How Krishna ate the earth

Gokula is an amazing place on the bank of the Yamuna River, surrounded by green pastures, flowering gardens, and fragrant forests filled with the singing of birds. Here, Krishna spent His childhood, filling Gokula with His divine pastimes and nectarous smile.

In a green meadow in Gokula, children were playing games together. With eyes shining joyfully, Krishna was laughing and trying to catch Balarama.

Tired from playing, Krishna sat down on the grass, looked at the earth, and suddenly decided to taste what it was like. He took a handful of earth and put it in His mouth, as if it were the most delicious treat.

“Krishna, don’t eat the earth, or You will get a stomach ache! If You don’t obey me, I will tell Mother Yashoda!” Balarama warned Him anxiously.

But Krishna did not listen to Balarama and kept eating the earth. So Balarama took Krishna and led Him to their mother.

“Mother Yashoda, Krishna was eating earth!” complained Balarama. At that time, Mother Yashoda was preparing yoghurt. Yashoda was surprised: “Krishna?! You ate earth! Balarama, is it true?”

Krishna looked at His mother with big, innocent eyes, as if nothing had happened. Yashoda asked sternly: “Krishna, did You eat earth? All Your friends and even Balarama say You did!”

Krishna smiled and shook His head: “Mother, these boys and My elder brother, Balarama, are not telling the truth! I have not eaten any clay!”

Yashoda said incredulously: “Okay, if You have not eaten clay, open Your mouth, and I will see.”

Krishna pretended to be offended but then, shaking His head, opened His mouth wide. Yashoda looked inside Krishna’s mouth and suddenly froze.

She saw the whole world inside — mountains, rivers, clouds, stars, all the universes.

She even saw herself standing beside her son. Mother Yashoda was very much surprised!

Yashoda said to herself: “What is this? Is this a dream or reality? Could it be an illusion? How can my little son have the whole universe within Him?”

Suddenly, Mother Yashoda began to guess who Krishna really was. It seemed that He was God Himself, whose nature and pastimes are difficult to fully understand. It was He who created everything around: the universes, the cosmos, the planets, people, animals, and plants. Mother Yashoda suddenly felt a desire to bow down to Krishna.

But then she looked at Krishna’s gentle, smiling face and instantly forgot everything! Motherly love for Krishna, as her own dear son, awoke again in her heart. And again she forgot that Krishna is God and the creator of everything.

Mother Yashoda sat Krishna on her lap and tightly embraced Him. And Krishna, in response, also joyfully hugged His beloved mother. They continued to sit in an embrace, surrounded by happiness and love, while the other children continued their games in the meadow.