The Story
When the cowherds of Gokula were preparing their annual sacrifice (yajna) to Indra (god of rain), the young Kṛṣṇa persuaded them to worship Govardhana hill instead — explaining that it was the source of their pasture, water, and prosperity. An enraged Indra sent a catastrophic downpour. Kṛṣṇa then lifted the entire Govardhana hill on his little finger like an umbrella and held it for seven days, providing shelter for all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana — people, cows, and creatures.
Theological Meaning
The Govardhana episode is rich with Sri Vaishnava theological import:
- Kṛṣṇa as the true Indra — not the Indra of heaven but the real lord of all
- Protection as rakṣaṇa — Kṛṣṇa holding the hill demonstrates rakṣaṇa (active protection) for those who depend on him — the same unconditional protective nature expressed in the prapatti promise
- The Lord's accessibility — the Supreme Lord protecting cattle and cowherds! His saulabhya expressed in the most vivid way
- Govardhana as the Lord's body — later tradition identifies Govardhana hill itself with Kṛṣṇa; pilgrims circumambulate the hill as a form of worship (parikramā)
Govardhana Pūjā
The festival of Govardhana Pūjā (the day after Dīpāvali) celebrates Kṛṣṇa's defeat of Indra's pride and the establishment of the Lord's direct relationship with devotees who depend on him.