Maharishi Śuka continued, “Nanda who witnessed these extraordinary happenings in Gokula remain spellbound. Recollecting the predictions made by Vasudeva he mentally applauded him.

One morning Yashoda held her son in her lap. Her heart overflowed with love and she was busy cajoling the baby”.

Isn’t Yashoda very fortunate? As stated in the Dāsara padagalu Mother Yashoda played with the Supreme Lord who incarnated as her son, made Him laugh and brought joy to Him.

“Her heart overflowed with love. She breast-fed him lovingly. The boy almost finished drinking milk and was smiling happily. Seeing his joyous face, Yashoda was filled with joy”.

What more can be said of Yashoda’s fortune! The mother who gave him birth did not get a chance to enjoy his frolics. This mother Yashoda enjoyed them all. Even this is a transcendental sport of the Lord.

“Seeing his lovely, joyous face, Mother Yashoda lovingly kissed him. The boy opened his mouth wide and yawned. Aha! Suddenly Yashoda saw the entire cosmos within his tiny mouth!”

There is a well-known story that one morning Krishna ate mud. Balarama complained to Yashoda. When she asked him to open his mouth, she saw the entire cosmos in it. That event also took place at a later date.

“She saw within his mouth the vast sky, all the planetary systems including earth, the various star constellations, the directions, the Sun, Moon, fire, wind, oceans, islands, mountains, rivers, forests, all the living as well as non-living entities”.

What could have been her reaction? Was she terrified or was she astonished? Was she to laugh or was she to cry? Would she have screamed or did she remain silent?

“Mother Yashoda was astounded! Seeing the entire universe in her son’s mouth, Yashoda, who possessed gentle deer-like eyes, shuddered suddenly. She was filled with fright. She was perplexed. In anxiety, she immediately closed her eyes.”

In that tiny mouth Yashoda saw all the fourteen planetary systems. She saw herself in his mouth. She could also see her son within that universe. After all, He is Hiranyagarbha, isn’t it? All the worlds are in Him alone! At that moment he showed to her that he holds the entire creation in his womb. How fortunate was Yashoda! We too are fortunate to get this chance to listen to this extra-ordinary, wonderful incident. Maharishi Vyasa’s grace ensured it reached us. If we close our eyes, we can visualize this incident. We should close our eyes and have the deep feeling that we are seeing the entire creation within the mouth of that tiny infant.

Here it is said that Yashoda had deer-like eyes. Deer have tiny, delicate eyes. She closed her gentle eyes. Yashoda, who witnessed this extra-ordinary scene, was truly extremely fortunate.

With this the seventh chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Tenth Canto Chapter Eight

In this chapter, the childhood activities of Srikrishna and Balarama are narrated.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “O Emperor Parikshit! Maharishi Garga, the family priest of the Yadavas, was a great ascetic who was engaged in penance. Upon the request of Vasudeva, Maharishi Garga arrived at Gokula.

Nanda was ecstatic when Maharishi Garga visited him. He immediately stood up and with folded hands went forward to receive the saint. Believing that Srihari had arrived in the form of the great saint, Nanda reverentially offered obeisance to him and joyfully worshipped him.

Garga muni accepted the hospitality offered and sat comfortably in the seat arranged for him. Nanda extolled him and then, in a melodious tone enquired, “O great saint! Please let me know how I can serve you, who are an embodiment of knowledge? What is it that I can do? Please command me.

O revered one, human beings who are in the house-holder stage of life are weak-minded. Great Mahatmas leave their place of residence and visit house-holders solely to uplift them. It is very rare for pure-minded supreme saints to visit homes of the weak-minded house-holders who possess a wavering intellect. It is our greatest fortune that you have visited us today!”

Purely with the intent of causing them auspiciousness, great Mahatmas visit the homes of the ordinary house-holders. ‘Inti inti tirigi tirigi hitamu pancu pādamu’- says the bhajan on Lord Datta. You do not visit every single house. Only certain homes you choose to visit. Your visit causes our well-being.

“Great saints have nothing to gain from visiting the homes of house-holders. You are one among such saints who eternally strive for the well-being of others. O revered saint, you have composed the jyotish-shastra (astrology) which imparts the imperceptible knowledge to us”.

Garga Mahamuni composed the traditional Hindu system of astrology, which is sought after by all humans.

“O great saint, through this knowledge of astrology, a person can know of the fruitive actions of his past births as well as the resultant sorrows and joys which he is to experience in this present birth. In the absence of this science, people would be clueless as to the happenings of the future time period. Neither will they know of the mistakes they have committed in the past.

You are the best among the knowers of Veda. This is undoubtedly true. O great saint, please conduct the naming ceremony and other associated samskaras (purificatory activities) for these two boys. A Brahmin is the natural guru for all human beings”.

A Brahmin is he who is eternally engrossed in contemplating upon Brahma (Supreme Lord). He is Self-realized. The word Brahmin does not refer to the caste, but to the person who is eternally meditating upon Brahma. Such persons are the Gurus for the entire mankind. They seek the well-being of the entire mankind.

Achyutaya namah