Parenthood 357
ache.” These are some of the symptoms of Mother Yagoda’s anxiety
for Krsna.

When Akrira was present in Vrndavana and was narrating the activi-
ties of Krsna in Dvaraka, Mother Yasoda was informed that Krsna
had married so many queens and was very busy there in His house-
holder affairs. Hearing this, Mother Yasoda lamented how unfortu-
nate she was that she could not get her son married just after passing
His kaigora age, and thus she could not receive both her son and
daughter-in-law at her home. She exclaimed, “My dear Akriira, you
are simply throwing thunderbolts on my head!” These are the signs
of lamentation on the part of Mother Yasoda in separation from
Krsna.

Similarly, Mother Yagoda felt frustration when she thought, “*Al-
though I have millions of cows, the milk of these cows could not
satisfy Krsna. Therefore let a curse be on this milk! And I also am
condemned because although I am so opulent in material prosperity,
I am now unable to smell the head of my child and feed Him with
my breast milk as I used to do when He was here in Vrndavana.”
This is a sign of frustration on the part of Mother Yagoda in separa-
tion from Krsna.

One friend of Krsna’s addressed Him thus: “My dear lotus-eyed
one, when You were living in Gokula You were always bearing a stick
in Your hand. That stick is now lying idle in the house of Mother
Yasoda, and whenever she sees it she becomes motionless just like
the stick.” This is the sign of becoming stunned in separation from
Krsna. In separation from Krsna Mother Yasoda became so humble
that she prayed to the creator of the universe, Lord Brahma, with
tears in her eyes: “My dear creator, won’t you kindly bring my dear
son Krsna back to me so that I can see Him at least for a moment?”
Sometimes in restlessness like a madwoman Mother Yasoda used to
accuse Nanda Maharaj, “What are you doing in the palace? You shame-
less man! Why do people call you the King of Braja? It is very aston-
ishing that while being separated from your dear son Krsna, you are
still living within Vrndavana as a hard-hearted father!”

Someone informed Krsna about the madness of Mother Yasoda
in the following words: “In madness Mother Yagoda has addressed
the kadamba trees and inquired from them, ‘Where is my son?’ Simi-
