SB 1.8.31 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 31
Gopi adade kritagasi dama tabat ya te dasa asrukalilanjan sambhrama aksham. Baktram niniya bhayabhavanaya stithasya sa mam bimohayati bheerapi yadvibheti.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Gopi—the cowherd lady (Yasoda), Adade—took up, Twayi—on Your, Kritagasi—creating disturbances (by breaking the butter pot), Dama—rope, Tabat—at that time, Ya—that which, Te-Your, Dasa—situation, Asrukalila—overflooded with tears, Anjana—anointment, Sambhrama—perturbed, Aksham—eyes, Vaktram—face, ninya—downwards, Bhayabhavanaya—by thoughts of fear, Sa—that, Mam—me, Vimohayati—bewilders, Bheerapi—even fear personified, Yad—whom, Bibheti—be afraid of.
TRANSLATION
My dear Krishna, the sight which was created by Yasoda's taking up a rope to bind You on Your committing offence and Your pertubed eyes became overflooded with tears washing the anointment out of fear only although Fear Personified is afraid of You, is bewildering me.
PURPORT
Here is another explanation of bewilderment created by the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the Supreme at all circumstances is already explained. Here is a specific example of the Lord's becoming the Supreme and at the same time a plaything in the presence of His pure devotee. Lord's pure devotee does render service unto the Lord out of unalloyed love only and while discharging such devotional service the pure devotee forgets the position of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord also accepts the loving service of His devotees more relishably when the service is rendered spontaneously out of pure affection without anything of reverential admiration. Generally the Lord is worshipped by the devotees in reverential attitude but the Lord is meticulously pleased when the devotee, out of pure affection and love, considers the Lord as less important than himself. The Lord's pastimes in the original abode of Goloka Vrindaban is exchanged in that spirit. The friends of Krishna consider Him as one of them without any reverential importance. The parents of the Lord (who are all pure devotees only) consider Him a less important child only. The Lord accepts chastisements of the parents more cheerfully than the prayers of the Vedic hymns. Similarly he accepts the reproaches of His fiancees more palatably than the Vedic hymns. Lord Krishna when He was present in this material world to manifest His eternal pastimes in the transcendental realm of Goloka Vrindaban for an attraction of the people in general, He displayed an unique picture of subordination before His foster mother Yosoda. The Lord in His natural childish playful activities used to spoil the stocked butter of mother Yosoda by breaking the pots and distributing the contents to His friends and playmates including the celebrated monkeys of Vrindaban who took advantage of the Lord's munificence. Mother Yosoda saw this and out of her pure love she wanted to make a show of punishment for her transcendental child. She took a rope and threatened the Lord to tie up as it is generally done in the ordinary household affairs.
By seeing the rope in the hands of mother Yosoda the Lord bowed down His head and began to weep just like a child without any deviation and tears rolled down His cheecks washing the black anointment speared over His beautiful eyes. This picture of the Lord is adored by Kunti Devi because she is conscious of the Lord's Supreme Position. He is feared often by the Fear Personified and He is afraid of His mother who wanted Him to punish just in the ordinary manner. Kunti was conscious of the Exhalted position of Krishna while Yosoda was not. Therefore Yosoda's position was more exhalted than Kunti. Mother Yosoda got the Lord as Her child and the Lord made her forget altogether that her child was the Lord Himself. If mother Yosoda would have been conscious of the exhalted position of the Lord she would certainly have hesitated to punish the Lord. But she was made to forget this situation because the Lord wanted to make a complete gesture of childhood before the affectionate mother Yosoda. This exchange of love between the mother and the son was performed in natural away and Kunti remembering the scene was bewildered and she could do nothing but elicit praising the transcendental filial love. Indirectly Mother Yosoda is praised for her unique position of love as she could control even the all powerful Lord supposed to be her beloved child.