Introduction
One day, Krishna saw one of His companions playing a flute and desired to have one of His own. The story of Krishna’s flute is a tale of humility, patience, and divine grace.
The Humble Bamboo
On the bank of the Yamuna River, many bamboo sticks grew tall and proud, reaching high into the sky. However, one bamboo stick was different. It grew humbly, bending down rather than stretching upward. This bamboo stick stood in the water of the Yamuna, performing great austerities on one leg for a long time.
The villagers often came to the Yamuna to cut the tall bamboo sticks for their use, but they ignored the humble bamboo stick that bent down. It seemed useless to them. Despite being overlooked, the humble bamboo stick was patient, waiting for its moment of perfection.
Krishna’s Choice
One day, Lord Krishna Himself came to the Yamuna bank, searching for the right bamboo stick to make His flute. Among all the bamboo sticks, Krishna chose the one that was bending humbly down. From this bamboo, He constructed His divine flute.
Krishna’s belongings are not ordinary; hence His flute is supernatural. It is said that after many births of performing great austerities, ascetics may become a stick, an ankle bell, or a dress of Lord Krishna. Similarly, the bamboo stick used to make the Lord’s flute must have performed great austerities.
The Divine Flute
When Krishna played His flute, the sound mesmerized Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, and all the movable and immovable entities in the three worlds. The scriptures state that Krishna’s flute is His main weapon, through which He conquers the hearts of His devotees.
Moral of the Story
From this story, we learn the importance of humility and patience. Just as the humble bamboo was chosen by Krishna to become His divine flute, we too can be used by Krishna’s hands if we cultivate humility and patience.
This humility should be a significant part of our lives. As Lord Caitanya said:
trinad api sunicena
taror api sahishnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harihi
One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street, being more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.
