Shloka 15
Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana
यदि शक्नोषि गच्छ त्वम् अतिचञ्चलचेष्टित इत्य् उक्त्वा च निजं कर्म सा चकार कुटुम्बिनी
yadi śaknoṣi gaccha tvam aticañcalaceṣṭita ity uktvā ca nijaṃ karma sā cakāra kuṭumbinī
“If you are able, then go,” she said—rebuking him as one of excessively restless behavior; and having spoken thus, the housewife returned to her own allotted duties and carried on with her work.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Yaśodā’s rebuke and return to household duties after binding Kṛṣṇa.
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: domestic, instructive
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To deepen the world’s devotion by accepting a mother’s rebuke and remaining bound, illustrating the Lord’s saulabhya (easy accessibility).
Leela: Bala
Dharma Restored: Gṛhastha-dharma and affectionate correction, showing that divine presence sanctifies everyday duty.
Concept: Household duty and devotion are not opposed: Yaśodā disciplines with love and then returns to her svadharma, while the Lord accepts this intimate order.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Integrate spirituality with responsibilities—perform work steadily, with loving discipline and remembrance rather than escapism.
Vishishtadvaita: Worldly roles (śarīra/relations) can be real instruments of divine service; the Lord is present within embodied life, not only beyond it.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Vatsalya
FAQs
This verse treats excessive fickleness as a moral flaw, contrasting it with the steadiness expected in dharma, especially within household responsibilities.
By showing a kuṭumbinī who dismisses erratic behavior and resumes her rightful duties, Parāśara grounds ethical teaching in ordinary life rather than abstract theory.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the emphasis on dharma and disciplined action reflects the Purana’s view that universal order is sustained under Vishnu’s sovereignty, and that right conduct aligns life with that cosmic order.