Maa Yashoda’s Eternal Wait and Divine Reunion with Lord Krishna
Once Lord Krishna headed to Kurukshetra, Krishna was between 85–90 years of age. That period was when the Mahabharata was about to begin. At the age of 60, Lord Krishna went to Guru Sandipani and expressed His inner wish and strong desire to stay at the Guru’s feet to perform seva. Lord Krishna stayed there for 25 years, and after 25 years, Sandipani gave updesh to Krishna Ji to start a new chapter of His life—
“Mahabharata & the writing of the Bhagavad Gita.”
Lord Krishna used to stay in Dwarka and later moved to the northern part of India, to Kurukshetra, where He established a kingdom. Many people from nearby places—Braj (Vrindavan) and Nandgaon—came to see the divine sight of Lord Krishna.
Maa Yashoda and Baba Nand also came to know that Lord Krishna had arrived in Kurukshetra. Maa Yashoda had looked after Lord Krishna for 12 years. After those 12 years, as per the Guru’s instructions, Krishna departed and went to Dwarka.
Now, waiting since Krishna was 12, Maa Yashoda was still longing for Him. At this time, Krishna was around 88–90 years old, and Maa Yashoda was about 116–120 years old. She could not even see clearly and could hardly walk. But when she heard the news—
“My Kanhiya has come nearby and is giving His divine darshan to everyone”—her heart filled with longing.
Maa Yashoda said to Nand Baba with a deep heart:
“The day Krishna left us, it has been 100 years. Now, since He is nearby, I request you this time—please take me to meet my Kanhiya. I have a deep connection and wish to see Him before I die.”
But Lord Krishna had set a protocol that no one from Braj (Vrindavan) would be allowed to meet Him. People in those times were very simple, and when a format or instruction was set, they obeyed without objection.
When Lord Krishna was about to leave at the age of 12, Maa Yashoda, with tears in her eyes, had asked:
“How will I stay without you, Kanhiya?”
Krishna had replied:
“Maa, you must chant my name , and when the right time comes, I will give you my darshan.”
This immense divine protocol was such that even His own mother and father could not get the sight of God until destined. Maa Yashoda and Nand Baba spent their lives remembering Lord Krishna and waiting for the day they would meet Him again.
Now, with immense longing, Maa Yashoda requested Nand Baba:
“Before I die, please take me to meet my child just once.”
Both Maa Yashoda and Nand Baba could barely walk, yet holding each other’s hands, they slowly headed toward Krishna’s residence.
At the gate of Lord Krishna’s residence, the security was asking everyone where they had come from and checking before allowing them inside to wait for Krishna’s darshan.
When Maa Yashoda and Nand Baba slowly reached and stood before the gate, the security asked:
“Where are you both going?”
Maa Yashoda replied:
“Hey God person, my Kanhiya—I want to meet him.
The guard asked:
“Who is Kanhiya?”
Maa Yashoda replied:
“My Kanhiya. I have taken care of Him since He was a child. Kanhiya is the one now sitting as king.”
The security guard said angrily:
“Speak properly! Say Dwarkadheesh Shri Krishna Maharaj. What is this ‘Kanhiya’?”
Maa Yashoda replied:
“For me, He will always be Kanhiya. Please just tell Him that His mother has come to meet Him. Even if I can get His darshan from far, I will be happy and go.”
Such immense love of Maa Yashoda, who had taken care of Krishna from birth until 12 years, was now appealing just to get a single darshan in her entire lifetime. This was the pain and love she carried in her heart for Krishna.
Seeing her immense pain, the other guards and the minister came and asked:
“Hey mother, who are you?”
With folded hands, Nand Baba replied:
“She is Maa Yashoda, and I am Nand Baba. Please let us meet Krishna once.”
When the guards heard this, they were stunned. They immediately fell at the feet of Maa Yashoda and Baba Nand and bowed down, saying:
“Every time there is a celebration of Krishna Janmashtami, Lord Krishna always says—
‘Take my name in this way: Nand ke anand bhayo, Jai Kanhiya Lal ki… Hathi, ghoda, palki…’”
Hearing this, Maa Yashoda was filled with extreme happiness: “My Kanhiya remembers me on His birthday.”
The minister immediately rushed to Lord Krishna. At that time, Krishna ji was sitting on His throne. The minister said:
“Lord Krishna, do you know who has come to your door today?”
Before the minister could even finish, Lord Krishna immediately stood up and rushed outside.
The minister tried to speak:
“Lord, please listen, I still have more to say…”
But Krishna ji, with tears in His eyes, replied:
“There is no need. Your eyes full of tears already tell me my mother has come. My mother has come, and I am sitting here on this throne!”
Krishna ran outside.
At the gate, frail Maa Yashoda and Baba Nand were standing. Seeing them, Krishna rushed forward, bowed down, and did parikrama of His mother and father with immense love.
Kirshna ji touched their feet, and with deep emotion, Maa Yashoda placed her hands on Krishna’s face and said:
“Kanhiya, you are still my child. Your hands are still as soft as when you were a boy.”
Even though Krishna was 90 years old, in Maa Yashoda’s eyes, He was still her Kanhiya—the same little child she had raised with boundless love.
This divine reunion was the fulfillment of Yashoda Maa’s lifelong longing, proving the eternal bond between a mother and her child—even when that child is God Himself.
After 100 years of longing, frail Maa Yashoda and Baba Nand finally met their Kanhiya in Kurukshetra. Even at 90, Lord Krishna was still her little child in her eyes.