A RK i
ag AY!
Q A
11 / Killing the Demons
Vatsasura and Bakasura

When the twin arjuna trees fell to the ground, making a sound like the
falling of thunderbolts, all the inhabitants of Gokula, including Nanda
Maharaja, immediately came to the spot. They were very much astonished
to see how the two great trees had suddenly fallen. Because they could
find no reason for their falling down, they were puzzled. When they saw
child Krsna bound up to the wooden mortar by the ropes of Yasoda, they
began to think that it must have been caused by some demon. Otherwise,
how was it possible? At the same time, they were very much perturbed
because such uncommon incidences were always happening to the child
Krsna. While the elderly cowherd men were thus contemplating, the small
children who were playing there informed the men that the trees fell due
to Krsna’s pulling the wooden mortar with the ropes to which He was
bound. “Krsna came in between the two trees,” they explained, “and the
wooden mortar was topsy-turvied and stuck in between the trees. Krsna
began to pull the rope, and the trees fell down. When the trees fell down,
two very dazzling men came out of the trees, and they began to talk to
Krsna.”

Most of the cowherd men did not believe the statement of the children.
They could not believe that such things were at all possible. Some of them,
however, believed them and told Nanda Maharaja, “Your child is different
from all other children. He just might have done it.”” Nanda Maharaja began
to smile, hearing about the extraordinary abilities of his son. He came for-
ward and untied the knot just to free his wonderful child. After being freed
by Nanda Maharaja, Krsna was taken onto the laps of the elderly gopis.
They took Him away to the courtyard of the house and began to clap, prais-
ing His wonderful activities. Krsna began to clap along with them, just like
an ordinary child. The Supreme Lord Krsna, being completely controlled
by the gopis, began to sing and dance, just like a puppet in their hands.

73
