Friendship with Krsna makes a devotee fearless

SB 10.13.13: When Krishna saw that His friends the cowherd boys were frightened, He, the fierce controller even of fear itself, said, just to mitigate their fear, "My dear friends, do not stop eating. I shall bring your calves back to this spot by personally going after them Myself."

Purport:
In the presence of Krishna's friendship, a devotee cannot have any fear. Krishna is the supreme controller, the controller of even death, which is supposed to be the ultimate fear in this material world. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat (Bhag. 11.2.37). This fear arises because of lack of Krishna consciousness; otherwise there cannot be any fear. For one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, this material world of fear becomes hardly dangerous at all.

bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesham

Bhavambudhih, the material ocean of fear, becomes very easy to cross by the mercy of the supreme controller. This material world, in which there is fear and danger at every step (padam padam yad vipadam), is not meant for those who have taken shelter at Krishna's lotus feet. Such persons are delivered from this fearful world.

samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
padam padam yad vipadam na tesham

(Bhag. 10.14.58)

Everyone, therefore, should take shelter of the Supreme Person, who is the source of fearlessness, and thus be secure.

No Hope without the mercy of a devotee

In the Damodara Pastime after Mother Yashoda binds Krishna, Krishna went outside towards the twin trees of Yamala-arjuna who were Nalakuvera and Manigriva in their previous lifetime. Because of an offense they were cursed to become trees by Narada Muni and that they would be delievered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 10.10.24: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, to fulfill the truthfulness of the words of the greatest devotee, Narada, slowly went to that spot where the twin arjuna trees were standing.
SB 10.10.25: "Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have nothing to do with them, Devarshi Narada is My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to face with them, I must do so for their deliverance."

SB 10.10.26: Having thus spoken, Krishna soon entered between the two arjuna trees, and thus the big mortar to which He was bound turned crosswise and stuck between them.

Because Narada Muni desired that Nalakuvera and Manigriva see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, the Lord fulfilled the words of His very dear Devotee Narada Muni.

Without the favor of a devotee one cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what to speak of engaging in His service.

Narada Muni's curse was a benediction for Nalakuvera and Manigriva for it not only help them get purified of their propensities but by the curse

1. they became trees in the courtyard of Nanda Maharaj's home and were able to witness the Lord
2. see His beautiful pastimes with Mother Yashoda and the vrajavasis
3. come face to face with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and be delivered by Him.

They recd all this great fortune only by the mercy of Narada Muni a very devotee of the Lord.

Thus we must first take shelter of a Spiritual Master and the devotees - only then there is hope of any progress in spiritual life.When the spiritual master prays for us and gives us His mercy Lord looks upon us.

Mystery of the Rope being too short

From HG Gauranga Prabhu's notes:

Mother Yashoda tried to bind Krishna the rope was two fingers short. She got more rope and attached it to this rope but still the rope was two fingers short of binding Krsna. She got all the rope in the house and connected it but the rope was still two fingers short.

By not being bound by Krishna , Krishna showed another vibhuti - "Autocracy" . "

Unless I agree," Krsna desired to show, "you cannot bind Me." Thus mother Yashoda, in her attempt to bind Krsna, was a failure. When Krsna agreed, however, she was successful.In other words, one must be in transcendental love with Krsna, but that does not mean that one can control Krsna.

When Krsna is satisfied with one's devotional service, He does everything Himself. He reveals more and more to the devotee as the devotee advances in service. In competition between Krsna and His devotee, Krsna sometimes agrees to be defeated. Thus Krsna's internal energy, yogamäyä, was brought to work.

From Message 2947 from granthraj yahoogroup:

SB 10.9.18: Because of mother Yashoda’s hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krishna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound."

We see here that Krishna became merciful to mother Yashoda seeing her steady determination, endeavor and hard labor without getting bewildered. She did not stop trying with a few ropes to tie the child. In spite of repeated failures, she continued joining whatever ropes were available in the household. This is an important lesson for us to learn. While being engaged in devotional service, we may undergo difficult situations and situations that completely bewilder us.

Krsna can be bound by Love alone!

Kunti Devi speaks: SB 1.8.31: My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me."
Yogis perform various difficult austerities and severe penances and still it is hard for them to enter the effulgence of Krsna. However Bhaktas can capture Krsna without difficulty by their love.

Mother Yashoda had to leave baby Krishna aside while feeding Him to attend to the milk that was boiling over. Baby Krishna became angry at this. He broke a pot of butter and left the room to distribute the butter amongst the monkeys and friends.Mother Yashoda started looking for Him and by tracing His buttery footsteps found Him stealing butter and feeding it to the monkeys.

Krsna became very scared to see Mother Yashoda with a stick and started running.Mother Yashoda had to run after Him and she finally caught Him.

Srila Prabhupada explains the depth of this Lila in His purports(from Hg Gauranga Prabhu's Study Guide):

1. A Bhakta subjugates Krsna: 
1. Yogis cannot reach Krsna even after many years of severe austerities. However here it is very easy for Mother Yashoda to capture Krsna. she was just following Him thinking that He was Her son.
2. bhaya- bhavanaya sthitasya : Even though Fear personified is afraid of Krsna, Krsna was afraid of Mother Yashoda and her stick. 
3. Destination: Bhaktas reach Krsna without any difficulty through the relationship of service in love.But the Yogis through their meditation can hardly reach Krsna's effulgence and even if they do they fall down from there.
4. Dealings: Dependent: This Krsna who is worshiped by all the demigods and who is feared by Yamaraj( who also fears the devotees of Krsna) became so dependent on Mother Yashoda, He admitted to being an offender and started to cry like an ordinary child.Mother Yashoda simply threw the stick away and desired to bind Him so that He would not commit any further naughty activities.
5. Attitude : Intimacy: Mother Yashoda’s logic: Krishna might leave the house in fear -Therefore, because of full affection - To stop Krsna from leaving the house - She wanted to bind Him with rope
   Mother Yashodä did not care to understand who Krsna was and how His power spreads everywhere. This is an example of pure love for Krsna
6. Krsna is immeasurable : He is the greatest, unlimited, the whole cosmos is in His mouth, he cannot be calculated by Vedic Knowledge and is all pervading in time and space, however Mother Yashoda still wanted to bind Him.

She could bind only on the basis of love and loving service towards Krishna.

Krishna can be controlled by His unalloyed devotee. Bhrtya-vasata does not mean that He is under the control of the servant; rather, He is under the control of the servant's pure love.

Following in the footsteps of Mother Yashoda

In the purports of the Damodara Pastime of the Lord Srila Prabhupada mentions at different places on how we must follow in the footsteps of the eternal servants of the Lord to become Krishna Conscious ourselves.

(Excerpts taken from Hg Gauranga Prabhu's notes and VCT's commentary)

While churning butter and carrying out her day to day activities Mother Yashoda:

• She never wanted to forget the activities of Krsna: She poeticized all of Krsna's activities such as the killing of Putana, Aghasura, Sakatasura and Trnavarta and while churning butter she would sing about these activities in poetical form.
• Srila VCT mentions that Yasoda personally churned the butter because she wanted to make special butter for her son. How could her servants who often burn the milk do this properly.She resolved that she would prepare all Krsna's butter, milk  and other eatables.They would be so tasty hat Krsna would no longer go to others houses to steal. the milk for this butter would come from 7 or 8 special cows from her husbands countless cows- they ate the most fragrant grass and gave the tastiest fragrant milk for th satisfaction of her son.

• Description of Mother Yasoda's form:

SB 10.9.3: Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yasoda pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and malati flowers were falling from her hair.

She was engaging her body(churning butter laboriosly, mind( cherishing sweet childhood activities of Krishna) and words(she composed songs about Krishna and enjoyed singing those songs to herself).

The bangles on mother Yasoda were vibrating and making sweet sounds celebrating their great fortune to be in contact with such an exalted devotee as mother Yasoda and assisting her. Its not that they were thinking of becoming mother Yasoda

• Similarly one should feel himself very fortunate if he gets an opportunity to be in close contact with a pure devotee of the Lord, assists and not try to be like him.
• We don’t want to be great, we want to be grateful. We don’t want to be great, we want to serve the great.
• Whatever Mother Yashoda did was only for Krishna because everything in her home was for Krishna.
• If we want to be Krishna Conscious 24 hours a day we must follow in the footsteps of Mother Yashoda.

The malati flowers on realizing the extremely exalted position of mother Yasoda fell down from her head on to her lotus feet.

• Similarly, if we realize the exalted position of another devotee then we should become subservient to him and assists him in his service, even though the other devotee might have come later in Krishna Consciousness.

 Why is the description of Mother Yashoda's form given here?

1. Contemplate: Anyone who desires to be Krsna conscious in motherly affection or parental affection should contemplate the bodily features of mother Yashoda.
2. Follow: We must follow in the footsteps of the inhabitants of Vrindavan, not try to become like them. Therefore this description is provided here.
3. Cherish: Advanced devotees must cherish this description, always thinking of mother Yashoda's features—how she was dressed, how she was working and perspiring, how beautifully the flowers were arranged in her hair, and so on.
4. Take advantage: One should take advantage of the full description provided here by thinking of mother Yashoda in maternal affection for Krsna

Vrindavana-vasis,
a. Do not possess any bodily conception.
b. Fully dedicated to the service of the Lord in sublime affection, premä.
c. Mother Yashoda appears to be the topmost of devotees who have attained this perfection.

Unlike other exalted devotees who have some sense of being like Krsna - Like Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are Guna Avatars and in their position have some sense of being like Krsna.

Securing ourselves in confusing situations

When Mother Yashoda sees the Universal Form in Baby Krsna's mouth she becomes worried and is not able to find out the real cause of that vision therefore out of maternal affection she simply offers obeisances to the Supreme Lord to protect Baby Krsna.

She says in 10.8.41:
Therefore let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer my obeisances unto Him, who is beyond the conception of human speculation, the mind, activities, words and arguments, who is the original cause of this cosmic manifestation, by whom the entire cosmos is maintained, and by whom we can conceive of its existence. Let me simply offer my obeisances, for He is beyond my contemplation, speculation and meditation. He is beyond all of my material activities.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport to this verse:
"It is said, acintyāh khalu ye bhāvā na tāḿs tarkena yojayet (Mahābhārata, Bhīsma parva 5.22). One should not try to understand the supreme cause by argument or reasoning. When we are beset by some problem for which we can find no reason, there is no alternative than to surrender to the Supreme Lord and offer Him our respectful obeisances. Then our position will be secure. This was the means adopted in this instance also by mother Yaśodā. Whatever happens, the original cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sarva-kārana-kāranam [Bs. 5.1]). When the immediate cause cannot be ascertained, let us simply offer our obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord."

From a lecture by HH Romapada Swami, on 'Srimad Bhagavatam 1.11.24-25', India, Oct-Nov 2008
When we are down, we should not take it that "Krishna is being mean" or "I am being punished". It's just our material condition. From the disposition of a devotee, it's not so much important to understand why the down instead of up. We try to just accept our position instead, with the understanding that "I am dependent. So, let me try to serve the Master". It's quite simple.

What should one do when Krishna's plan is not clear?[Question Meditation 40:HH Romapadaswami]
There are many situations when everything is bewildering and its very hard to understand why certain things are happening in a certain way.The going gets very tough. Or sometimes there is no clarity of what the future will hold. In such situations based on the example showed by mother yashoda here we must simply surrender to the Lord's plan and offer obeisances to him."You are the controller, the cause of all causes. Your plans are not clear to me but I have faith in You that this is the right thing for me.Please help me be patient and give me strength to go through this gracefully in the right mood.Please give me strength so that I do not get bewildered and commit any offenses. Please give me the strength so that I can surrender to Your will, I do not understand Your purpose right now and am very confused. In due course of time You will reveal Your plan to me. Till then let me be patient and let me take shelter of You through the Holy Names. I tend to get weak in my chanting in difficult situations. Krsna give me the strength so that I can chant nicely and cry out for You and take Your shelter."


10.8.42:
It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord's māyā that I am wrongly thinking that Nanda Mahārāja is my husband, that Kṛṣṇa is my son, and that because I am the queen of Nanda Mahārāja, all the wealth of cows and calves are my possessions and all the cowherd men and their wives are my subjects. Actually, I also am eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord. He is my ultimate shelter.

Because of what I possess I feel I can control situations to my favor.Even when things are very difficult and beyond my control, I feel I can control them and make things work in my favor. Howevere I must realize that I am eternally subordinate to the Lord and His will and He is my ultimate shelter. He has taken charge of me and has arranged such situations for my purification. This is the wonderful reciprocation of the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada writes in the purport: " Nothing belongs to anyone but the Supreme Lord. Only because of illusion do we wrongly think, "I am existing" or "Everything belongs to me." Thus mother Yaśodā completely surrendered unto the Supreme Lord. For the moment, she was rather disappointed, thinking, "My endeavors to protect my son by charity and other auspicious activities are useless. The Supreme Lord has given me many things, but unless He takes charge of everything, there is no assurance of protection. I must therefore ultimately seek shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Hearing Krishna's pastimes

One who hears the childhood pastimes of Krsna attains attachment for Govinda -Sukadeva Goswami to Maharaj Pariksit after narrating the killing of Putana (SB 10.6.44)
Maharaj Pariksit elucidates the benefits of Krsna Katha and requests Sukadeva Goswami to recite more childhood pastimes of Krsna (SB 10.7.1-2)

Benefits of hearing Krishna Katha :

1. Pleasing to the ears
2. Removes any unattractiveness to hearing the Lord's pastimes.
3. Pleasing to the mind
4. Removes dirty things from the mind: Because Krsna's childhood activities are so attractive,hearing abt them removes the attraction to hear about material things which is the root cause of material existence
5. Devotional Service and attachment for the Lord develops
6. Friendship with devotees

Lessons from Killing of Putana

See Devotees from Krsna's point of view:
Krsna appreciates whatever little devotion one has and whatever service one does. Putana was pretending to serve Krsna but had the ulterior motive of harming Krsna.However Krsna only saw that she offered to feed Him milk and there fore granted her liberation and a permanent residence in Goloka Vrindavan.
Who am I to find fault with devotees who are so nicely and lovingly engaged in service to Krsna.

 Srila Prabhupada's quote :
"But Krsna did not take that. Just like Pütanä. Pütanä wanted to kill Krsna. That was his (her) plan. But Krsna, because He sucked the breast of Pütanä, He took him (her) as His mother. This is Krsna. Krsna never takes the bad side. Krsna takes always the bright side. Pütanä, although she came to cheat Krsna, but how Krsna will cheat? Krsna thought that "I have sucked her breast, so she is My mother. She should go to the same place where Yashodamayi is going." This is Krsna."

Putana's disguise:
Putana disguised herself as a Gopi and pretended to perform the service of of nursing baby Krsna - however she did this to satisfy her ulterior motive. However Krsna exposed her reality very soon.
I maybe disguising myself as a pure devotee and performing so called devotional service to satisfy some of my ulterior motives. However over time if I don't set my consciousness on the right track Krsna being very merciful will expose me not only to myself but to the entire devotee community just like He exposed Putana's real motives and form to everyone- it will be very embarrassing and difficult mercy to take.
I must be mindful of my motivations and desires and correct them else Krsna will intervene and that purification will be difficult to take.

Hearing and chanting saves us from the danger of bad elements

SB 10.6.3: My dear King, wherever people in any position perform their occupational duties of devotional service by chanting and hearing [śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ SB 7.5.23], there cannot be any danger from bad elements. Therefore there was no need for anxiety about Gokula while the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally present.