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Childhood Lilas 2

Thus, baby Krishna killed many more demons sent by Kamsa. These include Bakasura, Aghasura, Shakatasura, Trunavarta, Dhenukasura, and many more.

To describe all of these would be repetition in most parts. Hence, we would only take up some important 'playfulness' of baby Krishna. All these Lilas point to divine prowess of the Lord, and to look at them from human point of view, of reason and rationality would be of no use. The Lord has His own way to lead the human kind towards gaining His love and yearning for spiritual realizations. Thus, Bhakti forms the basic theme of childhood Lilas of Sri Krishna. There sole purpose is to imbibe upon the mind of we ordinary mortals in the supernatural, or to be precise, transcendental nature and power of the Divine. All these Lilas are true, most Hindus, in particular Vaishnava (sect of followers of Sri Krishna) believe. Some maintain that over a period of time excessive emphasis led to mythologization of the Life of God Incarnate Sri Krishna. Whatever may be the case, listening to or reading these Lilas instills unusual peace and fearlessness in the mind of listeners and the readers.

Ma Yashoda has Vishwa Rupa Darshana (Vision of all pervading Universal form of the Lord)

Once it was brought to the notice of Yashoda that her Krishna eats earthly clods now and then. Yashoda did not believe it, but one day she decided to look for herself. On a complaint by a Gopi, milkmaid, she caught hold of child Krishna and insisted he open his mouth to show whether in fact he has eaten dirt etc. Reluctantly Krishna opened his mouth, and what Yashoda saw therein made her head swirl. For there she saw not tongue or teeth, nor dirt or saliva, but presence of three worlds!

Yashoda saw the Universal Mouth occupied by both sentient and insentient beings, heavens and earth with their suns and moons, stars and nebulae, mountains and rivers, she also saw the five primordial principles of Ether, Air, Fire, water, and earth, and three gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas. The gods were seen there praising the Almighty Lord, and all human forms, in the three phases of creation, sustenance and destruction.

Puzzled beyond imagination, Ma Yashoda suspected herself to be dreaming or in the hold of some yogic Maya power. She wondered whether her mind was under the spell of illusion or her thought under the spell of delusion. But soon she realized she was looking at the Divine Play of the Lord, and started praising Him as: "One, who cannot be the object of mind, thought, imagination, reason, and one who is beyond all actions, beyond all words and languages; the whole universe is under whose control, to that Lord I bow down in gratitude and reverence. One, whose Maya every soul is incapable of understanding, His true nature is beyond the five senses, whose Maya compels everyone on the earth to remain tied or bound in relations, and whereby one speaks of 'my husband, my wife, my son, my money, my house, my wealth' and such bondage with pride and infatuation, to that Lord I surrender in gratitude and reverence."

When Yashoda had such knowledge of the Principle of Sri Krishna, the omnipotent Lord led her to the state of samadhi and erased all this knowledge through His Maya Power, lest Yashoda should give up her duties and motherly love towards child Krishna.

Yashoda tries to tie Baby Krishna

Baby Krishna had now grown up a little and was able to walk a bit, and also run with unsteady steps. He used to steal butter, break earthen pots that stored milk, curd, etc., which caused many problems as any naughty child would pose to the mother. On most occasions, even when neighbors complained, Ma Yashoda would turn a deaf ear and blind eye to all such playfulness of her loving child.

But one day the she was very angry with baby Krishna's naughtiness. She decided to tie him with a string/rope for some time so that she could finish her household work without any disturbance from him. Thus, she ran after Krishna and tried to catch him, but does Lord allow such 'catching Him' easily? Such a small child made fun of her and escaped now and then. Tired, and with sweat appearing on her face, Yashoda pleaded with him to be obedient. At last out of love Krishna allowed himself to be caught.

Yashoda brought a thin rope long enough to tie a baby and tried to brace it around his waist. But the rope fell two inches short. Hence she added another length to the first one, but of no avail. The rope became very long that would have gone all over the house itself, but fell two inch short every time Yashoda tried to tie baby Krishna! Is it possible for anyone or has anyone yet put a limit to limitless! Has anyone bound the boundless! Tears started flowing from the eyes of the mother, and then all merciful Lord allowed Himself to be tied. Bhakti and love limits the Lord to a form, and then the Lord is tied in a relationship with a true bhakta, as a lover, a mother, a friend, or a servant.
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