Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 32
Bhagavān’s Avatāras, Their Protections (Poṣaṇa), and the Limits of Knowing Him
गोपैर्मखे प्रतिहते व्रजविप्लवाय देवेऽभिवर्षति पशून् कृपया रिरक्षु: । धर्तोच्छिलीन्ध्रमिव सप्तदिनानि सप्त- वर्षो महीध्रमनघैककरे सलीलम् ॥ ३२ ॥
gopair makhe pratihate vraja-viplavāya deve ’bhivarṣati paśūn kṛpayā rirakṣuḥ dhartocchilīndhram iva sapta-dināni sapta- varṣo mahīdhram anaghaika-kare salīlam
When the cowherd men, following Kṛṣṇa’s instruction, stopped Indra’s sacrifice, Indra poured down relentless rain for seven days, threatening to wash away Vraja. Out of causeless mercy to the people and the animals, the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa—only seven years old—held Govardhana Hill aloft with one hand like an umbrella for seven days.
Children play with an umbrella generally known as a frog’s umbrella, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was only seven years old, could snatch the great hill known as the Govardhana Parvata at Vṛndāvana and hold it for seven days continuously with one hand, just to protect the animals and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana from the wrath of Indra, the heavenly King, who had been denied sacrificial offerings by the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi.
FAQs
This verse states that when Indra flooded Vraja, the Lord compassionately protected the cows and the residents by lifting a mountain with one hand and holding it up for seven days, as a playful pastime.
Because the cowherds’ sacrifice was obstructed, Indra became angered and rained to bring devastation upon Vraja; the Lord intervened to protect His devotees.
The takeaway is to take shelter of the Lord with faith during crises, trusting divine protection rather than fearfully depending on unstable external powers.