Shloka 18
Utthāna Ceremony, Śakaṭa-bhañga, Tṛṇāvarta-vadha, and the Vision of the Universe in Kṛṣṇa’s Mouth
एकदारोहमारूढं लालयन्ती सुतं सती । गरिमाणं शिशोर्वोढुं न सेहे गिरिकूटवत् ॥ १८ ॥
ekadāroham ārūḍhaṁ lālayantī sutaṁ satī garimāṇaṁ śiśor voḍhuṁ na sehe giri-kūṭavat
วันหนึ่งเมื่อพระนางยโศดาอุ้มลูกน้อยไว้บนตักและลูบไล้ด้วยความรัก พลันรู้สึกว่าเด็กหนักดุจยอดเขา จนไม่อาจรับน้ำหนักได้
Lālayantī. Sometimes a mother lifts her child, and when the child falls in her hands, the child laughs, and the mother also enjoys pleasure. Yaśodā used to do this, but this time Kṛṣṇa became very heavy, and she could not bear His weight. Under the circumstances, it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa was aware of the coming of Tṛṇāvartāsura, who would take Him far away from His mother. Kṛṣṇa knew that when Tṛṇāvarta came and took Him away from His mother’s lap, mother Yaśodā would be greatly bereaved. He did not want His mother to suffer any difficulty from the demon. Therefore, because He is the source of everything ( janmādy asya yataḥ ), He assumed the heaviness of the entire universe. The child was on the lap of Yaśodā, who was therefore in possession of everything in the world, but when the child assumed such heaviness, she had to put Him down in order to give Tṛṇāvartāsura an opportunity to take Him away and play with Him for some time before the child returned to the lap of His mother.
FAQs
Although Kṛṣṇa appeared as her infant son, by His Yogamāyā potency He became unbearably heavy, showing that the Supreme Lord remains unlimited even while playing as a child.
It highlights the Lord’s inconceivable nature: He is intimate and approachable in Vṛndāvana līlā, yet simultaneously the all-powerful Supreme who cannot be measured or controlled by ordinary strength.
Serve God with simple love like Yaśodā, while remembering that the Divine cannot be reduced to our expectations—bhakti keeps intimacy with reverence for His limitless greatness.