Nriga Delivered

Chapter 64

Krishna’s son, Samba, once found a lizard in a well and unsuccessfully tried to rescue it. Later, however, by the transcendental touch of Krishna, the lizard transformed into a demigod. The divine being was Nriga, who, in a previous life, accidently donated the cow of one brahmana to another brahmana. Despite offering them both one hundred thousand cows to reclaim that one cow, neither brahmana was willing to relinquish it, and Nriga remained implicated. At death, Yamaraja declared that Nriga would have to live one life as a lizard. Although the punishment was harsh, he was blessed to have an audience with the Lord. Krishna thus highlighted the grave danger in unlawfully claiming a brahmana’s property.