Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.2744

c7.2744

(6) *Reason for Kṛṣṇa's foot being hit by arrow.* Durvāsas once went to Dvārakā and enquired who was there to put him up as a guest. Kṛṣṇa invited him to his palace and treated him as a very honoured guest. He began creating trouble there by breaking vessels, eating only very sparsely at times but eating all that he saw at other times. Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī put up with the vagaries of the sage quite patiently. One day the sage expressed a desire to taste pudding, and accordingly Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī cooked it and served it to the sage. After tasting some pudding he asked Kṛṣṇa to smear his whole body with the balance of it and Kṛṣṇa did so except the bottom of his feet. The sage asked him why he did not smear the nether surface of his feet with the pudding to which Kṛṣṇa humbly answered that he did not like doing so. Durvāsas smeared Rukmiṇī's body with what remained of the pudding. He yoked Rukmiṇī to the chariot and rode off swiftly in it. On the way he whipped Rukmiṇī. Kṛṣṇa ran after the chariot so that he might be of service to the sage. After he had gone some distance the sage jumped out of the chariot and ran through the forest. Ultimately he turned round to Kṛṣṇa and told him as follows:— "Oh! Kṛṣṇa! I am pleased with your service. Let Rukmiṇī have the first place among your wives. She will not be affected by old age. And, you will never meet with death by being hit at those parts of your body which have been smeared with the pudding."