Shloka 8
Dāmodara-līlā: Mother Yaśodā Binds Kṛṣṇa; the Two-Fingers Mystery; Prelude to the Yamala-Arjuna Deliverance
उलूखलाङ्घ्रेरुपरि व्यवस्थितं मर्काय कामं ददतं शिचि स्थितम् । हैयङ्गवं चौर्यविशङ्कितेक्षणं निरीक्ष्य पश्चात् सुतमागमच्छनै: ॥ ८ ॥
ulūkhalāṅghrer upari vyavasthitaṁ markāya kāmaṁ dadataṁ śici sthitam haiyaṅgavaṁ caurya-viśaṅkitekṣaṇaṁ nirīkṣya paścāt sutam āgamac chanaiḥ
Khi ấy, Śrī Kṛṣṇa ngồi trên chiếc cối gỗ bị lật úp và tùy ý ban phát cho bầy khỉ các món từ sữa như sữa chua và bơ. Vì lo sợ bị phát hiện đã trộm, Ngài đảo mắt nhìn quanh đầy bất an, e rằng mẹ sẽ quở phạt. Thấy vậy, mẹ Yaśodā hết sức thận trọng, lặng lẽ tiến đến từ phía sau.
Mother Yaśodā was able to trace Kṛṣṇa by following His butter-smeared footprints. She saw that Kṛṣṇa was stealing butter, and thus she smiled. Meanwhile, the crows also entered the room and came out in fear. Thus mother Yaśodā found Kṛṣṇa stealing butter and very anxiously looking here and there.
FAQs
This verse depicts Kṛṣṇa standing on a mortar to reach butter kept high and then freely giving it to monkeys, while Yaśodā, suspecting his mischief, approaches quietly from behind—showing his playful, intimate Vraja-līlā.
Seeing him engaged in “theft” and mischief, Yaśodā came slowly from behind so he would not notice and run away, setting the scene for her later attempt to catch and discipline him in loving parental devotion.
The verse highlights loving attentiveness and relationship: devotion grows through intimate remembrance of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, and through sincere, affectionate discipline and care—offered without harshness or ego.