Lilas Of Lord Krishna

By Kamsa's orders, the fierce demoness Putana went about killing children in towns, villages and pasture lands. Her only occupation was to kill babies. She had the power to assume any form she liked. She entered the house of Nanda and saw the divine child in the cradle, the cruel Putana took the babe on her lap and suckled it with her breasts containing poison. The Lord squeezed her breasts by his hands and sucked through them her vital breath. She screamed , her eyes bulged out, and at last she fell dead like a great mountain.

The Gopis with Rohini and Yasoda came rushing to the spot and took up the child, which was playing fearlessly on the body of Putana who was freed from her sins as she suckled the Lord. The smoke that arose out of her burning body was fragrant, like that of sandal wood, as the touch of Sri Krishna's body purifies even the enemy. Putana became the foster mother of the Lord, although she had the evil intention of killing the child.

One day Yasoda was fondling the child on her lap. Suddenly Krishna became very heavy like a rock. She was not able to bear the weight of the child and so she left the child on the ground and proceeded to do some household work. A demon Trinavarta by name, a servant of Kamsa, carried away the child in the form of a whirlwind at the instigation of Kamsa.

The whole Gokula was wrapt in dust and darkness for sometime. The demon reached the sky but he was not able to proceed further on account of the heaviness of Krishna. The child gripped his neck tightly and the demon was strangled. He became powerless and could not throw down the wonder-child. His eyeballs protruded. He fell breathless from the sky with all his limbs shattered on the stones below. The Gopis and the Gopas saw Krishna lying unscathed and happy on the chest of the dead Asura and became immensely happy. They restored the child to Yasoda.

Universe in Krishna's Mouth

One day Yasoda took her child on her lap and suckled Him. She kissed her son again and again. Just at that time the child yawned. When he opened His mouth, the mother saw the whole universe within it. She saw the sky, the space between the earth and the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the four quarters, fire, air, oceans, continents, mountains, rivers, forests, islands, and all things in the universe, animate and inanimate.

Yasoda who saw the whole universe within the mouth of her own son, shuddered and closed her eyes immediately in great fear. She was struck with wonder. This very moment, she requested Lord to be his son alone and never ever show her this form of almighty.

Gargacharya was the family priest of the Yadus. He came to Vraja, Nanda's Gokula, one day at the request of Vasudeva. Nanda duly received him and requested him to perform the naming ceremony of the two boys.

Garga said, "The son of Rohini will charm his friends and relatives by his virtues. He will be called by the name 'Bala' on account of his infinite strength. This will be second name. He will bring together all the Yadus and remove all differences, and so he will be called by the name 'Sankarshana'. This dark complexioned child assumes the human form in every Yuga. He has already appeared in three colours, white (Sukla), red (Rakta) and yellow (Pita). Now he has got the black colour. Therefore his name will be Krishna. Your son has very many names and forms. He will bring you prosperity and delight. He will protect you against all dangers. You will thoroughly triumph over all difficulties. He will bring extreme delight to all Gopas, cows and Gokula as well. O Nanda! Your son is equal to the Lord Narayana by his Guna, form, fame, grandeur and powers."

Krishana's Power In Childhood

Yasoda found the pot of curd broken to pieces, and at once guessed that it was her son's doing. She found Krishna standing on an overturned husking-stand freely dividing the contents of the hanging pots among the monkeys. Yasoda quietly approached Him with a stick. Krishna got down in haste from the husking-stand and ran away as if in fear. Yasoda ran after Him and caught Him at last. She threw away the stick and tried to tie Him to the husking-stand with a cord; but when she began to bind Him the cord was found to be short by a few inches. She brought another piece of cord and joined it to the original one. When this also proved to be too short, she added another piece again. With every other piece she added, the rope was still short by a few inches. She got amazed.

Krishna found out that His mother was thoroughly exhausted and her body was bathed in sweat. He took pity on her and allowed Himself to be bound to the husking-stand.

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