The Story of Krishna’s True Appetites
Krishna will only accept an offering that is made with love and affection. One incident that shows this took place in Hastinapura.
Duryodhana’s Feast
It is well known that Arjuna and his four brothers were Krishna’s very dear friends and devotees.
Duryodhana, who also lived in Hastinapura, was the sworn enemy of Arjuna and his brothers (later they fought each other at the Battle of Kurukshetra), but he wanted to invite Krishna to a feast.
Duryodhana was very wealthy, so he served preparations of delicious foodstuffs such as ladu, pera, kachori, sandesh, and makhan — in golden dishes, and water in golden cups.
Then he requested Krishna, “Please come and take Your meal with Me.”
Krishna objected, “I can’t eat anything because I have no appetite. I only eat anything where there is love and affection. I can never eat with you because you have no love and affection for Me! I came to Hastinapura to ask you to make peace with Arjuna and his brothers, but you have not complied. How can I take My meal with you? I’m not a beggar, and I’m not hungry.”
Vidura’s Humble Offering
Shortly after rejecting Duryodhana’s opulent feast, Krishna went to Vidura’s house. Vidura was Krishna’s devotee and was also very affectionate to Arjuna and his four brothers. In fact, on several occasions, he had saved them from great danger. Because of this, Krishna was very fond of Vidura. When Krishna got to Vidura’s house, Vidura was not there, so Krishna pleaded with his wife Vidurani, “Oh, Vidurani Maiya, I am so hungry! Please give Me something to eat.”
Vidurani was very affectionate to Krishna and she was anxious to serve Him. She began to offer Him bananas, but in her confusion, she threw away the fruit and gave Him the peels. Krishna affectionately accepted the peels and relished them joyfully. They tasted sweeter to Him than all the preparations and offerings made in Dvaraka by his chief queens Rukmini and Satyabhama.
While Krishna was completely absorbed in accepting Vidurani’s offering of banana peels, Vidura came in. He was astonished at what he saw and exclaimed, “Oh, Vidurani! What are you doing?”
Krishna tried to caution him, “Don’t speak to her. She is not in her external senses. She is fully absorbed in transcendental love and affection.”
Vidurani, however, came back to external consciousness when she heard her husband speak and soon realized what was happening. She then gave Krishna the fruit of the bananas and threw away the peels.
Krishna was a little disappointed. “Oh! This fruit is not as tasty as the peels were.”
Spiritual Lesson
From this pastime, we can see that Krishna never becomes hungry. He doesn’t want to taste banana, or sweets, or milk or anything. He just wants to take the essence of all the fruits. What is that essence? It is simply love and affection, the mood of bhakti in the offering. Krishna will never accept anything from someone who has no deep love and affection for Him. On the other hand, He will forcibly take what He wants from a devotee who has love and affection for Him if that devotee does not give Him enough. That is Krishna’s nature. Krishna is not a beggar. He is full in all opulence, but still, He comes to his devotees and serves them.
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says:
patram pushpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahritam
asnami prayatatmanah
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.
So in whatever we do, we should add bhakti and our life will be perfect. As Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 9.27:
yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam
O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
PS:
I humbly request all the devotees to please forward and share these moral/instructive stories they hear so that everyone can be benefitted.
4o
