Yashoda's Bewilderment is our Enlightenment

2012-05-08
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.08.42 - Yashoda's Bewilderment is our Enlightenment (download mp3) , (download flv) and (download mp4)
by Shyamananda Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net

SB 10.8.42
aham mamasau patir esa me suto
 vrajesvarasyakhila-vittapa sati
gopyas ca gopah saha-godhanas ca me
 yan-mayayettham kumatih sa me gatih

Translation:

It is by the influence of the Supreme Lord’s maya that I am wrongly thinking that Nanda Maharaja is my husband, that Krsna is my son, and that because I am the queen of Nanda Maharaja, 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.

Purport:

Following in the footsteps of mother Yasoda, everyone should follow this mentality of renunciation. Whatever wealth, opulence or whatever else we may possess belongs not to us but to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the ultimate shelter of everyone and the ultimate owner of everything. As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajña-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jñatva mam santim rcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

We should not be proud of our possessions. As expressed by mother Yasoda herein, “I am not the owner of possessions, the opulent wife of Nanda Maharaja. The estate, the possessions, the cows and calves and the subjects like the gopis and cowherd men are all given to me.” One should give up thinking of “my possessions, my son and my husband” (janasya moho ’yam aham mameti). 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 Yasoda 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.” As stated by Prahlada Maharaja (Bhag. 7.9.19), balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha: a father and mother cannot ultimately take care of their children. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho ’yam aham mameti (Bhag. 5.5.8). One’s land, home, wealth and all of one’s possessions belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although we wrongly think, “I am this” and “These things are mine.”