Srimad Bhagavatam – day 607
Symbolism behind Yashoda tying Krishna (continued)
Narayana Krishna
Maharishi Śuka continued, “The Gopikas who were witnessing this incident laughed at Yashoda. Yashoda, who was both perplexed and astonished, laughed along with them. In this laughter she forgot her exhaustion. As a last resort she went in and fetched an extremely long rope which was more than 6 meters in length, attached this to the existing rope and then tried to bind Krishna, but to her utter shock, this too fell short by exactly the length of two fingers!”
What to say of her fatigue! Yashoda was neither in a position to sit, stand, walk nor lie down. She could not fathom what was happening. Along with all the Gopikas who were laughing at her, she too was laughing.
“Little Krishna noticed Mother Yashoda’s body which was dripping with sweat. He noticed that she was exhausted beyond limits. He understood that on the one hand she was laughing, but on the other she was annoyed at her failure. He observed her astonished face as well as her perplexed face. He observed her adamant face. He observed her face which was overflowing with love towards him. He observed the anger and helplessness in her face. In nutshell, he saw the nine types of emotion appear and disappear, one after another, in her face. He smiled as if he was enjoying the nine forms of emotion visible on her face.
Seeing her laugh, he put on a face as if he too was laughing. Seeing her sorrowful, he put on a face as if he too was saddened. Seeing her astonished, he too acted as if he was astonished. Seeing her frightened face, he enacted as if he too was frightened. Krishna adjusted his emotions to match the emotions that appeared one after another in his mother’s face”.
What could be this conversation between the devotee and the Lord? What was this altercation? How Yashoda was adamantly fighting to bind the Lord and to merge into Him!
“Krishna pitied his mother who was perspiring profusely. Her hair had become loose and was scattered. He noticed all the flowers from her loosened braid had fallen down. Realizing that she was drained of all energy and that she was on the verge of collapsing, he pitied her”.
Only when, with totally ripened devotion, the devotee achieves absolute concentration, the Lord will stabilize in his meditation. Only then meditation fructifies. Not otherwise. This has been explained through this story in Bhagavatam.
“Krishna understood that Yashoda, who had been trying since morning to bind him, had now abandoned that adamancy. Her exhaustion had weakened this stubbornness. One should give up the obstinacy to tie the Lord! In order to merge into the Lord, obstinacy in achieving concentration should be given up. Stubbornness will not help in achieving absolute, unflinching concentration. Only when meditation is undertaken with calm and gentle feelings, the Lord will stabilize in the mind. The nine forms of emotions (nava rasas) should dry up. The aspirant should not be in any hurry to reach his goal. Feelings of helplessness at his inability to accomplish the goal should not exist. By now, in Yashoda, even the feelings of helplessness had dried up.
“Krishna observed his mother, who was totally exhausted and in whom feelings of anger and helplessness had dried up. He pitied her. Immediately he allowed himself to be bound”.
The Lord allows himself to be bound, when, with totally ripened devotion in which every form of emotion has been destroyed in totality, the mind is fixed exclusively upon Him. He becomes the person who is meditating with absolute concentration.
“This entire creation, including its Guardian-deities, is totally under the control of Lord Srihari, who is non-dual. Using the concept of dualism, He is the one who creates and sustains it. He exists within this dualistic world. This entire creation is His. It is He who manifests in the form of the Guardian-deities in order to govern this universe.
Through this incident, Srikrishna, highlights that He, who is the complete incarnation of the free-willed, independent Supreme Lord Srihari, allows Himself to be bound by ardent devotees”.
This Lord, who considers his devotees as His children and who loves them dearly, allows Himself to be bound by their devotion. Yashoda was now in the fully ripened state of devotion. The obstinacy, ‘I will somehow tie him up’ was now abandoned. She was convinced that tying Him was beyond her ability. Anger, obstinacy, helplessness and exhaustion were all destroyed. Her mind was totally freed from any form of emotion. There was nothing left in the mind. She had surrendered completely to Him. This Self-surrender (atmārpana) is a unique state that is above other states. There was only one prayer left, “O Lord, I seek refuge under You; I surrender totally to You.” Only when this state of complete self-surrender is attained, the Lord consecrates Himself in our heart; not otherwise.
Day after day we go through this similar experience. We are struggling to tie the Lord firmly in our hearts. With full concentration we are trying to consecrate Him. This incident emphatically clarifies that this Lord comes under the sway of absolute devotion. Towards this, self-surrender is critical. ‘O Lord, everything belongs to You alone. Nothing exists in me. Anger no longer arises in me. Other emotions such as irritation, helplessness, tiredness have totally disappeared from me. There is nothing left in me now. Even though I am in the waking state, these transformations have vanished in me. It is normal for these emotions to vanish during the state of deep sleep.
Being awake I am conscious of my surroundings. When my friends laugh, I too laugh. This stone mortar, these ropes and the Lord are clearly visible to my eyes. I am totally aware of all that is happenings in my surroundings. I am mentally present here. Nevertheless, the different emotions that held sway over me have now vanished one after another. I surrender these emotions, which until now I considered to be mine, to you in totality. They no longer belong to me’.”
Narayana Narayana