Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.9.11
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Exalted Position of Loving Service
“When caught by mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa became more and more afraid and admitted to being an offender. As she looked upon Him, she saw that He was crying, His tears mixing with the black ointment around His eyes, and as He rubbed His eyes with His hands, He smeared the ointment all over His face. Mother Yaśodā, catching her beautiful son by the hand, mildly began to chastise Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Caught by mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa admitted His offense and cried, rubbing His eyes and smearing their black ointment over His face.
- Even powerful beings fear Kṛṣṇa, yet He became dependent on mother Yaśodā. Their dealings reveal the exalted position of a pure devotee in loving service to the Lord.
- Mother Yaśodā did not want to chastise her beloved child very much, so she threw away her stick. She mildly rebuked Him and said she would bind Him to prevent further offenses.
Try this today
Reread mother Yaśodā’s gentle response, then offer a short prayer for the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa with love.
Ask yourself
What does Kṛṣṇa’s dependence on mother Yaśodā reveal to you about loving devotional service?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.