Krishna and Uttanga

After the great war of Mahabharatha was over, Lord Krishna

was traveling back home. On his way back, he passed a barren

desert. He waited there for the night. There in the barren desert

he saw a Sage named Uttanga. Uttanga was a great devotee of

Lord Krishna. He spent most of his time in meditation and did

not know much about what happened in the outer world...

Uttanga saw Krishna camping the desert and was thrilled to

meet him. Uttanga fell at Krishna's feet and worshiped Krishna.

Krishna picked up Uttanga lovingly and embraced him. 'My

friend! What are you doing here?' Krishna asked Uttanga.

Uttanga smiled and shook his head. 'Just meditating, my Lord!

The question is what are you doing here?'

Krishna thought for a few seconds and then spoke, 'A great war

was just over! We just finished the Kurushektra war, my friend!

I am now going back home...now that my work there is done...'

Uttanga blinked...A war? Krishna could not stop a war? Uttanga

fumbled, 'But my Lord! A war? A war would have caused so

much bloodshed....Why would you even allow such a war to

happen?

Krishna sadly nodded his head, 'This war was responsible for

many people to lose their lives...But it was necessary...'

Uttanga said surprised 'You are saying that a war is necessary?'

Uttanga looked disgusted as he continued, 'this war has created

so much misery and loss…Did you do nothing to stop the war

Krishna?’ Uttanga became more and more angry, as he spoke. In

anger he pulled out the water from his Kamandalam and held it

in his hands and said, ‘If that is true Krishna…then I am going

to curse you…’

Krishna looked at Uttanga and smilingly shook his head.

Gandhari’s [the mother of the Kauravas] curse already hung on

his head. He had accepted that curse willingly….He did not need

another person who did not understand him…He had to make

Uttanga understand, ‘Uttanga! I did everything in my power to

stop the war…I went and pleaded with Duryodhana [the eldest

Kaurava] to make peace with Pandavas…I said that he did not

even have to give back the Pandavas the whole of the kingdom

that they had lost….I was even ready to accept five villages -

one each for each of the five Pandavas...’

Uttanga looked surprised as Krishna continued, ‘Yes! I actually

pleaded with Duryodhana to give five villages, one for each of

the five Pandavas…and do you know what Duryodhana said?’

Krishna said with pain filled eyes. Uttanga questioningly raised

his eyebrows as Krishna continued, ‘Duryodhana said he would

not give even the space to occupy a needle to the Pandavas…He

said he was willing to fight for it…It was his….’

Uttanga felt a little silly with the water in his hands as Krishna

continued, ‘Besides Uttanga, the Kauravas humiliated the

Pandavas and Draupadi[the wife of the Pandavas]…Such cruelty

could not be forgiven…And so...' Krishna said taking a deep

breath, '...the war was fought…’

Uttanga dropped the water uselessly on the floor and looked at

Krishna with tears in his eyes, ‘I am sorry I doubted you,

Krishna…’ He looked down looking shamefaced, ‘I am sorry I

was about to curse you for something you were not

responsible…’

Krishna shook his head. He ordered his guards to prepare lunch

for the sage. The sage enjoyed Krishna’s hospitality for some

time. The next day, as Krishna left for his kingdom, Krishna

spoke to Uttanga, ‘Uttanga! I know that when you heard my

story yesterday you were about to curse me...you transferred

some energy to the water in your Kamadalam…It was

wasted…Your powers were wasted…I wish to make up for

it…Please ask for anything from me, I will grant you any boon

you want…’

Uttanga shook his head, ‘I need nothing Krishna…I am an

ascetic…I am devoted to you…I can see you whenever I

want...What more could I want….’

Krishna smiled, ‘Please Uttanga! I insist! Please ask for a

boon…’

Uttanga thought for some time. Krishna did not give his word

normally to everyone…Krishna expected him to use the boon

carefully…He looked at the place where his water had spilt and

suddenly smiled, He looked at Krishna, ‘Krishna! I lost some

water on that day right? So that is what I ask from

you…Water…If I ever feel thirsty, you have to make sure that

my thirst is quenched….’

Krishna smiled and blessed Uttanga. Krishna started his journey

to Dwaraka.

In the desert Uttanga sat meditating on the Dark Lord. Once as

Uttanga had finished his meditation, he felt very thirsty. He

looked around and saw no water. Krishna! He thought as he

closed his eyes.

When Uttanga opened his eyes, standing before him was a

hunter with his dogs, dressed in rags looking dirty and filthy.

The hunter was panting as if he had run a long way. The hunter

took out the water from a pouch in his belt and took a sip. The

hunter looked at Uttanga and said, ‘Sir! You look like you are

thirsty….Want some water?’ The hunter said gruffly handing

over the dirty pouch to Uttanga. Uttanga wrinkled his nose. The

stench coming from the man was unbearable…The water that

the man was drinking was probably dirty. Uttanga stepped back

and shook his head, ‘I don’t want anything…Go away from

me…’

The hunter looked amused, ‘Sir! You actually look thirsty…I

saw you lick your lips, when I was drinking water…I filled the

water from a river near my house…It is very clear and pure…’

Uttanga wanted to just get away from the dirty man and his

dogs, who were sniffing him, ‘Go away now!’ He said angrily

and slightly nervous looking at the dogs.

The hunter tried again, ‘Sir! You won’t find a lot of water

here…' The hunter said pointing at the desert around him,

'...Please sir…take some water…’

Uttanga looked angrily at the hunter and said, ‘I would rather die

thirsty then to drink water from a dirty man like you…go away!’

The hunter gave a sad smile and went away from there...Uttanga

was angry and still walking with no water…Krishna, your broke

your promise…How dare you…

Standing before Uttanga with a very sad smile was the Dark

Lord, who suddenly appeared before him. Uttanga angrily

looked at Krishna ‘Is this a way to repay a boon…I thought you

said I would get water, whenever I was thirsty…My thirst is

almost killing me…and what?’ Uttanga said angrily waving his

hands, ‘No water?’ He said looking scornfully at Krishna.

Krishna did not say anything while Uttanga was ranting. Finally

Uttanga looked exhausted then Krishna spoke quietly, ‘You are

right, Uttanga…I did not give you water…I was going to give

you nectar of immortality…amrita of the Gods….’

Uttanga looked stunned as Krishna continued, ‘Indra, the God of

the Devas has the nectar of immortality with him…I asked him

to give that to you…' Uttanga looked stunned as Krishna sadly

continued speaking, 'Indra agreed to give you the amrita, but he

imposed a condition. Indra said that it was after all Amrita

...only a person who truly deserved it should be given it....Indra

said that he would first test you and if you passed the test, he

would give the amrita to you...'

Krishna pointed at the direction of the hunter, ‘The hunter was

actually Indra…He had amrita in his pouch…He wanted to see

whether you saw the Brahman [the Force which runs within us

all…] in all the people…’ Krishna sadly shook his head, ‘You

could not see that all people are equal, Uttanga…’ Uttanga

looked too shamefaced and bowed down, his thirst forgotten,

‘Despite all your meditation and prayers, you still do not realize

that everything is one and the same and all are equal…I am

sorry Uttanga…’ The Dark Lord said turning away, ‘You still

have a lot of learn about Love and the Brahman…’

The Dark Lord handed some plain water to Uttanga who was

now not in a mood to drink it. Uttanga just went away and

promised to himself that he would become a better person and

try to see everyone equally no matter who they are…