Krishna Punishes the Serpent Aghasura

Early in the morning, Krishna blew His horn.

Krishna: “Too-ru-ru! Wake up, my friends!”

Cowherd boys (cheerfully): “We’re coming! We’re coming!”

The boys took their flutes and baskets of food and, together with the calves, set off into the forest.

They decorated themselves with flowers, leaves, and peacock feathers.

Boy 1: “Look, I’ve painted myself with red clay!”

Boy 2: “And I made a flower garland!”

They played all along the way — tossing their food baskets, chasing the shadows of birds, and imitating monkeys and cuckoos.

Krishna (laughing): “Whoever catches Me is the winner!”

Balarama: “I’ll be the first to tag Krishna!”

But that day, another demon came to Vrindavan — Aghasura , the brother of Putana and Bakasura, whom Krishna had already defeated.

Burning with revenge and eager to please King Kamsa, Aghasura took the form of a monstrous serpent.

He was so huge that his lower lip rested on the earth, and his upper lip touched the clouds!

Aghasura (growling): “Ha-ha! Here I am at last!

I won’t just swallow Krishna — first, I’ll devour all His little friends.

Then, when He comes to rescue them, I’ll swallow Him too!”

To hide, he stretched himself out like a giant hill, and his wide-open mouth looked like a dark cave.

Cowherd boy (curiously): “Look, is that a cave… or a mouth?”

Another boy: “What a terrible smell! It must be some kind of monster!”

Cowherd boys (laughing and clapping): “But Krishna will protect us! Let’s see what it is — come on, let’s go inside!”

And one by one, the boys and their calves walked straight into the serpent’s open mouth.

When Krishna saw His friends disappearing, He immediately understood what was happening.

Krishna (thinking): “I must protect them!”

He entered the serpent’s mouth Himself.

Aghasura tried to shut it, trapping everyone inside — but suddenly, Krishna began to grow… and grow… and grow!

Aghasura (choking): “A-a-ah! I can’t… breathe!”

Krishna filled the entire body of the serpent, and the demon’s life force was squeezed out of him.

With a mighty crash, Aghasura’s enormous body fell lifeless to the ground.

Then Krishna brought His friends and the calves back to life and led them safely out.

Cowherd boys (shouting joyfully, hugging Krishna): “Hooray! Krishna saved us!”

Voices of the demigods (from the sky): “Jaya! Glory to Krishna!”

Flowers rained down from the heavens, and the sound of conch shells and drums filled the air.

Thus, Krishna saved His beloved friends from the dreadful serpent Aghasura.

And the cowherd boys felt so happy with Him that they forgot all about fear — because in Krishna’s company, there was only joy, laughter, and love