Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comThe Legend of the Govardhan Leela
The legend of the Govardhan Leela tells how the child Krishna guided the people of Vraj toward worshipping nature and the Govardhan hill, and protected all of Vraj from Indra's wrath, it is in memory of this story that Govardhan Puja is observed.
Chapter 1 · Giving Up Indra's Worship and Beginning Govardhan Puja
Once, the people of Vraj were preparing for their annual worship of Indra, the god of rain. Seeing this, the child Krishna asked his father Nanda Baba why this worship was performed. Nanda Baba explained that worshipping Indra pleases him, and he then sends rain, allowing crops to grow and Vraj to prosper.
To this, Krishna argued that rain, in truth, comes from nature's own laws and the clouds, and that the people of Vraj's true sustenance came from the Govardhan hill, the cows, and the forests, not from Indra. He explained to all the people of Vraj that they should worship their direct benefactor, the Govardhan hill, rather than a distant god like Indra. Persuaded by Krishna's reasoning, Nanda Baba and all the people of Vraj gave up Indra's worship and instead performed a grand worship of the Govardhan hill, offering it a vast feast of food.
Read the Krishna Aarti →Chapter 2 · Lifting the Govardhan Hill and Humbling Indra's Pride
When Indra learned that the people of Vraj had abandoned his worship for that of the Govardhan hill, he felt humiliated and enraged. In his fury, he sent the apocalyptic Samvartaka clouds to flood all of Vraj, and torrential rain fell without pause for seven days and nights, until the entire region was inundated.
The terrified people of Vraj rushed to Krishna for help. Krishna then lifted the entire Govardhan hill on the tip of his little finger, sheltering all the people of Vraj, their cattle, and their belongings beneath it. For seven days and nights, Krishna held the hill aloft without tiring or eating, until Indra's rain finally subsided.
Accepting his defeat, Indra himself arrived before Krishna riding his elephant Airavata and begged his forgiveness. He anointed Krishna with milk from the divine cow Kamadhenu and bestowed on him the title 'Govinda' (protector of cows). It is in memory of this legend that Govardhan Puja is observed every year on Kartik Shukla Pratipada, when a small hill of Govardhan is fashioned out of cow dung and worshipped.
About The Legend of the Govardhan Leela
This legend is told across two chapters. The first tells how the child Krishna stopped the worship of Indra and initiated the worship of the Govardhan hill. The second describes lifting the hill to protect Vraj and humbling Indra's pride.
This legend is tied to Kartik month's Govardhan Puja. This page presents both chapters' full text in plain Hindi, with adjustable text size and print support.
About The Srimad Bhagavatam
The legend of the Govardhan Leela has no single authoritative printed 'katha text', it is a well-known and widely recited Puranic legend from the Tenth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. The wording here has been composed independently, so it is not a word-for-word copy of any single website's or publication's text, though the sequence of events follows the Purana's well-established tradition faithfully.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Krishna suggest stopping Indra's worship?
Krishna argued that the people of Vraj's true sustenance came from the Govardhan hill, the cows, and the forests, not from Indra, so they should worship their direct benefactor instead.
Why did Indra send rain upon Vraj?
Humiliated and enraged at having his worship abandoned, Indra sent the Samvartaka clouds to flood Vraj, causing torrential rain for seven days and nights.
How did Krishna lift the Govardhan hill?
He lifted the entire hill on the tip of his little finger, sheltering the people of Vraj and their cattle beneath it for seven days and nights, until Indra's rain subsided.
What title did Indra give Krishna?
Accepting his defeat, Indra anointed Krishna with milk from Kamadhenu and bestowed on him the title 'Govinda' (protector of cows).