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'''Theme Analysis''' | |||
Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly describes the unparalleled and exalted position of Mother Yaśodā, the eternal embodiment of vatsalya-rasa (parental affection). Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiped by all the Vedas and feared by the demigods, He joyfully subordinates Himself to the pure, unalloyed love of Mother Yaśodā. Under the divine covering of yogamaya, she completely forgets Kṛṣṇa's supreme opulence, viewing Him simply as her dependent, restless child whom she must feed, protect, and even punish. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the intense mercy Mother Yaśodā received—being able to bind the Lord with her ropes of love and nurse Him with her breast milk—surpasses even the benedictions attained by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, or the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. For aspiring devotees, the goal is never to falsely claim to be Yaśodā, but to humbly follow in her footsteps on the path of raganuga-bhakti. | |||
* '''The Embodiment of Parental Love:''' Mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja represent the absolute zenith of vatsalya-rasa, relishing the highest spiritual ecstasy by loving the Supreme Lord as their own child. | |||
* '''Binding the Supreme Controller:''' Out of her intense maternal affection and duty, Mother Yaśodā achieved the impossible by physically binding the all-powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa with ordinary household ropes. | |||
* '''The Divine Covering of Illusion:''' To facilitate this sweet intimate exchange, the Lord's internal potency, yogamaya, covered Mother Yaśodā's awareness of His divinity, making her view Him purely with maternal anxiety. | |||
* '''Maternal Anxiety and Protection:''' Despite Kṛṣṇa's invincibility, Mother Yaśodā experienced genuine transcendental fear for His safety, constantly chanting mantras and protecting Him from demons. | |||
* '''Incomparable Fortune and Mercy:''' The Vedic literatures confirm that the intimate mercy bestowed upon Mother Yaśodā was never achieved by any other demigod or even by the Lord's eternal consort, Lakṣmī. | |||
* '''Following in Her Footsteps:''' Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns against the Māyāvādī philosophy of trying to become Mother Yaśodā, advising devotees instead to follow in her footsteps to awaken pure parental affection. | |||
* Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: [[Vanipedia:The Pure and Unalloyed Love of Mother Yaśodā|The Pure and Unalloyed Love of Mother Yaśodā.]] | |||
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[[Category:Categories With Theme Analysis]] | |||
[[Category:Personalities from Srimad Bhagavatam]] | [[Category:Personalities from Srimad Bhagavatam]] | ||
[[Category:Names of Inhabitants of Vrndavana]] | [[Category:Names of Inhabitants of Vrndavana]] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:24, 22 May 2026
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly describes the unparalleled and exalted position of Mother Yaśodā, the eternal embodiment of vatsalya-rasa (parental affection). Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiped by all the Vedas and feared by the demigods, He joyfully subordinates Himself to the pure, unalloyed love of Mother Yaśodā. Under the divine covering of yogamaya, she completely forgets Kṛṣṇa's supreme opulence, viewing Him simply as her dependent, restless child whom she must feed, protect, and even punish. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the intense mercy Mother Yaśodā received—being able to bind the Lord with her ropes of love and nurse Him with her breast milk—surpasses even the benedictions attained by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, or the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. For aspiring devotees, the goal is never to falsely claim to be Yaśodā, but to humbly follow in her footsteps on the path of raganuga-bhakti.
- The Embodiment of Parental Love: Mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja represent the absolute zenith of vatsalya-rasa, relishing the highest spiritual ecstasy by loving the Supreme Lord as their own child.
- Binding the Supreme Controller: Out of her intense maternal affection and duty, Mother Yaśodā achieved the impossible by physically binding the all-powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa with ordinary household ropes.
- The Divine Covering of Illusion: To facilitate this sweet intimate exchange, the Lord's internal potency, yogamaya, covered Mother Yaśodā's awareness of His divinity, making her view Him purely with maternal anxiety.
- Maternal Anxiety and Protection: Despite Kṛṣṇa's invincibility, Mother Yaśodā experienced genuine transcendental fear for His safety, constantly chanting mantras and protecting Him from demons.
- Incomparable Fortune and Mercy: The Vedic literatures confirm that the intimate mercy bestowed upon Mother Yaśodā was never achieved by any other demigod or even by the Lord's eternal consort, Lakṣmī.
- Following in Her Footsteps: Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly warns against the Māyāvādī philosophy of trying to become Mother Yaśodā, advising devotees instead to follow in her footsteps to awaken pure parental affection.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: The Pure and Unalloyed Love of Mother Yaśodā.
Subcategories
This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total.
K
M
Pages in category "Yasoda"
The following 221 pages are in this category, out of 221 total.
1
2
A
- A friend tells Mother Yasoda: "How wonderful it is that when the Sankhacuda demon - vast and strong as a great hill - attacked your Cupid-like beautiful son, there was no one present in Vrndavana to help. And yet the demon was killed by your little son"
- A gopi told mother Yasoda, "The breeze blowing from the south creates a pleasing atmosphere because it is fragrant and very cool"
- A part was played by Baladeva, the first expansion of Godhead. Similarly, Yogamaya, who appeared as the daughter of mother Yasoda, also played a part
- Actually, I (mother Yasoda) also am eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord. He is my ultimate shelter - SB 10.8.42
- Advanced devotees must cherish this description (of SB 10.9.3), always thinking of mother Yasoda's features - how she was dressed, how she was working and perspiring, how beautifully the flowers were arranged in her hair, and so on
- After a while, she (Mother Yasoda) became engaged in household affairs. At that time, a servant of Kamsa's known as Trnavarta, as instructed by Kamsa, appeared there in the shape of a whirlwind
- After being received by the cowherd men and boys, the gopis, and King Nanda and Yasoda, Lord Balarama sat down, feeling satisfied, and they all surrounded Him
- After completing the bathing ceremony for the child (Krsna), mother Yasoda received the brahmanas by worshiping them with proper respect and giving them ample food grains and other eatables, clothing, desirable cows, and garlands - SB 10.7.5
- After sunrise the gopis came as usual to offer their respects to Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, but when they saw the golden chariot of Uddhava at the door, they began to inquire among themselves: What was that chariot, and to whom did it belong
- After the Putana witch had been killed, some friends of Mother Yasoda inquired from her about the incident. Mother Yasoda at once requested her friends, "Please stop! Please stop! Don't bring up the incident of Putana"
- Although Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He offered His respects to Kasyapa Muni. Similarly, when Lord Krsna was a child He used to offer His respectful obeisances to His mother and father, Nanda and Yasoda
- Although seeing her (Putana) within the room, Yasoda and Rohini, overwhelmed by her beauty, did not stop her, but remained silent because she treated the child (Krsna) like a mother - SB 10.6.9
- Another function was observed by Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja: Krsna’s first birthday. They arranged for Krsna’s birthday ceremony, which is still observed by all followers of the Vedic principles
- Another gopi told mother Yasoda, "My dear mother, when your son returns home, He decorates Himself with the buds of the kunda flower, and just to enlighten and gladden His friends, He blows His flute"
- Anyone who desires to be Krsna conscious in motherly affection or parental affection should contemplate the bodily features of mother Yasoda. It is not that one should desire to become like Yasoda, for this is Mayavada
- As described here (in SB 10.6.19), they (Mother Yasoda, Rohini and the other elderly gopis) knew how to wave about the switch of a cow so as to protect the child from all types of danger
- As explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, there are various roles one may play in such a position (as mother Yasoda). Putana was immediately promoted to Vaikunthaloka, which is also sometimes described as Svarga
- As far as those relating to Krsna in paternal love, they include devotees like Yasoda and Maharaja Nanda - that is, Krsna's mother, father, uncle and similar relatives
- As the brahmanas joined by chanting Vedic hymns and professional musicians also took part, this great (utthana) ceremony (celebrated when a child is due to leave the house for the first time) was observed by mother Yasoda - SB 10.7.4
- As there are many holy places for the worship of Krsna, there are also many holy places in India for the worship of Durgadevi, or Mayadevi, who took birth as the daughter of Yasoda
- At that time (while Yasoda was absorbed in celebrating the utthana ceremony and was busy receiving guests), the child Krsna, demanding to drink the milk of His mother's breast, angrily threw His legs upward - SB 10.7.6
- At the age of only three months Krsna killed the Sakatasura, who had remained hidden behind a cart in the house of Yasodamayi. And when He was crawling and was disturbing His mother from doing household affairs, the mother tied Him with a grinding pestle
B
- Balarama was only fifteen days older than Krsna. By the blessings of Krsna, Yogamaya became the daughter of mother Yasoda, but by the supreme will she was not able to enjoy the parental love of her father and mother
- Because of the dust storm stirred up by the strong whirlwind, mother Yasoda could find no trace of her son, nor could she understand why. Thus she fell down on the ground like a cow who has lost her calf and began to lament very pitifully - SB 10.7.24
- By spontaneous nature they (the raganuga devotees) become attracted to some of the eternal devotees such as Nanda or Yasoda, and they try to follow in their footsteps spontaneously
- By the blessings of Krsna, Yogamaya was able to achieve the reputation of being the daughter of mother Yasoda, who also became famous by the blessings of Krsna. Yasoda means "one who gives fame"
D
- Devaki and Rohini said, "Dear Queen Yasodadevi, you and Nanda Maharaja have been great friends to us, and when we remember you we are immediately overwhelmed by the thought of your friendly activities"
- Devaki and Rohini said, "The most noble personalities do not discriminate between their own sons and the sons of others, and there cannot be any personalities more noble than Nanda Maharaja and you (Yasodadevi)"
- Devaki and Rohini said, "We are so indebted to you that even if we were to return your benediction by giving you the opulence of the King of heaven, it would not be enough to repay you for your friendly behavior"
- Devotee said, "Mother Yasoda became so overjoyed in her affection that immediately from the nipples of her waterpot-like breasts, milk began to flow"
- Devotee said. "Your two eyes appear to be without any movement, and I feel in your breathing a kind of warmth which is bringing your breast milk to the boiling point"
- Devotees like the Pandavas, the gopis, the cowherd boys, Yasoda, Nanda and all the inhabitants of Vrndavana do not need to practice conventional processes of meditation to attain the SP of Godhead, for He remains with them through thick and thin
- Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yasoda pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking - SB 10.9.3
E
- Even the demigods had come to offer prayers to Devaki, but she played the part of a poor, piteously afflicted woman because she wanted to save the daughter of Yasoda
- Exhausted by the labor of childbirth, Yasoda was overwhelmed with sleep and unable to understand what kind of child had been born to her - SB 10.3.53
F
- First Lord Balarama inquired from them (the cowherd men and boys, the gopis, and King Nanda and Yasoda) about their welfare, and then, since they had not seen Him for such a long time, they began to ask Him different questions
- First Nanda Maharaja and Yasodamayi inquired, "My dear Balarama, are our friends like Vasudeva and others in the family doing well"
- For a moment, the whole pasturing ground was overcast with dense darkness from the dust storm, and mother Yasoda was unable to find her son (Krsna) where she had placed Him - SB 10.7.22
H
- Having heard of the great fortune of mother Yasoda, Pariksit Maharaja inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami What past auspicious activities did she and Nanda Maharaja perform to achieve such perfection in ecstatic love? - SB 10.8.46
- He (Balarama) came before Maharaja Nanda and Yasoda and offered His respectful obeisances. In response, mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja offered their blessings unto Him
- He (Brahma) would know how Yasodamayi saw all the universes and planetary systems within the mouth of Krsna during His playful childhood pastimes
- He (Krsna) did not want to disturb the intense affection of Vasudeva, and thus He agreed to be carried by His father to the house of Nanda and Yasoda
- He (the pure devotee) simply wants to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead like the inhabitants of Vrndavana - Srimati Radharani, the gopis, Krsna's father and mother (Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda), Krsna's friends and Krsna's servants
- He (Vasudeva) placed his own son (Krsna) on the bed of Yasoda, picked up her daughter, an expansion of Yogamaya, and then returned to his residence, the prison house of Kamsa - SB 10.3.51
- Here (in SB 10.6.9), of course, the two mothers Rohini and Yasoda were not maya-mohita, deluded by the external energy, but to develop the pastimes of the Lord, they were captivated by yogamaya. Such maya-moha is the action of yogamaya
- His (God's) becoming the associate neighbor of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, as the son of Nanda-Yasoda, the friend of Sudama, Sridama and Madhumangala, or the lover of the damsels of Vrajabhumi, etc. That is part of His personal features
- His (Krsna's) value as the Supreme Lord did not diminish upon His becoming a baby to please His devotee Yasoda
I
- In Candi, in the Markandeya Purana, Eleventh Chapter, Mahamaya says, "During the twenty-eighth yuga in the period of Vaivasvata Manu, I shall take birth as the daughter of Yasoda and be known as Vindhyacala-vasini."
- In ecstasy, Kanani Khutiya, who was dressed as Nanda Maharaja, and Jagannatha Mahiti, who was dressed as mother Yasoda, distributed all the riches they had stocked at home
- In other words, Yasoda was feeling both happiness and doubt, or growing fear
- In SB 10.8.45 it is said, "Lord Krsna, the SPG, who is worshiped with exalted hymns by all the Vedas & Upanisads & by great personalities through sankhya-yoga in the mode of goodness, was considered by mother Yasoda and Nanda to be their own little son"
- In separation from Krsna Mother Yasoda became so humble that she prayed to the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, with tears in her eyes
- In that condition she was sometimes going within the house, sometimes coming out of the house. She was constantly looking to see if Govinda was coming back along the road
- In the case of felling the gigantic arjuna trees, the Lord's mission was to deliver the two sons of Kuvera, who were condemned to become trees by the curse of Narada, as well as to play like a crawling child in the yard of Yasoda
- In the first part of the Gopala-campu the following subject matters are discussed: (3) the dream of mother Yasoda; (4) the Janmastami ceremony; (5) the meeting between Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva, and the killing of the Putana demon
- In the vatsalya-rasa, characterized by parental affection, one can become like Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda
- In Vaikunthaloka, Putana attained the position of a nurse (dhatry-ucitam), as described by Uddhava. Putana was elevated to the position of a nurse and maidservant in Goloka Vrndavana to assist mother Yasoda
- It appears that mother Yasoda and Rohini could not be separated from Krsna and Balarama even for a moment. They used to pass their time either by taking care of Them or by chanting about Their pastimes. Thus mother Yasoda and Rohini looked very beautiful
- It appears that mother Yasoda did not want to forget Krsna's activities at any time. Therefore she poeticized all of Krsna's childhood activities, such as the killing of Putana, Aghasura, Sakatasura and Trnavarta
- It appears that Nanda Maharaja regularly took his food with his two sons, Krsna and Balarama. Yasoda told the other boys - Now you should go to your homes
- It has been seen that a so-called devotee proclaims himself a follower of Nanda, Yasoda or the gopis, while at the same time his abominable attraction for mundane sex life is visible
- It is a system, still current in India, that when a child creates too much of a disturbance, his mother may bind him up in one place. That is a very common system, so Mother Yasoda adopted it
- It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord's maya that I (mother Yasoda) am wrongly thinking because I am the queen of Nanda Maharaja, all the wealth of cows and calves are my possessions and all the cowherd men & their wives are my subjects - SB 10.8.42
- It is stated (SB 10.9.12) that Mother Yasoda bound the child Krsna with a rope, as if He were an ordinary son born of her body
- It is stated that when Mother Yasoda saw that the child was moving, ringing the bells on His waist, smiling at her with a pearl between His nostrils and with butter on His hands, she became wonderfully pleased to see her little child in that fashion
- It is stated that Yasoda received such incomparable mercy from the SPG that it cannot even be compared to the mercy received by Brahma, or by Lord Siva, or even by the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, who is always situated on the chest of Lord Visnu
- It is to be understood that among all the cows of Nanda Maharaja, several of mother Yasoda's cows ate only grasses so flavorful that the grasses would automatically flavor the milk
- It was in this relationship that Krsna's mother, Yasoda, told the Lord, "Here, eat this or You'll die. Eat nicely." In this way Krsna, although the proprietor of everything, depends on the mercy of His devotee - CC Intro
J
- Just after Krsna turned three months old, mother Yasoda celebrated this (utthana) ceremony with other women of the neighborhood. On that day, there was a conjunction of the moon with the constellation Rohini - SB 10.7.4
- Just like God's love for the gopis and God's enmity for Kamsa, they're reaching the same result. Both of them are going to the spiritual world. Just like Putana and Mother Yasoda
K
- Kanani Khutiya dressed himself like Nanda Maharaja, and Jagannatha Mahiti dressed himself as mother Yasoda
- Krsna said, "There is no second one beyond Me, so I shall become your son." So He became son. So He must play perfectly, that Yasodamayi may not understand "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then the feelings of mother and son will disappear
- Krsna, although not actually born from the womb of mother Yasoda, enjoyed the parental love of mother Yasoda and Nanda
L
- Let me (mother Yasoda) simply offer my obeisances, for He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) is beyond my contemplation, speculation and meditation. He is beyond all of my material activities - 10.8.41
- Let me (mother Yasoda) surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer my obeisances unto Him, who is beyond the conception of human speculation, the mind, activities, words and arguments - SB 10.8.41
- Let me (Yasoda) surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer my obeisances unto Him, who is the original cause of this cosmic manifestation, by whom the entire cosmos is maintained, and by whom we can conceive of its existence - SB 10.8.41
- Lord Brahma agreed to give them the benediction, and as a result the same Drona appeared as Nanda Maharaja in Vrndavana, and the same Dhara appeared as mother Yasoda, the wife of Nanda Maharaja
- Lord Krsna's gentle behavior before His so-called superiors such as His father, grandfather and elder brother, His amiable behavior with His so-called wives, friends and contemporaries, His behavior as a child before His mother Yasoda
M
- Mahavana is described as follows in the Bhakti-ratnakara (Fifth Wave): “Behold the house of Nanda and Yasoda in Mahavana. See the birthplace of Lord Krsna. Mahavana and the birthplace of Lord Krsna, Gokula, are one and the same”
- Mother Saci, a nitya-siddha living entity, is an incarnation of mother Yasoda. She appeared in the house of Nilambara Cakravarti and was everlastingly engaged in the service of Lord Visnu
- Mother Yasoda addressed Balarama thus: "Please come back and take Your lunch at home. Your father Nandaraja is waiting for You. He has to eat, so You must come back so that he can eat"
- Mother Yasoda and all the gopis, as well as Nanda and the cowherd men, were astonished as to how the cart could have collapsed by itself. All who were assembled for the holy function crowded around and began to suggest how the cart might have collapsed
- Mother Yasoda and Maharaja Nanda are considered to be the supermost of all elderly personalities
- Mother Yasoda 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
- Mother Yasoda began to argue within herself: Is this a dream, or is it an illusory creation by the external energy? Has this been manifested by my own intelligence, or is it some mystic power of my child (Krsna) - SB 10.8.40
- Mother Yasoda continued, "I become distressed just by remembering this incident. The Putana witch came to devour my son, & she deceived me into letting her take the child on her lap. After that, she died & made a tumultuous sound with her gigantic body"
- Mother Yasoda is praised for her unique position of love, for she could control even the all-powerful Lord as her beloved child
- Mother Yasoda is the Queen of Vrajabhumi, and in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya she is Sacimata
- Mother Yasoda joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in her attempt to bind Krsna - SB 10.9.17
- Mother Yasoda said, "This child is too restless and cannot be controlled! He is incessantly going about the neighborhood of Gokula (Vrndavana), and then He is coming back inside the house"
- Mother Yasoda sometimes enjoyed transcendental ecstasy in happiness when her child was saved from a dangerous situation, such as being attacked by Putana or some other demon
- Mother Yasoda understood that a child had been born to her, but because she was very tired from the labor of childbirth, she fell fast asleep. When she awoke, she could not remember whether she had given birth to a male or a female child
- Mother Yasoda wanted to collect the milk from these cows, make it into yogurt and churn it into butter personally
- Mother Yasoda would mildly smile at all this fun, and she would not want to chastise her blessed transcendental child - SB 10.8.31
- Mother Yasoda, by the grace of the Lord, could understand the real truth. But then again, the supreme master, by the influence of the internal potency, yogamaya, inspired her to become absorbed in intense maternal affection for her son Krsna - SB 10.8.43
- My (Vasudeva's) son Baladeva, being raised by you (Nanda Maharaja) and your wife, Yasodadevi, considers you His father and mother. Is He living very peacefully in your home with His real mother, Rohini? - SB 10.5.27
N
- Nanda Maharaj would point out the peacock feather on his child's head and would inform his beloved wife how the child was pleasing his eyes
- Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda are the embodiments of parental love. Above all of these are Srimati Radharani and Her assistants, the gopis Lalita, Visakha and others, who embody conjugal love
- Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva were intimate friends, and so were their wives, Yasoda and Devaki. Although their names were different, they were practically nondifferent personalities
- Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda in Vrndavana appeared like ordinary persons of this material world, but they never felt the tribulations of this world, although they sometimes met many dangerous situations created by the demons
- Nanda Maharaja and Yasodamayi said, "It is very good news that the most sinful King Kamsa has been killed by You (Balarama) and that our friends like Vasudeva and the others who had been harassed have now been relieved"
- Nanda Maharaja was due to receive Him (Krsna) as his child, and Yasodamayi was also to enjoy His childhood pastimes, & therefore to fulfill everyone's desire, He was carried from Mathura to Vrndavana just after His appearance in the prison house of Kamsa
- Nanda Maharaja was his (Vasudeva's) friend, but out of deep affection and attachment for his own son, he knowingly did this - placed his own son on the bed of Yasoda, picked up Nanda Maharaja's daughter
- Nanda said, "My dear Yasoda, please don't be worried. Please dry your beautiful lotus-like face. There is no need for you to breathe so hotly. I will go immediately with Akrura to the palace of Kamsa and get your son back for you"
- Not seeing Krsna present, they (the gopis) too felt very much aggrieved and joined mother Yasoda in crying, their eyes full of tears - SB 10.7.25
O
- O all-auspicious Yogamaya, I (Krsna) shall then appear with My full six opulences as the son of Devaki, and you will appear as the daughter of mother Yasoda, the queen of Maharaja Nanda - SB 10.2.9
- O learned brahmana (Sukadeva Gosvami), mother Yasoda's breast milk was sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What past auspicious activities did she and Nanda Maharaja perform to achieve such perfection in ecstatic love - SB 10.8.46
- Observing the very attractive childish restlessness of Krsna, all the gopis in the neighborhood, to hear about Krsna's activities again and again, would approach mother Yasoda and speak to her - SB 10.8.28
- One day while Krsna was playing with His small playmates, including Balarama and other sons of the gopas, all His friends came together and lodged a complaint to mother Yasoda. "Mother," they submitted, "Krsna has eaten earth" - SB 10.8.32
- One gopi told mother Yasoda, "My dear mother, your son is very expert among the cowherd boys. He knows all the different arts of how to tend the cows & how to play the flute. He composes His own songs, & to play them He puts His flute to His mouth"
- One of the friends of Mother Yasoda continues, "But still, just see how wonderful it is that this great Govardhan Hill is resting on the finger of your child's left hand, just as though it were a toy. Is this not very mysterious?"
- One of the friends of Mother Yasoda continues, "On the one hand, there is your child who is always captivated by sucking the milk from your breast, and on the other hand there is the great Govardhan Hill which can obstruct the passing of the clouds"
- Our dear friend Yasoda, your son (Krsna) 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 - SB 10.8.29
P
S
- Seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yasoda, 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
- Seeing this funny affair (of SB 10.9.15-17), all of them (mother Yasoda and her gopi friends) were smiling. The first rope was short by a measurement the width of two fingers, and after the second rope was added, it was still two fingers too short
- She (Krsna's potency) acted as yogamaya with Yasoda, Devaki and other intimate relations of the Lord, and she acted in a different way with Kamsa, Salva and other asuras
- She (Mother Yasoda) concluded that she was either dreaming or seeing the play of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She thought that she had become mad, mentally deranged, to see all those wonderful things
- She (mother Yasoda) smiled as she thought, "The child is very clever. After breaking the pot He has left this place, fearing punishment." After she sought all over, she found her son sitting on a big wooden grinding mortar, which was kept upside down
- She (Yasoda) 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
- She (Yasoda) had no alternative than to remember the lotus feet of Narayana, for she could not understand that Krsna was the original source of everything - SB 10.7.19
- She (Yasoda) thus began to think of the S. P. of Godhead, who is understood through the processes of cultivating knowledge derived from the Upanisads and the Vedanta-sutra, practicing mystic yoga & studying Sankhya philosophy, as her own begotten child
- She (Yasoda) was made to forget this situation because the Lord wanted to make a complete gesture of childishness before the affectionate Yasoda
- Sometimes mother Yasoda and her gopi friends would tell Krsna, "Bring this article" or "Bring that article" - SB 10.11.8
- Sometimes the Lord, as the child of mother Yasoda, requests His devotee for some food, as if He were very hungry
- Sometimes Yasoda was raising her arms like the waves of the ocean & because of her intense feelings of separation, she was rolling on the ground and creating a tumultuous roaring sound. And sometimes she was remaining completely silent, like a calm sea
- Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: One day when mother Yasoda saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt - SB 10.9.1-2
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that a devotee is attracted by the service of the inhabitants of Vrndavana - namely the cowherd men, Maharaja Nanda, mother Yasoda, Radharani, the gopis and the cows and calves
- Such mixed transcendental flavors are manifested by such devotees as Uddhava, Bhima and Mukhara, the personal attendant of Mother Yasoda
- Sukadeva Gosvami gives Maharaj Pariksit a description of the form and beauty of Mother Yasoda, "My dear King, the wide hips of Mother Yasoda were surrounded by silk and linen clothes, and her breasts were flowing with milk because of her affection"
- Sukadeva Gosvami said, "Due to her (Yasoda) excessive labor, there were drops of perspiration on her face"
- Sukadeva Gosvami said, "When she was churning butter and tightly holding the rope, the bangles on her hands and the earrings on her ears were moving, and from the nice decoration in her hair the flowers were slackening and falling down"
T
- That exalted platform of prema (vimukti, or special mukti) is described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as prema pum-artho mahan, and mother Yasoda naturally acts in such an exalted position in loving affairs
- The bangles and bracelets on her (mother Yasoda's) hands tinkled as they touched each other, and her earrings and breasts shook. There were drops of perspiration on her face, and the flower garland which was on her head scattered here and there
- The brahmanas properly chanted Vedic hymns to observe the auspicious ceremony, and when they finished and mother Yasoda saw that the child (Krsna) felt sleepy, she lay down on the bed with the child until He was peacefully asleep - SB 10.7.5
- The calves, being disturbed, would immediately begin running here and there, and the children would be dragged over clay and cow dung. To see this fun, Yasoda and Rohini would call all their neighborhood friends, the gopis
- The devotee prayed, "Whose (Yasoda) hair is very brightly beautified by the vermilion placed in the part, and whose bodily frame derides all her ornaments"
- The devotee said, "Let her (Yasoda) merciful glance fall on all of us so that we may be protected from the clutches of maya and smoothly progress in our devotional service"
- The devotee said, "She (Yasoda) has a complexion like the bluish lotus flower, which is enhanced in beauty by her dressing herself with many colorful garments"
- The end of her (mother Yasoda's) sari was tightly wrapped while she churned, and on account of her intense love for her son, milk automatically dripped from her breasts, which moved as she labored very hard, churning with two hands
- The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are studied through the three Vedas, the Upanisads, the literature of Sankhya-yoga, and other Vaisnava literature, yet mother Yasoda considered that Supreme Person her ordinary child - SB 10.8.45
- The inhabitants of Vrndavana - the gopis, mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, the cowherd boys, the cows and everyone else - are actually on the raga-marga or bhagavata-marga platform
- The kaumara age is just suitable for reciprocating the love of a child with Mother Yasoda
- The liberal mother Yasoda, absorbed in celebrating the utthana ceremony, was busy receiving guests, worshiping them with all respect and offering them clothing, cows, garlands & grains. Thus she could not hear the child (Krsna) crying - SB 10.7.6
- The Lord (Krsna) is known as Devaki-nandana and Yasoda-nandana because He accepted the role of son for mother Devaki and mother Yasoda, and He is known as Gopala because He enjoyed the sport of maintaining the cows and calves
- The Lord had already taken birth, just like a human child, and was in the safe custody of Yasoda, everything was happening according to plan
- The Mayavadis think that they have themselves become Krishna. Similarly, if we think that we are Mother Yasoda, that will be the same philosophy. You should aspire to follow the footsteps of Mother Yasoda and Love Krishna in maternal affection
- The most fortunate Rohini, the mother of Baladeva, was honored by Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda, and thus she also dressed gorgeously and decorated herself with a necklace, a garland and other ornaments - SB 10.5.17
- The naughty child (Krsna) dragged the pestle up to a pair of very high arjuna trees in the yard of Yasodamayi, and when the pestle was stuck between the pair of trees, they fell down with a horrible sound
- The Personality of Godhead appeared in Vrndavana as the son of mother Yasoda, who bound the Lord with rope just as an ordinary mother binds a material child
- The picture of Vasudeva exchanging the babies is not correct because Nanda Maharaja should not be in this scene. Vasudeva silently exchanged babies with the sleeping Yasoda, and neither Yasoda nor Nanda Maharaja knew about this till long after
- The same friend of Mother Yasoda addressed Krsna as follows: "My dear Mukunda, if Mother Yasoda, the Queen of Gokula, is forced to stand on fire, but is allowed to see Your lotus face, then this fire will appear to her as the Himalayan Mountains
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes dependent on His devotee. The Lord is invincible, yet He is conquered by His pure devotee. He enjoys being dependent on His devotee, just as Krsna enjoyed being dependent on the mercy of mother Yasoda
- The whole neighborhood proceeded immediately towards the place where the accident took place, and Rohinidevi took the opportunity to rebuke Mother Yasoda as follows
- The wide hips of mother Yasoda were surrounded by silk and linen clothes, and her breasts were flowing with milk because of her affection
- The words tvaritam jagmuh indicate how happy the village women were to understand that mother Yasoda had given birth to a wonderful child known as Krsna
- Their lotuslike faces extraordinarily beautiful, being decorated with saffron and newly grown kunkuma, the wives of the cowherd men hurried to the house of mother Yasoda with presentations in their hands - SB 10.5.10
- Then she (Yasoda) would decorate His forehead very nicely and bind His arms with protective talismans
- There is another description of Mother Yasoda in a devotee's prayer, "Let me be given protection by Mother Yasoda, whose curly hairs are bound with thread"
- There is the following description of Mother Yasoda's affection for Krsna: After rising early in the morning, Mother Yasoda first of all offered her breast milk to Krsna, and then she began to chant various mantras for His protection
- There is the following example of a mixture of parental love and laughter. A friend of Mother Yasoda told her, "My dear Yasoda, your son has very cunningly stolen a lump of butter from my home"
- Thereafter (after the gigantic body of Putana fell to the ground), mother Yasoda and Rohini, along with the other elderly gopis, waved about the switch of a cow to give full protection to the child Sri Krsna - SB 10.6.19
- They (Gopis) approached Mother Yasoda, stating that they could not find the son of Nanda. He had been taken away by a whirlwind. This is an instance of lamentation in ecstatic love
- They (Nanda and Yasoda) embraced Balarama and, seating Him on their laps, began their perpetual crying, wetting Balarama with their tears
- They (Yasoda and the other ladies and all the men, headed by Nanda Maharaja) began to wander here and there, trying to find the cause (of the collapse of the handcart), but were unable to do so - SB 10.7.8
- This activity of Mother Yasoda is explained by expert devotees as ecstatic love in separation
- This again is an instance of the conjunction of two opposing elements: the child was very fearless, but at the same time Yasoda was becoming fearful of some danger. Here danger is the cause, & Yasoda's feelings are in conjunction of two opposing symptoms
- This is one of the examples of astonishment in devotional service by direct perception. One of the friends of Mother Yasoda says, "Yasoda, just see the fun"
- This is the highest philosophy of life, highest perfection of life, how to learn to love Krsna. The Vrndavana means simply loving Krsna. The cowherds boy, the gopis, the Nanda Maharaja, Yasodamayi, Radharani - the only focus is to love Krsna. That's all
- This list is in order of superior importance, and thus we can see that Mother Yasoda and Maharaj Nanda are considered to be the supermost of all elderly personalities
- This new rope also was short by a measurement of two fingers, and when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers too short. As many ropes as she (Yasoda) joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be overcome - SB 10.9.16
- This tendency of a mother to punish her child is found even in mother Yasoda, who became the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mother Yasoda punished Krsna by binding Him and showing Him a stick
V
- Vasudeva and Devaki are confidential devotees of the Lord in the mood of parental love. Even greater than them are Nanda and Yasoda, His foster parents in Vrndavana
- Vasudeva knew that Yasoda had given birth to a female child, whom he had stolen and replaced with a male child. This was a great mystery, and Vasudeva wanted to determine whether this mystery was already known to Nanda Maharaja
- Vasudeva's father, Surasena, married a vaisya girl, and from her Nanda Maharaja was born. Later, Nanda Maharaja himself married a vaisya girl, Yasoda. Therefore his family is celebrated as a vaisya family
- Visnu said: I know you are very concerned about Me and afraid of Kamsa. Therefore I order you to take Me immediately to Gokula and exchange Me for the daughter who has just been born to Yasoda
- Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura cites the example of mother Yasoda's seeing the whole cosmic manifestation within the mouth of Lord Krsna. By the grace of Lord Krsna, mother Yasoda saw all the universes and planets within the mouth of Krsna
W
- What to speak of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, is the Lord's constant companion in service, since she always associates with His body. But even she could not get such mercy - as mother Yasoda
- When Brahma said, "Yes, let it be so," the most fortune Drona, who was equal to Bhagavan, appeared in Vrajapura, Vrndavana, as the most famous Nanda Maharaja, and his wife, Dhara, appeared as mother Yasoda - SB 10.8.50
- When He was talking, it was so nice and sweet to hear. When Mother Yasoda looked at His little ears and saw Him naked, trying to run very quickly with His little legs, she was merged into the ocean of nectar
- When it was learned that the demon was entering Gokula in an angry mood, Mother Yasoda became so anxious to protect her child that her face dried up and there were tears in her eyes
- When mother Yasoda and the other ladies who had assembled for the utthana festival, and all the men, headed by Nanda Maharaja, saw the wonderful situation, they began to wonder how the handcart had collapsed by itself - SB 10.7.8
- When Mother Yasoda arrived, she wanted to enter the river Yamuna, and being checked, she fainted. Her friends, who were equally aggrieved, were shedding tears like torrents of rain or waves of the river
- When mother Yasoda 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 - SB 10.9.15
- When Putana, the demonic witch, came to poison Baby Krsna, she came as a beautiful young girl and asked Mother Yasoda - Oh, Yasodamayi, you have a very nice baby. Will you kindly give Him to me so I can nurse Him
- When she (Yasoda) was rolling over on the ground, there were many scratches on her body, and in that piteous condition she began to cry
- When the force of the dust storm and the winds subsided, Yasoda's friends, the other gopis, approached mother Yasoda, hearing her pitiful crying - SB 10.7.25
- When Uddhava was about to leave, all the inhabitants of Vrndavana, headed by Maharaja Nanda and Yasoda, came to bid him good-bye and presented him with various kinds of valuable goods secured in Vrndavana
- When Vasudeva understood from Nanda Maharaja that the mystery of Krsna's birth and His having been exchanged with Yasoda's daughter was yet undisclosed, he was happy that things were going on nicely
- When Yasodamayi came to see the happenings, she thought that her child (Krsna) had been saved from the falling trees by the mercy of the Lord, without knowing that the Lord Himself, crawling in her yard, had wreaked the havoc
- While churning, she (mother Yasoda) remembered the childish activities of Krsna, and in her own way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities - SB 10.9.1-2
- While mother Yasoda was very busy with household affairs, the Supreme Lord, Krsna, observed twin trees known as yamala-arjuna, which in a former millennium had been the demigod sons of Kuvera - SB 10.9.22
- While she was thus embracing her son repeatedly, torrents of tears fell from her eyes, and she was unable to express her transcendental joy
Y
- Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, they are foster father and mother. Real mother, father is Vasudeva and Devaki. So Nanda Maharaja came within the house and saw little Krsna, "Yes." He was playing
- Yasoda began to think, "How can I protect these poor boys from the invasion of Kamsa's servants?" This is an instance of a superior attitude in a devotee
- Yasoda cried, "O my dear son! My dear son!" And she slapped her breasts with her two hands
- Yasoda said, "All this misconception is due to the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. So let me pray to Him that He may protect me always"
- Yasoda said, "It appears that He is coming just to steal the butter. Don't expose yourself or He may understand that we are looking towards Him"
- Yasoda said, "Oh, see how the earth appears to be trembling! There appears to be an earth tremor, and in the sky tears are flying here and there! My dear son has entered into the poisonous water of the Yamuna. What shall I do now"
- Yasoda thought, "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the S. P. of Godhead, who is beyond the expression of consciousness, mind, work and philosophical speculation, and whose different energies produce everything manifested and unmanifested"
- Yasoda thought, "Therefore let a curse be on this milk! And I also am condemned because although I am so opulent in material prosperity"
- Yasoda took transcendental pleasure in seeing such activities of the Lord (felling of the arjuna trees) in the very yard of her home. The Lord in any condition is Lord of the universe, and He can act as such in any form, gigantic or small, as He likes
- Yasoda was a very simple village woman, and she said, "Oh yes, you can take my child." Putana had smeared poison on her breasts, and she intended to kill Krsna by letting Him suck them
- Yasoda was astonished (seeing all the universes in Krsna's mouth), but out of deep affection for Krsna she thought that the Almighty Godhead Narayana had kindly looked after her son just to protect Him from all the continuous calamities happening to Him
- Yasoda was caught between auspiciousness and inauspiciousness
- Yasoda's friend said, "As you are standing just between the two rivers, I think there is no need for your anxiety to see your son's face. Your parental affection has already been exhibited to Him by these two rivers"
- Yasoda's friend said, "In the same way, if she is allowed to stay in the ocean of nectar, but is not allowed to see the lotus face of Your Grace, then even this ocean of nectar will appear to her as an ocean of arsenic poison"
- Yasoda's friend said, "My dear Queen, the milk flowing out of your breast-mountain has already whitened the River Ganges, and the tears from your eyes, mixed with black mascara, have already blackened the color of the Yamuna"