Shloka 4

Dāmodara-līlā: Mother Yaśodā Binds Kṛṣṇa; the Two-Fingers Mystery; Prelude to the Yamala-Arjuna Deliverance

Devanagari script

तां स्तन्यकाम आसाद्य मथ्नन्तीं जननीं हरि: । गृहीत्वा दधिमन्थानं न्यषेधत् प्रीतिमावहन् ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

tāṁ stanya-kāma āsādya mathnantīṁ jananīṁ hariḥ gṛhītvā dadhi-manthānaṁ nyaṣedhat prītim āvahan

Translation

母ヤショーダーが乳を攪拌していると、乳を飲みたいと望むハリ—主シュリー・クリシュナ—が彼女の前に現れた。彼女の超越的な喜びを増すために、主は攪拌棒をつかみ、攪拌を妨げ始めた。

Synonyms

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; pronoun referring to mother

• stanya-kāmaḥ: desiring milk
• stanya-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stanya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; epithet of Hari

• āsādya: having approached
• āsādya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-sad (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/ल्यप्), avyaya; prior action

• mathnantīm: churning
• mathnantīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: manth (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle/शतृ), Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; qualifying jananīm

• jananīm: mother
• jananīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• hariḥ: Hari (Krishna)
• hariḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• gṛhītvā: having seized
• gṛhītvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), avyaya; prior action

• dadhi-manthānam: the curd-churning rod
• dadhi-manthānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक) + manthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• nyaṣedhat: stopped, restrained
• nyaṣedhat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-ṣidh (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• prītim: delight, affection
• prītim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• āvahan: bringing about
• āvahan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-vah (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle/शतृ), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; qualifying hariḥ

Purport

Kṛṣṇa was sleeping within the room, and as soon as He got up, He became hungry and went to His mother. Wanting to stop her from churning and drink the milk of her breasts, He stopped her from moving the churning rod.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Hari)
• Mother Yaśodā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna’s childhood butter-churning pastimes?

This verse describes baby Kṛṣṇa approaching Mother Yaśodā while she churns yogurt, stopping the churning by holding the rod—an intimate pastime that increases her loving affection.

Why did Krishna stop Mother Yashoda from churning?

He wanted her attention and milk; by playfully halting the churning, Kṛṣṇa drew her fully into affectionate, motherly care (vātsalya-rasa).

Practical application of vatsalya-bhakti from Damodara-lila in modern life?

Offer loving, attentive service to God with simplicity and warmth—prioritizing devotion and relationship over mere ritual or productivity.