Long ago two brothers lived amid great abundance. Their names were Nalakuvara and Manigriva. Their father Kuvera was wealthy and respected. But the brothers had lost all sense of restraint. One day the sage Narada passed through a garden. Others there showed him respect. The two brothers paid him no attention. Narada saw how pride had clouded their sight. He was not thinking of revenge. He wanted them one day to awaken and change.
The sage declared they would become twin arjuna trees. As trees they would stand still instead of chasing pleasure. Yet they would remember why they were there. Narada did not want their hope to end with that condition. He promised them a meeting with Krishna in Nanda's courtyard. That promise changed the meaning of their wait. Years passed and the trunks grew side by side. People in Gokula saw only ordinary trees. No one knew the thoughts they held within. They waited for the day the sage had foretold.
In that same courtyard little Krishna was growing. Yashoda loved Him with a mother's everyday care. Once she tied Him to a wooden mortar after mischief. The rope was a sign of her concern and effort. Krishna remained by the mortar when she stepped away. He saw the two tall trees in the courtyard. He knew the promise Narada had given them. He chose that moment to honor the sage's word. He began to walk, dragging the mortar over the earth. His small feet led Him toward the space between the trunks.
Krishna passed easily between the twin arjuna trees. The wide wooden mortar could not follow Him through. The rope drew tight as He kept pulling. The two trunks shook from their roots. Branches moved above the quiet courtyard. Then the trees fell with a great sound. Dust and leaves rose all around them. Krishna remained safe with the mortar beside Him. But the trees' story did not end with their fall. A light appeared before Him.
Nalakuvara and Manigriva emerged from the two trees. They were no longer motionless trunks. Their radiant forms lit the courtyard. They approached little Krishna with respect. Both brothers bowed before Him. Their old pride no longer guided them. Now they remembered Narada's mercy. The waiting had given them time to see themselves anew. The meeting that once seemed distant had come. Before them stood the child tied to a mortar.
The brothers thanked Krishna. They recognized in Him the source of life and strength. They wanted to remember Him after returning home. They prayed that their words would honor Him. They wished to use their hands in service. They wished to keep their minds turned toward Him. Their bow was unlike the conduct of their earlier life. They did not ask for more of their father's riches. They valued the gift of a changed heart. Narada's stern words now seemed to them a kindness.
Krishna answered them with a smile. He said that He had known Narada's purpose. The sage had wanted to free them from pride. Meeting him had begun their transformation. Now the brothers could recognize that themselves. Krishna directed them to return to their father. They should not forget what they had learned. Through devotion they could remain close to Him. These were no ordinary child's words. The brothers received them with gratitude.
Once more they bowed before Him. They walked around Krishna before departing. The light of their presence slowly faded. The fallen trunks still lay upon the ground. The mortar was still tied to Krishna. The scene looked like a family courtyard again. Yet an old promise had been fulfilled there. Yashoda's care and Narada's mercy had met. One had tied the rope around the child. The other had brought the brothers to Him.
Pride had once closed the brothers' eyes. Their long life as trees had made them wait. Narada had not forgotten them in his rebuke. Krishna fulfilled the promise made on their behalf. From outside one could see only two fallen trees. Within the story a life had been transformed. Two who had failed to show respect learned gratitude. They were now free to depart again. They carried the memory of little Krishna. And His smile became a new beginning for them.
This event begins far from Gokula. It ends between two trees in Nanda's courtyard. Even the long wait did not cancel the promise. Even the rope did not limit Krishna's mercy. The child walked toward them with the mortar behind Him. They came out of the trees with thankful hearts. The account remembers their error without trapping them in it. It shows how a rebuke may open a path to change. And Narada's fulfilled word brings joy. Thus two trees bear witness to mercy in Vraja.