Krishna Chooses Viduras House

Dadi: "Guddu beta, tonight I'll tell you about the time Lord Krishna chose banana peels over royal feasts!"

Guddu: "Banana PEELS? That's the part you throw away!"

Dadi: "Exactly! And yet they tasted sweeter to Krishna than all the delicious foods in the world. Let me tell you why."

Guddu: "I'm very confused!"

Dadi: "Before the great Kurukshetra war, the Pandavas sent Krishna to Hastinapura as a peacemaker. They hoped he could convince the Kauravas to return their kingdom without a war."

Guddu: "Did it work?"

Dadi: "No, beta. Duryodhana was too greedy. But here's the interesting part - Duryodhana prepared the most lavish welcome for Krishna. Golden dishes filled with ladoos, peras, kachoris, sandesh, every delicacy you can imagine!"

Guddu: "That sounds delicious!"

Dadi: "But Krishna walked right past it all! When Duryodhana formally invited him to dine, Krishna politely refused. He said he would only accept hospitality after his peace mission succeeded."

Guddu: "He turned down all that food?"

Dadi: "He saw through Duryodhana's plan. The prince was trying to impress Krishna with luxury, hoping to win him to the Kaurava side. Krishna wasn't interested in impressive gifts from an insincere heart."

Guddu: "So where did he go?"

Dadi: "To a humble house belonging to Vidura - the only truly righteous man in the Kaurava court. Vidura was actually away when Krishna arrived, but his wife Vidurani welcomed the Lord warmly."

Guddu: "What did she serve him?"

Dadi: "When Krishna said, "Oh Vidurani Maiya, I am so hungry! Please give me something to eat," she became overwhelmed with joy. She rushed to get bananas to serve him."

Guddu: "Bananas are good!"

Dadi: "Here's where the miracle happened, beta. Vidurani was in such a deep state of love and devotion that she made an incredible mistake. As she peeled each banana..."

Guddu: "Yes?"

Dadi: "...she threw away the fruit and gave Krishna the PEELS!"

Guddu: "She fed him the garbage part?!"

Dadi: "And Krishna, who sees only the heart behind an action, accepted every peel with delight! He ate them happily, relishing each one. In his divine perception, those peels offered with complete love were sweeter than the finest sweets from Duryodhana's golden plates."

Guddu: "He actually liked the peels?"

Dadi: "More than the fruit! When Vidura came home and saw what was happening, he was horrified. He scolded his wife and tried to give Krishna the actual banana."

Guddu: "Good thinking!"

Dadi: "But Krishna was disappointed! He explained that the peels, offered with undivided devotion, were far more precious to him than the fruit offered with distracted attention. Once Vidurani became aware of her "mistake," her attention divided - she was thinking about the mistake, not just about Krishna."

Guddu: "So the pure love was in the accidental offering?"

Dadi: "Yes! Her mind was completely on Krishna when she was offering the peels. She wasn't thinking about herself, her performance, her mistake - just pure devotion flowing toward God."

Guddu: "That's such a strange way to look at it!"

Dadi: "The Bhagavad Gita says, "Whatever is offered to Me with devotion, I accept it totally." It doesn't matter WHAT you offer - a leaf, water, or banana peels. What matters is HOW you offer it."

Guddu: "So expensive gifts aren't better?"

Dadi: "A cheap thing offered with complete love is better than a expensive thing offered to impress. Duryodhana offered golden dishes to manipulate Krishna. Vidurani offered peels with pure heart. Krishna chose the peels."

Guddu: "I'm going to remember this when I give gifts!"

Dadi: "Remember it when you help people, too. When you help your mother, don't think about what you'll get in return. When you study, don't think about grades - think about learning. Pure action, like Vidurani's peels, is always the sweetest."

Guddu: "Even if it looks like a mistake from outside?"

Dadi: "God sees the inside, beta. The world sees banana peels. Krishna sees love. Now sleep, and may your heart always be as pure as Vidurani's!"