Shloka 27
The Deliverance of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva
Yamala-Arjuna Līlā Prelude and Culmination
बालेन निष्कर्षयतान्वगुलूखलं तद् दामोदरेण तरसोत्कलिताङ्घ्रिबन्धौ । निष्पेततु: परमविक्रमितातिवेप- स्कन्धप्रवालविटपौ कृतचण्डशब्दौ ॥ २७ ॥
bālena niṣkarṣayatānvag ulūkhalaṁ tad dāmodareṇa tarasotkalitāṅghri-bandhau niṣpetatuḥ parama-vikramitātivepa- skandha-pravāla-viṭapau kṛta-caṇḍa-śabdau
Der Knabe Dāmodara schleifte mit großer Kraft den hölzernen Mörser, der an Seinen Bauch gebunden war. Durch die gewaltige Macht der Höchsten Person erzitterten die beiden Bäume mit Stamm, Blättern und Zweigen und stürzten mit lautem Krachen zu Boden.
This is the pastime of Kṛṣṇa known as dāmodara-līlā. Therefore another of Kṛṣṇa’s names is Dāmodara. As stated in the Hari-vaṁśa:
FAQs
This verse describes how child Dāmodara, while dragging the mortar, powerfully jerks the rope at His ankles, causing the two arjuna trees to tremble and crash down with a great sound—setting the stage for the liberation of the two beings within them.
He is called Dāmodara because He was bound with a rope (dāma) around His belly/waist (udara) by Mother Yaśodā, yet He still performs astonishing feats—showing that the Supreme becomes bound by His devotee’s love.
The shloka highlights that sincere devotion and loving discipline can transform the heart: even when one feels “bound” by circumstances, steady spiritual practice can uproot deep-rooted obstacles and bring inner freedom.