Shloka 5
Dāmodara-līlā: Mother Yaśodā Binds Kṛṣṇa; the Two-Fingers Mystery; Prelude to the Yamala-Arjuna Deliverance
तमङ्कमारूढमपाययत् स्तनं स्नेहस्नुतं सस्मितमीक्षती मुखम् । अतृप्तमुत्सृज्य जवेन सा यया- वुत्सिच्यमाने पयसि त्वधिश्रिते ॥ ५ ॥
tam aṅkam ārūḍham apāyayat stanaṁ sneha-snutaṁ sa-smitam īkṣatī mukham atṛptam utsṛjya javena sā yayāv utsicyamāne payasi tv adhiśrite
雅输陀母亲遂将奎师那抱起，安置在膝上，以因慈爱而溢出的乳汁哺喂，并含笑凝望主的面容。忽见炉上奶锅沸腾外溢，她便立刻起身离开——尽管孩子尚未满足——去照看那溢出的乳汁。
Everything in the household affairs of mother Yaśodā was meant for Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was drinking the breast milk of mother Yaśodā, when she saw that the milk pan in the kitchen was overflowing, she had to take care of it immediately, and thus she left her son, who then became very angry, not having been fully satisfied with drinking the milk of her breast. Sometimes one must take care of more than one item of important business for the same purpose. Therefore mother Yaśodā was not unjust when she left her son to take care of the overflowing milk. On the platform of love and affection, it is the duty of the devotee to do one thing first and other things later. The proper intuition by which to do this is given by Kṛṣṇa.
FAQs
This verse shows Kṛṣṇa submitting to motherly love (vātsalya-bhakti): Yaśodā nurses Him affectionately, and ordinary household duties (the boiling milk) become part of the divine pastime that leads toward the Damodara episode.
Though Kṛṣṇa was still unsatisfied, Yaśodā’s practical care for her household—preventing the milk from boiling over—made her set Him down quickly, setting the stage for Kṛṣṇa’s playful response.
It teaches that sincere devotion can be lived within daily responsibilities—serving family and duties with love, while keeping Kṛṣṇa at the center, is also bhakti.