156 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 9

effulgence, although this also they are unable to do. Great demigods like
Lord Brahma and Lord Siva always worship the Lord by meditation and
by service. Even the most powerful Yamaraja fears Krsna. Therefore, as
we find in the history of Ajamila, Yamaraja instructed his followers not
even to approach the devotees, what to speak of capturing them. In other
words, Yamaraja also fears Krsna and Krsna’s devotees. Yet this Krsna
became so dependent on mother Yasoda that when she simply showed
Krsna the stick in her hand, Krsna admitted to being an offender and
began to cry like an ordinary child. Mother Yasoda, of course, did not
want to chastise her beloved child very much, and therefore she im-
mediately threw her stick away and simply rebuked Krsna, saying, ‘““Now
I shall bind You so that You cannot commit any further offensive ac-
tivities. Nor for the time being can You play with Your playmates.”’ This
shows the position of a pure devotee, in contrast with others, like jrdnis,
yogis and the followers of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, in regarding the
transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth.

TEXT 12
TRA Te ad itd Aarartaazetat |
gay fae d aad craastrataar 12211

tyaktvad yastim sutam bhitam
vijndyarbhaka-vatsala

iyesa kila tam baddhum
damndatad-virya-kovida

tyaktva—throwing away; yastim—the stick in her hand; sutam—her
son; bhitam—considering her son’s great fear; vijidya—understanding;
arbhaka-vatsala—the most affectionate mother of Krsna; iyesa—
desired; kila—indeed; tam—Krsna; baddhum—to bind; damna—with
a rope; a-tat-virya-kovidi—without knowledge of the supremely
powerful Personality of Godhead (because of intense love for Krsna).

TRANSLATION

Mother Yasoda was always overwhelmed by intense love for
Krsna, not knowing who Krsna was or how powerful He was. Be-
