
In this moving episode, we revisit a lesser-known but deeply powerful story from the Mahabharata — a story that shows the compassion hidden within divine destiny.As preparations for the Kurukshetra war began, elephants were used to clear the forest to create the battlefield. In this destruction, a mother bird and her two tiny chicks lost their home when their nest fell from a tree. Helpless and frightened, the mother bird flew to Krishna, who was surveying the battlefield with Arjuna. She pleaded for her children’s lives.Krishna gently explained that fate cannot be altered — if they were destined to perish, they would. But the little bird, filled with pure devotion, surrendered the life of her children at Krishna’s feet, trusting Him completely. Krishna remained silent, and the bird flew away with faith.On the eve of the great battle, Krishna did something unexpected: He asked Arjuna for his bow and arrow. Though Krishna had promised not to fight in the war, Arjuna handed it over. Krishna shot an arrow at an elephant — but instead of striking the animal, it hit only the bell on the elephant’s neck, knocking it down. Arjuna thought it was a miss, and the moment passed.Eighteen days later, after the war ended, the battlefield was filled with the fallen — men, animals, and shattered weapons. Krishna asked Arjuna to lift a bell lying on the ground. When Arjuna picked it up, he discovered the mother bird and her four chicks alive beneath it. Krishna’s single action — shooting down the bell — had formed a shield that protected the family throughout the entire war