The village of
Mentioned in Sri Bhakti Ratnakara – “Behold this place here named Parakhama. Here
How to get there: You can easily go to this place by auto from Vrindavan.
After rescuing the calves and gopas from death in Aghasura’s mouth (which I have explained in Parasauli), Shri Krishna went to the Yamuna’s shore and spoke the following delightful words:
“O gopas, let us go to this beautiful and pleasing riverbank of soft sands, which is flooded with pollen from the lotuses blossoming in autumn, fragrant with a breeze carrying three scents, and filled with trees, vines, and the humming of bees, and, now that three hours have passed and it is time for lunch, let us take our lunch here. I see that this place with soft sands is a very good place for our lunch. The calves will drink the water here, and then they will go to the new grasses there.”
Hearing Krishna’s words, the boys said, “So be it.” They all sat down on the riverbank to take lunch.
Some boys, who had not brought lunch, whispered in Krishna’s ear: “We did not bring any lunch. With the calves we have come very far from Nanda’s village.” Hearing this, Krishna said: “Dear friends, don’t lament. I will carefully give lunch to everyone. All you boys just follow My words.”
On Krishna’s word all the boys assembled around Krishna, put down their gopa-ropes, and ate their lunch in Krishna’s company. With the gopa boys dressed in garments of many colours, Krishna made a royal circle, with Himself, dressed in yellow, in the centre.
Surrounded by the gopa boys as Indra is surrounded by the demigods or a lotus whorl is surrounded by many soft petals, Krishna shone with great splendour. Making lunch-trays out of flowers, grass, twigs, leaves, fruit, or their hands, the boys ate.
Then one boy suddenly gave a morsel to Krishna. Krishna ate it, glanced at everyone, and said: Showing the others, Krishna said: “Friend, I do not know of anything more delicious than this.”
The boy said: “It is so.” Then the boy gave morsels of that food to the others.
Joking and laughing, the boys ate. Then Subala gave a morsel of food to Krishna.
Krishna tasted the morsel and laughed. All the boys that tasted that food laughed aloud.
The boys said: “O son of Nanda, his bewildered grandmother does not know how to cook. That was not delicious.”
Then Sridama gave a morsel to Krishna and the other boys. All the boys of Vraja declared, “This is the best.”
Then Varuthapa earnestly gave a morsel to Krishna and all the other boys. When they ate it, Krishna and all the boys of Vraja laughed. The boys said, “This is like Subala’s food.”
Laughing and making each other laugh, the boys enjoyed pastimes. Tucked into the cloth about His waist His flute, stick, and horn, in His left hand a morsel of food, on His fingers pieces of fruit, on His head a crown, over His shoulder a yellow cloth, on His chest a forest garland, on His hips a belt, on His feet anklets, on His chest a Kaustubha jewel and Srivatsa mark, staying in the midst of the gopas and making them laugh with His joking words as the people of Svargaloka and the other planets gazed with wonder, Lord Krishna, the enjoyer of sacrifices, enjoyed many pastimes.
As the boys, for whom Krishna was the Lord of their lives, ate, the calves, greedy for more grass, went far away, deep in the forest.
When Lord Brahma saw Sri Krishna eating contaminated food here with His friends he doubted His Godhead, therefore he stood here and decided to test Sri Krishna. “Everyone accepts Sri Krishna as Bhagavan, but nevertheless I see that His friends are feeding Him contaminated food. Let me therefore steal His cows and calves and see what will happen!” Following this resolution this village was named Parakhama.