A Tale of Transformation and Lessons on Arrogance

In our previous blog, we left off with one of Krishna’s most delightful acts of mischief, the great yoghurt heist. With a gleam in His eye and butter on His hands, the little Lord smashed open a pot of fresh yoghurt and gleefully invited the monkeys to share His loot. Arriving at the scene, Mother Yashoda saw the broken pot, yoghurt spread all over the floor and, in the midst of it all, her little darling joyfully eating the yoghurt with one hand and feeding the monkeys with the other. Her patience wore thin, but with a heart brimming with love, she hastened towards Krishna.

Now, let's dive into the new adventure of Krishna.

In a sun-drenched courtyard, Krishna, ever playful and lively, sat upon the sturdy mortar that His mother had tied Him to. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and mischief, surrounded by the monkeys' laughter. The novelty of sitting still soon faded, compelling Krishna to move. Unable to remain still, Krishna began to crawl, dragging the mortar behind Him as a loyal companion.

Krishna's Encounter with the Arjun Trees

Krishna moved like a mischievous breeze, eager to explore His surroundings. His tiny hands and feet softly touched the cool earth as He made His way towards the front courtyard. Though the distant laughter of children filled the air, Krishna moved forward with quiet determination, as if guided by a purpose known only to Him.

As Krishna crawled through the courtyard, He noticed two majestic Arjun trees standing side by side, their trunks so close that they seemed almost intertwined. Drawn to the towering giants, He paused and gazed up at them with curiosity. Then, dragging the heavy mortar behind Him, He crawled between the two trees. As He passed through, the mortar became firmly wedged between their trunks. Undeterred, Krishna pulled on the mortar. With a gentle tug, He set in motion a remarkable chain of events.

A sudden, thunderous crash shattered the air. The majestic twin Arjun trees were instantly uprooted by the gentle tug of the mortar that Krishna had dragged behind Him. The towering trees groaned and swayed before crashing heavily to the ground.

From the trunk of each fallen tree, a radiant celestial being emerged, glowing with divine splendour. The two luminous figures prostrated themselves at Krishna's feet and said, “Great is our good fortune! The curse of Narad has finally ended, now that Your gracious lotus feet have touched us. We have been purified and can at last return to our heavenly abode and to our father, Kubera.”

With these words, they bowed deeply before Krishna in gratitude and then disappeared.

The Origin of the Curse

Parikshit's curiosity was aroused. He asked Shukadev Ji, "My lord, what were the circumstances that led Sage Narad to curse them?"

Shukadev Ji said, “I will tell you. Kubera, the lord of wealth and guardian of the northern quarter, had two sons named Nalakubera and Manigriva. These young men were handsome, privileged, and immensely wealthy, as a result of which they had become proud and arrogant.

One day, on the banks of the celestial Ganga, which flowed at the foot of Mount Kailasa, the two brothers were enjoying themselves in the company of their female companions. Having drunk the divine beverage known as Varuni, they became completely oblivious to the world around them. Intoxicated and reckless, they frolicked in the waters of the Ganga with their companions, like a pair of wild elephants sporting with their mates.”

Narad's Intervention and the Curse

Shukadev continued, “Sage Narad was passing by and noticed the two brothers. Even after seeing the revered sage, they were so intoxicated that they paid him no attention. In their drunken stupor, they forgot the respect due to a great sage and failed to realise the impropriety of their behaviour in his presence.

The women, however, were immediately ashamed. They hurried to the riverbank, quickly covered themselves with the garments they had left there, and respectfully offered their salutations to Narad. The two brothers, however, remained indifferent and did not even acknowledge him.

Narad watched them for a long moment. He said nothing, but within, something had already been decided. These two young men were not simply drunk on wine—they were drunk on something far more dangerous: the pride of being born wealthy, powerful, and untouchable. And pride, Narad knew, was a sickness that only a sharp remedy could cure them.

The Curse and Its Consequences

Narad said: “You have become intoxicated by Varuni, and your wealth has clouded your judgment. So blinded are you by pride that you have lost the ability to think clearly. You have failed to control your senses and have ignored even the most basic rules of respect and courtesy. Standing before a sage, you showed neither humility nor restraint.

You are the sons of Kubera, yet you have allowed ignorance and darkness to overtake your minds. Therefore, I decree that you shall be born on earth as two trees, rooted and unable to move.

But this is not punishment alone. You shall retain the memory of who you were and why this fate befell you. And you shall wait, with patience, for the moment of your deliverance.”

His tone softened, only slightly.

“For while you stand rooted as trees, Narayan Himself—Lord of all lords—shall descend upon the earth in human form. And when the time comes, He shall free you from that imprisonment with His own hands. He shall do more than break the curse laid upon you. He shall cure, at last, the arrogance that brought you to this end.”

With that, Narad continued on his way, unhurried, as though he had simply delivered news rather than reshaped two lives entirely. And so the sons of Kubera took root in the earth as twin trees, standing side by side in Gokula—waiting.”

What appeared to be a curse from Narad was, in reality, a blessing in disguise. Through it, the two brothers would eventually be freed from their arrogance and receive the rare fortune of coming into direct contact with the Supreme Lord.

Aftermath and Yashoda's Remorse

The thunderous crash echoed throughout Gokula. Alarmed by the sound, the villagers rushed from their homes to see what had happened. Yashoda, too, came running and was shocked to find the two enormous Arjun trees lying uprooted on the ground.

When she saw that her little son had narrowly escaped being crushed beneath them, her heart filled with fear and remorse. Regretting that she had ever tied Him to the grinding mortar, she hurried to loosen the knots that bound Him.

A group of children who had been playing nearby eagerly stepped forward and said, “Krishna crawled out of the house with the mortar tied behind Him. He went between the two trees, and only then did they fall! We also saw two men made of light appear from the trees. They spoke to Krishna, and He spoke to them. Then they rose into the sky like blazing flames and disappeared.”

The adults listened, but none of them believed the children's account.

“That is impossible,” they said to themselves.

“How could a small child bring down two huge trees? The trees must have fallen at almost the same moment that Krishna passed between them, making it seem as though He caused it.”

As for the radiant figures the children claimed to have seen, the villagers exchanged amused smiles. Surely, they thought, the children's imaginations had embellished the story. The extraordinary tale of glowing beings speaking with Krishna seemed far too fantastic to be true.

And so, while the children had witnessed the miracle with their own eyes, the adults explained it away with ordinary reasoning, unable to recognise the divine power hidden within the playful child of Gokula.

Summary

The young  Krishna liberated two celestial beings from an ancient curse. While bound to a grinding mortar by his mother as punishment for his mischief, the child crawled between two massive Arjun trees, inadvertently uprooting them and releasing the spirits trapped within. These figures were actually the sons of Kubera, who had been transformed into trees by the sage Narad as a remedy for their alcohol-fueled arrogance and disrespect. Through this divine act, the brothers were purified of their pride and allowed to return to their heavenly home. The story illustrates how even a seemingly simple punishment can lead to spiritual deliverance, showcasing the Lord's power to untie the knots of worldly karma.