“In this way Srikrishna, who had manifested in the form of the cowherd boys, began tending Himself when He took the calves, who were also His manifestations, to the forests for grazing. He continued this for an entire year.”

Krishna had manifested in the form of the thousands of cowherd boys. He alone manifested as the millions of calves. In the form of the various cowherd boys, He would daily take all the calves for grazing. All along, He would also be seen in His original form as Krishna.

Here, actually it should be understood that He was managing Himself! He alone existed! This incident proves to us that the Lord alone pervades everything. He is non-dual. He is the one who exists in many forms seen in the creation.

The thousands of cowherd boys would unfailingly carry their lunch boxes daily and accompany Srikrishna to the forests. In reality, all of them were Krishna alone! Krishna was walking with Himself. But it appeared as if He was accompanied by all the cowherd boys. In the form of the calves, it was Krishna who was grazing. What to say of this illusion? One boy had transformed into millions of forms!

Is it not an extra-ordinary feat that He could, for a period of one year, continue this routine to such perfection that not even one resident of Brindavan ever found anything amiss? Only when we read this incident in detail we understand the supremacy of the illusion created by Krishna. Maharishi Śuka is blissfully narrating this incident in minute detail. How fortunate Parikshit was! He was that fortunate being who could have a vision of the Supreme Lord even when he was in his mother’s womb. He was now hearing the glories of this Supreme Lord. He had been protected from the infallible weapon called Brahmastra that had been released by Ashwatthama. The Lord entered Uttara’s womb and revived Parikshit who was hit by the weapon. Parikshit, who had seen the Lord when in his mother’s womb, began to search for Him everywhere immediately after birth. Due to this keen scrutiny (parīksha), he was named Parikshit. He was the best among all emperors. He was a supreme devotee of the Lord. He was not satisfied even after hearing the stories of the Lord continuously and was yearning for more. Therefore, for Parikshit’s satisfaction, Maharishi Śuka was narrating in detail this incident which highlights the illusion cast by the Lord.

Isn’t this incident mind-blowing? In the form of the boys and the calves, He was leading Himself to the forest. To see one itself Krishna is a feast to the eyes. Won’t the mind derive untold happiness seeing infinite number of Krishnas eating food simultaneously in varied forms? ‘Will the Lord ever eat grass?’- we may doubt. But here, in the form of the calves, He ate grass. In the form of one cowherd boy, he ate butter. In the form of another cowherd boy he ate food packed from home. In the form of the calf He was the one who drank milk from the cow’s udder. How fortunate was that mother cow! Perhaps that mother cow was an incarnation of some Devata and hence must have obtained the luck of feeding Krishna with her milk. It is a different fact that she did not realize that Krishna was approaching her in the form of her calf. Unknown to her, she had obtained the fortune of feeding Krishna.

It was the same with the mothers of the boys. Believing that they were embracing their sons they were in reality embracing Krishna. Believing that they were feeding their sons, they in reality fed Krishna. When they bathed their sons, in reality they were bathing Krishna. They were putting Krishna to bed daily. Think of it. Would Yashoda ever permit them to offer such services to her son? Would she allow them to bathe or feed her son? Never. Krishna therefore took on the forms of the cowherd boys and entered into their homes. He entered the cattle-shed in the form of the calf so as to bless the mother cow with the chance of offering service to Him.

The Lord who is all-pervading can take on any form He pleases and can wander as per His wish. He can enter any mind. He can manifest as water, as fire or as any other element. He can take on the form of a man, woman, aged person or a child. He can become a mosquito, a fly, a donkey, a horse or any other living entity as He is the one who pervades them all. In this illusion cast by Brahma, He became the Brahma (creator). In this instance, Lord Brahma covered by spiritual ignorance (ajnana) considered himself to be separate from the Lord.

It is spiritual ignorance (ajnana) that causes the living entity to consider himself as separate from God. When Supreme Knowledge (jnana) dawns destroying this ignorance, the person merges into the Almighty. It is therefore imperative for us to strive to destroy the spiritual ignorance (ajnana) and feelings of ‘I-ness’ (ahamkara) that arises in us.

In the mornings, the Supreme Lord Krishna unleashed Himself and took Himself for grazing to the forests. In the evenings, He tied himself in the sheds. In reality, there was no necessity for every calf to graze separately. If one boy ate food, the hunger of all the boys and all the calves would be appeased. But He did not do so. He ate food in every form. When He played with the boys, in reality He was playing with Himself. But yet He continued to play as if they were different entities. He played with them, who were His mirror images.

People fear that loneliness could drive them mad. Why would it? The person can chat with himself; sing for himself; play with himself and admire his mirror image. He can enjoy bliss within himself. This is the essence of the Supreme Lord -dwelling in Self-bliss, conducting self-introspection and merging into himself. This is the real Self-knowledge (atma jnana)! This is the meaning of Self-realization. This is the Self-essence (atma tattva).

Through this incident Self-knowledge is being taught to us! Self-realization is being given. This is a favourite subject for commentators and it can be explained for days at stretch. This incident is one of my favourite incidents.

Can any particular incident of Bhagavatam be singled out as unique and astounding? Every story in it is wonderful and is full of essence. Drink and enjoy the nectar that is being showered through Bhagavatam. Enjoy the taste as you drink this nectar called Bhagavatam.

But why did Brahma wait for an entire year before releasing the boys and the calves? Did he not feel sorry for Krishna who had to enact all their roles for such a long period of time? Think-what could be the reason?

Krishna Krishna.