Shloka 1
श्रीशुक उवाच एकदा गृहदासीषु यशोदा नन्दगेहिनी । कर्मान्तरनियुक्तासु निर्ममन्थ स्वयं दधि ॥ १ ॥ यानि यानीह गीतानि तद्बालचरितानि च । दधिनिर्मन्थने काले स्मरन्ती तान्यगायत ॥ २ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca ekadā gṛha-dāsīṣu yaśodā nanda-gehinī karmāntara-niyuktāsu nirmamantha svayaṁ dadhi
శ్రీశుకుడు పలికెను—ఒక రోజు నందగృహిణి యశోద, పనిమనుష్యులు ఇతర గృహకార్యాలలో నిమగ్నులై ఉన్నారని చూసి, తానే దధిని మథించడం ప్రారంభించింది. మథించే వేళ కృష్ణుని బాలలీలలను స్మరించుకుంటూ, తన విధంగా పాటలు కూర్చి తనలో తానే పాడుకుంది।
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, quoting from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī of Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, says that the incident of Kṛṣṇa’s breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by mother Yaśodā took place on the Dīpāvalī Day, or Dīpa-mālikā. Even today in India, this festival is generally celebrated very gorgeously in the month of Kārtika by fireworks and lights, especially in Bombay. It is to be understood that among all the cows of Nanda Mahārāja, several of mother Yaśodā’s cows ate only grasses so flavorful that the grasses would automatically flavor the milk. Mother Yaśodā wanted to collect the milk from these cows, make it into yogurt and churn it into butter personally, since she thought that this child Kṛṣṇa was going to the houses of neighborhood gopas and gopīs to steal butter because He did not like the milk and yogurt ordinarily prepared.
FAQs
This verse shows Yaśodā personally doing humble household service—churning yogurt—revealing her pure, affectionate devotion (vātsalya-bhakti) in Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja pastimes.
He is setting the scene for the Dāmodara-līlā: Yaśodā’s simple, loving service becomes the background for Kṛṣṇa’s intimate childhood pastimes and the Lord being bound by devotion.
Do your daily duties with sincerity and remembrance of God; ordinary work, when done with devotion, becomes spiritual practice.