What Penance Did Yashoda Do?

enna thavam sheidanai yashodA.....

Heard of that song? It's a song we all relish about Yashoda's motherhood. So as a tribute to that, here's a topic about Yashoda herself! 😍😍

Have you ever wondered what karma must Yashoda have had to have such an amazing 14 years fostering Krishna as if he were her own child. From tying him to an ural (pounding stone) and making him beg for forgiveness to singing him to sleep, Yashoda had witnessed almost all of the Lord's miracles and leelas (divine plays). What could be the reason behind this?

Remember in the Treta Yuga when Ram had been sentenced to 14 years of exile by King Dasharath because of Kaikeyi? Well, upon his return Kaikeyi begged for his forgiveness and requested him a boon so as to allow her to be his mom in his next birth as a compensation of the 14 years she had been away from him (he was her favourite son by the way). But, Vishnu had already promised Aditi (mother of the Devas) that in each of his 10 avatars, he would be born from her womb (i.e., be her biological son). So to keep up the promise made to both his 'mothers', he decided that he would be born from Devaki (incarnation of Mother Aditi) but would grow up for 14 years (as a compensation for his exile - as requested by Kaikeyi) with Yashoda (incarnation of Kaikeyi). 

So, it can be concluded that what Yashoda did was not a penance but just a fulfilled wish that was asked due to her self-regret.