The following is an extract from Srimad Bhagavatham by Smt Kamala Subramaniam



One day, the Children were all playing in the courtyard in front of the House and Yashoda was inside busy with some task pertaining to the Household. Suddenly Balarama rushed to Her and said: “Mother! Mother! Krishna is eating mud by handfuls.” She looked at Him as though She did not believe it but the other boys who had come with Balarama nodded their heads and said: “We saw with our eyes Krishna eating mud.” Yashoda rushed upto Krishna and caught hold of Him and said: “Is there no end to your miscief? Why did You eat mud? I am going to punish you today.”

Krishna shook his head and said: “Of course I did not eat mud. I never eat mud. I hate mud. I hate to eat such stuff.” Yashoda said: “But these boys saw you eating mud. This Balarama, your brother saw you and they told me you ate mud.”

“Mother”, Krishna said. “They are all telling a lie. Try and check if they are speaking the Truth. Look into my mouth and see if there is any mud there.”

“Show me Your mouth,” said Yashoda and the Lord of Lords, Narayana who had assumed a Human Form for the welfarer of Mankind, Krishna, opened His mouth for His Mother to see. She looked and what She saw there filled Her with awe!

Inside the sweet Mouth of Her Son Yashoda saw the entire Universe. Moving objects and immovable things. She saw the Heavens and the Eight Quarters: the mountains and islands and all the seven oceans which surrounded this Earth: She saw the seven islands which ciomprised this Earth. She saw the Lord of the winds and she saw the Celestial World, the abode of the Devas where She discerned the great Agni by name Vadava and She saw the Moon and the stars: the five elements, fire, Earth, water, air and ether, wherein is placed the Earth. She saw the Gods who presided over the senses and the indriyas themselves in their glowing forms. She saw the mind, the Mahat-tattva, the Tanmatras, the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. She could perceive the balance of the three Gunas which goes by the name Prakriti. She saw it all. 

When the Paramatma and the Jivatma are one with each other then there is no disturbance in the equilibrium of the three Gunas. But when the Jivatma moves away from the other there is an imbalance in the state of equilibrium which had been holding them so far and there is a movement in the state of the Gunas. This is because Kala becomes one of the factors. When the time has come the Svabhava of the Jivatma causes the involvement of the Atman in the world and the manifestation of the world itself is a result of this imbalance: this throb in the state of the Gunas. This is because Kala becomes one of the factors. When the time has come the Svabhava of the Jivatma causes the involvement of the Atman in the world and the manifestation of the world itself is a result of this imbalance: this throb in the state of the static Gunas. Yashoda saw all this and she saw the birth of the Universe. And, strange sight! She saw the Gokula and She saw Herself looking inside the open mouth of Her little Son.

She looked around her and there was no one and She asked Herself: “Can this be a dream?” And she told Herself again and again: “No, it is not a dream. I am wide awake. This is indeed the Maya of Lord Narayana. If it is so, then everyone must have seen this. Is it an illusion-born image like the image of myself which I see in the mirror? But then, how can My Son Krishna also be seen by me in this picture? How can one see the mirror also, in the picture caused by reflection in the mirror? Is it then, some power possessed by my Child?”So She speculated with wonderment writ on Her face. She then said: “I salute that State which is beyond the comprehension of the mind, of action and of words. It is the basis, the essential factor of this Universe. This entire world and other worlds shine with life and glory because of this State: and I salute that state. The Lord has caused in me the Maya which makes me think that I am an entity by name Yashoda: that I have a Husband, Nanda: that this is my Son: that this is Gokula: that I am the Mistress of all the people in Gokula. My Maya is now apparent to me and I prostrate befor the Lord who is the cause of all this Maya.”