The Butter Thief

(From Madhurya-Tattva-Vijnana, by Sri Ananta Dasa Babaji Maharaja)

Krishna quickly grew to be a very playful young boy. When the neighborhood gopis were not at home, he, Sridama and other friends would go from house to house displaying his sweet pastime of impudently stealing milk and butter. Sripada Shukamuni, in BhAg. 10.8.29-30, has described the motherly gopis' complaints to Sri Yashoda:

vatsAn muJcan kvacid asamaye kroza-saJjAta-hAsaH
steyaM svAdv atty atha dadhi-payaH kalpitaiH steya-yogaiH |
markAn bhokSyan vibhajati sa cen nAtti bhANDaM bhinatti
dravyAlAbhe sa gRha-kupito yAty upakrozya tokAn ||
hastAgrAhye racayati vidhiM pIThakolUkhalAdyaiz
chidraM hy antar-nihita-vayunaH zikya-bhANDeSu tad-vit |
dhvAntAgAre dhRta-maNi-gaNaM svAGgam artha-pradIpaM
kAle gopyo yarhi gRha-kRtyeSu suvyagra-cittAH ||

The gopis said, “O Yashoda! Sometimes your son releases the calves from the cowshed at an unsuitable time, like before the cows have been milked. If someone gets angry at him for that, he just smiles. After creating some deception, your son steals and eats our curds and milk. He also feeds the monkeys, and if they aren't hungry, he just breaks the pots to smithereens. If in some home he doesn't find anything to eat, he becomes angry, wakes the sleeping babies and makes them cry, and then runs away.

“While the gopis are busy doing their housework, he devises some plan to climb upon a wooden stool or mortar to get the curds and milk kept in a high place beyond his reach. Your son knows what's in the pots and just how to get it. For getting at the curds and milk kept in pots in hanging rope-bags, he makes a hole in the bottom of the pot and lets the contents drip into his mouth. He also has no problem in taking food from a dark house because the house is illuminated by his bodily luster and the jewelry you put on him.”

yamunAra jale gelA yazodA-rohiNI | zUnya ghara pAJA luTe e kSIra navanI ||
piNDira upara piNDi udukhala diyA | tabu ta zikAra bhANDa lAgi nA pAiyA ||
naDite chediyA bhANDa heNTe pAte mukha | henai samaye dekhe jananI sammukha ||
mAyera zabada zuni yAdu-dhana nAce | dhaDAra aJcala diyA cAnda-mukha moche ||
emane kemane gopAla lukAibA Ara | tomAra buka bAhiyA paDe go-rasera dhAra ||
ghanarAma dAse bole zuna yazomatI | mAyA-rUpe tomAra ghare akhilera pati ||

“Once, when Yasoda and Rohini went to bathe in the Yamuna, Krishna discovered that the house was empty, so he decided he would plunder the milk and butter. He stacked one stool upon another, and then a grinding mortar upon that, but he was still unable to reach the pot hanging above in a rope-bag. Undeterred, using a stick he poked a hole in the bottom of the pot and placed his mouth underneath to catch the flow. Suddenly, he saw his mother coming, and at the sound of her voice he began to dance. Trying to conceal his mischief, Gopala wiped the evidence from his moonlike face with the border of his loincloth. Unfortunately, the stream of milk was still falling onto his chest! Ghanarama Dasa says, ‘Listen Yasomati: the lord of the entire world is living under disguise in your home.’”

aruNa adhara ure navanI lAgiyAche re
mari mari bAchani kAnAi |
heri yazomati premete pUrita AGkhi
Aya kole balihAri yAi ||
kara moche adhara mochAi |
Aya mora bAchani kAnAi ||

“Seeing that his chest and reddish lips were smeared with butter, Yasomati said lovingly, ‘Oh, my darling Kanai! What have you done? Come, sit on my lap. I don’t know what to say. Wipe your hands and mouth. Come, my darling Kanai!’”

du’bAhu pasAri Age yAya nandarANI | dharite dharite dharA nA deya nIlamaNi ||
gRhe paDi gaDi yAya dadhi navanIta | kopa-nayane rANI cAhe cAri bhIta ||
hede re navanI-corA bali pAche dhAya | e ghara o ghara kari gopAla lukAya ||
naDi hAte nandarANI yAya khedADiyA | akhila-bhuvana-pati yAya palAiyA ||
e tina bhuvane yAre bhaya dite nAre | se hari pAlAJA yAya jananIra Dare ||
rANIra kola haite gopAla gelA pAlAiyA | Akula hailA rANI gopAla nA dekhiyA ||
ghare ghare ukaTila sakala gokula | tomA nA dekhiyA prANa haila Akula ||
kAra ghare Acha gopAla bale DAka diyA | tomAra mAyera prANa yAya bidariyA ||
zrIdAma DAkiyA bale kAnAi AmAra ghare | sabAkAra prANa gopAla lukAila mAyera Dare ||
ghanarAma dAse kahe thira kara mana | premera adhIna gopAla pAbe darazana ||

“With both arms extended, Nandarani reached for Nilamani Krishna, but was unable to catch him. Seeing the pots of milk and yogurt scattered and broken, she looked angrily in all directions. Saying, ‘Hey, you butter thief,’ she chased after Gopala with a stick in her hand as he fled from house to house. The master of all worlds was running away! Hari, who fears nothing in the three worlds, was running away in fear of his mother! As Gopala ran from Yasoda's embrace, she became distressed, not being able to find him. Going from house to house in Gokula, she called out, ‘I'm very anxious to see you! In which house is Gopala? Your mother's heart is breaking!’ Then Sridama called back, ‘Krishna is in my house.’ Gopala, the life of everyone, was hiding in fear of his mother. Ghanarama Dasa says, ‘Be still my heart; you shall see Gopala, for he is obedient to love.’”