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The title of this post might seem confusing. How could Lord Brahma, an ardent devotee of the Almighty, ever act in a way that would dishonor Lord Narayan? It seems unthinkable, yet it happened once—not in a battle of weapons, but in a profound confrontation of pride and self-realization. It is a story about understanding our own place in the cosmos and recognizing the true nature of God.
The events took place when Lord Krishna lived on Earth in the land of Braj. He spent his days as a simple cowherd, playing with his friends while their cows and calves grazed nearby. He lived a normal life, showing no pomp or sign of his divine prowess.
One day, word of this boy reached Lord Brahma, the Creator. He heard whispers that Krishna was none other than an incarnation of Vishnu and had recently slain the great serpent-demon, Aghasur. Knowing Aghasur’s immense power, which even demigods feared, Brahma was skeptical. He concluded that this cowherd boy must be a charlatan fooling the innocent people of Braj. Blinded by his own status, Brahma decided to test Krishna and expose him.
Descending to Earth, Brahma saw Krishna and his friends eating together, sharing food from one another’s hands. This sight reinforced Brahma’s disbelief. How could the Supreme Being, who is formless and beyond comprehension, engage in such “immature” activities? How could the Unknowable, whom sages fail to grasp after millennia of penance, play in the mud with poor, unwashed village boys? Convinced that this was a deception, Brahma decided to teach the boy a lesson. When the calves wandered away, he used his power to steal them.
When Krishna’s friends noticed the calves were gone, Krishna assured them he would bring them back. As soon as he left, Brahma seized his chance, magically sedating the cowherd boys and abducting them as well. He took both the calves and the boys to his own realm, Brahmaloka.
When Krishna returned and found his friends missing, he instantly understood what had happened, for nothing escapes his knowledge. Without a moment’s hesitation, he acted. From his own divine form, he manifested perfect duplicates of every boy and every calf.
Here, a crucial detail of cosmic time comes into play. A mere moment in Brahmaloka is equivalent to a full year on Earth. So, while Brahma returned in what felt like a fraction of a second to him, a year had passed in Braj. During that year, the mothers of the boys and the mother cows felt an even deeper, more profound love for their children. They were unknowingly caressing the divine form of Krishna himself, fulfilling their deepest desire to adore him as their own son.
When Brahma returned to Earth, he was utterly bewildered. He saw Krishna having lunch with the very same friends he had just abducted, with all the calves grazing nearby. Stunned, Brahma used his divine vision to look back at Brahmaloka; the real boys and calves were still there, sleeping under his spell.
Completely perplexed, he prayed for the knowledge to understand the truth. Krishna, the Supreme Lord, granted him divine sight. In an instant, Brahma’s perception shattered. He saw that every cowherd boy and every calf before him was a radiant, four-armed form of Lord Vishnu, glittering with celestial light.
Humbled and overwhelmed, Brahma fell at Krishna’s lotus feet, realizing the blunder his pride had caused. At that moment, Krishna revealed the true scale of reality. Suddenly, Brahma was surrounded by thousands of other Brahmas—some with ten heads, some with a hundred, some with a thousand. Krishna explained that he, the Brahma of this universe, was just one of many. There are infinite universes, and each has its own Creator.
Having shattered his pride, Krishna dismissed the other Brahmas back to their respective universes. Our Brahma apologized profusely, and Krishna forgave him. The real boys and calves were returned, and the divine duplicates dissolved back into Krishna’s body. Brahma offered his prayers, extolling the glory of a God so powerful yet so merciful, before returning to his realm.
Back in Vrindavan, the friends were reunited with Krishna, and their play resumed as if nothing had happened.
This pastime of Lord Krishna is not just a playful story; it is a profound lesson. It teaches us to rise above superficial distinctions like caste, social status, or wealth. God created all beings, and his love is unconditional, just as Krishna loved all his friends without prejudice. It shows us that no matter how much power we possess, we are all part of a creation far grander than we can imagine.
Ultimately, it is a lesson in humility. The powers and abilities we have are gifts from the Divine. They are meant to be used with respect for all of creation, for one day, everything will dissolve back into the source, leaving behind only our actions and our virtues.
