Bhagavatam - Tenth Skandha , Chapter 13

Brahma steals the boys and calves

Oh Mahaabhaaga ! the best of Lords disciples , you have asked very correctly. Lords deeds appear fresh even if they were heard before.

With the flute stuck between waist cloth and abdomen , with staff in the left hand and the ball of curd rice in his palm , sitting in the middle of his own people , making them laugh with his jokes, He made the celestials look on with wonder .

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Brahma Stealing Boys & calves

Suka Deva Continued.

‘ O King ! after killing Aghasura and rescuing cowherd boys and the calves , Krishna led the Gopas to the banks of the river Yamuna . In order to get over the excitement of Aghasura's death , Krishna told them that they should all relax on the banks of the river Yamuna. The boys first ensured that the calves drank water on the banks and let off the calves to graze in the fields on their own . They then sat down in a circle with Krishna to enjoy their own lunch. With the flute stuck between waist cloth and abdomen , with staff in the left hand and the ball of curd rice in his palm , sitting in the middle of his own friends , making them laugh with his jokes, Krishna made the celestials look on with wonder at the fortunate Gopas.

While eating the lunch the boys suddenly noticed that the calves have moved farther away and wanted to go and bring back the calves .

Krishna stopped them saying that he will go and get them , and left immediately carrying the morsel of food he is having in his hand . Krishna looked every where in the mountains , caves and bushes for the calves of his friends . At this time Lord Brahma , born out of Lotus , and also greatly astonished at the killing of Aghasura , got involved in the affair of the boys . Wanting to see the other glories of the boy Krishna , Lord Brahma hid the Calves and the boys too .

After a long search , having not found the calves , Krishna came back to the banks of Yamuna where he left his friends. To his surprise he found that even the boys have disappeared.

Krishna immediately realized this as the act of Lord Brahma .

Krishna then set out to teach Brahma a lesson on the limitation of his powers .He also needed to ensure that the parents of Gopas and the calves too are not deprived of their pleasures . There after Krishna in order create pleasure for the mothers of the boys and also teach Brahma, manifested himself in the form of all the boys with their bugles , flutes , sticks and bags as well as their other characteristics , habits and physical form along with the ornaments they were wearing , matching them in all respects. He also manifested himself in the form of the calves too . Enjoying himself in the form of the boys and calves , Krishna came back to Vrindavan with all the entourage consisting of himself in the form of the all the boys and all the calves. Being in the form of every boy and the calf , he led each one to their respective household. The mothers alerted by the sounds of arrival of the Gopas and the calves , left their household chores to welcome back their sons. Not knowing that they were actually bathing , feeding the Supreme Lord himself , the mothers were lost in their own love for their own children. The cows were feeding the calves which were none other than the supreme being himself . All the Gopis had motherly affection for Krishna , and loved Krishna even more than they loved their own children , enchanted by his child hood pranks . Now unknowingly they were showering all their love on the real Krishna thinking that the one in their lap is indeed their own son. Indeed it is part of the divine mystery that the all mothers and even the cows were fortunate enough to feed the Supreme Lord himself so easily while lot of others do penance for ages to achieve the nearness enjoyed by the Gopas and Gopis .

One day Balaram and Krishna moved to the forest with the calves . The cows which were also nearby saw the calves and rushed to them to feed . The elderly cowherds soon followed the cows unable to control their rush towards the calves . After reaching the place where the cows came to feed the calves , the elderly Gopas saw their own children and immediately their irritation disappeared and they took their children in their hands embracing them with pleasure. Balaram who was seeing all this wondered at the increased love and affection between the parents and the boys as also the cows and calves . Having known the love of all in Vrindavan towards Krishna , he felt all of this is indeed Maya of Krishna himself.

Krishna continued this play in Vrindavan and the forest for one full year.

When Lord Brahma returned , after a moment in his time, it is an year in time in this world . Then he saw Krishna playing with the cowherd boys and the tending the calves as before . He was wonderstruck . He was unable to decide who was real , the Gopas hidden by him or the Gopas playing with Krishna on the banks of Yamuna . Unable to fathom the secret of the calves with Krishna and calves hidden by him , Lord Brahma realized the mystic powers of the Supreme Lord Vishnu who manifested himself as Krishna. Even as he was looking on, it appeared as through each of those boys were having four arms wearing the traditional yellow cloth and resembling The Lord himself . Even the calves seem to appear as the form of Lord himself . Then like a person whose eleven senses have been jolted by a reality , Lord Brahma became silent . Krishna seeing this predicament , removed the Maya , and Lord Brahma was able to see the universe and himself . He could see Vrindavan as the abode of the Lord . He saw Krishna with a morsel of food in his hand searching for calves . He immediately came down and fell the feet of Krishna ,the Supreme Lord , with tears of joy reflecting the supreme realization.

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. Falling down at the lotus feet of Krishna and rising repeatedly , Lord Brahma remembered again and again the greatness he had just seen "

Om tat sat