Five Iconic Images From Krishna’s Childhood Lila

“Our dear friend Yashoda, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks. When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Sometimes, if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Krishna will go away.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.8.29)

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वत्सान् मुञ्चन् क्‍वचिदसमये क्रोशसञ्जातहास:
स्तेयं स्वाद्वत्त्यथ दधिपय: कल्पितै: स्तेययोगै:
मर्कान् भोक्ष्यन् विभजति स चेन्नात्ति भाण्डं भिन्नत्ति
द्रव्यालाभे सगृहकुपितो यात्युपक्रोश्य तोकान्

vatsān muñcan kvacid asamaye krośa-sañjāta-hāsaḥ
steyaṁ svādv atty atha dadhi-payaḥ kalpitaiḥ steya-yogaiḥ
markān bhokṣyan vibhajati sa cen nātti bhāṇḍaṁ bhinnatti
dravyālābhe sagṛha-kupito yāty upakrośya tokān

The supposed first steps of a human being on the surface of the moon. The lifting of a flag amidst the rubble of a collapsed building. The situation room associated with the President of the United States, where observers watch a secret and dangerous mission unfolding in real-time. A candidate for office rising up defiantly and triumphantly after surviving an attempt on his life.

The images associated with these events are often described as “iconic.” They pass quickly through both time and space. There is widespread distribution. People know about these images. They spend extra time looking at them precisely because of the deeper meaning. They are either already familiar with the context or are so interested that they wish to learn more.

It would make sense, then, that the most important person of all would have similar kinds of images associated with Him. Though He can never be limited to a single visual or a specific name, though He is both within the heart as the Supersoul and the separate surveyor of the many universes through His exclusive perch in the Vaikuntha realm, there are still many images associated with His wanderings in the manifest realm. These appearances occur along a schedule solely determined by Him. He decides when and where to manifest, to give visual proof to the doubting eyes of the proper administration of justice.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य
ग्लानिर् भवति भारत
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य
तदात्मानं सृजाम्य् अहम्

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.7)

The subject matter of God is vast enough to stretch across the entirety of recorded history. In studying Him, we are not simply regurgitating past events. He is as much around today, sharing His mercy with people connected to Him, as He was thousands of years ago in places like Gokula and Dvaraka. Due to His absolute nature, focusing on only a small portion of time, in an otherwise unremarkable tract of land, is enough to end many cycles of attachment and aversion, elation and frustration, and the all-encompassing birth and death.

1. Damodara

For this particular exercise, we focus on the appearance in this world of Shri Krishna. More specifically, we cover His time as a child in the farm community of Gokula-Vrindavana. We consider it a sacred place today, based on the authority of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. That golden avatara explains that just as Krishna is worshipable, so is His land. This makes Vrindavana an ideal place to worship, since it is one of the most cherished pieces of land to be found.

God is powerful. God is strong. God is the Almighty. He can punish anyone. He can deliver justice in the swiftest manner possible. In the way that trees produce flowers only during the appropriate season, the evildoers should know that they will not get away with their crimes. Punishment will surely arrive, when the time is right.

अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्

avaśyaṃ labhate jantuḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ
ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpamivārtavam

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

God as the punisher is an easy image to conjure. But what about God on the receiving end of punishment? What about God being afraid of a loving mother and her whipping stick? What about God shedding a tear at the prospect of the mother rightfully being upset at a pot of butter broken in childish anger?

This is the vision of Damodara. He is named as such due to the situation. Krishna is tied to a mortar. This is the mild punishment for a tantrum resulting from competing responsibilities for Yashoda within the home. The image is iconic because of the loving exchange and also the power of devotion. Yashoda has so much love for God that He agrees to be bound to a mortar for her, to grant her desire, even though only moments prior she could not find enough rope to complete the task.

“She gathered more ropes from the house and added to it, but at the end she found the same shortage. In this way, she connected all the ropes available at home, but when the final knot was added, she saw that it was still two inches too short. Mother Yashoda was smiling, but she was astonished. How was it happening?” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 9)

2. Stealing butter

We associate the word “dharma” with worship of that same Krishna. Dharma is the closest equivalent to the more familiar term in the modern day: religion. Except dharma is not something to be accepted or rejected. It is not faith. Dharma is something that never leaves us. When applying to a specific occupation, situation, or period of time, dharma is that way to maintain fidelity with the desired condition.

When operating under these definitions, who would ever equate dharma with stealing? It would appear to be the antithesis of good behavior, of progressing towards a higher standard of understanding. At a minimum, dharma should involve respect for private property. Dharma should not involve breaking and entering, taking what is not yours, or causing havoc for no reason.

And yet Krishna was known precisely for this during His childhood in Gokula-Vrindavana. He became famous as the butter thief. The mothers witnessed what was happening. They filed their versions of police reports to the authority figure in charge at the time, mother Yashoda.

Something interesting would then take place. As the witnesses were giving their report, reviewing the bad things Krishna had done, the stance softened to the point that it sounded like they took pleasure in Krishna’s intrusions. They soon changed their decision; they appealed for leniency from the mother. No reason to punish Krishna, necessarily. He was adored in their community, after all.

3. With Yashoda

In this image, Krishna is seated on the lap of mother Yashoda. Even if a person is not familiar with either character, with the subject matter of Vedic literature in general, they can tell that there is a strong bond. There is love from both sides. We have confirmation from those in the know that these exchanges are not random. The Supreme Personality of Godhead chooses where to appear and which places to call home.

4. Checking for dirt

An adult Krishna has a wonderful conversation with a bow-warrior named Arjuna. They briefly address the imminent reality of an upcoming large-scale military conflict, but also delve into higher subject matters, reaching across the entire scope of space and beyond. Krishna even explains that the people who truly know time do so in the context of the lifespan of the creator, Lord Brahma.

सहस्र-युग-पर्यन्तम्
अहर् यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः
रात्रिं युग-सहस्रान्तां
ते ऽहो-रात्र-विदो जनाः

sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ‘ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

“By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.17)

To add validity to the presentation, to address any future doubters who might access the transcript of the conversation kindly passed along by Vyasadeva, Arjuna asks Krishna to reveal the universal form. This would prove the Divine nature of the teacher in that situation. It would be the empirical evidence that the less intelligent always insist upon.

Interestingly, a similar exchange took place during Krishna’s childhood. This was not necessarily by request. It was also a bewildering experience, as the person witnessing the entire universe was not prepared to accept that something so vast could fit into the mouth of a child, let alone the one who had just been accused of eating dirt.

5. Crossing the Yamuna

There would be no childhood pastimes in Gokula-Vrindavana were it not for a brave father dutifully following through on a request from his eighth child. That child somehow survived the tyranny of King Kamsa of Mathura. If for only a few moments, there was safety. Vasudeva and his wife Devaki were in prison at the time. They had suffered enough in seeing their previous children killed immediately after birth. This was to satisfy the paranoia of Kamsa, who was previously informed that Devaki’s eighth child would spell his final doom.

The latest newborn showed His four-handed form of Narayana in order to establish authority to His word. He then instructed Vasudeva on what to do. Since Kamsa would eventually find out about the birth of the child, it was safer to live in Gokula-Vrindavana. Therefore, in the middle of the night, Vasudeva was able to escape the jail. He was on his way to the destination when further obstacles appeared. A rainstorm combined with a raging river.

In this classic image, Vasudeva is holding the newborn above his head while crossing the river. Ananta Shesha Naga, who is always protecting Vishnu in the spiritual world, emerges to provide cover for the baby. Vasudeva is able to make it safely across, to then conduct a swap of babies with Nanda Maharaja.

In Closing:

The seal of protection to break,
Regularly as butter thief to make.

The mothers ready then to complain,
That Krishna to their homes came.

But while the rap sheet reading,
Drive for vengeance receding.

Rather pleasure that confidently known,
Leniency for child should be shown.