Chapter 9: Mother Yaśodā Binds Lord Lord Kṛṣṇa

 

10.9.1-2

śrī-śuka uvāca

ekadā gṛha-dāsīṣu

yaśodā nanda-gehinī

karmāntara-niyuktāsu

nirmamantha svayaḿ dadhi

 

yāni yānīha gītāni

tad-bāla-caritāni ca

dadhi-nirmanthane kāle

smarantī tāny agāyata

 

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ekadā — one day; gṛha-dāsīṣu — when all the maidservants of the household were otherwise engaged; yaśodā — mother Yaśodā; nanda-gehinī — the queen of Nanda Mahārāja; karma-antara — in other household affairs; niyuktāsu — being engaged; nirmamantha — churned; svayam — personally; dadhi — the yogurt;

 

yāni — all such; yāni — such; iha — in this connection; gītāni — songs; tat-bāla-caritāni — in which the activities of her own child were enacted; ca — and; dadhi-nirmanthane — while churning the yogurt; kāle — at that time; smarantī — remembering; tāni — all of them (in the form of songs); agāyata — chanted.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: One day when mother Yaśodā saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While churning, she remembered the childish activities of Kṛṣṇa, and in her own way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities.

 

10.9.3

kṣaumaḿ vāsaḥ pṛthu-kaṭi-taṭe bibhratī sūtra-naddhaḿ

putra-sneha-snuta-kuca-yugaḿ jāta-kampaḿ ca subhrūḥ

rajjv-ākarṣa-śrama-bhuja-calat-kańkaṇau kuṇḍale ca

svinnaḿ vaktraḿ kabara-vigalan-mālatī nirmamantha

 

kṣaumam — saffron and yellow mixed; vāsaḥ — mother Yaśodā was wearing such a sari; pṛthu-kaṭi-taṭe — surrounding her large hips; bibhratī — shaking; sūtra-naddham — bound with a belt; putra-sneha-snuta — because of intense love for her child, became wet with milk; kuca-yugam — the nipples of her breasts; jāta-kampam ca — as they were very nicely moving and quivering; su-bhrūḥ — who had very beautiful eyebrows; rajju-ākarṣa — by pulling on the rope of the churning rod; śrama — because of the labor; bhuja — on whose hands; calat-kańkaṇau — the two bangles were moving; kuṇḍale — the two earrings; ca — also; svinnam — her hair was black like a cloud, so perspiration was dropping like rain; vaktram — throughout her face; kabara-vigalat-mālatī — and mālatī flowers were dropping from her hair; nirmamantha — thus mother Yaśodā was churning the butter.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yaśodā pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and mālatī flowers were falling from her hair.

 

10.9.4

tāḿ stanya-kāma āsādya

mathnantīḿ jananīḿ hariḥ

gṛhītvā dadhi-manthānaḿ

nyaṣedhat prītim āvahan

 

tām — unto mother Yaśodā; stanya-kāmaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, who was desiring to drink her breast milk; āsādya — appearing before her; mathnantīm — while she was churning butter; jananīm — to the mother; hariḥ — Kṛṣṇa; gṛhītvā — catching; dadhi-manthānam — the churning rod; nyaṣedhat — forbade; prītim āvahan — creating a situation of love and affection.

 

TRANSLATION

 

While mother Yaśodā was churning butter, Lord Kṛṣṇa, desiring to drink the milk of her breast, appeared before her, and in order to increase her transcendental pleasure, He caught hold of the churning rod and began to prevent her from churning.

 

10.9.4

tāḿ stanya-kāma āsādya

mathnantīḿ jananīḿ hariḥ

gṛhītvā dadhi-manthānaḿ

nyaṣedhat prītim āvahan

 

tām — unto mother Yaśodā; stanya-kāmaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, who was desiring to drink her breast milk; āsādya — appearing before her; mathnantīm — while she was churning butter; jananīm — to the mother; hariḥ — Kṛṣṇa; gṛhītvā — catching; dadhi-manthānam — the churning rod; nyaṣedhat — forbade; prītim āvahan — creating a situation of love and affection.

 

TRANSLATION

 

While mother Yaśodā was churning butter, Lord Kṛṣṇa, desiring to drink the milk of her breast, appeared before her, and in order to increase her transcendental pleasure, He caught hold of the churning rod and began to prevent her from churning.

 

10.9.5

tam ańkam ārūḍham apāyayat stanaḿ

sneha-snutaḿ sa-smitam īkṣatī mukham

atṛptam utsṛjya javena sā yayāv

utsicyamāne payasi tv adhiśrite

 

tam — unto Kṛṣṇa; ańkam ārūḍham — very affectionately allowing Him to sit down on her lap; apāyayat — allowed to drink; stanam — her breast; sneha-snutam — which was flowing with milk because of intense affection; sa-smitam īkṣatī mukham — mother Yaśodā was smiling and observing the smiling face of Kṛṣṇa; atṛptam — Kṛṣṇa, who was still not fully satisfied by drinking the milk; utsṛjya — putting Him aside; javena — very hastily; sā — mother Yaśodā; yayau — left that place; utsicyamāne payasi — because of seeing that the milk was overflowing; tu — but; adhiśrite — in the milk pan on the oven.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mother Yaśodā then embraced Kṛṣṇa, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk was flowing from her breast. But when she saw that the milk pan on the oven was boiling over, she immediately left her son to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfied with drinking the milk of His mother's breast.

 

10.9.6

sañjāta-kopaḥ sphuritāruṇādharaḿ

sandaśya dadbhir dadhi-mantha-bhājanam

bhittvā mṛṣāśrur dṛṣad-aśmanā raho

jaghāsa haiyańgavam antaraḿ gataḥ

 

sañjāta-kopaḥ — in this way, Kṛṣṇa being very angry; sphurita-aruṇa-adharam — swollen reddish lips; sandaśya — capturing; dadbhiḥ — by His teeth; dadhi-mantha-bhājanam — the pot in which yogurt was being churned; bhittvā — breaking; mṛṣā-aśruḥ — with false tears in the eyes; dṛṣat-aśmanā — with a piece of stone; rahaḥ — in a solitary place; jaghāsa — began to eat; haiyańgavam — the freshly churned butter; antaram — within the room; gataḥ — having gone.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Being very angry and biting His reddish lips with His teeth, Kṛṣṇa, with false tears in His eyes, broke the container of yogurt with a piece of stone. Then He entered a room and began to eat the freshly churned butter in a solitary place.

 

10.9.7

uttārya gopī suśṛtaḿ payaḥ punaḥ

praviśya saḿdṛśya ca dadhy-amatrakam

bhagnaḿ vilokya sva-sutasya karma taj

jahāsa taḿ cāpi na tatra paśyatī

 

uttārya — putting down from the oven; gopī — mother Yaśodā; su-śṛtam — very hot; payaḥ — the milk; punaḥ — again; praviśya — entered the churning spot; saḿdṛśya — by observing; ca — also; dadhi-amatrakam — the container of yogurt; bhagnam — broken; vilokya — seeing this; sva-sutasya — of her own child; karma — work; tat — that; jahāsa — smiled; tam ca — Kṛṣṇa also; api — at the same time; na — not; tatra — there; paśyatī — finding.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mother Yaśodā, after taking down the hot milk from the oven, returned to the churning spot, and when she saw that the container of yogurt was broken and that Kṛṣṇa was not present, she concluded that the breaking of the pot was the work of Kṛṣṇa.

 

10.9.8

ulūkhalāńghrer upari vyavasthitaḿ

markāya kāmaḿ dadataḿ śici sthitam

haiyańgavaḿ caurya-viśańkitekṣaṇaḿ

nirīkṣya paścāt sutam āgamac chanaiḥ

 

ulūkhala-ańghreḥ — of the mortar in which spices were ground and which was being kept upside down; upari — on top; vyavasthitam — Kṛṣṇa was sitting; markāya — unto a monkey; kāmam — according to His satisfaction; dadatam — delivering shares; śici sthitam — situated in the butter pot hanging on the swing; haiyańgavam — butter and other milk preparations; caurya-viśańkita — because of stealing, were anxiously looking hither and thither; īkṣaṇam — whose eyes; nirīkṣya — by seeing these activities; paścāt — from behind; sutam — her son; āgamat — she reached; śanaiḥ — very slowly, cautiously.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Kṛṣṇa, at that time, was sitting on an upside-down wooden mortar for grinding spices and was distributing milk preparations such as yogurt and butter to the monkeys as He liked. Because of having stolen, He was looking all around with great anxiety, suspecting that He might be chastised by His mother. Mother Yaśodā, upon seeing Him, very cautiously approached Him from behind.

 

10.9.9

tām ātta-yaṣṭiḿ prasamīkṣya satvaras

tato 'varuhyāpasasāra bhītavat

gopy anvadhāvan na yam āpa yogināḿ

kṣamaḿ praveṣṭuḿ tapaseritaḿ manaḥ

 

tām — unto mother Yaśodā; ātta-yaṣṭim — carrying in her hand a stick; prasamīkṣya — Kṛṣṇa, seeing her in that attitude; satvaraḥ — very quickly; tataḥ — from there; avaruhya — getting down; apasasāra — began to flee; bhīta-vat — as if very much afraid; gopī — mother Yaśodā; anvadhāvat — began to follow Him; na — not; yam — unto whom; āpa — failed to reach; yoginām — of great yogīs, mystics; kṣamam — who could reach Him; praveṣṭum — trying to enter into the Brahman effulgence or Paramātmā; tapasā — with great austerities and penances; īritam — trying for that purpose; manaḥ — by meditation.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw His mother, stick in hand, He very quickly got down from the top of the mortar and began to flee as if very much afraid. Although yogīs try to capture Him as Paramātmā by meditation, desiring to enter into the effulgence of the Lord with great austerities and penances, they fail to reach Him. But mother Yaśodā, thinking that same Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, to be her son, began following Kṛṣṇa to catch Him.

 

10.9.10

anvañcamānā jananī bṛhac-calac-

chroṇī-bharākrānta-gatiḥ sumadhyamā

javena visraḿsita-keśa-bandhana-

cyuta-prasūnānugatiḥ parāmṛśat

 

anvañcamānā — following Kṛṣṇa very swiftly; jananī — mother Yaśodā; bṛhat-calat-śroṇī-bhara-ākrānta-gatiḥ — being overburdened by the weight of her large breasts, she became tired and had to reduce her speed; su-madhyamā — because of her thin waist; javena — because of going very fast; visraḿsita-keśa-bandhana — from her arrangement of hair, which had become loosened; cyuta-prasūna-anugatiḥ — she was followed by the flowers falling after her; parāmṛśat — finally captured Kṛṣṇa without fail.

 

TRANSLATION

 

While following Kṛṣṇa, mother Yaśodā, her thin waist overburdened by her heavy breasts, naturally had to reduce her speed. Because of following Kṛṣṇa very swiftly, her hair became loose, and the flowers in her hair were falling after her. Yet she did not fail to capture her son Kṛṣṇa.

 

10.9.11

kṛtāgasaḿ taḿ prarudantam akṣiṇī

kaṣantam añjan-maṣiṇī sva-pāṇinā

udvīkṣamāṇaḿ bhaya-vihvalekṣaṇaḿ

haste gṛhītvā bhiṣayanty avāgurat

 

kṛta-āgasam — who was an offender; tam — unto Kṛṣṇa; prarudantam — with a crying attitude; akṣiṇī — His two eyes; kaṣantam — rubbing; añjat-maṣiṇī — from whose eyes the blackish ointment was distributed all over His face with tears; sva-pāṇinā — with His own hand; udvīkṣamāṇam — who was seen in that attitude by mother Yaśodā; bhaya-vihvala-īkṣaṇam — whose eyes appeared distressed because of such fear of His mother; haste — by the hand; gṛhītvā — catching; bhiṣayantī — mother Yaśodā was threatening Him; avāgurat — and thus she very mildly chastised Him.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When caught by mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa became more and more afraid and admitted to being an offender. As she looked upon Him, she saw that He was crying, His tears mixing with the black ointment around His eyes, and as He rubbed His eyes with His hands, He smeared the ointment all over His face. Mother Yaśodā, catching her beautiful son by the hand, mildly began to chastise Him.

 

10.9.12

tyaktvā yaṣṭiḿ sutaḿ bhītaḿ

vijñāyārbhaka-vatsalā

iyeṣa kila taḿ baddhuḿ

dāmnātad-vīrya-kovidā

 

tyaktvā — throwing away; yaṣṭim — the stick in her hand; sutam — her son; bhītam — considering her son's great fear; vijñāya — understanding; arbhaka-vatsalā — the most affectionate mother of Kṛṣṇa; iyeṣa — desired; kila — indeed; tam — Kṛṣṇa; baddhum — to bind; dāmnā — with a rope; a-tat-vīrya-kovidā — without knowledge of the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead (because of intense love for Kṛṣṇa).

 

TRANSLATION

 

Mother Yaśodā was always overwhelmed by intense love for Kṛṣṇa, not knowing who Kṛṣṇa was or how powerful He was. Because of maternal affection for Kṛṣṇa, she never even cared to know who He was. Therefore, when she saw that her son had become excessively afraid, she threw the stick away and desired to bind Him so that He would not commit any further naughty activities.

 

10.9.13-14

na cāntar na bahir yasya

na pūrvaḿ nāpi cāparam

pūrvāparaḿ bahiś cāntar

jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ

 

taḿ matvātmajam avyaktaḿ

martya-lińgam adhokṣajam

gopikolūkhale dāmnā

babandha prākṛtaḿ yathā

 

na — not; ca — also; antaḥ — interior; na — nor; bahiḥ — exterior; yasya — whose; na — neither; pūrvam — beginning; na — nor; api — indeed; ca — also; aparam — end; pūrva-aparam — the beginning and the end; bahiḥ ca antaḥ — the external and the internal; jagataḥ — of the whole cosmic manifestation; yaḥ — one who is; jagat ca yaḥ — and who is everything in creation in total;

 

tam — Him; matvā — considering; ātmajam — her own son; avyaktam — the unmanifested; martya-lińgam — appearing as a human being; adhokṣajam — beyond sense perception; gopikā — mother Yaśodā; ulūkhale — to the grinding mortar; dāmnā — by a rope; babandha — bound; prākṛtam yathā — as done to a common human child.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything. That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child, and mother Yaśodā, considering Him her own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope.

 

10.9.15

tad dāma badhyamānasya

svārbhakasya kṛtāgasaḥ

dvy-ańgulonam abhūt tena

sandadhe 'nyac ca gopikā

 

tat dāma — that binding rope; badhyamānasya — who was being bound by mother Yaśodā; sva-arbhakasya — of her own son; kṛta-āgasaḥ — who was an offender; dvi-ańgula — by a measurement of two fingers; ūnam — short; abhūt — became; tena — with that rope; sandadhe — joined; anyat ca — another rope; gopikā — mother Yaśodā.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When mother Yaśodā was trying to bind the offending child, she saw that the binding rope was short by a distance the width of two fingers. Thus she brought another rope to join to it.

 

10.9.16

yadāsīt tad api nyūnaḿ

tenānyad api sandadhe

tad api dvy-ańgulaḿ nyūnaḿ

yad yad ādatta bandhanam

 

yadā — when; āsīt — became; tat api — even the new rope that had been joined; nyūnam — still short; tena — then, with the second rope; anyat api — another rope also; sandadhe — she joined; tat api — that also; dvi-ańgulam — by a measurement of two fingers; nyūnam — remained short; yat yat ādatta — in this way, one after another, whatever ropes she joined; bandhanam — for binding Kṛṣṇa.

 

TRANSLATION

 

This new rope also was short by a measurement of two fingers, and when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers too short. As many ropes as she joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be overcome.

 

10.9.17

evaḿ sva-geha-dāmāni

yaśodā sandadhaty api

gopīnāḿ susmayantīnāḿ

smayantī vismitābhavat

 

evam — in this manner; sva-geha-dāmāni — all the ropes available in the household; yaśodā — mother Yaśodā; sandadhati api — although she was joining one after another; gopīnām — when all the other elderly gopī friends of mother Yaśodā; su-smayantīnām — were all taking pleasure in this funny affair; smayantī — mother Yaśodā was also smiling; vismitā abhavat — all of them were struck with wonder.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thus mother Yaśodā joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in her attempt to bind Kṛṣṇa. Mother Yaśodā's friends, the elderly gopīs in the neighborhood, were smiling and enjoying the fun. Similarly, mother Yaśodā, although laboring in that way, was also smiling. All of them were struck with wonder.

 

10.9.18

sva-mātuḥ svinna-gātrāyā

visrasta-kabara-srajaḥ

dṛṣṭvā pariśramaḿ kṛṣṇaḥ

kṛpayāsīt sva-bandhane

 

sva-mātuḥ — of His own mother (Kṛṣṇa's mother, Yaśodādevī); svinna-gātrāyāḥ — when Kṛṣṇa saw His mother perspiring all over because of unnecessary labor; visrasta — were falling down; kabara — from her hair; srajaḥ — of whom the flowers; dṛṣṭvā — by seeing the condition of His mother; pariśramam — He could understand that she was now overworked and feeling fatigued; kṛṣṇaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛpayā — by His causeless mercy upon His devotee and mother; āsīt — agreed; sva-bandhane — in binding Him.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Because of mother Yaśodā's hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Kṛṣṇa saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound.

 

10.9.19

evaḿ sandarśitā hy ańga

hariṇā bhṛtya-vaśyatā

sva-vaśenāpi kṛṣṇena

yasyedaḿ seśvaraḿ vaśe

 

evam — in this manner; sandarśitā — was exhibited; hi — indeed; ańga — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit; hariṇā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhṛtya-vaśyatā — His transcendental quality of becoming subordinate to His servitor or devotee; sva-vaśena — who is within the control only of His own self; api — indeed; kṛṣṇena — by Kṛṣṇa; yasya — of whom; idam — the whole universe; sa-īśvaram — with the powerful demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā; vaśe — under the control.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Kṛṣṇa in this pastime.

 

10.9.20

nemaḿ viriñco na bhavo

na śrīr apy ańga-saḿśrayā

prasādaḿ lebhire gopī

yat tat prāpa vimuktidāt

 

na — not; imam — this exalted position; viriñcaḥ — Lord Brahmā; na — nor; bhavaḥ — Lord Śiva; na — nor; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune; api — indeed; ańga-saḿśrayā — although she is always the better half of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prasādam — mercy; lebhire — obtained; gopī — mother Yaśodā; yat tat — as that which; prāpa — obtained; vimukti-dāt — from Kṛṣṇa, who gives deliverance from this material world.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Neither Lord Brahmā, nor Lord Śiva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who is always the better half of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by mother Yaśodā.

 

10.9.21

nāyaḿ sukhāpo bhagavān

dehināḿ gopikā-sutaḥ

jñānināḿ cātma-bhūtānāḿ

yathā bhaktimatām iha

 

na — not; ayam — this; sukha-āpaḥ — very easily obtainable, or an object of happiness; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dehinām — of persons in the bodily concept of life, especially the karmīs; gopikā-sutaḥ — Kṛṣṇa, the son of mother Yaśodā (Kṛṣṇa as the son of Vasudeva is called Vāsudeva, and as the son of mother Yaśodā He is known as Kṛṣṇa); jñāninām ca — and of the jñānīs, who try to be free from material contamination; ātma-bhūtānām — of self-sufficient yogīs; yathā — as; bhakti-matām — of the devotees; iha — in this world.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the son of mother Yaśodā, is accessible to devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.

 

10.9.22

kṛṣṇas tu gṛha-kṛtyeṣu

vyagrāyāḿ mātari prabhuḥ

adrākṣīd arjunau pūrvaḿ

guhyakau dhanadātmajau

 

kṛṣṇaḥ tu — in the meantime; gṛha-kṛtyeṣu — in engagement in household affairs; vyagrāyām — very busy; mātari — when His mother; prabhuḥ — the Lord; adrākṣīt — observed; arjunau — the twin arjuna trees; pūrvam — before Him; guhyakau — which in a former millennium had been demigods; dhanada-ātmajau — the sons of Kuvera, the treasurer of the demigods.

 

TRANSLATION

 

While mother Yaśodā was very busy with household affairs, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, observed twin trees known as yamala-arjuna, which in a former millennium had been the demigod sons of Kuvera.

 

10.9.23

purā nārada-śāpena

vṛkṣatāḿ prāpitau madāt

nalakūvara-maṇigrīvāv

iti khyātau śriyānvitau

 

purā — formerly; nārada-śāpena — being cursed by Nārada Muni; vṛkṣatām — the forms of trees; prāpitau — obtained; madāt — because of madness; nalakūvara — one of them was Nalakūvara; maṇigrīvau — the other was Maṇigrīva; iti — thus; khyātau — well known; śriyā anvitau — very opulent.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In their former birth, these two sons, known as Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, were extremely opulent and fortunate. But because of pride and false prestige, they did not care about anyone, and thus Nārada Muni cursed them to become trees.