One day in Gokula, little Krishna was playing with His friends, including His elder brother, Balarāma. As children often do, they became absorbed in various games, laughing and running through the courtyards of Vraja.

After some time, Balarāma and the other cowherd boys hurried to Mother Yaśodā with an alarming complaint.

"Mother!" they cried. "Krishna has eaten dirt!"

Hearing this, Mother Yaśodā became concerned. She knew that eating dirt could make a child sick. Immediately she called Krishna to her.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead approached His mother with an innocent expression on His beautiful face.

Yaśodā affectionately but firmly asked,

"My dear Krishna, why have You eaten dirt? Your brother and all Your friends are accusing You. Have You really done this?"

Krishna, the master of all mystic arts, replied with childlike simplicity:

"My dear Mother, I have not eaten dirt. They are all telling lies. If you think they are speaking the truth, then look inside My mouth."

Mother Yaśodā accepted His request.

"Very well," she said. "Open Your mouth."

Krishna obediently opened His tiny lotus mouth.

But what Mother Yaśodā saw was beyond all imagination.

Instead of a little child's mouth, she beheld the entire cosmic manifestation.

Within His mouth she saw the vast sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, all directions, mountains, rivers, oceans, islands, forests, planets, and every living being. She saw fire, air, ether, water, and earth—the five gross elements—as well as time, material nature, the senses, the demigods, and all moving and nonmoving creatures.

Even more astonishing, she saw Vṛndāvana itself.

She saw herself standing before Krishna, looking into His mouth.

Within that vision she again saw Krishna opening His mouth, and within that mouth the entire universe appeared once more—an unlimited, inconceivable vision.

Mother Yaśodā became overwhelmed.

"Is this a dream? Is it the arrangement of Lord Nārāyaṇa? Am I bewildered? Or is this some extraordinary mystic illusion?"

Although she had just witnessed Krishna's unlimited supremacy, her heart remained fixed in motherly affection.

Understanding her pure love, Krishna's internal spiritual potency, yoga-māyā, immediately covered her awareness of His majesty.

The vision disappeared.

Once again, she saw only her beloved little boy standing before her.

Overcome with maternal affection, she embraced Krishna, thinking only of His welfare.

Thus the Lord allowed His devotee to relish the sweetness of loving Him as her son rather than becoming overwhelmed by awareness of His supreme divinity.

Divine Teachings