It is a well-known heroic tale of Bhagwan Shri Krishn lifting the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger and saving his people from the wrath of Indr. But, behind this divine lila of Shri Krishna, there is a promise given by Bhagwan Ram to a mountain which makes all this happen.ImageSource

This promise is set to the time when Bhagwan Ram marches on Lanka to get back Mata Sita, who was abducted by Ravan. He reaches the mighty ocean with his army of Vaanaras. He prays to the ocean to give him way to cross its waters. But when the ocean does not respond, Bhagwan Ram gets angry and mounts his powerful arrow to dry the ocean. The ocean surrenders and suggests to build a Setu with the help of the Nal and Neel, Shri Ram’s commanders in chief.

Thus, the construction of Ram Setu begins. The vaanaras uprooted mighty trees, rocks and mountains and threw them into the ocean and a bridge of 100 yojanas starts to shape up. The mighty Hanuman flew on to all directions and uprooted huge mountains and put them in the ocean for the construction of the Setu.

On the final day, he flew to the North direction, uprooted a huge mountain and was returning back with it. When he reached Indraprasth, he came to know that the Setu has been completed and Bhagwan Ram has told everybody to stop getting the mountains and trees needed for the same. Hanuman placed the mountain near Vrindavan and started to go back to his swami, when he heard the mountain call back to him.

The mountain said “I felt so blessed that I was going to be a part of the Ram Setu, but now that you leave me here, I feel deprived of the blessings of Bhagwan Ram. I request you to kindly make me a part of the Setu, through which I can offer my service to Bhagwan Ram”. Hanuman says that as Bhagwan Ram has ordered not to bring any more mountains, he could not take it. On listening to this, the mountain gets dejected. Seeing its plight, Hanuman says that he would go and ask Bhagwan Ram a solution to this problem. He goes back and mentions the disappointment of the mountain.

Bhagwan Ram listens to this and says “Dear Hanuman, I am so very pleased by the devotion of the great mountain towards me. However, I will make it a part of my divine lila in the Dwapar Yug when I take the incarnation of Shri Krishn. Kindly let the mountain know this”. Hanuman goes back and conveys the same. The mountain feels elated and says that it will wait for that blessed moment to come.ImageSource

The mountain was none other than the Govardhan Mountain. To fulfil the promise made by him as Shri Ram, Bhagwan Shri Krishna convinces all his people at Vrindavan to worship it. When Indr gets upset over this and lashes all of the Vrindavan with torrential rains, Shri Krishn lifts the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger and saves his people from the rains for seven days till Indr realises his mistake and asks for forgiveness. Thus, the Amighty fulfils his promise to make the great mountain a part of his divine lila. It proves the beautiful fact that he never forgets the promises made by him to his devotees, even if it requires for him to incarnate again and again to fulfil them.

(Source- Hanuman Charitra)