Naishtika Brahmachari and Nitya Upavasi

Shri Krishna was camping on the banks of a river with his company of bhaktas, followers, gopis. The river was in spate. There was no place where it was fordable. On the other bank the great Maharshi Durvasa was seated. Shri Krishna told his followers to prepare a feast for Maharshi Durvasa. Many items were tastefully made, and then the followers came to Shri Krishna and asked him how they were to take it across the river. Shri Krishna said, "Go to the river bank, stand there, then say, 'If Shri Krishna is a Naishtika Brahmachari, may I be permitted to cross.'" They said this, and the river miraculously parted and let them cross to the other side. When they arrived there, they made their pranams to the Sage and requested him to partake of the feast specially prepared for him under Shri Krishna's instruction. The Sage made a hearty meal and finished all that they had brought for him, and expressed himself as thoroughly satisfied, and requested them to return.

They then said, "Maharshi, we managed to cross the river in coming here by the Grace of the Lord. How are we to cross over now?" Then Maharshi Durvasa said, "Go to the river, stand on the banks, and say if Maharshi Durvasa is a Nitya Upavasi, the river may allow us to cross." They did as advised, and their great astonishment, the river parted and allowed them to cross.

When they came back to Lord Krishna, they could not repress their curiosity. They could not understand how Shri Krishna could be a Naishtika Brahmachari with all his love affairs and so on. Similarly, they had seen Maharshi Durvasa polishing off a really big meal, and yet the river accepted him as a Nitya Upavasi. This they were unable to understand. So they asked Shri Krishna to explain this and he said: "A Brahmachari is one who is established in the knowledge or the presence of the Brahman, and an Upavasi is one who 'sits near' the Lord. Durvasa is always near me, and he is therefore a Nitya Upavasi."