A Genuine Devotee of Lord Krishna

Radhe gave birth to a child named Vishnu which brought immense joy to the family. Hanuma and Radhe had done many rituals over the years but were not blessed with a child. This was a euphoric moment for the couple as they showered kisses upon the baby boy. Several years of pain went down the drain as their prayers were finally heard. They distributed sweets to everyone to celebrate the birth of their first child. The delicate eyes of the baby seemed to have concealed a divine aura. Its nimble fingers entwined its mother's fingers which was its way of showing love to its beloved mother. Sadness was replaced by happiness as laughter and peace settled deep-rooted in the family. As the boy grew, he appeared to show more maturity than his age group children. He became an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. He frequently recited the Krishna mantra, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna! Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!"

The couple were mighty pleased to see a spiritual child being bestowed upon them by God. They thought the rituals they had diligently carried out over the years were the reason why the child turned spiritual. He used to glance at Krishna's idol for a very long time as if he held a secret conversation with God. 

One day, one of the neighbours happened to visit their house. The lady witnessed the boy reciting the Krishna mantra with devotion. 

"Your son may become a monk. Please be careful. It is not good for a young child to become spiritual. He may not even marry which is considered a social norm. Better you advise him to be like other children," she said looking at the boy.

Her words pissed off Radhe who gave a befitting reply. "We know how to take care of our boy. He is a product of divine blessings. We are no one to sway him away from his interests. Karma will decide what he needs to become and we as parents are happy with whatever he becomes in the future."

"You are not aware of how the society perceives your child going forward. It was my duty to put forth the societal norms. If you are not interested in listening to me, who am I to cajole you?" The lady left the house.

The couple did not let the outside noises disrupt their peaceful mood. They encouraged their boy to pursue his interests rather than being entangled in the web of social norms. Vishnu started doing Pooja on his own which was a testament to his spiritual advancement. Just a seven-year-old boy started narrating gripping Krishna stories. One of the seers prophesied that the boy would be protected and nourished by the divine blessings of Lord Krishna himself. He also praised the couple for giving birth to such a special child.

Hanuma and Radhe chalked out a plan to go on a trip with Vishnu. The boy lowered the car window and stared at passing shops and trees. He looked up at the sky and the clouds seemed to have drawn the figure of Lord Krishna which invigorated his soul. As usual, he stirred his voicebox to churn out Krishna's mantra. Radhe too joined him. Hanuma halted the car at the entrance of Lord Krishna temple. All three of them climbed out of the car and strode towards the temple premises. The chant of Krishna mesmerized Vishnu as he gazed at God's idol anointed with vermilion and wreathed with different flowers. The pontiff offered Pooja in his own inimitable style and all devotees folded their hands to exhibit their devotion to the Lord. As per the request of Vishnu, the couple stayed on the premises of the temple for about an hour seeing their beloved boy recite multiple verses praising the Lord. Hearing his soothing voice and the multiple hymns he sang, many devotees deemed him to be a blessed child. Following a memorable stay in the temple, they now embarked on a journey to visit the vast sea. The couple got to see the playful nature of the boy as he splashed the water of the sea and burst into laughter. He built a little statue of Lord Krishna using the sea sand which was indeed a sight for the sore eyes. His unconditional love for Lord Krishna was palpable. The fiery waves of the sea looked to have concealed a plot beneath its cloak. They rose upwards and then spiralled downwards pretending to be dormant. The seawater shimmered upon mixing with the mild sunlight. The ominous wind blew across the sea to render a message that something untoward might transpire. Vishnu's parents munched on the sugarcane and failed to notice the boy. When they swung their neck behind, they were taken aback. Vishnu is missing. Where did he go? He was just playing on the sand. They dropped the sugarcane pieces and scurried towards the brink of the sea. They scanned their eyes around but their son was not found. Radhe screamed at the top of her lungs calling her son but there was no response. Her heart sank. They just couldn't grapple with the bitter reality that threatened to shatter all their dreams. The blessed son is missing which they couldn't digest. Only a handful of people had come to quaff the beauty of the sea and they too had no idea about the whereabouts of Vishnu. Radhe went down on her knees and sobbed in anguish. Hanuma controlled his tears and tried to console his wife to whom the sky had just fallen. Did the sea beckon him to enter its mouth? Did someone abduct him? A myriad of unanswered questions hovered over baffling the couple to whom their son meant the world. Radhe refused to leave until she had her son back. Subsequently, they went to the nearby police station to file a complaint. 

When Vishnu opened his eyes, he was shocked to see jungle tribes surrounding him. The silent sea waves trapped him in its clutches and the jungle tribes who happened to be riding on a boat accidentally encountered him. They asked him multiple questions but he couldn't understand their language. 

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna! Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!"

They looked perplexed by the sound of the mantra. The boy desperately wanted to join back his parents but the tribe couldn't discern his words. The sun decided to descend to mark the beginning of a night. They took him to their tent and offered him a meet.

"I am a vegetarian. I am a Brahmin," he said.

One of the men roared into wicked laughter portraying his evil side. 

"We eat human flesh. You smell too good. Look at the lamb we have roasted over there. We are just going to roast you on fire and devour your carcass," he said in his language prodding the boy in the ribs. 

Two men caught hold of his limbs and tied him to a horizontal log hanging above the bonfire. The startling revelation of being roasted like an animal sent chills down his spine. His heart throbbed begging for mercy but they all danced in joy. He visualized Lord Krishna and recited the hymns with devotion.

The fiery power of the fire threatened to set him ablaze and scar him to death. Five minutes flew by. The divine aura of the Lord seemed to have insulated him from the blazing fire. A surreal display of divinity. The jungle tribes couldn't believe their eyes. Half an hour passed but the boy was not roasted which astonished them. The blazing fire automatically got extinguished much to their surprise. They all ran away fearing for their lives. Vishnu freed himself from the ropes and planted his forehead on the ground to extend his gratitude to God. He didn't know where to go in the middle of the night in what looked like a dense jungle. Soon he dozed off. The jungle beast lion which was in quest for food stumbled upon the boy. It roared in delight. It came close to the boy's face and let out an earth-shattering roar which woke the boy up. His eyes reddened in fear looking at the sight of the behemoth that drooled to have him as its food. Vishnu closed his eyes and prayed to Lord Krishna to save him from the clutches of the lion. His prayers seemed to have been answered as the lion licked his elbow and retreated instead of pouncing and tearing him apart. It appeared to have seen the divine power smouldering in the eyes of the boy. Two incredible miracles saved the boy from the evil eyes of death. Oblivious to the plight of their son, Hanuma and Radhe relied on the police to find their lost son. 

The night was replaced by the morning as the sun slowly ascended to his throne to commemorate the inception of a new day. Vishnu's goal to meet his parents refused to subside as he trudged himself through the goat trail. Branches of the large trees extended themselves menacingly to startle the boy. Turbulent winds worked in cahoots with dark weather to make his journey even more hard. He incessantly chanted the Krishna mantra and firmly believed that the almighty would protect him against any storm. An old man with dishevelled hair and a grey beard noticed the boy. He waved his hand to capture his attention. 

"Hey, you little boy! What are you up to?" he asked.

"I am on my way to meet my parents," he replied.

"Do you know where your parents are?" he questioned.

"No." the boy's face reflected his dismay.

"You look to be a devotee of Lord Krishna."

"Yes, every cell in my body pulsates with vitality the moment I hear his name."

"Come with me. We shall go to Krishna's temple. Looks like you may have to cross the sea to get back to your parents," he said.

His demeanour and promising words seemed to have earned the boy's trust. He took the boy to the Lord Krishna temple. Ecstacy coursed through his spine the moment he was inside the temple premises. The beautiful idol of Lord Krishna glittered with gold. He dived into the ocean of devotion which soothed his sensitive heart. The prasad served their satisfied hunger. He got a chance to anoint the Krishna idol with vermilion. The beautiful ambience was churned out by the devotees in the temple bereft of clamour. 

"Krishna is an embodiment of wisdom. If you bleed your heart for him, he will breed your mind with wisdom. Once you enter the realm of Lord Krishna, he will become your protector and save you from the miseries of life. The flame of confusion gets extinguished and you see life with more clarity," the old man said. 

"Let's go on a voyage and who knows with the divine blessings of the Lord, you may rejoin your parents who might be distraught with your absence," the old man gave a pat on the back of the boy as he readied his ship. 

"Are you a ship driver?" Vishnu asked in curiosity.

"I can don any role to meet the needs of my customers," he said.

Vishnu enjoyed the ride as he got a chance to behold the shimmering waves of the sea composing a melodious tune that sounded music to his ears. They did make it to the other side of the ocean. 

The old man held the hand of the boy which gave him a comforting feeling amidst the searing heat. He took him to a small house and asked him to bang on the door. The boy obeyed his orders and knocked on the door and to his surprise, his parents appeared in front of him. His joy knew no bounds as he hugged his parents.

"Where did you go? We couldn't even breathe without you," the joyful tears shimmered down their eyes on their own accord.

"That grandpa helped me to come here," he swivelled to his right and pointed his finger but the old man was missing.

"Where did he go?" the boy sauntered down the side of the road and peered around but to no avail.

It slowly dawned upon him that the old man was none other than Lord Krishna himself. In the disguise of an old man, he had come to protect his devotee from evil eyes. The boy broke into blissful tears having met his beloved God. Upon hearing the miracles, his parents bowed down to the Lord for his divine blessings. Vishnu preached the significance of Lord Krishna to the world thereby cementing his legacy as one of the biggest devotees of Lord Krishna. The tear of pride glimmered in his parent's eyes as they too supported him in all his spiritual endeavours.