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Plate 78

Kṛṣṇa Carries His Father's Wooden Shoes

In any situation, Kṛṣṇa isalways the infmitcly powerful Supreme Personaliry of Cothcad Bur . just to increase the ecstatic emotion of His intimate, loving devotees like mother Yaśodā and

Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa agrees to come under their control.

Sometimes Nanda Mahārāja would ask Kṛṣṇa to bring him his wooden slippers, and Kṛṣṇa, seemingly with great difficulty, would put the slippers on His head and take them to His father. At such times Nanda Mahārāja would exclaim, "My dear Yaśodā, just look at our son, Kṛṣṇa. See His blackish bodily luster, His eyes tinged red , His broad chest, and His beautiful pearl ornaments. How wonderful He looks, and how He is increasing my transcendental bliss more and more!"

The elder gopīs would say, "If You dance, my dear Kṛṣṇa, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat." By saying these words or by clapping their hands, all the gopīs encouraged Kṛṣṇa in various ways. At such times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding. In this way Kṛṣṇa came completely under the control of the gopīs.

Sometimes mother Yaśodā and her gopī friends would tell Kṛṣṇa, "Bring this article," or "Bring that article. "Sometimes they would order Him to bring a wooden plank, wooden shoes, or a wooden measuring pot, and Kṛṣṇa, when thus ordered by the gopīs, would try to bring them. Sometimes, however, as if unable to raise these things, He would touch them and stand there. Just to invite the pleasure of His relatives, He would strike His body with His arms to show that He had sufficient strength.

Painting by PARĪKṢIT DĀSA (1975)

Kṛṣṇa Carries His Father's Wooden Shoes