Hare Krsna,
SB 10.3.47: Thereafter, exactly when Vasudeva, being inspired by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was about to take the newborn child from the delivery room, Yoga-māyā, the Lord’s spiritual energy, took birth as the daughter of the wife of Mahārāja Nanda.
The simultaneous appearance of Lord Krsna in both Mathura and Gokula is mystical and inconceivable. It is not easy to understand Krsna’s appearance and disappearance.
According to the general conception in India, people think that Krsna was born in Mathura. If we go to Mathura, we will see many signs pointing to Lord Krsna’s birthplace. Everyone considers Mathura to be Krsna’s birthplace, and that Vasudeva carried Him to Gokula. But in the scriptures, there are many statements such as the following from Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (Antya 1.65-67).
Text 65: On the next day, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to see Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the omniscient Lord spoke as follows.
Text 66: “Do not try to take Kṛṣṇa out of Vṛndāvana, for He does not go anywhere else at any time.
Text 67: “The Kṛṣṇa known as Yadu-kumāra is Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. He is different from the Kṛṣṇa who is the son of Nanda Mahārāja. Yadu-kumāra Kṛṣṇa manifests His pastimes in the cities of Mathurā and Dvārakā, but Kṛṣṇa the son of Nanda Mahārāja never at any time leaves Vṛndāvana.”
From the above statements, it looks like Krsna never takes one step outside of Vrndavana. But, if Krsna is always in Vrndavana and never leaves, how can it be that He was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva? This means that the son of Vasudeva and Devaki and the son of Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja are not the same. The son of Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna in His original form (ete camas kalah pumsah krsnas tu Bhagavan svayam).
The son of Vasudeva and Devaki is called Vasudeva Krsna, and He is an expansion of Yasoda-nandana Krsna, who is the original form of Krsna. Therefore, Vasudeva Krsna, who appeared in Kamsa’s prison in Mathura to Vasudeva and Devaki, are the expansions of Krsna, the son of Yasoda.
By tattva (philosophical conclusions), both these Krsna are one and the same. Advaitam acyutam anadim Ananta-rupam. They are the same Visnu-tattva.
This is where the acintyabhedabheda principle comes into play. Even though both Vasudeva Krsna and Yasoda Krsna are non-different (both are Visnu-tattva), still there is a difference between Them. There is a difference in rasa or speciality in each form.
“According to transcendental realization, there is no difference between the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa. Yet in Kṛṣṇa there is a special transcendental attraction due to the conjugal mellow, and consequently He surpasses Nārāyaṇa. This is the conclusion of transcendental mellows.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.59)
Yasoda Krsna or Vrajendra-nandana Shyamsundara Krsna is the full embodiment of all mellows of transcendental love. We know that svayam Bhagavan Krsna has 64 transcendental qualities and His other expansions (Visnu-tattva) has 60 transcendental qualities. Therefore, the son of Vasudeva and Devaki is not equal to Krsna, the son of Yasoda and Nanda.
“Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura discusses that Kṛṣṇa appeared simultaneously as the son of Devakī and as the son of Yaśodā, along with the spiritual energy Yoga-māyā. As the son of Devakī, He first appeared as Viṣṇu, and because Vasudeva was not in the position of pure affection for Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva worshiped his son as Lord Viṣṇu. Yaśodā, however, pleased her son Kṛṣṇa without understanding His Godhood. This is the difference between Kṛṣṇa as the son of Yaśodā and as the son of Devakī.” (SB 10.3.47 Purport)
Being an inquisitive person, I had to dig deeper into this. I was wondering what happened to Yasoda Krsna after Vasudeva arrived in Gokula to exchange his son Krsna with Yoga-maya (second child born to Yasoda). I found my answer in Sri Laghu-bhagavatamrita (1.5.452–456):
“To give pleasure to His loving associates and even to relish His own wonderful pastimes, Sri Krishna manifested in Vraja [Vrindavan]. Because the parental love of Nanda and Yashoda is without parallel, Lord Krishna eternally thinks Himself their son. In ancient times, devotees revealed that the Lord appeared in His Vasudeva expansion in the home of King Vasudeva, and at the same time He appeared in His original form in the village of Vraja. It was thus said that Sri Krishna and Yogamaya were the twin children of Yashoda in Vrajabhumi. When Maharaja Vasudeva arrived there, he entered Yashoda’s maternity room, seeing only Yashoda’s daughter. The Vasudeva expansion that King Vasudeva had brought with him from Mathura entered the body of the original Sri Krishna, who had just taken birth as the son of Yashoda. In this way the two forms of Vasudeva and Krishna became one. Because this pastime is very confidential, it is not conveyed in Srimad-Bhagavatam and other texts. Nevertheless, Sukadeva Goswami and other great devotees have indirectly described it in their writings.”
Indeed, Krsna’s birth and appearance, even though inconceivable, are extremely sweet to hear and discuss.
Thus, Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita 4.9 that “One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 