Srimad Bhagavatam – day 588
Sridharaya namah
“Mischief and playful activities became the way of life for little Krishna and Balarama. The ladies of Gokula were eternally engrossed in enjoying their playful activities. Mothers Rohini and Yashoda were eternally busy trying to protect their infants from bulls, cows and other horned animals; dogs and other clawed animals; birds and all other forms of danger”.
The cows would carry these boys, who were swinging on their tails, and suddenly throw them amidst thorny bushes. Or perhaps the boys would willingly jump when they neared the thorny bushes. The Gopika who observed him falling into the thorny bush would rush forward quickly to pick him up.
In reality, it was the Lord’s intent that the particular Gopika should pick him up on that day. Krishna would have pre-decided to grant her liberation through this deed.
For no rhyme or reason, the boys would jump into fire. The ladies who observed this would rush and rescue them. The ladies who saved him from fire, those who saved him from water, those who rescued him when he was attacked by dogs were all blessed with liberation. These playful activities were in reality taken up by the Lord so as to grant liberation to those particular ladies on those particular days. The ladies who rescued him from fire would be different from the ladies who rescued him from thorny bushes.
The Lord would wait for the opportune moment when he could grant liberation to a particular person. Based on the type of liberation the person was eligible, he would cause situations by which the particular person would have to help him in some way or the other and thereby would bless them.
These were the extra-ordinary deeds of the Lord! When any person helped him, He would snatch away his sins and bless him with liberation. Behind all external visible mischievous activities, the Lord was silently conducting spiritual activities. Effortlessly He was uplifting them.
The ignorant women-folk believed that they had rescued him from fire; that they had saved him from the thorny bushes or from the dog’s mouth or cow’s horns. They would boast, “I saved him” or “I took him home and fed him milk”.
The lady whose house Krishna would visit for a glass of milk, did not realise that He was visiting her home because she lacked the ability to walk till the streets and carry him! Considering her age and her inability to carry him, Krishna would device methods by which he could enter her home demanding milk. When he grew up he would walk into those homes and demand butter. He would eat butter and in return bless them with liberation.
“At times, the mothers found it impossible to balance between guarding their children and completing their household chores. All the ladies of Gokula had motherly love towards these boys”.
Not just Yashoda, but in reality, millions of ladies who resided in Gokula considered Krishna as their son. Their hearts overflowed with motherly love towards him. For this reason, along with Yashoda, all of them neglected their household chores in order to ensure his safety. In their anxiety to protect Him they forgot to cook or to bathe.
“Mothers Yashoda and Rohini would be greatly anxious of the two kids. Fearing their safety, they were eternally alert”.
The mothers feared that their sons would get wounded; they could be hurt by the animals or that they could be burnt in the fire. Such was their devotion! In this devotion, they eternally offered him services while neglecting their household chores.
“A few weeks later Balarama and Krishna were able to walk independently.”
When the infant stands on his two feet, we celebrate the occasion just as we celebrate his rolling over or his crawling. If these boys were considered mischievous when they were in the crawling state of life, then what is to be said of the mischief that they will now demonstrate after obtaining the ability to walk independently?
“They now began to walk through the streets of Gokula”.
When a child learns to walk, the elders have to be even more cautious. The child could accidently land into danger. Many parents tie a strap around the child’s waist so that the child is within vicinity.
“The two boys began to run through Gokula at great speeds. Thereafter, the Supreme Lord Krishna, began to play with other cowherd children causing great bliss to all the ladies of Gokula”.
All of them were fortunate that their time was engaged in activities loved by the Lord. Their activities were such that they drew them closer to the Lord. They utilized every second in watching his playful activities or in ensuring his safety.
Narayana.