The Hungry Cowherd Boys
Once, while in the forest with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, the cowherd boys became very hungry. They had been herding the cows under the hot sun and began to feel faint with thirst and hunger. Approaching Kṛṣṇa, they said:
“O Kṛṣṇa, we are very hungry. Please do something so we can eat.”
Kṛṣṇa, always eager to teach through sweet pastimes, saw an opportunity to glorify devotion. He smiled and said:
“Nearby, some learned brāhmaṇas are performing a Vedic sacrifice. Go to them and request food in My and Balarāma’s name. Surely they will honor your request.”
The boys eagerly ran to the sacrificial enclosure and found the brāhmaṇas deeply immersed in their rituals. With folded hands, they said:
“O brāhmaṇas! We are the friends of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who are not far from here. We are very hungry. Kindly give us some food as charity in Their names.”
The Brāhmaṇas’ Rejection
But the brāhmaṇas, proud of their rituals and absorbed in reciting mantras, ignored the request. Some looked up briefly and then returned to their chanting. Others whispered among themselves:
“Who is this Kṛṣṇa they speak of? A cowherd? We are engaged in sacred fire sacrifices. This is not the time for such requests.”
The boys returned to Kṛṣṇa empty-handed and disappointed.
“O Kṛṣṇa, they would not give us anything. They didn’t even acknowledge Your name.”
Kṛṣṇa smiled and said:
“Now go to their wives. They are full of devotion. Ask them the same.”
The Wives of the Brāhmaṇas Respond
The boys approached the wives of the brāhmaṇas—simple, pure-hearted women known as yajña-patnīs—and repeated their request. As soon as the ladies heard the names “Kṛṣṇa” and “Balarāma,” their hearts melted.
They gathered pots of cooked rice, sweets, fruits, and delicacies, and ran eagerly to where the boys had come from—despite knowing that their husbands might scold them or society might reject them.
When they reached the forest and saw Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma with their cowherd friends, standing beneath a tree with eyes like lotus petals, they were overwhelmed. Tears flowed from their eyes, and the food pots nearly dropped from their hands.
“This is the Lord we have worshiped in our hearts! Today our lives are fulfilled,” they thought.
Kṛṣṇa’s Blessings
Kṛṣṇa welcomed them warmly and accepted their offerings with great love. After feeding the cowherd boys, He said:
“Dear mothers, you have shown the highest form of bhakti. But now, please return to your homes. Your husbands will accept you.”
The yajña-patnīs hesitated:
“How can we return, having seen You? We have touched Your feet. We are Yours now.”
Kṛṣṇa, the protector of dharma, assured them:
“Your devotion has sanctified you. Though you remain at home, your minds can always dwell on Me. That is the perfection of life.”
The Transformation of the Brāhmaṇas
When the yajña-patnīs returned, their husbands were astonished. At first ashamed of their own behavior, they realized that their scholarly rituals were hollow without devotion. They repented:
“We failed to recognize the Supreme Lord. Our wives, though untrained in the Vedas, have achieved the highest perfection.”
Thus, even the brāhmaṇas became humble and began to respect bhakti.
Lessons to Be Learned:
- External ritual without devotion is fruitless. True worship comes from the heart, not just mantras and offerings.
- The Lord responds to simple, pure love more than formal scholarship or birth.
- Women of simple background can attain the highest devotion when their hearts are pure and surrendered.
- Kṛṣṇa teaches that devotion can be practiced anywhere, even while performing household duties.
- The yajña-patnīs serve as shining examples of śuddha-bhakti, pure devotional service, untouched by ego or fear.
Origin of the Story: Harivaṁśa Purāṇa – Viṣṇu-parva, Chapters 84–86
