मातृदृश्यात्तवदनो वक्त्रलक्ष्यचराचरः ।यशोदालालितस्वात्मा स्वयं स्वाच्छन्द्यमोहनः॥
mātṛdṛśyāttavadano vaktralakṣyacarācaraḥ ·yaśodālālitasvātmā svayaṃ svācchandyamohanaḥ
who opened his mouth for his mother to see within
Yaśodā, trying to understand this inexplicable child, stares at his face; she cannot find the cosmic infant in the ordinary features, nor the ordinary child in the cosmic signs.
in whose mouth the moving and unmoving world was beheld
When Yaśodā peers into the open mouth she sees the entire cosmos: earth, sky, directions, mountains, rivers, fire, air, all beings — the complete moving and unmoving universe.
whose very Self was fondled by Yaśodā
The Supreme Self submits to being fondled, scolded, bathed, and bound by Yaśodā; this 'lālana' of the Lord is the Bhāgavata's highest mystery.
who bewilders by his own free will
drawing his own veil of māyā
Why does the all-free Lord submit to a rope? The Bhāgavata says even he cannot explain it: pure love (prema) binds what no principle of freedom can.
