Shloka 14

Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana

Devanagari script

दाम्ना बद्ध्वा तदा मध्ये निबबन्ध उलूखले कृष्णम् अक्लिष्टकर्माणम् आह चेदम् अमर्षिता

Transliteration

dāmnā baddhvā tadā madhye nibabandha ulūkhale kṛṣṇam akliṣṭakarmāṇam āha cedam amarṣitā

Translation

Then, taking a rope, she bound Kṛṣṇa—He whose deeds are effortless and unwearied—and fastened Him in the middle to the mortar; and, still burning with indignation, she spoke these words.

Word by Word

• दाम्ना: with a rope
• दाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बद्ध्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त; √बन्ध्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• तदा: then
• तदा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• निबबन्ध: bound/fastened
• निबबन्ध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बन्ध् (धातु) with नि-उपसर्ग
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उलूखले: to/at the mortar
• उलूखले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूखल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (यत्र बन्धनम्)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अक्लिष्टकर्माणम्: him whose deeds are untroubled/effortless
• अक्लिष्टकर्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + क्लिष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त, √क्लिश्) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य कर्म अक्लिष्टम् सः’ (कृष्णस्य विशेषणम्)

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह्/√ब्रू (धातु; ‘आह’ as perfect of √अह्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• इदम्: this (speech)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्यकर्म (उक्तवस्तु)

• अमर्षिता: angered / impatient
• अमर्षिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षिता (प्रातिपदिक; अमर्षिन्/अमर्षित ‘impatient/angered’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण—यशोदायाः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; the verse describes Yaśodā’s action)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The Dāmodara episode—Yaśodā binding Kṛṣṇa to the mortar.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revelatory, affectionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To reveal that the omnipotent Lord, whose deeds are effortless, becomes bound only by the devotee’s love, establishing bhakti’s conquering power.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: The supremacy of prema-bhakti (vātsalya) over sheer power; the sanctity of maternal discipline within dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Though the Lord is akliṣṭa-karmā—unwearied and all-powerful—He accepts bondage to demonstrate that love (bhakti) alone ‘binds’ Him.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate sincere devotion and ethical discipline; let love, not ego, be the ‘rope’ of practice that holds the mind to God.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal Lordship is real: the infinite can enter finite relations without losing transcendence—grace-mediated intimacy central to Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Yashoda
• Ulukhala (mortar)

FAQs

What is the significance of Yaśodā binding Kṛṣṇa (Damodara-līlā) in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows that the Supreme Lord, though unconstrained in power, willingly accepts “bondage” out of love, making devotion (bhakti) stronger than force.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this episode philosophically?

By calling Kṛṣṇa “akliṣṭa-karmāṇa,” Parāśara signals that divine action is effortless—yet the Lord adopts human-like situations to reveal His līlā and invite intimate devotion.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu/Kṛṣṇa in this context?

Kṛṣṇa is portrayed as the sovereign Supreme Reality who remains transcendent, yet becomes accessible through affectionate devotion, highlighting a core Vaiṣṇava teaching of grace and intimacy.