split their heads.

“Uff, I cannot bear it anymore. Oh dear, what heat.”

“Truly, I too, I too am suffering terribly. It has never happened like this before.”

“Call Kanai once from that forest, brother. He will surely do something.”

Another boy answered, “What is the use of calling poor Kanai? He alone took all our cows and calves to graze. Better come, there is the cool water of the Yamuna. Let us drink some of that water and splash some on our eyes and faces. Come, come, come.”

“Yes, yes, yes, right. The heat will go away in the water of the Yamuna. Come, come, come, let us go to the Yamuna.”

Tired and burning from the heat, the cowherd boys went together toward the river. The clear shining water of the Yamuna drew them strongly. They scooped it up in their hands and cooled their eyes, faces, and heads. Then they drank deeply.

But in that very moment they forgot the danger of that water.

Parikshit asked anxiously, “Danger? What danger was there in the water of the Yamuna, great sage?”

Shukadeva answered gravely, “There was terrible danger. That water was poisonous. If even one drop entered the stomach, it meant disaster. Death came at once.”

“What?”

“Yes, O King. There was deadly poison in the Yamuna water. Because of the poison, the water looked completely black and dark. People crossed the Yamuna by boat. Children even played on the sandy bank. But no one ever drank its water, not even by mistake. No one bathed in that water either. But in that fierce sunlight, the boys completely forgot it. Filled with thirst, they rushed into the Yamuna.”

“And then? What happened then, revered teacher?”

“As soon as they drank the water and came to sit in the shade of the trees on the sandy bank, they all fell down one by one. There was no sign of life left in their bodies.”

“What a thing! Then what happened?”

At that time Kanai was far from the river, busy grazing the cows in the forest. But for a long time he had seen no sign of his friends. He could not hear their voices. No one came to call him. Those friends who could never remain without seeing him, who always ran to him again and again, had not returned even once.

He became uneasy.

“Why can I hear no sound from anyone? I hope no danger has come to them. No, it is not right to stay here any longer. Let me go and see once. Shridam, Sudam, where are you? Shridam, Shridam!”

No answer came.

Then Kanai said to the cows, “Then what has happened? Kamali, Dhabali, you stay here, do you hear? Do not go anywhere. I will come back at once.”

Thinking of his friends, Kanai came out of the forest and walked straight toward the Yamuna. After going a little distance, his eyes fell upon the sandy bank—and he stopped.

There lay his dear friends, one after another. It looked as though they were sleeping peacefully.

At once he understood everything.

He ran to them and began shaking their bodies with his hands.

“Shridam, Shridam, here I am. Get up, get up, come on, get up, get up, get up. Subal, Subal, get up, come on. Look, I have come. Sudam, hey Sudam, open your eyes. Will you not get up, Sudam?”

But no, not one of his friends opened his eyes at Kanai’s call. No one got up. They lay still and motionless.

Then little Kanai sat quietly beside them. In his heart he thought, Ah, they must have been very thirsty. They drank the water of the Yamuna. Perhaps they did not remember that there was poison in that water. My friends must have suffered greatly. They had to bear so much poison. If only I had been here...

Sorrow filled him. His two long lotus-leaf-like eyes brimmed with tears. Stroking their bodies gently with his soft little hands, Kanai looked at each face with deep sadness.

By the power of that look, they all began to rise one by one.

The boys stared at him in confusion.

“Tears in your eyes? What happened, tell us. What is this, why are we lying here? Did we, did we faint?”

Another said, “Oh no, no, after drinking the water of the Yamuna we turned blue from poison. Look, see my throat.”

“That’s true, my, my throat is blue too. Then did we die?”

A third cried out, “Yes, that’s right. We had died. By the touch of this Kanai’s hand, we have come alive again. Isn’t that so, Kanai? But, but where did so much poison come from in the Yamuna, Kanai? Why can we not drink that water? Who is there?”

Kanai’s face became firm.

“Kaliya. A great evil one. More terrible than the demons. Wait, Kaliya, you have killed my friends! You have poisoned this Yamuna! I will send you to hell. I am coming.”

All of Braj had gathered on the sandy bank of the Yamuna. The boys cried out in fear and distress. But little Gopal did not listen to anyone’s warnings. He stepped into the waters of the Yamuna.

Then the river churned.

The poisonous water rose up in violent waves, and from that dark turmoil emerged the terrible serpent Kaliya. He lifted his many heads high, and upon them were countless hoods.

At the sight, Mother Yashoda cried out in fear and began to weep.