Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 35
Utthāna Ceremony, Śakaṭa-bhañga, Tṛṇāvarta-vadha, and the Vision of the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth
पीतप्रायस्य जननी सुतस्य रुचिरस्मितम् । मुखं लालयती राजञ्जृम्भतो ददृशे इदम् ॥ ३५ ॥ खं रोदसी ज्योतिरनीकमाशा: सूर्येन्दुवह्निश्वसनाम्बुधींश्च । द्वीपान् नगांस्तद्दुहितृर्वनानि भूतानि यानि स्थिरजङ्गमानि? ॥ ३६ ॥
pīta-prāyasya jananī sutasya rucira-smitam mukhaṁ lālayatī rājañ jṛmbhato dadṛśe idam
O King Parīkṣit, when the child Kṛṣṇa was almost finished drinking His mother’s milk and mother Yaśodā was touching Him and looking at His beautiful, brilliantly smiling face, the baby yawned, and mother Yaśodā saw in His mouth the whole sky, the higher planetary system and the earth, the luminaries in all directions, the sun, the moon, fire, air, the seas, islands, mountains, rivers, forests, and all kinds of living entities, moving and nonmoving.
By the arrangement of Yoga-māyā, Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with mother Yaśodā were all regarded as ordinary. So here was an opportunity for Kṛṣṇa to show His mother that the whole universe is situated within Him. In His small form, Kṛṣṇa was kind enough to show His mother the virāṭ-rūpa, the universal form, so that she could enjoy seeing what kind of child she had on her lap. The rivers have been mentioned here as the daughters of the mountains ( nagāṁs tad-duhitṝḥ ). It is the flowing of the rivers that makes big forests possible. There are living entities everywhere, some of them moving and some of them not moving. No place is vacant. This is a special feature of God’s creation.
FAQs
In this verse, Śukadeva describes that when baby Kṛṣṇa yawned, Yaśodā beheld a wondrous vision within His mouth—hinting that the entire cosmos exists within Him, even while He appears as her dependent child.
Śukadeva tells Parīkṣit to reveal the unique sweetness of Kṛṣṇa-līlā: the Supreme Lord, who contains the universe, allows His devotee-mother to treat Him with intimate parental affection.
It teaches reverence and intimacy together—one can remember God’s greatness while cultivating a personal, loving relationship through daily devotion.