It was evening in Dwarka, and Lord Krishna’s sons were playing. While playing, they felt thirsty and went in search of water. They came across a well where they saw a chameleon stuck inside. They tried to pull it out using ropes made of thread and leather, but they couldn’t get it out. When their efforts failed, they informed Lord Krishna about the situation.
Lord Krishna arrived at the well. Without any difficulty, He pulled the chameleon out with His left hand. When the chameleon came in contact with the Lord, an extraordinary event occurred—a radiant, divine personality emerged from the chameleon’s form. Even though Lord Krishna, omniscient and knower of all three times (past, present, future), knew everything, He asked the man, “O divine being, who are you, and how did you come to be in this state? Why did you take the form of a chameleon? Please introduce yourself.”
The Story of King Nriga
The divine man replied, “O Lord, I am King Nriga. I was a great emperor and renowned for my generosity. Surely, You must have heard my name. Let me tell You my story.”
King Nriga continued, “O Lord, I engaged in countless acts of charity from my youth. I donated innumerable cows, all milk-yielding, beautiful, and well-adorned. I procured these cows with wealth earned righteously and decorated their horns with gold and hooves with silver. I adorned them with garments, necklaces, and ornaments and gave them as gifts to virtuous, ascetic, and learned Brahmins.
I donated land, gold, horses, elephants, and other valuable items. I performed sacrifices and built wells, reservoirs, and rest houses. Yet, one small mistake negated all my charitable deeds.
A Small Mistake, A Big Consequence
One day, a cow accidentally wandered into my cattle shed. This cow belonged to an ascetic Brahmin who never accepted donations. My staff mistakenly assumed it was one of my cows and gave it away as charity to another Brahmin. When the Brahmin who received the cow joyfully took it away, the ascetic Brahmin recognized it as his own and claimed it.
Both Brahmins came to me seeking justice. I tried to please both of them. I said, “I will give you a hundred thousand cows in exchange for this.” But neither agreed. The Brahmin who received the cow was unwilling to part with it, and the ascetic Brahmin refused to accept compensation for his cow. I found myself in a moral dilemma. I begged their forgiveness and urged them to resolve the dispute, but no solution was found.
King Nriga Becomes a Chameleon
When I died, this small mistake brought me to Yamaloka (the abode of Yama, the god of death). Yamaraj asked me whether I wanted to face the fruits of my sins or my virtues first. I chose to face my sins first. As a result, I was cursed to take birth as a chameleon.
I have been suffering in this well in Dwarka for a long time. But today, by Your divine grace, I am freed from this chameleon’s body. O Lord, I am forever Your servant, and only through Your mercy has this liberation been possible.”
King Nriga offered praises, circumambulated Lord Krishna, and prostrated before Him. Lord Krishna blessed him, and he ascended to the celestial realms on a divine aircraft.
The Lesson From Story Of King Nriga
As Dhruvdas Ji Maharaj mentions in Shri Bayalis Leela:
Hem kau Sumer daan, ratan anek daan, gaj daan, annadaan, bhoomi daan karahi
Motin ke tula daan, makar Prayag-nhaan, grahan mein Kashi daan, chitt shuddh dharahin
Sej daan, kanya daan, Kurukshetra gau daan, itne mein paapan kau nekanhu na harahi
Krishna Kesari kau naam, ek baar leene ‘Dhruv,’ paapi tihu lokan ke chhin maahin tarahi
This means that if someone donates gold as vast as Mount Sumeru, countless jewels, food grains, or land with the hope of earning merit or erasing sins if they perform numerous Tuladaan (weighing oneself against gold and donating it), bathe in sacred waters like Prayag, or donate during eclipses in Kashi with pure intentions; if they donate beds, give daughters in marriage, or perform cow donations during auspicious times in Kurukshetra—despite all these pious deeds, they cannot be absolved of all sins.
However, by chanting Lord Krishna’s name just once, even the most sinful being in all three worlds can be instantly liberated.
Despite King Nriga’s immense acts of charity, a single mistake caused him to take birth as a chameleon. On the other hand, a devotee who chants the holy name of the Lord is protected even if they make thousands of mistakes. Even if they must take rebirth, it will be in a virtuous family, where they will quickly attain God-realization. The holy name of the Lord is supremely powerful, so one should strive to chant it as much as possible.
Guidance By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
