The cowherds at Vrindavan would often long for fruits from the tala trees in a grove. They also wished they could leave their cattle there to graze. But this was not possible because a daitya (demon) named Dhenuka lived there. Dhenuka was a demon, who looked almost like a donkey but ate a deer’s meat. He lived in the tala groves with his fellow daityas. He was evil and ferocious. One day, the cowherds requested Krishna and Balarama to get fruit from the tala grove. “Do not worry, my fellow cowherds. Krishna and I will soon get the fruits,” said Balarama. “Be careful, Balarama. The evil demon, Dhenuka, who lives there with his fellow daityas, kicks anyone who enters the tala grove,” warned the cowherds. Lord Krishna merely smiled at this, for He knew that the reason He was entering the grove was that Dhenukasura was about to die.
Dhenukasura’s Tala Grove
