Introduction
There is no time when we have not seen Krishna without a peacock’s feather on his head. May it be Movies, Serials or even Animations or Cartoon, Krishna carries a Peacock’s feather on his head from his very birth till his death. But do you know the underlying story behind this? Today, I would like to relate to you one lesser-known story that traces this very favorite symbol to an act of selfless sacrifice of Peacock during the Ramayana.
Back To The Ramayan
Once Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana during their exile (Vanavasa), searching in the forests for water with the scorching heat of the sun overhead. Their throats had dried up, and despite all the effort given by them to trace out water, water was found nowhere. As time passed, their need for water grew desperate.
Enters a peacock, a creature of unrivaled beauty and poise. It sensed their plight and decided to help them out in the only way it knew. For every step it took, peacock plucked one of its feathers and dropped to the ground as a trail for Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana to follow
He guided them through the thick jungle, feather by feather, his body weakening with each step. By the time he finally reached a hidden pond, it had given up all its feathers. Its body, once bright with colors, was now bare, bleeding, and knackered from the pain. Too much effort, indeed, it had served its purpose by the peacock’s deathbed by the water’s edge.
Lord Rama’s Promise
The selflessness and sacrifice of the peacock so touched Lord Rama that he said, “I shall decorate my head with your feather whenever I take Incarnation in my next life and shall keep you near my head forever.”
In Dwapara Yuga, when Lord Vishnu, incarnated as Krishna, kept the words by decorating his head with peacock’s feather from birth till his death.
And the peacock feather in his hair became something much greater than an ornament; it became a symbol of sacrifice, devotion, interrelation between the divine and natural worlds.
What’s the Indication
Not a common story, but one that has made Krishna’s peacock feather much more meaningful. It is a reminder of the continuum—for somehow connections between lives, promises, and the symbols that represent people really stay intact. When one next sees Krishna with his peacock feather, one will remember the sacrifice and love the feather has come to represent.
This is a folk story and not mentioned in the puranas, but it leaves a strong impression on Krishna’s Iconic Peacock feather.
If You are interested in more such Mythological content, then check out “Why Suryaputra Karna was born along with Kavacha“
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