Devouring the Forest Fire

Next chapter, Nineteen. Heading: "Devouring the Forest Fire."

Next paragraph.

When Krsna and Balarama along with His friends were engaged in such pastimes in the forest and killing the Pralambasura, the cows, being freed from Their observation, began to proceed more and more and enter into the deepest part of the forest, being allured by fresh grasses within the forest. In this way all the goats, cows, buffalos, while traveling from one forest to another, they entered another forest, which was known as Isikatavi. This Isikatavi forest was full with green grass, and therefore they were allured by the place. But when they entered, they saw that there was a forest fire; thus they began to cry. On the other side, Rama-Krsna along with His cowherds friends, when they could not trace out their animals, they became very much aggrieved and thinking where the cows had gone. Thus they began to trace out the cows by following their footprints, as well as the path of eaten grass by the cows, and all of them were thinking that their means of livelihood, the cows, are now lost.

While searching out the cows in the forest and the hearing the crying sounds of the cows, they were themselves were very much tired and thirsty. They began to return from that place. Krsna then began to call for the cows by their respective names with great voice, and the cows also immediately after hearing Krsna's calling replied the call with great joy.

At this time the forest fire surrounded all of them, the scene appeared to be very fierceful. While the flames of the forest fire were expanding, there was companion of the fire-the wind blowing very fast. The whole thing together appeared as if they were prepared to devour everything movable and not movable in that spot. All the cows and the cowherds boys became too much frightened by the expansion of the fire, and all the cowherds boy began to look towards Baladeva-Krsna, as if a dying man was looking to the picture of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

They began to say like this: "My dear Krsna, my dear Krsna, both You and Balarama are very powerful. We are now burning by the pressure of the blazing fire. Let us take the shelter of Your lotus feet. We know You can protect us from this great danger. My dear friend Krsna, we are Your intimate friends. It does not behoove that we shall suffer in this condition of life. We are all completely dependent on You, and You are the knower of all religious life and we do not know anyone else except Yourselves."

The Personality of Godhead heard this appealing voice of His friends, and with pleasing glance over them, began to answer as follows. He impressed upon His friends by speaking through the eyes that there was no cause of fear. "Don't be worried!" Thus Krsna, the supreme mystic, powerful Personality of Godhead, immediately swallowed up all the flames of the fire within His mouth. All the cows and cowherds boy was thus saved from the imminent danger. The cowherds boys, they were, out of fear, became almost unconscious, but when they came to their consciousness and opened their eyes, they saw that all of them, along with Krsna, Balarama and the cows, they were again in the Bhanḍira forest. When they found themselves along with their cows in safe place, all of them became very much astonished. When the cowherds boys saw themselves completely free from the attack of the blazing fire and their cows are saved, they thought within themselves that Krsna was not a ordinary boy, but He was some demigod.

Thus Krsna and Bala rama, along with cowherds boys and cows, returned to Vrndavana in the evening, while playing on Their flutes. When they returned in the village of Vrndavana…

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