Lord Krishna saved the people of Braj from torrents of rain for seven days by holding the Govardhan Parvat on his small finger. Once, due to scarcity of rain, the Braj people prayed ardently to Lord Indra for rain and offered all the necessary offerings to the Lord. However, Krishna came up and persuaded them to give up the worship for Lord Indra and instead pray to the supreme power the Sun God. He also said that Indra is no supreme God. Woods, streams and hills should be worshipped for rains. He especially asked the Braj folk to pray Mount Govardhan, who is sure to bring rain in their land.

Immediately, all the people of Brindavan brought flowers, fruits and other religious offerings for the mountain and started to pray; Nand and Yashoda passionately called Mount Govardhan to wash out the distress of their men. In the meanwhile, Lord Krishna took up another form of the mountain God and gracefully received the offerings of his devotees. However, at the same time, he remained in his same Krishna form and prayed to the mountain along with his mates. The Braj people were greatly content seeing that the fruits offered to the mountain were vanishing one by one; actually Lord Krishna ate them all.

While this worshipping was executed in Brindavan, Lord Indra was enraged at the insult and loss of gifts. He called for the King of Clouds and decreed him to rain over Braj, until the entire land along with the Govardhan Parvat was swept over. An army of clouds covered the sky over Braj and poured torrential rain, as if the end of the world was at hand. Seeing this peril, all came running to Krishna and wanted an answer to this situation. They all asked Krishna to bring the Mount Govardhan and save their lives.

Lord Krishna concentrated all his strength at his little finger and took the Govardhan Parvat on the small finger. All the Braj people, along with their cattle and belongings came under the mountain and took shelter, staring at the infant Krishna in awe. The raindrops that fell on the Govardhan Parvat hissed and evaporated, and torrents of water fell for almost one whole week, but not a single drop of water fell in Braj and could effect the people living in harmony with Lord Krishna. Eventually Lord Indra gave up the conflict and realised that the person who withstood his anger and power can be none other than the Primal Male with immense power.

The next day, when Lord Krishna and his brother Balaram went to the fields along with their friends to graze the cows, Lord Indra came down from heaven upon his elephant Airavata and begged with apology from Krishna, lying at his feet. Lord Krishna astounded the Braj people with many more incidents that are still referred to as the miracles of this Vishnu avatara.