Hare Krishna Prabhus and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Yesterday, we had a discussion about how devotees make choices in life, and we referred to the beautiful Damodar pastime of Krishna and Mother Yashoda. In this pastime, we find a profound example of how pure love for the Lord unfolds through the choices made by a devotee.
Mother Yashoda, while feeding Krishna, faces a dilemma. Krishna is hungry and desires to be fed, but at the same time, the milk on the stove is about to boil over. She has two options: continue feeding Krishna and let the milk spill, or put Krishna down, save the milk from spilling, and return to feed him.
Srila Prabhupada teaches that in our spiritual life, devotees must make choices, and these choices should be guided by inspiration from Krishna within and it should be validated by Guru, Sadhu and Sastra. In the spiritual world, there is no fixed, rigid path to follow. The key is that the devotee’s actions, even when they seem contradictory, should come from a place of deep connection to Krishna and be inspired by their love and devotion for Him.
Mother Yashoda’s decision to put Krishna down and save the milk may seem like a simple, practical choice, but it is, in reality, a deep act of devotion. Although Krishna would be content if she continued feeding Him, she chooses to care for the milk out of her sense of responsibility in service. This choice leads to Krishna’s temporary displeasure, and His playful anger creates the Damodar Lila, where Mother Yashoda, in her affection, eventually ties Krishna up for His mischievous behavior.
Acharyas explain that such choices made by devotees are never in vain. Even when it seems like a contradiction—Krishna, the Supreme Lord, becoming angry or unsatisfied—these apparent contradictions lead to even more beautiful and sweeter pastimes. These contradictions do not arise from illusion, as they do in the material world, but are inherent in the nature of the Supreme Lord and always lead to transcendental bliss.
For example, Krishna is Atmarama—self-satisfied and independent. Yet, in this pastime, He becomes “unsatisfied” when He is deprived of the milk He desires. This may seem contradictory because, as the Supreme Lord, Krishna does not actually “need” anything. His dissatisfaction is not due to any lack, but rather a manifestation of His desire to experience the unalloyed love and affection in the heart of His pure devotees, like Mother Yashoda.
Therefore, while Krishna is complete in Himself, He “depends” on the love of His devotees, which adds to the sweetness of His pastimes.
While other forms of the Lord also exhibit contradictory qualities, they are most evident in Krishna’s pastimes, especially in Vrindavan. Krishna’s sweet contradictions create an infinite variety of rasas (spiritual emotions). For example, in the Damodar Lila, the primary mood is vatsalya rasa (parental love), but the minor emotions such as anger, worry, and concern also emerge.
Just like when we combine ingredients like sugar, cardamom, and other spices with milk, we create a richer and more flavorful taste and experience than if we only used sugar. In the same way, vatsalya rasa becomes even more flavorful when it includes a variety of minor emotions. Krishna’s playful anger or Mother Yashoda’s concern and temporary anger add unique dimensions to their relationship, enhancing the sweetness of vatsalya rasa.
In this way, the contradictions in Krishna’s pastimes are not imperfections but expressions of divine sweetness that, inconceivably, increase the intensity of love and devotion. Every choice, every action—especially those that seem contradictory—contributes to the sweetness of the pastimes only to the unfolding of transcendental bliss for the Lord and His devotees.
From this pastime, we can learn an important lesson from Mother Yashoda about making choices in our own lives in alignment with the guidance of Guru, Sadhu and Sastra. When we make such choices, the results will deepen our taste for devotional service and bring us closer to Krishna and His devotees.
Your servant,
Satya Sara das
November 7, 2024