The Butter Thief and Yashoda's Vision of the Universe

Krishna had begun to crawl, and then to run. His mischief made all of Gokul laugh and fret. The gopis came to Yashoda with complaints: your little one steals makhan from our homes! If we hang it high, he climbs on a mortar to get it, eats it himself and feeds the monkeys too.

When Yashoda scolded Krishna, he stood there looking so innocent that her anger melted. The gopis complained, but the truth was that they too wanted Kanha to come to their homes.

One day Balram and the other cowherd boys came and said: Mother, Kanhaiya has eaten mud! Yashoda caught Krishna's hand. Krishna said: Mother, I did not eat mud; they are all lying. If you don't believe me, look in my mouth. Yashoda said: open your mouth.

Krishna opened his mouth, and Yashoda was struck speechless. In that small mouth she saw the whole universe: the sky, the directions, mountains, oceans, the sun, the moon and the stars, and in it Vraj and herself too! She wondered: is this a dream, or the Lord's maya? In her heart she bowed to the Lord.

Then, by His Yogamaya, the Lord filled her heart again with a mother's love. Yashoda forgot it all, picked up her son and kissed him. On another day she tried to tie naughty Kanha to a mortar for his mischief, but every rope fell two fingers short. Only when his mother was tired and soaked with sweat did Krishna let himself be tied. That is why He is called Damodar.