dāmodara-līlā mananam on Vaikunta Ekadashi or Mokshada Ekadashi (2023)

(Remembering Swami with the nāma - dāmodara, is special on this day, as told by Sri Krishna to Yudhisthira, in Padma Purana. Hence we shall look at few slokas from Bhagavata, revelling in the dāmodara-līlā, from 10th skanda - chapters 9 and 10). 

kṛtāgasaṁ taṁ prarudantam akṣiṇī

kaṣantam añjan-maṣiṇī sva-pāṇinā

udvīkṣamāṇaṁ bhaya-vihvalekṣaṇaṁ

haste gṛhītvā bhiṣayanty avāgurat

10.9.11. Holding by the hand, she threatened to beat Krsna, who was crying for having committed that offence, and was rubbing his eyes with his hand whereby the collyrium (añjanam) got spread all over and who was looking up (to his mother) with eyes bewildered and agitated with fear. 

tyaktvā yaṣṭiṁ sutaṁ bhītaṁ vijñāyārbhaka-vatsalā

iyeṣa kila taṁ baddhuṁ dāmnātad-vīrya-kovidā

10.9.12. Perceiving that her son was terrified, Yashoda, who was extremely affectionate to her child, threw away the stick. (Yet) Unable to comprehend the vīryam of Krsna, Mother Yashoda wished to bind him with a rope (dāmnātad-vīrya-kovidā)

na cāntar na bahir yasya na pūrvaṁ nāpi cāparam

pūrvāparaṁ bahiś cāntar jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ

taṁ matvātmajam avyaktam martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam

gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā

10.9.13-14 With regard to Him there is no inside nor outside (na cāntar na bahir ), no before nor behind (na pūrvaṁ nāpi cāparam); Yet he is in front and at the back, outside and inside the universe; He is the universe itself. Thinking (Due to lord's maya) Mother Yashoda did not realize that the  unmanifest (avyaktam) adhokṣaja (one who is beyond senses - i.e. suddha chaithanyam) is her human child (ātmajam), the gopika tried to bind (babandha) Him with a rope (dāmnā) to the mortar (ulūkhale), as one would naturally do (prākṛtam yathā) (i.e. tie down an ordinary human child)

evaṁ sva-geha-dāmāni yaśodā sandadhaty api

gopīnāṁ susmayantīnāṁ smayantī vismitābhavat

10.9.17 While Yashoda was putting together all the ropes in her house (and still it fell short by two fingers), all the Gopa women laughed; and she too joined them smiling but felt amazed at it

sva-mātuḥ svinna-gātrāyā visrasta-kabara-srajaḥ

dṛṣṭvā pariśramaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛpayāsīt sva-bandhane

10.9.18. Noticing the over-exhaustion of his mother (dṛṣṭvā pariśramaṁ sva-mātuḥ) whose body was bathed in perspiration (svinna-gātrāyā), and the wreaths of flowers from whose loosened braids of hair were falling down, Krsna, out of compassion for her, allowed himself to be tied (kṛpayāsīt sva-bandhane)

nemaṁ viriñco na bhavo na śrīr apy aṅga-saṁśrayā

prasādaṁ lebhire gopī yat tat prāpa vimuktidāt

10.9.20. Neither Sri Brahma nor BhagavAn Rudra nor Mother Laksmi who is part of His person, was recipient of such prasādaṁ, as was enjoyed by the Gopi (Mother Yasoda) at the hands of that bestower of Moksha (vimuktidāta). 

(Then Swami thought looking at the two trees)

devarṣir me priyatamo yad imau dhanadātmajau

tat tathā sādhayiṣyāmi yad gītaṁ tan mahātmanā

10.10.25. “The divine sage Narada is the most beloved of me (devarṣir me priyatamo). These (twin-Arjuna trees) are the sons of Kubera (dhanadātmajau = nalakubera & manigreeva). I shall now accomplish (sādhayiṣyāmi) what has been sung (gītaṁ = prophesied) by the noble souled sage (mahātmanā)”. 

[ i.e. liberate them from curse of BhagavAn nAradha ]

[By dragging behind Him with great force the wooden mortar tied to His belly, the boy Kṛṣṇa uprooted the two trees.

This is the pastime of Kṛṣṇa known as dāmodara-līlā. Therefore another of Kṛṣṇa’s popular names is Dāmodara, as called by Gopis

As stated in the Hari-vaṁśa [51.36] in MahabhArata : - 

sa ca tenaiva nāmnā tu kṛṣṇo vai dāma-bandhanāt

goṣṭhe dāmodara iti gopībhiḥ parigīyate 

Then the two sons of Kubera assumed thier erstwhile divine forms and with hands folded they spoke the following words. ]

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-yogin tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ

vyaktāvyaktam idaṁ viśvaṁ rūpaṁ te brāhmaṇā viduḥ

10.10.29. “Oh kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa Mahayogin (whose infinite power is unimaginable) ! You are the Original (i.e. source) Purusha beyond all prakriti. Brahmanas (i.e. BrahmajnAnis or Veda taatparya vit) know that you in your form as the Universe are both  manifest and unmanifest.

namaḥ parama-kalyāṇa namaḥ parama-maṅgala

vāsudevāya śāntāya yadūnāṁ pataye namaḥ

10.10.36. Salutation to you Oh parama-kalyāṇa (highest auspicious initiation ~ upadesa) Salutation to you Oh parama-maṅgala (highest auspicious culmination ~ moksha)

 Salutation to you vāsudevā (i.e. One who abides in all as Self) of the nature of peace (i.e. Self is Peace itself), the Lord of Yadus (i.e. Yadavas and Gopas).

[Swami then spoke to them

tad gacchataṁ mat-paramau nalakūvara sādanam

sañjāto mayi bhāvo vām īpsitaḥ paramo ’bhavaḥ

10.10.42. Oh Nalakubara and Manigriva ! Now that unswerving devotion toward me is enkindled in you, do you proceed to your own abode. The most covetable supreme devotion unto me which terminates the samsaara, has now been generated in you.