Shrinathji, Kumbhan Das and Kankoda Teras
Shrinathji has four very dear friends – Kumbhan Das, Sadu Pande, Manikchand Pande and Ramdas.
Kumbhan Das lives in Jumunavata. And Shrinathji lives atop Goverdhan Parvat. But Kumbhan Das has a soft corner for Shrinathji even as a child. He goes to Girirajji every day to play with Shrinathji. They would then discuss their games and other aspects of their lives for long hours. Kumbhna also sings beautiful keertans while doing Shrinathji’s darshan. So Shrinathji knows Kumbhna is a rare mortal who understands His divinity.
The Yavana and Kankoda Teras
One day, a Yavana attacks several villages of Vraj with the intention of conquering all of Vraj. Kumbhan Das, Sadu Pande, Manikchand Pande and Ramdas discuss the matter amongst themselves. They are concerned about Shrinathji’s welfare. So, they ask Shrinathji, “How can we stop the Yavana’s attacks? He does not believe in Dharma and does not want anyone to practice it either. Please guide us. We are worried he may attack this temple too.”
Shrinathji looks at his four devotees and says, “I wish to visit the thicket of Tond. So please take me there.” The four devotees wonder about Shrinathji’s strange request but they have immense faith in Him. So, they ask him, “Please tell us how we can fulfil your wish.”
Shrinathji says, “I wish to sit atop Sadu Pande’s young buffalo and ride to Tond.” Sadu Pande feels happy to serve Shrinathji. He brings his buffalo to Girirajji immediately. Shrinathji’s four friends seat Shrinathji comfortably atop the buffalo and embark on their journey to Tond.
Ramdas and Sadu Pande walk alongside the buffalo while Kumbhandas and Manikchand walk ahead to clear the path for Shrinathji. After experiencing several difficulties along the way for a few days, they find a clearing in the forest with a pond. Ramdas and Kumbhandas ask Shrinathji, “Would you like to be enshrined here?” Shrinathji smiles and nods in assent. So, they create a small makeshift platform, put a bedspread on it and seat Shrinathji on it.
Chatura and Kankoda Teras
Now Chatura, a Naga, an ardent devotee of Shrinathji, is performing austere penances at that very place because he yearns to do the darshan of Shrinathji. But his faith in Shrinathji is so staunch that he refuses to set foot on the holy mount of Goverdhan because he feels it is a sin to touch Shrinathji with his feet.
Shrinathji knows all this. Very well. That is why He asks his devotees to enshrine Him at that very spot. Chatura feels overwhelmed with gratitude when he sees Shrinathji taking so much trouble to fulfil his wishes. He celebrates this occasion by hosting an utsav there. He gathers a vegetable called Kankoda/Kantola which grows in abundance in that particular clearing and cooks a sabji out of it for Shrinathji.
Today, we celebrate Kankoda Teras on the 13th day of the Shukla Paksha of Shraavan to remind ourselves of this special leela of Shrinathji.
Shrinathji, Swaminiji and Kankoda Teras
Shrinathji then asks Ramdas to make sooji ka halwa with all the flour that he has and offer it to Him as bhog during His next darshan. Ramdas and Kumbhandas again wonder about Shrinathji’s strange request. They had only two cups of flour with them. If they offered it all as bhog during the next darshan they wondered what they could offer Shrinathji after that. They had eaten all the Kankoda that grew there and nothing else grew in the wilderness there.
But they know from experience that Shrinathji probably was fulfilling the manorath of some unknown devotee with yet another of His mystic leelas. Shrinathji reads the thoughts of his devotees and says, “I have fulfilled Chatura’s wish of doing my darshan. It is time for us to move on now.”
Kumbhandas, Sadu Pande, Manikchand Pande and Ramdas seat Shrinathji atop the buffalo and set out on their journey again. After a while, they feel tired, hungry and thirsty too. They decide to rest in a shady area and wonder if they would find any food there.
That is when Shrinathji engages His four friends in another divine experience. Swaminiji manifests there, cooks a delicious meal and offers it as bhog to Shrinathji. Then, much to their surprise, Swaminiji invites the four of them too to share their meal.
Shrinathji then says, “O Kumbhna, Swaminiji understands our needs and fulfils them with love. Do something special so that all my devotees remember this. Always.” Kumbhandas composes and sings several keertans which please Shrinathji and Swaminiji immensely.
Swaminiji, Vrinda and Kankoda Teras
Yet some questions linger in Kumbhna’s mind. So, he asks Shrinathji, “We now understand some of your mystic leelas in Tond. But why, O Shrinathji did you choose to ride atop a buffalo? Is some leela of yours eluding us?”
Shrinathji looks meaningfully at Swaminiji as she says, “Vrinda has been reborn as that buffalo because I cursed her. Vrinda has served my lord, Shrinathji very well in these last few days. But she still has to face a few more trials and tribulations and ensure I reach Barsana. After that, she will be freed from my curse.”
Sadu Pande, Manik Chand, Ramdas and Khumbhandas look at the buffalo in amazement and listen in rapt attention. Swaminji continues, “Vrinda had a lovely daughter and worked in my father, Vrishbhanu’s garden. She would string garlands for us. One day, when Krishna and I went out for a stroll in our garden, we saw Vrinda playing with her daughter. From her haughty behaviour, we realized that she had no reverence for our divinity. So, Krishna said, “O Vrinda, your vanity blinds you to our divinity. May you be born as a buffalo on the earth and live there forever.”
Vrinda immediately asked us to forgive her, sang a beautiful stuti in our praise and said, “Tell me O Radha, how I can regain my place as a gardener in your divine garden again?”
We forgave her and said, “When Krishna incarnates as Shrinathji, he will ride atop you and visit the Tond forest. When Shrinathji fulfils the wishes of Chatura, and returns to Goverdhan Parvat, you will regain your place in our divine garden again. That is why Vrinda was reborn as a buffalo in Sadu Pande’s house.”
Shrinathji’s four friends are awestruck when they hear this divine story from Swaminiji. They prostrate before the divine couple and seek their blessings. And much to their amazement, Swaminiji disappears from their sight again. It was as if she had come here to fulfil a divine mission.
A short while later they get the news that the Yavana’s army had retreated from Vraj. So Shrinathji’s devotees seat him on the buffalo again, return to Vraj and enshrine Him in the temple atop Giriraj again. And Vrinda, the buffalo finally breathes his last the minute Shrinathji gets off his back.
The villagers are immensely pleased to do Shrinathji’s darshan again. They know that Shrinathji’s divine grace alone had saved them from the Yavana’s attacks. The beautiful temple and Bhetakji amidst the thickets of Tond symbolize these leelas of Shrinathji.
Shrinathji’s Kankoda Teras leela conveys a beautiful idea. God’s ways are often beyond our comprehension. That is what we often strongly feel. But the fact is – we are just living through our Karma. But He does help us cope with reality and evolve spiritually too. For He yearns for our love just as much as we yearn for His grace. Let’s remember this. Always.
Input and photos given by Smt. Hema Ben. Hindola photo given by Hardevji.
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