“While mother Yashoda was very busy with household affairs, the Supreme Lord, Krishna, observed twin trees known as yamala-arjuna, which in a former millennium had been the demigod sons of Kuvera.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.9.22)

Download this episode (right click and save)

कृष्णस्तु गृहकृत्येषु व्यग्रायां मातरि प्रभु: ।
अद्राक्षीदर्जुनौ पूर्वं गुह्यकौ धनदात्मजौ ॥

kṛṣṇas tu gṛha-kṛtyeṣu
vyagrāyāṁ mātari prabhuḥ
adrākṣīd arjunau pūrvaṁ
guhyakau dhanadātmajau

Celebrated particularly within the Kartik month of the year, the lila of the Supreme Lord as Damodara has been glorified for ages. It is a mystery to behold, a wonder within the universe, that someone so powerful could give the visual of complete innocence and dependence. Such is the nature of Shri Krishna, who can be known only by devotion and who can only be controlled by the same devotion.

भक्त्या माम् अभिजानाति
यावान् यश् चास्मि तत्त्वतः
ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा
विशते तद्-अनन्तरम्

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram

“One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.55)

1. Show closeness to the mother

Damodara-lila begins with the relationship to the mother, Yashoda. Amazingly, Yashoda is not directly related to her son. She is kind of a foster-mother, but without knowledge of the distinction. She gives birth to a child, but that child gets immediately swapped for the one born to Devaki. Devaki is in Mathura, and her child Krishna asks to be transported to Gokula in order to alleviate the danger from the wicked king named Kamsa.

As a child, Krishna is most fond of the milk fed directly by Yashoda. And so the famous lila involving the rope and the belly begins with Krishna asking for milk. The Supreme Lord is never in need. He is the husband of the goddess of fortune, after all. He is never daridra, in the way that the tag applies to beggars.

If there is a loving relationship, if there is something to offer, if there is a willingness to sacrifice, then why not act in ways that elicit the exchange? Krishna asks for milk and Yashoda is more than ready to offer it. The simple picture of mother and child embodies the devotional mellow of vatsalya, which is one way life in liberation continues.

2. Prove the mother’s authority

As the controller of the universe, He is known as Jagannatha. Since no one can conquer Him, He is Ajita. Since He never falls down, He is Achyuta. All truths rest on Him; not the other way around. He is the beginning, the middle, and the end.

मत्तः परतरं नान्यत्
किञ्चिद् अस्ति धनञ्जय
मयि सर्वम् इदं प्रोतं
सूत्रे मणि-गणा इव

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

“O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.7)

If in Gokula there is to be a relationship with the mother, then there has to be authority. This must exist beyond the abstract. The authority cannot be contemplated only in theory. Shri Krishna is so kind that He acts in ways to show that authority, to remind the mother that she is in charge.

And so in Damodara-lila, Krishna intentionally breaks a pot of butter in anger. This is to retaliate against Yashoda’s brief departure from attention, as she goes to check on the stove in the kitchen. Since breaking the pot is the wrong thing to do, since it is in violation of the rules of the house, Krishna runs away. Yashoda, being the superior, the loving mother, chases after Krishna.

3. Feed the monkeys

As if to add insult to the injury, Krishna takes the spilled butter and feeds it to monkeys. They are living entities, after all. They might not be civilized. They might not be known for their attention to etiquette, their respect for private property, or for their fashion sense, but they are residents of Vrindavana all the same. As Sita Devi remarks in the Ramayana, her husband is the well-wisher of all living entities. The same Krishna had previously interacted with monkeys in a heartwarming way within Rama-lila.

रामेति प्रथितो लोके गुणवान्सत्यवान्शुचिः
विशालाक्षो महाबाहुस्सर्वभूतहिते रतः

rāmeti prathito loke guṇavānsatyavānśuciḥ
viśālākṣo mahābāhussarvabhūtahite rataḥ

“My husband Rama is famous throughout the world. He is pure, truthful, and very gentle. He is mighty-armed, has wide eyes, and is always busy working for the welfare of all living beings [sarva-bhuta-hite-ratah].” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.11)

4. Highlight the superiority of bhakti

Yashoda eventually caught up to Krishna. She tried to bring down the tension of the situation by keeping Krishna bound to a mortar. The problem was that the rope kept coming up short. By two finger-widths, no matter how many extra ropes she added to the original.

The wonder of bhakti is that the Supreme Lord, who can never be caught, who is faster than the wind, who is the entire universe and more, can come under the control of someone who loves Him. And so Krishna finally agreed to be bound. Not even the demigods are as fortunate. The mystics, the meditational yogis, those possessing full transcendental knowledge – they cannot so easily come to the same place as Yashoda found.

नायं सुखापो भगवान्देहिनां गोपिकासुत: ।
ज्ञानिनां चात्मभूतानां यथा भक्तिमतामिह ॥

nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān
dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ
jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ
yathā bhaktimatām iha

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the son of mother Yashoda, 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.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.9.21)

5. Liberate the sons of Kuvera

Yashoda proved she was in charge. She was allowed to bind Krishna. The child earned the name Damodara as a result of the episode. Everything went according to desire, except Krishna is never under the control of ropes.

Though bound to a mortar by the belly, He could still move. He spotted twin yamala-arjuna trees nearby. Krishna knew these were the sons of Kuvera. The men were cursed on a previous occasion by Narada Muni. This was their moment for delivery, to be liberated from the curse, and it would be through that very same mortar. Krishna showed amazing strength, grace, kindness, and compassion in dragging the mortar in between the trees, thus causing them to topple.

In Closing:

Now as Damodara to call,
Trees safely to fall.

By the mother first bound,
Perfect opportunity found.

Amazing strength in place,
Dragging mortar to that space.

Kuvera’s sons from curse to release,
Expired finally the punishment lease.

Categories: the five

Tags: damodara, god, hare krishna, hinduism, kartik, poem, poems, poetry