Shloka 9
Dāmodara-līlā: Mother Yaśodā Binds Kṛṣṇa; the Two-Fingers Mystery; Prelude to the Yamala-Arjuna Deliverance
तामात्तयष्टिं प्रसमीक्ष्य सत्वर- स्ततोऽवरुह्यापससार भीतवत् । गोप्यन्वधावन्न यमाप योगिनां क्षमं प्रवेष्टुं तपसेरितं मन: ॥ ९ ॥
tām ātta-yaṣṭiṁ prasamīkṣya satvaras tato ’varuhyāpasasāra bhītavat gopy anvadhāvan na yam āpa yogināṁ kṣamaṁ praveṣṭuṁ tapaseritaṁ manaḥ
奎师那见母亲手持棍杖，立刻从木臼上跳下，仿佛极其害怕般逃跑。瑜伽行者以禅定与苦行欲把他作为内在主宰（Paramātmā）摄取，仍不能及；而雅输达却把同一位至上人格神当作自己的儿子，追赶着要捉住奎师那。
Yogīs, mystics, want to catch Kṛṣṇa as Paramātmā, and with great austerities and penances they try to approach Him, yet they cannot. Here we see, however, that Kṛṣṇa is going to be caught by Yaśodā and is running away in fear. This illustrates the difference between the bhakta and the yogī. Yogīs cannot reach Kṛṣṇa, but for pure devotees like mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa is already caught. Kṛṣṇa was even afraid of mother Yaśodā’s stick. This was mentioned by Queen Kuntī in her prayers: bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya ( Bhāg. 1.8.31 ). Kṛṣṇa is afraid of mother Yaśodā, and yogīs are afraid of Kṛṣṇa. Yogīs try to reach Kṛṣṇa by jñāna-yoga and other yogas, but fail. Yet although mother Yaśodā was a woman, Kṛṣṇa was afraid of her, as clearly described in this verse.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛṣṇa could not be caught even though Yaśodā chased Him, because He is not attained even by yogīs whose minds, driven by austerity, seek to reach Him—implying bhakti (loving relationship) surpasses mere tapas and yogic striving.
Kṛṣṇa saw Yaśodā take up a stick to discipline Him and, playing like a child, climbed down and fled in fear—revealing His sweet, humanlike līlā where the Supreme allows Himself to be approached through parental love.
Prioritize sincere devotion—humility, prayer, remembrance, and loving service—over pride in discipline or achievement; spiritual progress deepens when practice is fueled by relationship and affection rather than mere effort.