Bhagavatham Stories

Although Krishna's pastimes were increasingly focused on intimate relationships and the cultivation of devotion through love, the demonic forces continued to attack Vrindavan with persistence and desperation. These attacks, sent by the fearful Kamsa, served a purpose that transcended their apparent destructive intent. Each demon that attacked was an opportunity for Krishna to demonstrate new dimensions of his power and to teach deeper lessons about the nature of evil and its inevitable defeat when it confronts the absolute good. Among these demonic visitations was the appearance of Dhenuka, a powerful demon who had assumed the form of a large donkey.

Dhenuka, taking the form of a giant donkey, positioned himself in a forest near Vrindavan that contained many date palm trees heavy with fruit. These trees were a valuable resource for the village, yet now no one dared approach them because of the demon's presence. The demon would kick and strike with tremendous force, injuring anyone who attempted to gather the fruit. The people of Vrindavan found themselves unable to harvest this resource, unable even to approach the forest. The situation represented more than merely an economic loss—it represented the principle that evil, when left unchecked, limits and restricts the freedom and prosperity of the good.

One day, Krishna and his brother Balarama, accompanied by some of the cowherd boys, approached the forest to gather the fruit from the palm trees. They were not armed with weapons; they carried only the simple tools of cowherd boys going about their daily tasks. When Dhenuka saw them, the demon immediately attacked with tremendous fury, his donkey hooves striking with a force that could have killed an ordinary person. But Krishna and Balarama, though appearing to be simple children, moved with perfect coordination and grace. As the demon charged, Krishna caught the demon by one leg, and Balarama caught him by another leg. Together, they lifted the demon into the air and began to swing him around in circles with increasing speed.

The demon, realizing that he was being controlled completely, began to cry out in pain and terror. His attempts to break free were utterly futile. Krishna and Balarama swung him faster and faster until finally, with a great release of force, they hurled him directly into one of the palm trees. The demon crashed into the tree with such tremendous impact that the force of the collision killed him instantly. His body fell to the ground, lifeless. More remarkably, the impact of his death caused a cascading effect—the force of his collision dislodged all the fruit from the palm tree, and it fell like rain around the area. Not only was the demon defeated, but the very means of his attempted intimidation—the forest and the trees—became sources of abundance.

This incident revealed a principle about the nature of divine action in relation to evil. When Krishna defeats a demon, the very circumstances that had been used as instruments of oppression become sources of blessing and abundance. When evil is removed from a situation, what remains is not merely safety but positive prosperity. The forest that had been dangerous and forbidden became a place of sweet fruit and plenty. The demon's defeat was not merely destructive but creative—it brought new abundance into the world. Dhenuka's body, lying on the ground, was a reminder that what appears to be powerful and threatening when opposing the divine is ultimately powerless and insignificant.

The cowherd boys, witnessing this defeat, were filled with wonder at Krishna and Balarama's power. Yet more than the display of physical strength, the boys were impacted by the way Krishna and Balarama moved—with such perfect coordination and grace that their victory seemed as natural as a flower blooming or the sun rising. This demonstrated a principle that would become central to Krishna's teaching—that true power is not strained or violent but moves with a perfect fluidity and inevitability. The defeat of evil should not involve excessive effort or deliberate cruelty but should be as natural and effortless as light displacing darkness.

The incident also had relevance to the inner spiritual life of the people of Vrindavan. Dhenuka, in donkey form, represented the principle of ignorance and stupidity that prevents beings from accessing the fruits of spiritual life. Just as the demon prevented people from gathering the sweet fruit of the palm trees, ignorance prevents the human mind from accessing the sweet fruits of spiritual realization and divine love. The fact that Krishna defeated this demon and rendered the forest accessible and fruitful for all suggested that through Krishna's grace, the obstacles to spiritual realization could be removed and the fruits of spiritual life became accessible to all.

As news of Dhenuka's defeat spread throughout Vrindavan and the surrounding regions, it became clear that Krishna and Balarama were not merely children but powerful young warriors whose protection ensured the safety and prosperity of the entire community. Kamsa, hearing of demon after demon being defeated, grew increasingly frantic and desperate in his attempts to destroy Krishna before he became even more powerful. Yet each attempt only resulted in new demonstrations of Krishna's invincibility and new opportunities for the people of Vrindavan to develop faith and devotion toward their miraculous protector. The pattern was becoming clear—that Krishna, through his pastimes, was gradually elevating the consciousness of all beings and preparing them for the revelation of his divinity that would unfold in the years to come.