Showing posts with label Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stories. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Slaying Of Dhenakasura

Varindavan.... a beautiful forest. Near it was a palm grove.. There were rows and rows of tall palm trees, with bunches of ripe fruits on each tree. So many trees, and so many fruits, and yet there was no single bird in the forest! There was a fresh, green and soft grass all over, and yet not a single cowherd took his cows for grazing in that forest!

One day, Krishna, Balrama and the other cowherd took their cows out for grazing and reached near the palm grove. Suddenly, some of the cowherd got a strong smell of ripe fruits. One of them said, “Wow! It seems there are palm trees somewhere in this area. I can smell the fresh and ripe fruits!” just then, some other cowherds said,” Oh my God! We have reached near the palm grove! A demon called Dhenakasura lives in this forest in the form of donkey.”

Another cowherd said,” Dhenakasura does not allow any bird, animal or even man to enter the forest. Therefore, we should satisfy ourselves with only the smell of ripe fruits and return from here.” The other cowherds said,” when Krishna and Balrama are with us, why should we worry? Why should we go back without eating fruits of the palm trees?” Hearing this, Krishna and Balrama looked at each other and smiled.

Krishna said,” you want to eat fresh fruits, right? Then, follow us.” Krishna and Balrama walked right in the front, followed by the cowherds, and the cows walking between them. Krishna and Balrama entered the forest. Balrama would hold the trunk of a palm tree and shake it vigorously. Thud.. Thud... thud... The ripe fruits fall down from the tree. The cowherds would pick up the fruits and relish them.

Dhenakasura was grazing nearby. He pricked up his ears, stretched his neck, and ran in the direction from where he heard the fruits falling down. When he saw Krishna, Balrama and the cowherds, he became furious. He ran fast, turned around and raised his hind legs to kick Balrama. But, before he could kick, Balrama caught his legs, whirled him round and round and flung him down.




Dhenakasura, who was in the form of donkey, was dead. When the other demons, which were also in the form of donkeys, came to know about Dhenakasura’s death, they were so enraged that they rushed to attack their enemy. But, Krishna and Balrama held each one of them by his hinds legs, whirled him round and round and flung him down. In no time, all the demons were dead. The forest became free from demons. Animals began to graze happily and birds began to chirp merrily in the trees. The cowherds began to relish the fresh and ripe fruits of the palm trees. In this way, the palm grove became everyone’s favorite place.