Krishna and the fruit-seller – A story from Srimad Bhagavatam

On the occasion of Janmashtami, pleased to narrate the story of ‘Krishna and the fruit-seller’. This story is from Srimad Bhagavatam.

Little Krishna was growing up at Gokul as Ma Yashoda’s son. One day, as he was playing with his brother Balarama in the courtyard of their house, he heard a voice of a fruit vendor at a distance. “Jambul fruits! Juicy , ripe Jambul fruits!” Krishna paused to listen. The voice became louder as the vendor neared their house.

It was a woman was selling Jamun fruits (also called Jambul). “Come and buy the tasty Jambul fruits! Ripe and tasty Jambul!” the woman said in her own musical style, wooing the residents of the street to buy the fruits.

Krishna, was extremely fond of Jambul fruits. He ran out to the gate and at the same time the fruit-seller was passing by the gate. She gazed at this child who was mesmerizingly beautiful, coming towards her.

“Ma…” Krishna called out in his sweet voice. Extending his hands with palms open, he looked at her and said, “I love Jambul fruits. Give me some, Ma”

The woman smiled. “Surely, I will give you child” said she. “But you have to buy them from me.”

Krishna had a puzzled look on his face. He was too young to understand what it meant ‘to buy’ something.

The woman looked at little Krishna. In an endearing voice she said to him, “You have to give me something. In return, I will then give you these Jambul fruits”

Krishna understood. His face lit up. “I will give you grains. Will you give me the Jambul fruits?” he asked, with his childish accent.

The woman shook her head affirmatively and Krishna rushed inside. He knew where his mother stored grains in huge sacks and the sack which was in use was always open and with his height he could pick grains easily.

After a few minutes, little Krishna was ambling slowly back to the entrance, with his cupped palms holding as much grain as it could. With his focus fully on carrying the grain carefully without spilling he reached the gate. Despite his caution, the grains falling on the ground had left a trail behind!

“Here” he said to the woman as he emptied the grain onto her outstretched palms. The woman was hypnotized by the beautiful pink palms of the divine child which appeared to her like a fully bloomed lotus.

“Give me the fruits Ma…”

Krishna’s voice brought her back to this world. Carefully placing the grain on a leaf in her basket, she filled Krishna’s palms with the choicest plump, shiny Jambul fruits as much as his small palms could hold.

The glee on Krishna’s face was priceless. He flashed a lovely smile at the woman and went inside eager to eat the fruits.

The woman felt a strange bliss in her heart watching the little one as she went on her way.

After selling all the fruits, she reached home when she suddenly realized that the basket on her head seemed heavy.

Puzzled, she put the basket down and she just couldn’t believe her eyes. All the grains she had kept on the leaf had changed to beautiful, precious multi-coloured gemstones!  It was beyond the woman’s comprehension as to how this miracle happened.

And she sat and wondered and wondered…

Who can fathom the ‘Lilas’ of Krishna who is beyond the comprehension of human intellect?

Jai Shri Krishna!