Hare Krsna,
During the Kartik month last year, I was asked to serve morning Srimad Bhagavatam class at the temple and the topic was anything to Lord Damodara. I was given the liberty to choose my own verse (usually the temple assigns us a topic to speak on). I chose a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam (10th Canto 9th Chapter – our present study lesson) to speak on. I started preparation for the class a few days in advance and focused especially on Lord Damodara’s pastimes. However as my preparation/meditation was getting deeper with each passing day, I suddenly had a divine realization. I remember saying to myself, “Wait a minute! This damodara-lila is not only about little Krsna (Lord Damodara). This is actually about Mother Yasoda. Through the damodara pastime, Krsna is not glorifying His childhood pastimes. He is actually wants to show how glorious Mother Yasoda is.” I then had to change my presentation materials at the last minute and eventually spoke about Mother Yasoda and the special mercy bestowed upon her. The verse I finally chose to speak on was SB 10.9.20
“Neither Lord Brahmā, nor Lord Śiva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who is always the better half of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by mother Yaśodā.”
Srila Prabhupada explains beautifully in the purport that “although everyone is bhṛtya and although Kṛṣṇa has the quality of becoming subordinate to His bhṛtya, the position of mother Yaśodā is the greatest. Lord Brahmā is bhṛtya, a servant of Kṛṣṇa, and he is ādi-kavi, the original creator of this universe (tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye). Nonetheless, even he could not obtain such mercy as mother Yaśodā. As for Lord Śiva, he is the topmost Vaiṣṇava (vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ). What to speak of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is the Lord’s constant companion in service, since she always associates with His body. But even she could not get such mercy.”
To Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s question on how Mother Yasoda (and Nanda Maharaja) obtained such a great opportunity, the opportunity to be the affectionate father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura answers that “Mother Yasoda is in the supermost exalted position because she alone obtained such extraordinary mercy from the Lord. It is wrong to think that Yasoda is a sadhana siddha, who got a boon from Brahma in her previous lifetime as Dhara. The prema of Yasoda cannot be attained as a result of Brahma’s boon, for Brahma himself prays to become a blade of grass in Vraja. Indeed, Brahma is counted in a much, much lower class.”
An often-asked question is if Yasoda is the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then why is the common understanding that Devaki is the Lord’s mother? Srila Prabhupada explains that love of Devaki was jnanamayi, mixed with knowledge of the Lord’s opulence, whereas the love of Yasoda was kevala, completely pure, free of such feelings of reverence, and hence superior. In reciprocation of such love, Krsna appeared to both devotees, but differently. To one He was God, to the other cowherd boy.
Srila Prabhupada also adds, “Although Devakī is not on the Vṛndāvana platform, she is near the Vṛndāvana platform. On the Vṛndāvana platform the mother of Kṛṣṇa is mother Yaśodā, and on the Mathurā and Dvārakā platform the mother of Kṛṣṇa is Devakī. In Mathurā and Dvārakā the love for the Lord is mixed with appreciation of His opulence, but in Vṛndāvana the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not exhibited.” (Purport to SB 10.3.31)
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. How then could Yasoda bind Him? The answer is given: Kṛṣṇa was bound by the uncommon motherly love of Yasoda who thought of Him as her son (matvā ātmajam). Though Kṛṣṇa is all powerful, by His inconceivable energy He allows Himself to be controlled by love and bound by His beloveds. Kṛṣṇa is called avyaktam (unmanifested) because under the control of love He conceals His powers and appears like a human being (martya liṅgam), even though He is beyond material sense perception (adhokṣajam). The power of Yasoda’s love bound up the Lord, who is the aggregate of all consciousness, just as one binds an ordinary child (prākṛtam). (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura commentary on SB 10.9.14)
All glories to Mother Yasoda!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 