Overflowing Yamuna
From His birth, Krishna loved to taste butter. Knowing that, His devotees would always bring Him some fresh butter. One day, the Yamuna river was overflowing, and Krishna was on the other side of the river. The gopis, who used to offer Krishna butter every day, were distressed that they could not offer Him butter that day.
Seeking Help from Vyasa
One of them remembered the name of Sage Vyasa. They all went together to Vyasa to ask him for a miracle so that they could cross the overflowing river to Krishna. “Krishna! Krishna!” Vyasa shouted, pretending to be displeased. He continued, “All I ever hear is Krishna! What about me? Who will feed me?”
Vyasa’s Demand
The gopis were scared because Vyasa was a great sage. Embarrassed for not offering him any butter, they were also anxious because they needed his help. So they offered him some butter, but Vyasa was not satisfied with a little; he asked for more and more until he ate almost all the butter meant for Krishna.
Miracle at Yamuna
The gopis were unhappy that Vyasa had left only a small portion of butter for Krishna, but they dared not show their discontent. “Alright,” said Vyasa and took them to the Yamuna river. “O Yamuna, if I have not eaten anything, divide and let these gopis pass.”
The gopis could not believe what they were hearing. They had just seen him eat a bellyful of their sweet offering to Krishna. Yet, to their amazement, Yamuna parted and gave them a way through. They could not believe their eyes but quickly ran to the other side looking for Krishna.
Krishna’s Satisfaction
They found Him sleeping happily in His hut, not waiting for them as He did every day. “Lord, aren’t You hungry? We have brought the best butter we could get. Please eat it,” said the gopis.
Krishna opened His eyes slowly and said, “Oh, thank you, but I’m no longer hungry. That fellow Vyasa, on the other side, has already fed Me too much.”
Gopis’ Confusion
“But how is it possible? He was on the other side, and he himself ate all the butter in front of us,” asked the gopis.
Krishna’s Explanation
“Oh, but you see, he was thinking of Me constantly while eating it. He was connected to Me through his contemplation of Me. I ate through him,” said Krishna.
Moral of the Story
This story highlights the power of pure devotion and the connection between the devotee and the Lord. When a devotee sincerely thinks of the Lord while performing any action, it is as if the Lord Himself is performing the action. The Lord accepts the offering through the medium of sincere devotion.
Lessons to Be Learned
- Power of Devotion Pure and sincere devotion can connect the devotee directly with the Lord.
- Acceptance of Offerings The Lord accepts offerings made with love and devotion, irrespective of the physical medium.
- Divine Connection Contemplating the Lord while performing any action elevates the act to a divine level.
- Miraculous Faith Faith in the Lord and His devotees can bring about miraculous events.
Prayer
“O Lord Krishna, please grant us the wisdom to always remember You in our thoughts and actions. Help us to understand the power of sincere devotion and to make our offerings with pure love. May we always be connected to You through our contemplation and devotion, experiencing Your divine presence in every aspect of our lives.”
