October 12, 2026
The sweet childhood pastime of Mother Yashoda attempting to bind baby Krishna with ropes, and the deep philosophical lessons of the two fingers gap.
The Mischief of the Supreme Child
We are now in the month of Damodara. Dama means rope, and udara means belly. So Damodara means "one who is bound around the belly with ropes."
The history behind this is that Mother Yashoda was breast-feeding baby Krishna when some milk on the fire began to boil over. She set Krishna aside to attend to the stove. Feeling frustrated and angry, baby Krishna broke a pot of butter hanging from the ceiling and ran away. Mother Yashoda, seeing the broken pot and butter-smeared footprints, pursued Him with a stick to enforce some discipline.
Although Krishna is the Supreme Lord, who cannot be caught by the greatest yogis, He allows Himself to be caught and bound by the love of His pure devotees. When playing the role of Yasoda's son, He identifies with it so deeply that He behaves exactly like a dependent child.
The history behind this is that Mother Yashoda was breast-feeding baby Krishna when some milk on the fire began to boil over. She set Krishna aside to attend to the stove. Feeling frustrated and angry, baby Krishna broke a pot of butter hanging from the ceiling and ran away. Mother Yashoda, seeing the broken pot and butter-smeared footprints, pursued Him with a stick to enforce some discipline.
Although Krishna is the Supreme Lord, who cannot be caught by the greatest yogis, He allows Himself to be caught and bound by the love of His pure devotees. When playing the role of Yasoda's son, He identifies with it so deeply that He behaves exactly like a dependent child.
The Two Fingers Gap: Effort and Grace
When Mother Yashoda tried to tie baby Krishna to a grinding mortar, she found the rope was too short by the width of two fingers. She added more rope, but the gap remained. No matter how many ropes she tied together, they were always two fingers short.
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that the two fingers represent:
1. Parisrama (Endeavor): The hard labor of the devotee to chant, hear, and serve to the best of their capacity.
2. Krsna-krpa (Mercy): The causeless grace of Lord Krishna.
We must work to the best of our ability (the first finger) but ultimately depend on the mercy of the Lord (the second finger) for our success.
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that the two fingers represent:
1. Parisrama (Endeavor): The hard labor of the devotee to chant, hear, and serve to the best of their capacity.
2. Krsna-krpa (Mercy): The causeless grace of Lord Krishna.
We must work to the best of our ability (the first finger) but ultimately depend on the mercy of the Lord (the second finger) for our success.
Spontaneous Love vs. Awe and Reverence
In the highest spiritual realm of Goloka Vrindavan, the love of the devotees is completely spontaneous. They do not think of Krishna as the Supreme Lord; they love Him as a friend, a child, or a lover. This spontaneous, intimate love is what truly binds Krishna.
In contrast, in the Vaikuntha planets, devotees serve in a mood of awe and reverence, mixed with knowledge of the Lord's opulences. This is pure, but lacks the spontaneous sweetness that allows the devotee to "conquer" the Lord with love.
As Srila Prabhupada taught, the goal is simple: "You chant, and when you feel tired you take a little prasada."
In contrast, in the Vaikuntha planets, devotees serve in a mood of awe and reverence, mixed with knowledge of the Lord's opulences. This is pure, but lacks the spontaneous sweetness that allows the devotee to "conquer" the Lord with love.
As Srila Prabhupada taught, the goal is simple: "You chant, and when you feel tired you take a little prasada."