Once, Krishna spoke to the cowherds with gentle wisdom, saying, “Those who seek the fruits of another’s knowledge and worship elsewhere, dear ones, do not find true good in this world or the next.” He urged them to honor the sacred boundaries of their land, the borderlands, the forests, the mountain regions, and every hill, declaring that such reverence was the highest path for them. He continued, “Let us therefore perform the mountain sacrifice and the cow sacrifice—what have we to do with Indra? Cows and mountains are our deities.” Krishna explained that while Brahmins are devoted to sacrifices with mantras and farmers to boundary sacrifices, the people of Vraja are devoted to the mountain and cow sacrifices, dwelling amidst forests and hills. Krishna then instructed, “Let Govardhana Hill be worshipped and honored with various offerings. Let a pure animal be sacrificed according to the prescribed rites. Gather the milk from the entire herd without hesitation, and let the Brahmins and all who desire partake of it. After the offerings are made and the Brahmins have been fed, let the herds of cows, adorned with garlands of autumn flowers, roam freely around the mountain.” He reassured them, “This is my heartfelt opinion, O cowherds. If this is done with joy, satisfaction will come to the cows, the mountain, and to me as well.” Hearing Krishna’s words, Nanda and all the residents of the cowherd village were filled with delight. Their faces radiant, they praised the Brahmins, exclaiming, “Excellent, excellent!” Nanda said to Krishna, “Child, your counsel is splendid. I shall do everything as you have spoken—let the mountain sacrifice be performed.” So, the cowherd villagers joyfully prepared for the mountain sacrifice. They offered to Govardhana Hill curds, rice pudding, meat, and other delicious foods. The Brahmins were fed by the hundreds and thousands, and after honoring the mountain, the cows circled it in procession. The bulls bellowed like thunderclouds atop the mountain, and Govinda, manifesting as the mountain itself, proclaimed, “I am the mountain.” In that very form, Krishna, along with the cowherds and Brahmins, enjoyed the offerings brought by the foremost among the cowherds atop Govardhana. Afterwards, Krishna ascended and worshipped his own second form, after the first had vanished, and having received the blessings of the cowherds, he returned to his pasture. But Indra, the king of the gods, was furious that his great sacrifice had been thwarted. Burning with anger, he summoned the mighty rain-bearing clouds called Samvartaka. He commanded, “O clouds, heed my words. At my order, act swiftly and without hesitation. Nandagopa and the other cowherds, relying on Krishna’s strength, have caused great disruption. Their lives depend on their cows—let those cows be afflicted by heavy rain at my command. I myself will ascend a lofty peak, like an elephant’s tusk, and join you, aided by the winds.” Obeying Indra, the clouds unleashed a furious storm, bringing ruinous wind and rain to destroy the cows. In an instant, the earth, the quarters, and the sky were swallowed by a single, massive torrent. The cows, battered by the storm, fell with their heads turned sideways, losing their lives. Some pressed their calves close, while others were separated by the floodwaters. The calves, their faces pitiful and their necks trembling in the wind, cried out softly, “Save us, save us!” as if calling to Krishna in distress. Seeing all of Gokula—filled with cows, cowherd women, and men—in such dire trouble, Krishna resolved to protect them. He recognized this as Indra’s doing, a reaction to the disruption of his sacrifice. Krishna thought, “With my strength, I will uproot this mountain, with its vast rocky surface, and hold it above the pasture like a broad umbrella.” With playful ease, Krishna uprooted the great Govardhana mountain and held it aloft with a single hand. He called to the cowherds, “All of you, together, come beneath the mountain; the rain has been stopped. Settle wherever the wind is gentle. Enter without fear—there is no danger of the mountain falling.” Encouraged by Krishna, the cowherds entered with their cattle, their belongings loaded onto carts, and the cowherd women, drenched by the downpour, followed. Krishna held the mountain steady, watched with wonder and joy by all the residents of Vraja. The cowherds and their women praised Krishna’s deed, their eyes shining with love. For seven nights, the great clouds, driven by Indra, poured relentless rain upon Nanda’s Gokula, threatening to destroy the cowherds. But with the mountain upheld and Gokula protected, Krishna, the breaker of Bala, restrained the clouds, rendering Indra’s efforts futile. When the sky cleared and Indra’s power was spent, the god, having recited his mantras, departed joyfully and returned to his own abode. Then Krishna gently set Govardhana mountain back in its place, as the people of Vraja looked on in astonishment. With Govardhana restored and Gokula saved, Indra, the lord of sacrifice, desired to see Krishna. Mounting his great elephant Airavata, the lord of the gods arrived at Govardhana hill and beheld Krishna there, radiant and victorious.