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Damodaran Lila is you of the melodious pastimes of Lord Krishna, as the little boy of Mother Yasoda. In this pastime, the Supreme Lord is playing afraid of His mother, running away to escape the punishment for His mischieves. It is celebrated in the month of Kartika by singing the Damodarāṣṭakam and lighting the ghee lamps before the deity of Lord Krishna.
Damodarāṣṭakam is a beautiful devotional song, written in eight Sanskrit verses. It is entirely devoted to this childhood lila of Lord Krishna, Damodaran Lila.
Who Is Damodara?
Damodara is one of the most cherished childhood names of Lord Krishna. It is a Sanskrit word, where “Dāma” means rope and “Udhara” means belly. Damodaram, then, means the Lord bound by a rope around His belly. This is you of the most heart-catching forms of Lord Krishna, where He is running before Mother Yasoda with little tears in His eyes and trembling with fear.
In this form, the Lord reflects the essence of prema bhakti, where He, as the Supreme Lord, fears in front of His mother. This is a magnificent visual of Bal Krishna getting scolded by His mother for His mischieves.
When did Mother Yashoda Try to Bind Lord Krishna?
On your early morning in Gokul, Mother Yasoda was churning butter from the milk pots while feeding little Krishna. As she was softly singing the devotional rhymes to relax Him, she suddenly smelled the milk burning and realized that she had left a pot of boiling milk in the kitchen. Alarmed, she immediately set little Krishna down and ran to the kitchen.
That time, little Krishna was left alone with pots of butter. Seeing the opportunity, he broke a few pots with a stout and took out the butter. Leaving the pots broken, with all the butter on the floor, he left outside to play with his monkey friends and feed them the butter. Not only this, but He also broke down the other pots hanging through the ceiling, in the other part of His house. And, started to enjoy the butter with the monkeys.
When Mother Yasoda returned and saw the mess, she was upset and started to look for little Krishna. While looking for Him, she reached the other part of the house and saw more broken pots and little Krishna surrounded by monkeys, eating butter. Seeing the chaos, she got angry and took a stick to punish little Krishna. Terrified by her anger, He started to run, and so did Mother Yashoda.
Finally, she caught Him and decided to tie Him up to a wooden grinding mortar. However, every rope she used was just a little shorter than required. Only when Lord Krishna allowed Himself to be bound, the rope became long enough to tie. Mother Yashoda then left to finish her household chores.
Liberation of Nalakuvara and Manigriva
After being bound to the wooden grinding mortar, He started to look here and there. When he looked back, he saw two huge trees. Through His divine vision, He recognized the two trapped souls of Nalakuvara and Manigriva, the demigod siblings, who had been cursed by Sage Narad Muni. Once intoxicated by their wealth and beauty, they insulted the sage; as a result, they were cursed to be trapped inside a tree until they met the Supreme Lord. To honor the words of His pure devotee, Narada Muni, He appeared to free their souls.
It is beautifully said in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 10, “The Deliverance of the Yamala-arjuna Trees”:
ऋषेर्भागवतमुख्यस्य सत्यं कर्तुं वचो हरि: ।
जगाम शनकैस्तत्र यत्रास्तां यमलार्जुनौ ॥ २४ ॥
~ŚB 10.10.24
Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to fulfill the truthfulness of the words of the greatest devotee, Nārada, slowly went to that spot where the twin Arjuna trees were standing.
Life Lessons We Can Learn from Damodara Lila
While Damodara Lila is a divine pastime of Lord Krishna, it holds spiritual teachings to accomplish in our daily spiritual practices. Here are the lessons that we can learn from this sacred pastime of Lord Krishna;
1. Only true affection and love can bind the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
In this divine pastime of Lord Krishna, Mother Yashoda was trying to tie Him with an object to stop His mischieves. But she could’ve dyou it because Lord Krishna surrenders before her motherly anger, which is an affection towards her child.
2. Sometimes the guilt over mistakes became golden opportunities:
In this damodara Lila of Lord Krishna, Nalakuvara and Manigriva also got the liberation from the curse of Sage Narad Muni. This could’ve happened because of their guilt and the given words of Sage Narada Muni. Lord Krishna saw the suffering of the souls and fulfilled the wish of His true devotee.
3. True bhakti is beyond rules, regulations, and logical understanding:
This pastime is the celebration of sweet, melodious affection between the Supreme Lord and His devotee. It reminds us that true love for the Lord doesn’t require any ritual to follow. It only requires selfless love, pure love and acceptance.
By accepting the punishments of mother Yasodha, Lord Krishna accepted her as a mother, and her punishments as affection. This is the way you should truly devote the Lord, by accepting Him personally and eternally.
4. Humility is the sign of Greatness:
It is unusual to see Lord Krishna, who takes care of the universe, is crying, running from His mother. Yet, it is not about the outside picture, but the internal affection of Lord Krishna towards His devotee, as His mother Yasoda. This isn’t showing the weakness of the Supreme Lord, it shows that the real greatness is hidden behind humility. It means not showing the true powers and position in front of someone you truly adore. And, Lord Krishna adores His devotees more than anything in this universe.
How Devotees Celebrate this Day
In Vedic Calendar, this day is specially dedicated to the sweet pastimes of Lord Krishna. Devotees from all around the world, celebrate this day with following rituals:
1) Ghee Lamps to Lord Damodara:
One of the most sacred activities on this day is the lightening of ghee lamps to Little Damodara’s deity. As the lamps offered, devotees sing Damodarāṣṭakam, a beautiful prayer to glorify the Damodara Leela.
2) Harinaam Sankirtan:
In many Vaishnava centres, like Hare Krishna Temples, this day is celebrated with special evening puja, lectures on Lord Krishna’s beautiful pastimes and Chantings of Hare Krishna Mahamanatra, the holy names of Lord Krisna and Srimati RadhaRani–
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare”
Final Words
On this sacred day, light up the house with ghee lamps, decorate the temple, offer delicious bhog to Little Damodara idol, and visit the Hare Krishna Temple.
