Krishna, the Yogi, and the Cow

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Birendra Krishna Bhadra reciting Mahishasura Mardini at All India Radio
A traditional depiction of Krishna and Uddhava in conversation — a reminder that divine wisdom often hides within simple encounters

A small parable from the Krishna–Uddhava tradition about attachment and spiritual evolution.

One morning, Krishna and Uddhava went on a walk and came across a rich man's mansion. Krishna said he was thirsty and asked Uddhava to fetch him some water from the rich man's house. Uddhava went to the house and asked for water. The man of the house invited them in, received them with respect, and offered them cool refreshments. Krishna was pleased and, once they went out, he blessed the man with prosperity and even greater riches.

They continued their walk and came across a small hut, with a cow grazing nearby. Krishna again said he was thirsty and asked Uddhava to request some water. Uddhava suspected that Krishna might be up to one of his usual tricks, but Krishna reassured him that there was nothing amiss.

Uddhava went and knocked on the door. An old yogi opened it and invited them in. When Uddhava told him that his friend was thirsty, the yogi said regretfully that there was nothing in the house to offer them. Just then it occurred to him that his one dear possession, the cow, would not let him down. He milked the cow and offered fresh milk to his guests. Krishna drank it with enjoyment and thanked him.

As they walked away, Krishna raised his hands in blessing and said, "May the old yogi's cow die!"

A shocked Uddhava found this difficult to understand. He asked Krishna why he had blessed the rich man with more riches and the yogi with the death of his cow, when both had been kind and hospitable. It seemed unfair to him that the yogi should lose his only possession, especially when he had offered them the best he could.

Krishna replied that the yogi was so close to him that he had almost entered his heart. The only thing preventing him from entering fully was his attachment to the cow. Once that attachment was broken, he would be one with him.

Krishna added that the rich man would become even richer, and it would take him many lives to come to him, because he was still deeply attached to worldly gains and material pleasures.

One may naturally question the fairness of Krishna's pronouncements, but one can also see here the working of a divine will. Often we see good people suffering, yet it may be part of a larger divine plan whose sole purpose is spiritual evolution. Through the unfolding of this plan, situations arise that are most suitable for a person's progress. Once someone comes under the influence of the divine will, he is guided at every step through his inner mind or conscience. Yet man is not without choice and free will.

To take an example, a rich and distinguished man may be in the final stages of his spiritual evolution, having cleared many of his karmic debts in previous lives through suffering and hardship, but also by exercising his free will wisely and working towards right action. Yet if he still carries some desires for material enjoyment, he may be granted them in this life as part of the divine plan, so that he ultimately becomes free of attachment before completing his final journey.

However, such a man may still use his free will to indulge excessively in the pleasures granted to him in this life. If he falls into pride, greed, egotism, slander, deceit, arrogance, or dishonesty, he may again be caught in the worldly trap that drags him into many more lives. To others it may appear that he is enjoying a prosperous life and getting away with wrongful actions, but divine justice also has its role. That justice may set him back by several lives before he finally attains ultimate peace.

In comparison, a life of hardship imposed by circumstance, or a simple and austere life chosen voluntarily, both present a splendid opportunity for spiritual advancement, wherever one may stand on the path towards realization.


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