Character

यशोदा

Yaśodā

verses
246
books
20
chapters
88

What the texts say

In the Bhagavata Purana, Yashoda is the queen of Nanda, a cowherd king of Vraja, and the foster mother of Krishna, the son of Devaki. Bhagavatam 10.2.9, 2.7.30 Once, as Krishna was almost finished drinking her milk, he yawned, and she saw the sky, the earth, the seas and all living beings in his mouth. Bhagavatam 10.7.35 Another day, thinking him her ordinary child, she bound him to a wooden mortar with a rope. Bhagavatam 10.9.13 The same text says not even Brahma, Shiva or the goddess of fortune received such mercy as Yashoda. Bhagavatam 10.9.20

Where to read

Every verse that names यशोदा, book by book.

    • 10.8.22

      तौ अङ्घ्रियुग्ममनुकृष्य सरीसृपन्तौ व्रजकर्दमेषु घोषप्रघोषरुचिरं रिङ्गतुः। नूपुरनादेन हृष्टमनसौ जनाननुसृत्य मातृगमनमिव, परेषां दृष्ट्वा मुग्धप्रभीतौ शीघ्रं स्वमात्रोः यशोदारोहिण्योः समीपं प्रत्युपेयतुः॥२२॥

    • 10.46.28

      यशोदा पुत्रस्य चरितानि वर्ण्यमानानि श‍ृण्वती स्नेहविह्वला अश्रूणि मुमोच; स्नेहस्नुतपयोधरा बभूव।

    • 10.6.9

      तां तीक्ष्णचित्तामतिवामचेष्टितां वीक्ष्यान्तरा कोषपरिच्छदासिवत् । वरस्त्रियं तत्प्रभया च धर्षिते निरीक्ष्यमाणे जननी ह्यतिष्ठताम् ॥ ९ ॥

    • 5.83.29

      ततः सखीजनैस्तस्याः श्वश्रूं संप्रार्थ्य यत्नतः। कर्तुमाहूयतेस्वन्नं ससखी सा यशोदया

    • 1.9.46

      एतेषां मध्ये मानसी कन्या यशोदा नाम विश्रुता। सा यांशुमतः श्रेष्ठा पत्नी, पञ्चजनस्य च स्नुषा॥

    • 1.13.57

      देवकी श्रुतदेवी यशोदा च श्रुतिश्रवा । श्रीदेवी चोपदेवी च सुरूपा चेति सप्तमी ॥

  1. Skanda Purana

    18 verses · 12 chapters

    • 1.2.62.56

      तद्यथा—नमो नमस्तेऽस्तु, अभये अनघे अजिते अत्रसिते अमृते अपराजिते; पठितसिद्धे स्मरितसिद्धे; एकानंशे उमे ध्रुवे अरुन्धति; सावित्रि गायत्रि जातवेदसि; मानस्तोके सरसि सरस्वति; धरणि धारिणि सौदामिनि; अदिते विनते गौरि गांधारि मातङ्गि कृष्णे यशोदे…

    • 1.4.19.59

      यशोदानन्दजाता त्वं ‘एकानंशा’ इति नामतः; कंसाद्यसुरसंहारे हरेः साहाय्यं करिष्यसि।

    • 2.2.44.16

      यस्यैतत्त्रिगुणैर्बद्धं जगदेतच्चराचरम्। दाम्ना बद्धः स गोप्या तु दामोदर नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

  2. Vishnu Purana

    17 verses · 7 chapters

    • 5.6.7

      यशोदा शकटारूढभग्नभाण्डकपालिकाः समादाय, दधिपुष्पफलाक्षतैः तदेव शकटं पूजयामास।

    • 5.2.3

      योगनिद्रा यशोदायास्तस्मिन्नेव ततो दिने । संभूता जठरे तद्वद् यथोक्तं परमेष्ठिना ॥

    • 5.1.77

      ततोऽहं देवकीजठरे शुभे गर्भे संभविष्यामि; त्वया च यशोदाया गर्भेऽविलम्बितं गन्तव्यम्।

Key chapters

The chapters where यशोदा matters most.

  1. Garga Muni Names Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; the Butter-Thief Pastimes; Yaśodā Sees the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth

    Bhagavatam 10.8 · 24 verses

    Karmic/boon-based backstory that legitimizes Vraja’s…

  2. Uddhava Sent to Vraja: Consolation to Nanda-Yaśodā and the Gopīs’ Separation

    Bhagavatam 10.46 · 7 verses

    Maternal love made physical

  3. Pūtanā-mokṣa: The Witch Pūtanā’s Attempt and Kṛṣṇa’s Deliverance

    Bhagavatam 10.6 · 3 verses

    Embodiment of vātsalya whose maternal fear and protective care…

  4. Nanda Mahārāja Celebrates Kṛṣṇa’s Birth; Vasudeva Warns of Danger

    Bhagavatam 10.5 · 5 verses

    The maternal center of the household around whom Vraja’s…

  5. The Glory of Vṛndāvana and the Daily Līlā of Hari

    Padma Purana 5.83 · 4 verses

    supporting

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

    Vishnu Purana 5.6 · 4 verses

    Responds with protective, village-style ritual action after the…

  7. Govardhana-dhāraṇa: Kṛṣṇa Lifts Govardhana and Humbles Indra

    Bhagavatam 10.25 · 1 verse

    Embodiment of maternal dependence on Kṛṣṇa

  8. Pitṛ Worlds (Pitṛ-lokas) and the Śrāddha Rite: Lineages, Benefits, and Offerings to Avoid

    Matsya Purana 15 · 1 verse

    Mānasī-kanyā in genealogical weaving

  9. Yadu Lineage, Vishnu’s Human Descents, Deva-Asura Wars, and Shukra’s Austerity (Dhūma-vrata)

    Matsya Purana 47 · 1 verse

    Foster-mother

  10. गर्भ-व्यवस्था, देवकी-गर्भ-स्तुति (गर्भस्तुतिः), जगदन्तर्गत-हरि-प्रतिपादनम्

    Vishnu Purana 5.2 · 1 verse

    Becomes the mother-locus for Yoga-nidrā, preparing the later…

Key episodes

  1. The Birth of Krishna

    Bhagavatam 10.1-10.4

  2. Putana and Baby Krishna

    Bhagavatam 10.6

  3. Yashoda Sees the Universe in Krishna's Mouth

    Bhagavatam 10.8

  4. Damodara: Yashoda Ties Krishna to the Mortar

    Bhagavatam 10.9-10.10

  5. Uddhava's Message to the Gopis

    Bhagavatam 10.46-10.47

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