Parenthood 355
and sometimes as overwhelming attachment. An example of attach-
ment for Krsna with overwhelming affection is given in the Srimad-
Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, 6th Chapter, 27th verse, where Sukadeva
Gosvami addresses Maharaj Pariksit in this way: “My dear King,
when magnanimous Nanda Maharaj returned from a tour, he
began to smell the head of his son, and he was merged in the ecstasy
of parental love.” A similar statement is there in connection with
Mother Yasoda when she was too anxious to hear the sound of
Krsna’s flute, expecting Him back from the pasturing ground. Be-
cause she thought that it was getting very late, her anxiety to hear
the sound of Krsna’s flute became doubled, and milk began to flow
out from her breast. In that condition she was sometimes going with-
in the house, sometimes coming out of the house. She was constantly
looking to see if Govinda was coming back along the road. When
many very great sages were offering prayers to Lord Krsna, glorifying
His activities, the Queen of Gokula, Mother Yasoda, entered the
battlefield of Kuruksetra, wetting the lower part of her sari with the
milk flowing from her breast. This entrance of Mother Yagoda at
Kuruksetra was not during the Battle of Kuruksetra. At other times
Krsna went to Kuruksetra from His paternal home (Dvarak4) during
the solar eclipse, and at these times the residents of Vrndavana also
went to see Him there.

When Krsna arrived at Kuruksetra in pilgrimage, all the people as-
sembled there began to say that Krsna the son of Devaki had arrived.
At that time Devaki, just like an affectionate mother, began to pat
Krsna’s face. And again when people cried that Krsna, the son of
Vasudeva, had come, both King Nanda and Mother Yasoda became
overwhelmed with affection and expressed their great pleasure.

When Mother Yasgoda, the Queen of Gokula, was going to see her
son Krsna at Kuruksetra, one of her friends began to address her
thus: “My dear Queen, the milk flowing out of your breast-mountain
has already whitened the River Ganges, and the tears from your eyes,
mixed with black mascara, have already blackened the color of the
Yamuna. And as you are standing just between the two rivers, I think
there is no need for your anxiety to see your son’s face. Your paren-
tal affection has already been exhibited to Him by these two rivers!”
