Question: Our observance during the month of Damodara is of Mother Yasoda binding Krishna. Is there a lila of Radha binding Krishna?
Answer by Romapada Swami: Yes. In fact, within the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavan, they tie a golden rope from Radha’s waist to Krishna’s stomach during Karttika.
Here are the references, provided by Jiva Goswami.
- Priti-sandarbha Anuccheda 367
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.32.6 is described another kind of gopé, a gopé who thinks, “Kåñëa is mine.” This gopé is also situated in the midst of the gopés. Her position is very rare and exalted. She has a special kind of love for Lord Kåñëa. Thinking, “Kåñëa is my property”, she stares at Him with frowning glances and enjoys other like pastimes with Him. This particular gopé is Çré Rädhä. Her exalted position is described in these words describing the month of Kärttika in the Vraja-ratnäkara-dhåta part of the Bhaviñya Puräëa:
tasmin dine ca bhagavän
rätrau rädhä-gåhaà yayau
sä ca kruddhä tam udare
käïcé-dämnä babandha ha
“That evening Lord Kåñëa went to Rädhä’s home. Angry, she bound His waist with Her own sash.
kåñëas tu sarvam ävedya
nija-geha-mahotsavam
priyäà prasädayäm äsa
tataù sä tam amocayat
“Telling Her about a great festival at His home, Lord Kåñëa pacified His beloved Rädhä and She set Him free.”
2. Srila Jiva Goswami gives an explanation in his Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇārcana-dīpikā (texts 119-127) in which he seems to be referring to the Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa.
The following are Srila Jiva Goswami’s verses followed by the section of Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa speaking of Radha Damodar.
bālye ‘pi bhagavān kṛṣṇas taruṇaṁ rūpam āśritaḥ
reme vihārair vividhaiḥ priyayā saha rādhayā
ekadā kārttike māsi paurṇamāsyāṁ mahotsavaḥ
āsīn nanda-gṛhe. ity ādau
tasmin dine ca bhagavān rātrau rādhā-gṛhaṁ yayau
sā ca kruddhā tam udare kāñcī-dāmnā babandha ha
kṛṣṇas tu sarvam āvedya nija-geha-mahotsavam
priyāṁ prasādayāmāsa tataḥ sā tam avocayat
idaṁ covāca tāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ preyasī prīta-mānasaḥ
kāñcī-dāma tvayā tanvi udare yan mayārpitam
dāmodareti me nāma priyaṁ tena śubhānane
nātaḥ prītikaraṁ nāma mama lokeṣu vidyate
nityam etat prajāpatyāṁ sarva-siddhir bhaviṣyati
bhaktiṁ ca durlabhāṁ prāpya mama loke mahīyate
ulūkhale yadā mātrā baddho ‘haṁ bhavitā priye
udare dāmabhir loke tadā vyaktaṁ bhaviṣyati
anena nāma-mantreṇa yo ‘smin māsi tvayā saha
mām arcayed vidhānena sa labhet sarva-vāñchitam
In Goloka Vrindavan, Lord Krishna eternally assumes a youthful form. In this form, he enjoys in various ways along with his beloved Srimati Radhika. Once during the Kārttika month, he stayed home to celebrate the festival arranged by Paurnamasi.
Due to the festivities that day, he arrived late at night to meet Srimati Radhika. In a state of anger, she tied him up using her waistband as a rope. Krishna then narrated everything that had taken place at his home that caused the delay. This story appeased her, after which Krishna said to her, “O slender-waisted Radhika! I am most satisfied by this action of you in binding me lovingly by your waistband. O beautiful lady, this name of mine, ‘Damodara’, has now become dearer to me. In this world of mine, no other name is as dear to me as this name. By chanting this name, one will always have children and will attain all perfection along with the rarest forms of devotional service. One will also be able to stay eternally in my abode by chanting these names.
“In the near future, when Mother Yashoda will bind me to the mortar, this name of mine will be manifest in the material world. In this month of Kārttika, one who worships me with you according to the rules of the scriptures will attain the fulfillment of all desires.”
~~~
Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa describes:
saṅketāvasare cyute praṇayataḥ saṁrabdhayā rādhayā
prārabhya bhrū-kuṭiṁ hiraṇya-raśanā-dāmnā nibaddhodaram
kārttikyāṁ jananī-kṛtotsava-vara-prastāvanā-pūrvakaṁ
cāṭūni prathayantam ātma-pulakaṁ dhyāyema dāmodaram
Having missed a rendezvous with Srimati Radhika, he was passionately frowned upon by her and was subsequently bound up by her golden waistband. He then proceeded to offer the explanation that his delay was due to the great festival of the Kārttika month that was being celebrated by his mother. I meditate on him, who thus became known as Damodara, who in this bound condition offered many excellent words of flattery with erect goose bumps on his body.
—Cited in the commentary on Kṛṣṇa-Karṇāmṛta by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, verse 110.
