Story of Nriga
(Bhagavatha purana)
Once the princes along with
their friends had gone into the forest for a day of fun. In the heart of a lush
forest near Vrindavan, young Krishna and his friends are gathered under the
shade of tall trees for a joyful picnic. Mats made of woven grass are spread
out, holding simple clay plates filled with fruits, sweets, and butter. The
boys are laughing, some playing the flute, others feeding birds or reclining on
the grass.
Suddenly, their play is
interrupted by a strange sound. A curious boy peers into an old dry well nearby
and gasps. One by one, the boys—including Krishna, easily recognized by his
peacock feather crown and radiant blue complexion—gather around the well.
Inside the well, in the dim
light, a massive lizard is visible, trapped at the bottom. It has an
ancient, almost divine aura, its scales catching what little light reaches it.
The lizard looks up at the boys, not with fear, but with a mysterious, pleading
gaze.
Krishna leans in with calm
curiosity and compassion. The forest around them quiets, as if even nature is
watching this divine moment unfold. Krishna slowly pulled the lizard out and
touched it with love. Immediately the lizard turned into a dazzling devata. The
onlookers gasped. Krishna just smiled.
The devata paid his respects to
Krishna and told his story.
Lord, I am Nriga, son of Ikshvaku.
I ruled over a vast domain. I tried to be fair to my people and was ruling my
kingdom as laid down by dharma. By nature, I was interested in performing
yagnas and giving dhaan.
Once an old brahmin was leading
a cow and calf towards his ashram. Another brahmin obstructed him and asked him
to hand over the cow and calf saying that it was given to him by the king. They
started arguing and did not let go. When they were brought to me, I promised to
compensate them with many more cows. This argument went on. It was found that
the second brahmin was indeed correct as the cow and calf was given to him the
previous day. They had wandered back to their herd and by mistake had been
given to another as charity.
Before this dispute could be sorted
I died a sudden death. When he reached Yama’s abode, Chitragupta, the
accountant of Yama said “You have indeed been very generous. For that you have
a place in heaven. But you have also given charity to a brahmin of a cow and
calf that did not belong to you. For this you deserve a life of a lizard. So do
you want your punishment first or the reward?”
Nriga continued telling Krishna “Lord,
I chose punishment for my mistake first. Now that I have been rescued by your
divine form, I am sure I will reach heaven. “ Nriga then paid respects to Lord
Krishna and left for his heavenly abode.
The Yadava youth playing with
Krishna realised that even mistakes done unknowingly need to be amended for.
They also realised the futility of doing charity without the proper care.
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