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Mother Yasoda, being very disturbed by naughty Krsna, bound Him round the abdomen with a rope, and thus Krsna is named Damodara

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.8.31, Translation:

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

Out of her pure love, Mother Yaśodā wanted to make a show of punishment for her transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord that she would tie Him up, as is generally done in the ordinary household.
SB 1.8.31, Purport:

When Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in this material world to manifest His eternal pastimes of the transcendental realm of Goloka Vṛndāvana as an attraction for the people in general, He displayed a unique picture of subordination before His foster mother, Yaśodā. The Lord, in His naturally childish playful activities, used to spoil the stocked butter of mother Yaśodā by breaking the pots and distributing the contents to His friends and playmates, including the celebrated monkeys of Vṛndāvana, who took advantage of the Lord's munificence. Mother Yaśodā saw this, and out of her pure love she wanted to make a show of punishment for her transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord that she would tie Him up, as is generally done in the ordinary household. Seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yaśodā, the Lord bowed down His head and began to weep just like a child, and tears rolled down His cheeks, washing off the black ointment smeared about His beautiful eyes. This picture of the Lord is adored by Kuntīdevī because she is conscious of the Lord's supreme position. He is feared often by fear personified, yet He is afraid of His mother, who wanted to punish Him just in an ordinary manner. Kuntī was conscious of the exalted position of Kṛṣṇa, whereas Yaśodā was not. Therefore Yaśodā's position was more exalted than Kuntī's. Mother Yaśodā got the Lord as her child, and the Lord made her forget altogether that her child was the Lord Himself. If mother Yaśodā had been conscious of the exalted position of the Lord, she would certainly have hesitated to punish the Lord. But she was made to forget this situation because the Lord wanted to make a complete gesture of childishness before the affectionate Yaśodā. This exchange of love between the mother and the son was performed in a natural way, and Kuntī, remembering the scene, was bewildered, and she could do nothing but praise the transcendental filial love. Indirectly mother Yaśodā is praised for her unique position of love, for she could control even the all-powerful Lord as her beloved child.

SB Canto 2

One day Lord Kṛṣṇa as the naughty child disturbed His mother Yaśodā, and she began to tie up the child with ropes just to punish Him. But no matter how much rope she used, she found it always insufficient.
SB 2.7.30, Translation and Purport:

When the cowherd woman (Kṛṣṇa's foster mother, Yaśodā) was trying to tie the hands of her son with ropes, she found the rope to be always insufficient in length, and when she finally gave up, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by and by, opened His mouth, wherein the mother found all the universes situated. Seeing this, she was doubtful in her mind, but she was convinced in a different manner of the mystic nature of her son.

One day Lord Kṛṣṇa as the naughty child disturbed His mother Yaśodā, and she began to tie up the child with ropes just to punish Him. But no matter how much rope she used, she found it always insufficient. Thus she became fatigued, but in the meantime the Lord opened His mouth, and the affectionate mother saw within the mouth of her son all the universes situated together. The mother was astonished, but out of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa she thought that the Almighty Godhead Nārāyaṇa had kindly looked after her son just to protect Him from all the continuous calamities happening to Him. Because of her deep affection for Kṛṣṇa, she could never think that her very son was Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead Himself. That is the action of yogamāyā, the internal potency of the Supreme Lord, which acts to perfect all the pastimes of the Lord with His different types of devotees. Who could play such wonders without being God?

SB Canto 6

The Personality of Godhead appeared in Vṛndāvana as the son of mother Yaśodā, who bound the Lord with rope just as an ordinary mother binds a material child.
SB 6.4.47, Purport:

The Personality of Godhead appeared in Vṛndāvana as the son of mother Yaśodā, who bound the Lord with rope just as an ordinary mother binds a material child. There are actually no divisions of external and internal for the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)), but when He appears in His own form the unintelligent think Him an ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) although He comes in His own body, which never changes. mūḍhas, the unintelligent, think that the impersonal Brahman has assumed a material body to come in the form of a person. Ordinary living beings assume material bodies, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Mother Yaśodā wanted to bind Kṛṣṇa not in order to chastise Him but because she thought that the child was so restless that He might leave the house in fear. That would be another disturbance. Therefore, because of full affection, to stop Kṛṣṇa from leaving the house, she wanted to bind Him with rope.
SB 10.9.12, Translation and Purport:

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.

Mother Yaśodā wanted to bind Kṛṣṇa not in order to chastise Him but because she thought that the child was so restless that He might leave the house in fear. That would be another disturbance. Therefore, because of full affection, to stop Kṛṣṇa from leaving the house, she wanted to bind Him with rope. Mother Yaśodā wanted to impress upon Kṛṣṇa that since He was afraid merely to see her stick, He should not perform such disturbing activities as breaking the container of yogurt and butter and distributing its contents to the monkeys. Mother Yaśodā did not care to understand who Kṛṣṇa was and how His power spreads everywhere. This is an example of pure love for Kṛṣṇa.

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.
SB 10.9.13-14, 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.

Thus although mother Yaśodā, in her attempt to bind Kṛṣṇa, added one rope after another, ultimately she was a failure. When Kṛṣṇa agreed, however, she was successful.
SB 10.9.15, Translation and Purport:

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.

Here is the first chapter in Kṛṣṇa's exhibition of unlimited potency to mother Yaśodā when she tried to bind Him: the rope was too short. The Lord had already shown His unlimited potency by killing Pūtanā, Śakaṭāsura and Tṛṇāvarta. Now Kṛṣṇa exhibited another vibhūti, or display of potency, to mother Yaśodā. "Unless I agree," Kṛṣṇa desired to show, "you cannot bind Me." Thus although mother Yaśodā, in her attempt to bind Kṛṣṇa, added one rope after another, ultimately she was a failure. When Kṛṣṇa agreed, however, she was successful. In other words, one must be in transcendental love with Kṛṣṇa, but that does not mean that one can control Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

"Mother Yaśodā thought Him to be her son, and she bound Lord Kṛṣṇa with rope to a wooden mortar, as if He were an ordinary child."
CC Madhya 19.205, Translation and Purport:

"'Although Kṛṣṇa is beyond sense perception and is unmanifest to human beings, He takes up the guise of a human being with a material body. Thus mother Yaśodā thought Him to be her son, and she bound Lord Kṛṣṇa with rope to a wooden mortar, as if He were an ordinary child.'"

This verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.14) is in reference to Lord Kṛṣṇa's exhibiting Himself like an ordinary child before mother Yaśodā. He was playing like a naughty boy, stealing butter and breaking butter pots. Mother Yaśodā became disturbed and wanted to bind the Lord to a mortar used for pounding spices. In other words, she considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead an ordinary child.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Mother Yaśodā bound the child Kṛṣṇa with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1:

As far as Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa's mother in Vṛndāvana, is concerned, it is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 10.8.45):

trayyā copaniṣadbhiś ca
sāṅkhya-yogaiś ca sātvataiḥ
upagīyamāna-māhātmyaṁ
hariṁ sāmanyatātmajam

The Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by all the Vedas and Upaniṣads, as well as by the sāṅkhya system of philosophy and all authorized scriptures, was considered to be born in her womb. It is also stated (SB 10.9.12) that Mother Yaśodā bound the child Kṛṣṇa with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body. Similarly, there are other descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's being treated as an ordinary person (SB 10.18.24). Indeed, when He was defeated in games with His friends, the cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa would carry them—notably Śrīdāmā—on His shoulders.

Nectar of Devotion

The Dāmodara form refers to Kṛṣṇa in His childhood when He was tied up with rope by His mother, Yaśodā. Dāma means "ropes," and udara means "the abdomen." So mother Yaśodā, being very disturbed by naughty Kṛṣṇa, bound Him round the abdomen with a rope, and thus Kṛṣṇa is named Dāmodara.
Nectar of Devotion 4:

Similarly, there is a statement in Padma Purāṇa describing the ritualistic function during the month of Kārttika (October-November). During this month, in Vṛndāvana it is the regulative principle to pray daily to Lord Kṛṣṇa in His Dāmodara form. The Dāmodara form refers to Kṛṣṇa in His childhood when He was tied up with rope by His mother, Yaśodā. Dāma means "ropes," and udara means "the abdomen." So mother Yaśodā, being very disturbed by naughty Kṛṣṇa, bound Him round the abdomen with a rope, and thus Kṛṣṇa is named Dāmodara. During the month of Kārttika, Dāmodara is prayed to as follows: "My dear Lord, You are the Lord of all, the giver of all benedictions." There are many demigods, like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, who sometimes offer benedictions to their respective devotees. For example, Rāvaṇa was blessed with many benedictions by Lord Śiva, and Hiraṇyakaśipu was blessed by Lord Brahmā. But even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā depend upon the benedictions of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore Kṛṣṇa is addressed as the Lord of all benefactors. As such, Lord Kṛṣṇa can offer His devotees anything they want, but still, the devotee's prayer continues, "I do not ask You for liberation or any material facility up to the point of liberation. What I want as Your favor is that I may always think of Your form in which I see You now, as Dāmodara. You are so beautiful and attractive that my mind does not want anything besides this wonderful form." In this same prayer, there is another passage, in which it is said, "My dear Lord Dāmodara, once when You were playing as a naughty boy in the house of Nanda Mahārāja, You broke the box containing yogurt, and because of that, mother Yaśodā considered You an offender and tied You with rope to the household grinding mortar. At that time You delivered two sons of Kuvera, Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, who were staying there as two arjuna trees in the yard of Nanda Mahārāja. My only request is that by Your merciful pastimes You may similarly deliver me."

"Dāmodara" refers to Kṛṣṇa's being bound with rope by His mother, Yaśodā.
Nectar of Devotion 12:

One of the most important of these ceremonial functions is called Ūrja-vrata. Ūrja-vrata is observed in the month of Kārttika (October-November); especially in Vṛndāvana, there is a specific program for temple worship of the Lord in His Dāmodara form. "Dāmodara" refers to Kṛṣṇa's being bound with rope by His mother, Yaśodā. It is said that just as Lord Dāmodara is very dear to His devotees, so the month known as Dāmodara or Kārttika is also very dear to them.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells King Parīkṣit, "My dear King, when mother Yaśodā was perspiring, tired of trying to bind Kṛṣṇa up with rope, Kṛṣṇa agreed to allow her to bind Him." Kṛṣṇa, as a child, was disturbing His mother by His naughty activities, and she wanted to bind Him up.
Nectar of Devotion 22:

Another instance of Kṛṣṇa's obligation to His devotee is described in the Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, verse 18, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Śukadeva Gosvāmī tells King Parīkṣit, "My dear King, when mother Yaśodā was perspiring, tired of trying to bind Kṛṣṇa up with rope, Kṛṣṇa agreed to allow her to bind Him." Kṛṣṇa, as a child, was disturbing His mother by His naughty activities, and she wanted to bind Him up. Mother Yaśodā brought some rope from the house and tried to tie up the child, but she could not tie a knot due to the shortness of the rope. She tied together many ropes, but when she finished still the rope was too short. After a while she felt very tired and began to perspire. At that time Kṛṣṇa agreed to be bound up by His mother. In other words, no one can bind Kṛṣṇa by any means other than love. He is bound only by obligation to His devotees, because of their ecstatic love for Him.

Rohiṇī-devī took the opportunity to rebuke mother Yaśodā as follows: "You may be very expert in giving lessons to your son by binding Him with rope, but don't you look to see if your son is in a dangerous spot? The trees are falling on the ground, and He is simply loitering there!"
Nectar of Devotion 33:

Similar ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa in anger was expressed by Rohiṇī-devī when she heard the roaring sound of the two falling arjuna trees to which Kṛṣṇa had been tied. The whole neighborhood proceeded immediately toward the place where the accident had taken place, and Rohiṇī-devī took the opportunity to rebuke mother Yaśodā as follows: "You may be very expert in giving lessons to your son by binding Him with rope, but don't you look to see if your son is in a dangerous spot? The trees are falling on the ground, and He is simply loitering there!" This expression of Rohiṇī-devī's anger toward Yaśodā is an example of ecstatic love in anger caused by Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Being the topmost well-wisher of her child, mother Yaśodā thought, “If the child is too fearful of me, I don't know what will happen to Him.” Mother Yaśodā then threw away her stick. In order to punish Him, she thought to bind His hands with some ropes. She did not know it, but it was actually impossible for her to bind the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Krsna Book 9:

Mother Yaśodā could understand that Kṛṣṇa was unnecessarily afraid, and for His benefit she wanted to allay His fears. Being the topmost well-wisher of her child, mother Yaśodā thought, "If the child is too fearful of me, I don't know what will happen to Him." Mother Yaśodā then threw away her stick. In order to punish Him, she thought to bind His hands with some ropes. She did not know it, but it was actually impossible for her to bind the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mother Yaśodā was thinking that Kṛṣṇa was her tiny child; she did not know that the child had no limitation. There is no inside or outside of Him, nor beginning or end. He is unlimited and all-pervading. Indeed, He is Himself the whole cosmic manifestation. Still, mother Yaśodā was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as her child. Although He is beyond the reach of all senses, she endeavored to bind Him to a wooden grinding mortar. But when she tried to bind Him, she found that the rope she was using was too short—by two inches. She gathered more ropes from the house and added to it, but still 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 the rope was still two inches too short. Mother Yaśodā was smiling, but she was astonished. How was it happening?

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This privilege is especially given to Yaśodāmāyi. Because she's so advanced devotee that she has got the right to chastise the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is special prerogative.
Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

Devotee:

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad
yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam
vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya
sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti
(SB 1.8.31)

"My, dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me."

Prabhupāda: This is also another opulence of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full with six kinds of opulences. So this opulence is beauty, beauty opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got six opulences: all riches, all strength, all influence, all knowledge, all beauty, all renunciation. So this is the opulence of Kṛṣṇa's beauty. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone...

Just like we are, we are offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa with awe and veneration. But nobody comes here to Kṛṣṇa with a rope: "Kṛṣṇa, You are offender. I shall bind You." Nobody comes. That is the another prerogative of the most perfect devotee. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Because He's full of opulence... This is also another opulence. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. The greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is opulence.

So Kuntīdevī is thinking of Kṛṣṇa's opulence, but she did not dare to take the part of Yaśodā. That is not possible. Although Kuntīdevī happened to be aunt of Kṛṣṇa, but she had no such privilege... This privilege is especially given to Yaśodāmāyi. Because she's so advanced devotee that she has got the right to chastise the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is special prerogative. So Kuntīdevī was simply thinking of the privilege of Yaśodāmāyi, that how much fortunate and how much privileged she was that she could threaten the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is feared even by the fear personified. Bhīr api yad bibheti (SB 1.8.31). Who is not afraid of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone. But Kṛṣṇa is afraid of Yaśodāmāyi. This is the superexcellence of Kṛṣṇa.

When, as soon as Kṛṣṇa saw Mother Yaśodā is coming with a rope to bind Him, so He immediately became very much afraid so that tears came out. "Oh, Mother is going to bind Me."
Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

We should not love Kṛṣṇa for some material gain. It is not that: "Kṛṣṇa, give us our daily bread. Then I love You. Kṛṣṇa, give me this. Then I love You." There is no such mercantile exchange. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa wants that kind of love. So here it is said that position, yā te daśā, daśā... When, as soon as Kṛṣṇa saw Mother Yaśodā is coming with a rope to bind Him, so He immediately became very much afraid so that tears came out. "Oh, Mother is going to bind Me." Yā te daśāśru-kalila añjana. And the ointment is being washed off. And sambhrama. And with great respect looking to the mother, with feeling appeal: "Yes, Mother, I have offended you. Kindly excuse Me." This was the scene of Kṛṣṇa. So that scene is appreciated by Kuntī. And immediately His head became downward.

And then, after all, He was a small child, and Mother Yaśodā caught Him and wanted to bind Him with a rope. This is the fact. Kṛtāgasi. Then gopy ādade kṛtāgasi tvam: "Because You were offender, therefore she wanted to bind You."
Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

So here it is said that kṛtāgasi. Kṛtāgasi... So Kṛṣṇa was offender before His mother. The mother, Yaśodā, was taking care of the milk, and Kṛṣṇa wanted to suck his (her) breast. So mother was very busy. So when the milk was overflowing, she immediately left Kṛṣṇa and went to take care of the milk. Kṛṣṇa became very much angry. So He went to the butter stock and broke the butter pot, spoiled it, and when mother Yaśodā saw that the child is breaking the butter pot, he (she) immediately wanted to catch Him, and Kṛṣṇa fled away. And then, after all, He was a small child, and Mother Yaśodā caught Him and wanted to bind Him with a rope. This is the fact. Kṛtāgasi. Then gopy ādade kṛtāgasi tvam: "Because You were offender, therefore he (she) wanted to bind You." Dāma. Dāma means rope. Tāvat. "And what was Your condition at that time? The condition was yā te daśā." Daśā means condition. So He was crying. Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of fear of His mother—"Now Mother will bind Me"—so He was crying. And while crying, the tears washed the, what is called? Kajala? Mascara? So they were dropping, and He was fearful, crying, and He was, His head was down, flapping. This condition. Ninīya. Vaktraṁ ninīya, face. He felt culprit, that "I have done wrong." Bhaya-bhāvanayā. He was so much afraid that "Mother will bind Me. My freedom will be lost."

Page Title:Mother Yasoda, being very disturbed by naughty Krsna, bound Him round the abdomen with a rope, and thus Krsna is named Damodara
Compiler:Labangalatika, Sahadeva
Created:16 of Oct, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=7, CC=1, OB=6, Lec=3, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:17