ignorant that he is a great scholar of cosmic laws. They took this Krishna too seriously, they have to be punished! May the samvartaka cloud flood their lands. Let them and their cows be destroyed until the last one.”
We see here that in the villages, or generally outside the cities, the inhabitants depend on the cows for their prosperity. When they are slaughtered, the whole population loses its wealth and happiness. When King Indra ordered the cloud samvartaka and his henchmen to go over Vrindavana, they all shrank from it. But Indra gave them courage:
“Go ahead, and I will follow you on my elephant, accompanied by violent storms. All my power, I will apply it to chastise the inhabitants of Vrindavana”!
With the order of King Indra, the terrible clouds appeared above Vrindavana and began, with all their strength and all their power, to pour in uninterrupted rains. The lightning and the thunder succeeded one another without end, the wind blew with violence, and without respite fell the sharp arrows of the rain. Thus pouring their waters, constantly, by throngs like pillars, the clouds soon flooded all the lands of Vrindavana; Soon the highlands of the lowlands were no longer distinguished. The situation became critical, especially for animals. As the rains were accompanied by strong winds, all the creatures of Vrindavana, stiffened by the cold, began to tremble. Seeing no other hope of salvation, everyone huddled around Govinda (One of God's Divine Names) to take refuge with Him. The cows in particular, numb with the torrential rains, inclined their heads, and protecting their unfortunate calves under their bodies, advanced to the Supreme Lord to take refuge at his lotus feet (Form of Respect). Then all the inhabitants of Vrindavana addressed this prayer to Sri Krishna:
“Dear Krishna, You are all-powerful and full of affection for your devotees. Protect us now, we who have suffered so much from the persecutions of wrathful Indra.”
Krishna, hearing their prayer, understood that Indra, deprived of the honor of the sacrifice, was overwhelming Vrindavana in the rain, the hailstorm of large blocks of ice, and the strong winds, all bad weather out of season. Yes, it was an angry display of angry Indra. Krishna concludes therefore:
“This celestial being who stands as supreme has manifested his great power, but my reply will be at the height of my position; I will teach him that he does not dictate his law to the universe. I am the Lord of all that is, and I will amend the unjustified pride he draws from his power. Heavenly beings are my devotees; so they can not forget my supremacy, but, for some reason, Indra has boasted of his material power and here he goes mad. I will act in such a way that he will soon be relieved of his vain pride. I will cover with my protection my pure devotees of Vrindavana, who now depend entirely on my mercy. By my supernatural powers, I will save them.”