KRISHNA KARTIKEYA OR BLUE KRISHNA

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KRISHNA KARTIKEYA OR BLUE KRISHNA

 

Shyam Kumari

 

   The blue waters of river Yamuna were flowing. Blue lotuses were

swaying on its waves of blue. In the clear blue skies floated some

clouds which were the same blue-white hue as Krishna.

 

   That day Yashoda thought, "Today I will dress my Krishna in blue. I

will put around his neck and wrists garlands of blue flowers."

 

   She called, "Come, my child, let me give you a bath. It is time for

you to get dressed."

 

   Sometimes Krishna was very mischievous and would make Yashoda chase

after him and catch him. But not today. When he saw the many blue

things near Maiya (mummy), Krishna willingly ran to her. First Maiya

rubbed him well with herbal paste and aftr bathing him dressed him in

a blue silk kurta and tied a blue dhoti around his waist. She put a

blue Bindi (dot) between his eyebrows, tied small garlands of blue

flowers around his neck. Then she crowned his curly head with a blue

silk band that had peacock feathers tacked to it. Blue hue, blue eyes,

blue headband, blue Bindi, and a garland of blue lotuses -- truly

Krishna had become a blue Krishna.

 

   Just then someone called Yashoda Maiya and she went inside the

house to attend to some household chores. Krishna happily admired his

blue clothes, then his eyes moved to the blue lotus he was holding in

his hand. As he looked up and down, the peacock feathers in the

headband bobbed. Krishna himself seemed like a peacock.

 

   Many peacocks lived in Gokul. They would fly again and again over

the house of Chief Nanda just to catch a glimpse of the Divine child

Krishna. Today a large flock of peacocks came visiting, especially to

see this extra blue Krishna. Some of them perched on the wall of

Nanda's house, others on the roof, still others on the branches of the

stately trees nearby. Some of them spread out their magnificent

feathers and began to dance.

 

   Krishna was delighted. He took out his flute and played a charming

song for the peacock dance.

 

   Upon seeing the feathers in Krishna's headband, one baby peacock

mistook him for another baby peacock and flew down. He called out

"Kaun, Kaun," and settled near Krishna. Krishna was very happy to see

this new little friend and he began to clap and laugh. When they saw

the chick sitting on the ground, his parents also flew down from their

tree-top perch. They spread out their feathers and joined in the dance

with happiness. This was the first time that they had come so near to

the Divine Child. Their huge fanned-out feathers were as beautiful as

jewelled blue waves of a heavenly sea.

 

   Suddenly Krishna thought, "How much fun it would be to go for a

ride on a peacock!" With that idea he jumped up and sat on the largest

nearby bird. At the touch of Krishna's body the surprised peacock felt

full of joy. He spread out his wings like a kingly umbrella over

Krishna and hopped from one end of the courtyard to another.

 

   Meanwhile Maiya Yashoda returned after finishing some chores. She

was surprised to see half-a-dozen peacocks dancing. "But where is

Krishna, my dear child, where is he?"

 

   She looked around a little worried. "Have these peacocks hurt him?"

she wondered.

 

   Just then she spotted someone on the back of an extra-large

peacock. She thought it must be Kartikeya -- the commander-in-chief of

the army of gods who rides a peacock. In those days many gods came to

Gokul to see Krishna. She at once bowed down  respectfully to the god.

 

   Krishna thought, "To whom is she bowing down?"

 

   He cried out in glee, "Look, Maiya! I am riding a peacock. I have

become Kartikeya. Now I will take the cows to the forest riding a

peacock."

 

   Yashoda was at first startled. Then she called out, "Krishna, you

naughty child! Get down from that peacock! Whoever heard of anybody

riding a peacock?"

 

   Krishna answered, "Why not? You yourself told me the story of

Kartikeya going to fight the demons, riding his own peacock."

 

   Yashoda Maiya was speechless. Who can argue with Krishna? She was

worried and thought, "How can I make Krishna come down from the

peacock's back?"

 

   Then she had an inspiration. She knew Krishna could not bear

anybody to suffer. She brought out a basket of grains and fruits from

inside the house and called out, "Krishna! Your peacock must be

hungry. It is time to feed him."

 

   "Oh! you think my peacocks are hungry? Well, Maiya, then give me

nice sweet fruits. I will feed them." Saying this, Krishna filled his

tiny hands with grains and fruits and held them out to the peacocks.

 

   Oh! how daintily and carefully the peacocks fed out of his hands,

without hurting him with their sharp beaks even once. Then Yashoda

relaxed at last. She saw that her Krishna would never be harmed by

peacocks. From that day onwards the peacocks came to the courtyard

every day to be fed by their beloved Krishna.

 

   One day Krishna sat alone under a majestic Kadamba tree in the

garden. He was holding a blue lotus in his hand and was humming a song.

 

   Just then a demon sent by King Kamsa passed that way. He was

overjoyed to find Krishna alone and unprotected. He said to himself,

"Aha! This is the chance of a lifetime. Today I will finally be able

to kill this boy and will then claim a lot of money from King Kamsa.

But I have to be careful. This three-year-old child looks small but he

has killed the great demoness Putana even. I must plan it all carefully."

 

   After some moments the demon had a plan. He turned into a green

snake and began to slither through the grass towards Krishna.

 

   Meanwhile, Krishna was humming happily. He lifted up the blue lotus

he was holding to inhale its fragrance. Did he not know that the snake

was very near? Oh Lord! What would happen? The snake then lifted up

its hood and bared his fangs to bite Krishna. It was all ready to

strike....

 

   Suddenly the silence was broken by the "Kaun, Kaun" sound of

peacocks. The beloved peacocks of Krishna pounced upon the snake-

demon and cut him into pieces with their sharp beaks. What a close

call that had been!

 

   The peacocks spread out their wings and danced around Krishna with

joyous cries of victory. "Krishna! Look! We have killed him, we have

killed the snake-demon."

 

   Krishna understood what the birds were saying. He had been born

with the gift of understanding the language of all the birds and

beasts. "Oh, they have saved me from a demon." He petted each one of

his peacock friends and fed them some choice fruits.

 

   Then he played for them his sweetest tune filled with the sounds of

love and joy and victory. And just for fun he had one more ride on the

back of the largest peacock. He was just like Kartikeya -- the

commander-in-chief of the gods. His curls flew in the wind. How lucky

was that peacock! Do you think that Kartikeya had sent him? 

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