Without understanding the intricacies of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and without knowing His uncommon spiritual opulences, the innocent cowherd boys and men of Våndävana began to discuss the wonderful activities of Krishna, which surpass the activities of all men.

One of them said, “My dear friends, considering His wonderful activities, how is it possible that such an uncommon boy would come and live with us in Våndävana? It is really not possible. Just imagine! He is now only seven years old! How is it possible for Him to lift Govardhana Hill in one hand and hold it up just as the king of elephants holds a lotus flower? To lift a lotus flower is a most insignificant thing for an elephant, and similarly Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill without exertion. When He was simply a small baby and could not even see properly, He killed a great demon, Pütanä. While sucking her breast, He also sucked out her life air. Krishna killed the Pütanä demon exactly as eternal time kills a living creature in due course. When He was only three months old, He was sleeping underneath a hand-driven cart. Being hungry for His mother’s breast, He began to cry and throw His legs upwards. And from the kicking of His small feet the cart immediately broke apart and fell to pieces. When He was only one year old, He was carried away by the Tåëävarta demon disguised as a whirlwind, and although He was taken very high in the sky, He simply hung on the neck of the demon and forced him to fall from the sky and immediately die. Once His mother, being disturbed by His stealing butter, tied Him to a wooden mortar, and the child pushed it towards a pair of trees known as yamala-arjuna and caused them to fall. Once, when He was engaged in tending the calves in the forest along with His elder brother, Balaräma, a demon named Bakäsura appeared, and Krishna at once bifurcated the demon’s beak. When the demon known as Vatsäsura entered among the calves tended by Krishna with a desire to kill Him, He immediately detected the demon, killed him and threw him into a tree. When Krishna, along with His brother, Balaräma, entered the Tälavana forest, the demon known as Dhenukäsura, in the shape of an ass, attacked Them and was immediately killed by Balaräma, who caught his hind legs and threw him into a palm tree. Although the Dhenukäsura demon was assisted by his cohorts, also in the shape of asses, all were killed, and the Tälavana forest was then open for the use of the animals and inhabitants of Våndävana. When Pralambäsura entered amongst Krishna’s cowherd boyfriends, Krishna caused him to be killed by Balaräma. Thereafter, Krishna saved His friends and cows from a severe forest fire, and He chastised the Käliya serpent in the lake of the Yamunä River and forced him to leave the vicinity of the Yamunä; He thereby made the water of the Yamunä poisonless.”

When Indra understood that the sacrifice that was to be offered by the cowherd men in Våndävana had been stopped by Krishna, he became angry, and he vented his anger upon the inhabitants of Våndävana, who were headed by Nanda Mahäräja, although Indra knew perfectly well that Krishna was personally protecting them. As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the Säàvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The Säàvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Våndävana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood. Demonically, Indra thought himself to be the all-powerful supreme personality. When demons become very powerful, they defy the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. Indra, though not a demon, was puffed up by his material position, and he wanted to challenge the supreme controller. He thought himself, at least for the time being, as powerful as Krishna. Indra said, “Just see the impudence of the inhabitants of Våndävana! They are simply inhabitants of the forest, but being infatuated with their friend Krishna, who is nothing but an ordinary human being, they have dared to defy the demigods.”

Krishna has declared in the Bhagavad-gétä that the worshipers of the demigods are not very intelligent. He has also declared that one has to give up all kinds of worship and simply concentrate on Krishna consciousness. Krishna’s invoking the anger of Indra and later on chastising him is a clear indication to His devotees that those who are engaged in Krishna consciousness have no need to worship any demigod, even if it is found that the demigod has become angry. Krishna gives His devotees all protection, and they should completely depend on His mercy.

Indra cursed the action of the inhabitants of Våndävana and said, “By defying the authority of the demigods, the inhabitants of Våndävana will suffer in material existence. Having neglected the sacrifice to the demigods, they cannot cross over the impediments of the ocean of material existence.” Indra further declared, “These cowherd men in Våndävana have neglected my authority on the advice of this talkative boy who is known as Krishna. He is nothing but a child, and by believing this child, they have enraged me.” Thus he ordered the Säàvartaka cloud to go and destroy the prosperity of Våndävana. “The men of Våndävana,” said Indra, “have become too puffed up over their material opulence and are overconfident due to the presence of their tiny friend, Krishna. He is simply talkative, childish and unaware of the complete cosmic situation, although He is thinking Himself very advanced in knowledge. Because they have taken Krishna so seriously, they must be punished. They should be destroyed with their cows.” In this way Indra ordered the Säàvartaka cloud to go to Våndävana and inundate the place.

While engaged with the brähmaëas who were too much involved in the performance of Vedic sacrifices, Krishna and Balaräma also saw that the cowherd men were preparing a similar sacrifice in order to pacify Indra, the King of heaven, who is responsible for supplying water. As stated in the Caitanya-caritämåta, a devotee of Krishna has strong and firm faith in the understanding that if he is simply engaged in Krishna consciousness and Krishna’s transcendental loving service, then he is freed from all other obligations. A pure devotee of Lord Krishna doesn’t have to perform any of the ritualistic functions enjoined in the Vedas; nor is he required to worship any demigods. Being a devotee of Lord Krishna, one is understood to have performed all kinds of Vedic rituals and all kinds of worship to the demigods. One does not develop devotional service for Krishna by performing the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or worshiping the demigods, but it should be understood that one who is engaged fully in the service of the Lord has already fulfilled all Vedic injunctions.

In order to stop all such activities by His devotees, Krishna wanted to firmly establish exclusive devotional service during His presence in Våndävana. Because He is the omniscient Personality of Godhead, Krishna knew that the cowherd men were preparing for the Indra sacrifice, but as a matter of etiquette He began to inquire with great honor and submission from elder personalities like Mahäräja Nanda.

Krishna asked His father, “My dear father, what is this arrangement going on for a great sacrifice? What is the result of such a sacrifice, and for whom is it meant? How is it performed? Will you kindly let Me know? I am very eager to know this procedure, so please explain to Me the purpose of this sacrifice.” Upon this inquiry, His father, Nanda Mahäräja, remained silent, thinking that his young boy would not be able to understand the intricacies of performing the yajïa. Krishna, however, persisted: “My dear father, for those who are liberal and saintly, there is no secrecy. They do not think anyone to be a friend, an enemy or a neutral party, because they are always open to everyone. And even for those who are not so liberal, nothing should be kept secret from the family members and friends, although secrecy may be maintained for persons who are inimical. Therefore you cannot keep any secrets from Me. All persons are engaged in fruitive activities. Some know what these activities are, and they know the result, and some execute activities without knowing the purpose or the result. A person who acts with full knowledge gets the full result; one who acts without knowledge does not get such a perfect result. Therefore, please let Me know the purpose of the sacrifice you are going to perform. Is it according to Vedic injunction? Or is it simply a popular ceremony? Kindly let Me know in detail about the sacrifice.”

The morning passed, and the cowherd boys were very hungry because they had not eaten breakfast. They immediately approached Krishna and Balaräma and said, “Dear Krishna and Balaräma, You are both all-powerful; You can kill many, many demons, but today we are much afflicted with hunger, and this is disturbing us. Please arrange for something that will mitigate our hunger.”

Requested in this way by Their friends, Lord Krishna and Balaräma immediately showed compassion on certain wives of brähmaëas who were performing sacrifices. These wives were great devotees of the Lord, and Krishna took this opportunity to bless them. He said, “My dear friends, please go to the house of the brähmaëas nearby. They are now engaged in performing Vedic sacrifices known as Äìgirasa, for they desire elevation to the heavenly planets. All of you please go to them.” Then Lord Krishna warned His friends, “These brähmaëas are not Vaiñëavas. They cannot even chant Our names, Krishna and Balaräma. They are very busy in chanting the Vedic hymns, although the purpose of Vedic knowledge is to find Me. But because they are not attracted by the names of Krishna and Balaräma, you had better not ask them for anything in My name. Better ask for some charity in the name of Balaräma.”

Charity is generally given to high-class brähmaëas, but Krishna and Balaräma did not appear in a brähmaëa family. Balaräma was known as the son of Vasudeva, a kñatriya, and Krishna was known in Våndävana as the son of Nanda Mahäräja, who was a vaiçya. Neither belonged to the brähmaëa community. Therefore, Krishna considered that the brähmaëas engaged in performing sacrifices might not be induced to give charity to a kñatriya and vaiçya. “But at least if you utter the name of Balaräma, they may prefer to give in charity to a kñatriya rather than to Me, because I am only a vaiçya.”