The Rope That Couldn’t Bind—Until Love Did

In the previous blog, "Yashoda Beholds a Vision", little Krishna is caught red-handed, or rather, mud-handed. When Yashoda demands to know why he has been eating mud, Krishna does what he does best: he smiles, tilts his head, and denies everything with the most disarming innocence imaginable.

Mother Yashoda insists firmly, lovingly, that he opens his mouth so she can see the truth for herself, the ordinary pink tongue of a naughty child. Instead, she beholds the entire cosmos. 

The following morning, as the sun cast its golden glow across the courtyard, Yashoda sat churning butter. The rhythmic sound of the churning stick echoed gently through the air, signalling the start of another day. The bangles on Yashoda’s wrists created a delicate tinkling as she churned. Her hair began to come loose, causing the flower garland she had carefully arranged to slip and fall. With every movement, her earrings swung to and fro, catching the morning light, while her silk garment swirled in harmony with the motion of her arms and hands. Immersed in her task, Yashoda barely noticed the passage of time.

Suddenly, the gentle sound of anklets announced the arrival of her beloved Krishna. He toddled towards her, his face alight with expectation and delight. Playfully, Krishna reached out and held on to the churner, as if to tell his mother:

"Now it is my time; this is enough, you need to feed me; I am hungry."

Smiling with affection, Mother Yashoda gathered Krishna into her arms and laid him gently on her lap. Stroking his dark, curly hair, she began to nurse him.

The Boiling Milk and Krishna's Mischief

Mother Yashoda was lovingly feeding Krishna when, all of a sudden, a pot of milk that she had left on the fire began to boil over.

The milk rose rapidly, spilling onto the fire. The smell of burnt milk startled Yashoda. Yashoda gently placed Krishna on the ground and hurried to the kitchen to rescue the milk as it overflowed into the stove.

During this brief moment of separation, Krishna felt abandoned. He believed his mother had not fed him properly and had left him for something as ordinary as milk. His lips quivered, and his eyes flashed with anger.

Overcome by frustration, Krishna grabbed a churner and struck the pot that was filled with curds. The pot cracked open, spilling butter across the floor in soft, white clouds. Krishna scooped up the butter with his tiny hands, feigned tears, and went out into the courtyard.

He hid himself in a corner and continued eating the butter, still pretending to cry.

Yashoda's Discovery and Playing with Monkeys

When Yashoda returned after attending to the milk, she paused at the doorway, taking in the scene before her: a broken pot, butter smeared across the ground, and tiny footprints leading away. She sighed, a hint of a smile at the edge of her lips, and quietly followed the little footprints in search of her Krishna.

In a corner of the courtyard, she found Krishna. He stood atop an overturned wooden mortar, reaching into a hanging pot of butter and laughing softly as he fed the butter to a group of eager monkeys. His face was smeared with butter, and his eyes gleamed with delight.

The Chase

For a brief moment, Yashoda stood still, quietly observing Krishna. The affectionate scene moved her. However, the memory of the complaints about Krishna’s mischief and the untidiness he had caused quickly returned to her thoughts. Determined to address his behaviour, she picked up a small stick and walked towards him.

Krishna noticed Yashoda approaching. The playful laughter that had filled the air vanished instantly as he turned to face her. His eyes grew wide with apprehension, and in a flash, he leapt down and began to run, as if he were truly terrified of the consequences that awaited him, a punishment for his mischief.

What unfolded was a scene that was both light-hearted and deeply meaningful.

Yashoda chased her little child, gathering her lengha in her hands as she hurried after him. With each step, her breathing grew heavier. Krishna dashed ahead, glancing back at his mother with fear.

The moment was remarkable: the great yogis and rishis, who spent their entire lives seeking to understand Krishna, had never truly realised Him, nor touched Him with their minds. Yet here was Mother Yashoda, a householder, attempting to catch Him, discipline Him, and tie Him up with a rope to prevent further mischief.

The Binding of Krishna

Krishna watched his mother, Yashoda, exhausted from the lively game of chase he was determined to play with her. Her dress was dishevelled, and her face glistened with sweat. With her ample figure and wide hips, she struggled to keep up with the energetic child who delighted in teasing her. Her hair had come undone, scattering the flowers in her hair across the ground. Feeling a pang of sympathy for his mother, Krishna allowed himself to be caught.

At last, Yashoda managed to catch Krishna, gripping his tiny arm securely. Tears welled up in Krishna’s eyes as he began to cry, rubbing his eyes with hands smeared in butter, which made him look even more endearing. His cheeks flushed as he gazed up at her, not as a divine being, but as a frightened little boy.

Yashoda’s heart melted at the sight of Krishna’s distress, yet she knew she must teach him a lesson.

She spoke gently, but with determination:

"Today, I am left with absolutely no choice but to teach you a lesson for your endless mischief and naughtiness. Since gentle words and soft reprimands seem to bounce right off your carefree, playful mind like pebbles off a stone, I am forced to take far stronger action. You little monkey! With your nimble little fingers, you brazenly snatched the fresh, golden butter — the very butter I had set aside so carefully. Then you perch yourself high up on the mortar, swinging your legs without a care in the world, munching away with those big, gleaming eyes as if the very picture of innocence itself. Oh, do not give me that look! You wait, for today I will give you a sound thrashing with this stick, and perhaps then you will think twice before pulling such tricks again."

Krishna’s Fear and Yashoda’s Response

Krishna appeared genuinely frightened, clinging to Yashoda as if paralysed by terror. Yashoda’s love for her son was immeasurable; she wanted nothing more than to comfort him by gathering him into her arms and holding him close. However, she believed she needed to be firm, so she told Krishna, “All right, I will not beat you. But I am going to tie you up to this mortar, which was once your throne. I want to see how you will do any more mischief when you are so securely bound.”

Attempting to Bind the Absolute

Yashoda fetched a piece of rope and placed Krishna beside the mortar, intending to tie him up. In doing so, she attempted to bind the Absolute Truth—the one who has no inside or outside, who is above the worlds, below the worlds, and within the worlds, who encompasses the entire universe and all living and non-living beings, and who had taken human form to save mankind. Yet, she tried to secure him with nothing more than a piece of string.

Mother Yashod began to tie Krishna to the mortar, but when she tried to knot the rope, she found it was too short. Undeterred, she brought another piece of rope and wrapped it around Krishna’s waist, but again she could not secure him. She fetched yet another length of rope, only to confront the same dilemma: it was two inches short. Confused and unable to understand what was happening, Yashoda continued searching for more rope, using all the rope available in the house, yet she still could not tie her little son.

Meanwhile, a large group of gopies gathered in the courtyard and watched Yashoda’s frustration with amusement. Observing the struggle on her tired face, Krishna felt compassion towards his mother and, taking pity on her, allowed himself to be tied up.

The Power of Bhakti

This entire universe is under Krishna’s control, yet with a piece of rope, Yashoda managed to bind him. This demonstrates that the Lord can only be bound with the delicate yet powerful thread known as Bhakti. Mother Yashoda did not realise that she had achieved what no force in the universe could. She had bound the unbindable, not with a rope, but with love.

Yashoda Finds Peace

Heaving a sigh of relief, Yashoda stepped into her home to continue her daily responsibilities. As she moved about, she mused aloud, “I can have some peace now that you are tied up securely.” With Krishna fastened to the mortar, she felt reassured that her mischievous child would not cause any further trouble.

Summary

In this blog, Mother Yashoda’s domestic duties are interrupted by her son, Krishna. Krishna felt abandoned and angry, which eventually led to Krishna’s mischievous destruction of a butter pot. After a spirited chase through the courtyard, Yashoda attempts to discipline her child by binding him to a wooden mortar with a rope. She encounters a supernatural obstacle when every rope she finds remains exactly two inches too short to tie him.