KRISHNA KARNAMRUTA-SLOKA-34

 Kailaso navanita tikshitiriyam pragjagdha mrulloshtathi

Kshirodapi nipita dugdhatilasath smere prapulle mukhe

Matra jirnadhiya dhrudam chakitaya nashtasmi drushtah kaya

Dhu dhu vatsaka jiva jiva chira mithyuktho vatanno Harihi !

Leela Shuka visualizes the exhilarating leelas of child Krishna in Gokulam! On one occasion Yasoda called Krishna to her side and said,” Oh Krishna! Balaraama has gone to play at the sand dunes of the Yamuna! Before he returns drink the milk in the golden vessel! By drinking the milk your locks of hair will grow!”  Hearing the words of His mother Yasoda, He was interested in the growth of beautiful hair as He was a growing child. Accordingly, Krishna drank half of the milk in the golden vessel and immediately examined if His locks of hair have increased! Describing this vision, Leela Shuka asserts that such  Krishna should shower His Grace on him!

On one occasion, Yasoda looked in to the mouth of child Krishna and was shocked to see Kailash and other mountains! But she considered them as the butter and others that Krishna has swallowed!  She was worried that  whatever Krishna had taken in has not been digested! She wondered who has cast an evil eye on Krishna and what she could do to avert that evil eye. She felt that she was destroyed and cursed those that cast the evil eye on her darling Krishna. Later she said blessing Him “ Oh my Boy! You will live for  long!” “ Let that Krishna, being blessed by Yasoda protect me” says  Leela Shuka in this beautiful sloka.

One of the amazing Divine Sports of Krishna during His childhood is being recollected by the poet in this sloka. One day Balaraama complained to Yasoda that little Krishna was eating lumps of earth! She was shocked and went in haste to prevent Krishna from doing that. She wanted to admonish Krishna and see that He does not indulge in that act again. But she was in for tremendous shock and surprise! Krishna  said that He did not eat any lump of earth! Yasoda warned Krishna and asked Him to open His little mouth. He resisted first but unwillingly opened His mouth. What a sight did Yasoda see in that little mouth of little Krishna!  She saw all mountains, forests, rivers, the seven worlds above, the seven nether worlds, Creator Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara, all the Devas and every thing in creation parading in that Divine mouth! Krishna had , for a moment , shown her a vision which no sage or saint or devotee had ever imagined! It was the rarest of the rare VISWARUPA that Yasoda could see! How fortunate is Yasoda to witness that indescribable sight! But in a few seconds the vision vanished and Yasoda  considered Krishna as her ordinary darling child! That is the effect of “ Vishnu Maya” which is insurmountable!

It is astonishing that Kailash mountains appeared like butter and other milk products taken in by little Krishna. Krishna is  the master juggler and magician! His will is Supreme! He is Omnipotent and Omniscient! What a punya or holy deeds did Yasoda perform to be the foster mother of Parabrahman in the guise of Krishna! While Devaki was selected as the blessed mother of Krishna, Yasoda had the rare privilege and prerogative of bringing Him up and witness the innumerable miracles and leelas exhibited by the Avatar! In that way we can consider Yasoda more fortunate and blessed than Devaki, Krishna’s real mother! Leela Shuka brilliantly reveals the innocence and ignorance of Yasoda in considering  Krishna as her darling child and no more!!

Yasoda's innocent and worldly wise attitude is revealed in all the incidents that happened with Krishna in Gokulam! It is all because of the web of Vishnu Maya! What will happen if Yasoda realizes that her darling little Krishna is none other than the Avatar of Lord Vishnu? The little pleasures of bringing Him up, enjoying His movements, His mischiefs, and everything about Him would have been denied to Her!  Later in life on Earth, not many among the Kauravas and the Pandavas could recognize the truth of the Avatar of Krishna! Even Arjuna was enveloped by Maya though Krishna was his friend, philosopher and guide! To prove His Divinity, Krishna had to show His Virat Swarupa or VISWARUPA on the battlefield at Kurukshetra! As the Lord Himself has said, “ Mama Maya duratyaya” – My Maya is insurmountable!