The Butter Thief
The Nectar of Govinda-lélä
Introduction
This small book, “The Butter Thief,” is a summary study of one
of the most remarkable and illuminating pastimes of Çré Kåñëa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This pastime is found in
the venerable Bhägavata
Puräëa, considered by self-realized
authorities and scholars as the ripened fruit of the vast tree of
Vedic literature. There are many religious scriptures that aim to
help the conditioned souls living in this world, to realize their
divine spiritual nature, and their eternal, loving relationship
with God. However, nowhere except the Vedas and specifically
the Bhägavata Puräëa, will one find such detailed revelation
of the personal aspect of God, His transcendental world, and
the sublimely sweet, loving pastimes performed by Him and His
eternal, liberated associates.
To help the conditioned souls to awaken their attraction
to the Lord, He mercifully descends to this world along with
His associates and His abode, to display His magnificent
transcendental pastimes. By hearing and contemplating these
pastimes with attention and honor, a desire to be with the Lord
and to serve Him will stir within the heart.
This book is compiled from a series of lectures delivered
by Çréla Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja in
Våndävana, India, the place of Çré Kåñëa’s divine birth and
childhood pastimes. Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja is a
life-long devotee and self-realized scholar, deeply immersed in
the sublime spiritual truths contained in Çré Kåñëa’s pastimes
and instructions. The intention of these discourses is to reveal
the extraordinary quality of the love that devotees feel for Çré
Kåñëa, and that He feels for them.
Introduction (ii)
That love may be exhibited in different moods. Some may
express their love for the Lord as servants, or friends, or as
parents,
and even as wives or lovers. These roles are not imaginary or
temporary, but are the actual eternal identity of the liberated
souls.
In these identities, the devotees exchange an infinite variety of
enthralling spiritual sentiments with the ultimate object of their
love, Çré Kåñëa. By hearing of these loving exchanges, one may be
elevated to that same plane of transcendent love.
This pastime of Çré Kåñëa, where he is known as the Butter
Thief, is particularly charming. Absorbed by His own desire,
in the role of a naughty young boy, Kåñëa delights His mother
and all the inhabitants of Våndävana with His sweet, childlike
activities. One of His favorite pastimes is to stealthily enter
into the homes of the other mothers in Våndävana, and eat
the butter that they have made and carefully hidden from Him.
This butter, which they have churned with their own hands,
is made while entranced in a mood of great love for Krsna. By
stealing and eating this butter, He is actually tasting their love
for Him, and stealing their very hearts as well.
Mother Yaçodä is concerned that her child is becoming too
mischievous, and in order to keep Him from growing into a
young rascal, decides to punish Him by binding Him to a large
grinding mortar. The Supreme Lord, Who possesses unlimited,
inconceivable potencies, thus agrees to be bound like an ordinary
child, in order to experience the superlatively sweet mood of
parental love and concern displayed by His mother. He thus
becomes controlled by the love of His own devotee. This is the
highest mystery in transcendental science. The Supreme Lord is
the Controller of all controllers, yet He becomes submissive to
the love of His dear devotees.
(iii) The Butter Thief
In this engaging narrative spoken by Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé
Mahäräja, we get a glimpse of that eternal divine realm of the
Lord, where every word is a song, and every step a dance, where
Kåñëa and His devotees eternally engage in an ever-changing,
ever fresh drama of sweet loving pastimes. May the Lord and His
divine associates bestow Their mercy and grant us entrance into
that most sacred Çré Våndävana Dhäma.
This book is based entirely on the first edition compiled
and edited by Çrématé Syämaräëé didi. The book follows the
first edition with some minor changes based on additional
information gleaned from more recent lectures and literature
translated by Çréla Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja.
Chapter One
Hearing Kåñëa’s Pastimes
Reliable and Essential Knowledge
The Vedic culture of India is steeped in esoteric knowledge,
and has developed to such a degree that the sages in this culture
have discovered the soul. They have also discovered God within
and without, and through research into the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, they have even discovered and realised different
relationships with God. We can never imagine or realise
transcendental relationships with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead through our imperfect material senses and knowledge.
However, the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa Himself transmits
transcendental knowledge through an unbroken succession
of spiritual masters and disciples. He personally imparted
this transcendental knowledge to Brahmä (the creator of the
material universe). Brahmä then gave it to Närada, Närada
to Vyäsa, and Vyäsa to Çukadeva. This process of disciplic
succession established a body of transcendental knowledge that
has descended to us from the perfect source. We should trust this
disciplic succession and try our best to follow it.
What is God’s transcendental nature? What can we know
of His omnipotence and mercy? What relationship do we have
with Him, and how can we realise this relationship and serve
Him eternally? These topics have been elaborately described
and explained in the great scripture Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which
contains the essence of all Vedic literature. There are twelve
cantos in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and its most important instructions
(2) The Butter Thief
are contained in the Tenth Canto. The purpose of this booklet
is to explain the essence of the Tenth Canto. It is very
attractive
and enjoyable to read, and will help you to practise bhakti-yoga,
linking with God through love and devotion.
Bhakti-yoga
We must practise bhakti-yoga
in order to understand and
realise the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, we cannot realise anything
transcendental. In order to appreciate what bhakti (devotion) is, we
must first know that the soul and Supersoul exist eternally. Kåñëa
is eternally the one Supersoul, and the innumerable individual
souls like us, are also eternal.
Two pure souls (the individual soul and the Supreme Soul,
Kåñëa) can only come together through the medium of love and
affection. This love and affection is called bhakti-yoga. There are
many categories of transcendental love and affection, or prema. The
liberated souls serve Kåñëa eternally in the pure and
transcendental
realm of Vaikuëöha. Within Vaikuëöha is Kåñëa’s supreme abode,
which is called Goloka-Våndävana. He is served there with the most
perfect moods of transcendental love and affection (prema).
Conditioned souls are materially bound, and covered by mäyä
or illusion. They are only qualified to serve bodies which are
made of matter, not spirit. Conditioned souls are always unhappy
because they are suffering in the chain of birth and death. How
can
they realise their eternal transcendental identity and
relationship
with God? They have to practise bhakti-yoga from the beginning
stages, and develop progressively and regularly from the stage of
faith. This progresses to steadiness in devotional practices, then
to awakening of spiritual taste, and to deepening transcendental
attachment that matures into transcendental ecstasy. Finally one
achieves full, pure love of God. This is the way.
Hearing Kåñëa’s Pastimes (3)
The Descent of The Lord
It is only through bhakti-yoga
that we can realise the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. We cannot do so by any other means.
The Supreme Lord is so merciful that He personally descends
to this world to bestow His mercy on the conditioned souls who
inhabit it. The Lord descends in various incarnations (avatäras)
throughout history. The original form of the Lord from which
all these other forms come is Kåñëa. Thus He is known as the
original Personality of Godhead(svayam-bhagavän).
When Kåñëa descends to this world, He appears in His original
transcendental form, which is attractive to all living beings.
What to speak of human beings, He also attracts the animals,
deer, birds, and trees. Kåñëa attracts all creatures, because He
attracts the soul, which is present in all living things, even in
water particles and dust. The soul is present everywhere. If you
practise bhakti-yoga, you can see and realise this fact, and you
will gradually develop devotion to Kåñëa.
People generally do not appreciate hearing philosophical
conclusions alone. For this reason I want to explain about prema,
pure transcendental love of God, by narrating Kåñëa’s pastimes.
This bhakti-yoga will appear more attractive if we explain the
Tenth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
- how Kåñëa descends to this
world, how He protects the saintly persons and kills the demons,
and how He performs His supremely attractive pastimes.
The Blessings of Hearing Kåñëa’s Pastimes
Kåñëa’s name and pastimes are not mundane things of this
mortal world; they are transcendental. Hearing Kåñëa’s pastimes
is not an ordinary activity; it is also transcendental.
There is a vast difference between the mortal world and the
(4) The Butter Thief
transcendental world. When we glorify Kåñëa’s qualities and
pastimes, or chant His holy names, the transcendental sound
vibration is extremely auspicious. Even if one is covered with
ignorance and his heart is full of unwanted material thoughts
and desires, still, if he has a little honour — just a very little
—
these transcendental vibrations will come through his ears to his
heart. These are not words in the common sense; Kåñëa Himself
comes in these transcendental sound vibrations. How? His
transcendental world comes into the heart of any person who
has a slight fraction of faith (çraddhä). As one gains realisation,
his whole heart becomes clean and pure, and his faith (çraddhä)
becomes more condensed. Transcendental devotion (bhakti)
then manifests in his heart, and he becomes a devotee.
This process actually begins when a devotee acquires faith
in Çré Gurudeva and accepts initiation from him. Under the
guidance of Çré Guru, one begins the practice of devotional
service (bhajana-kriyä). All the unwanted material conceptions
and desires flee from his heart, and all his bad habits go away
(anartha-nivåtti). Then he develops fixed and stable practice
of devotional principles (niñöhä). This matures into a genuine
spiritual taste for devotional practices (ruci) which evolves into
transcendental attachment for the Lord (äsakti).
After that, his devotion develops to the stage of transcendental
ecstasy (bhäva), and then fully ripened transcendental love for
Kåñëa, or prema. At some point, he will give up his material body,
mind, false ego, etc., and be situated in his pure spiritual
identity.
In a transcendental body, the devotee associates with Kåñëa as
an eternal resident of Vraja, and becomes happy forever.
Chapter Two
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes
Introduction
The Vedic literatures — including the first nine cantos of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam — describe the
extraordinary pastimes
of the Supreme Lord, which are not at all possible for human
beings, or even for the demigods. In these pastimes, it is clear
to
all that He is the Absolute, Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Tenth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
reveals confidential
pastimes that only take place in Vraja, or Våndävana. There
the Supreme Lord appears like an ordinary human being, and
His devotees do not think that He is the Supreme Lord. Rather,
they see Him as the supremely attractive personality, and
they can therefore serve Him in intimate moods of love and
affection. This would not be possible if His devotees thought
that He is God.
In these Vraja pastimes, Kåñëa appeared to take birth, perform
pastimes as a helpless baby, and then mature into childhood and
youth. However, unlike us, He is not subject to the changes
imposed by material nature. He only acts as an ordinary child
to delight His affectionate devotees. He is always the same
unchanging, all-knowing, all-powerful, transcendental Supreme
Personality of Godhead. But to facilitate these pastimes, His
pastime potency Yogamäyä, covers His knowledge, so that even
He forgets that He is God. Thus, He and His devotees can become
completely absorbed in these intimate, loving exchanges.
(6) The Butter Thief
One Absolute Ttruth Appearing as Two
Kåñëa and Baladeva are the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One may ask how two Personalities can both be the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. We should understand that although
They manifest two bodies, Baladeva is actually non-different from
Kåñëa. They are both One. Kåñëa has appeared in the body of
Baladeva, and the purpose of this incarnation is to teach us how
to serve Kåñëa.
Baladeva Prabhu is the sum total of the eternal principle of guru.
He imparts all the eternal truths and principles, and teaches us
how
to serve Rädhä and Kåñëa, that is, Kåñëa with His eternal consort.
When The Absolute Truth Grows Up
We, conditioned souls, start life as babies; then grow into
children, youths and adults, and from adulthood, we advance
to old age. Kåñëa, however, does not go through these stages.
In His eternal pastimes in the spiritual world, He is always a
very beautiful teenage boy. He never becomes older or younger.
However, when He displays His pastimes in the material world,
He manifests all these stages of growth in order to increase the
love and affection of the devotees and to attract the minds and
hearts of the conditioned souls in this world.
Although Kåñëa and Baladeva are the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, They played in Vraja as naked babies, and crawled
everywhere on Their hands and knees. Kåñëa’s mother is called
Yaçodä, and Baladeva’s mother is called Rohiëé.
Sometimes, Kåñëa or Baladeva would see a snake and catch
it. When Yaçodä and Rohiëé saw this, they became afraid.
Sometimes the boys would put Their hands in the mouths of
wild dogs, and the dogs became very calm.
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes (7)
They learned a very good game; They would seize the tail of
a dog or a calf, and hold on tightly, and the dog or calf would
playfully drag Them around the yard. Sometimes Kåñëa and
Baladeva would catch the horns of very large and ferocious
bulls, and wrestle and play with them, and the bulls would
lovingly play with Kåñëa and Baladeva.
Yaçodä Remebers Kåñëa
While Kåñëa and Baladeva were still very young babies, They
sometimes crawled to the outer gate of the house. If They saw
anyone, They became afraid. They remembered Their mothers,
and at once turned back, and rushed to sit in their laps. And
what did Yaçodä, and Rohiëé do then? They put Them in their
laps, covered Them with their veils, and caressed Their hair;
and then with tears in their eyes, and with melting hearts, they
put their breasts in the mouths of Kåñëa and Baladeva.
Sometimes a neighbor would come into Yaçodä Maiyä’s
courtyard. What did she see? Yaçodä Maiyä engaged in churning
butter and performing other duties, just to prepare something
for Kåñëa. She had no other occupation. She was always engaged
in serving Kåñëa, and whenever she was performing service,
she always remembered him and sang: “Govinda Dämodara
Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti.”
Kåñëa was crawling in the house and courtyard, and she was
making everything neat and clean to protect Him. While she
did so, she was singing like this: “Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti,
Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti.”
Sometimes she was engaged in grinding something with
a pestle and mortar, and as she did so, she sang: “Govinda
Dämodara Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti.”
(8) The Butter Thief
Sometimes she engaged her servants in various tasks. At
other times, she gave some pomegranate seeds to the parrots
and told them, “You should sing like me. Sing this song: Govinda
Dämodara Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti.”
Yaçodä Maiyä was not the only one who remembered Kåñëa
while she performed her household duties. All the gopés (cowherd
ladies) of Vraja always thought of Kåñëa while they were in their
homes. They carried on their everyday activities eagerly waiting
for Him to come to their houses and steal some butter.
They used to think, “He must surely come, and then, somehow I
will play a trick and catch hold of Him.” The Vraja gopés spent all
their time serving Kåñëa by performing their activities in this
mood.
Sometimes, at about seven in the morning, they would stop
what they were doing and gather together at Yaçodä’s house.
Why? To see Kåñëa. He was so beautiful that they had more love
and affection for Him than they had even for their own sons.
They longed for Kåñëa so much: “Oh, we want Kåñëa to be our
son, so that we can give Him our breast milk, and serve Him
with so much love and affection.”
Baby Wrestlers
All the gopés felt this way, and the cows did, too! Sometimes,
the cows would come into the cowherd town of Nandagräma, and
stand waiting. Then Kåñëa and Baladeva used to go out, and lie
down on the ground beneath them, and the cows udders would
spontaneously pour milk into Their mouths. The cows would
think, “If only Kåñëa were my son! Then I could give Him my milk,
and show Him my love.” This mood was everywhere in Vraja.
Kåñëa and Baladeva began growing up, and when They were
about one and a half years old, They could stand up, and walk a
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes (9)
little. Sometimes They fell down, as well. The gopés who came
to see Them were divided into two parties. One party took
Baladeva’s side and the other supported Kåñëa. The gopés on
Kåñëa’s side announced, “Kåñëa is so strong that He can defeat
Baladeva.” Then Baladeva Prabhu’s party would disagree: “No,
no, Baladeva is stronger than Kåñëa.” The gopés on Kåñëa’s side
said, “If Kåñëa defeats Baladeva, I will give Kåñëa a laòòu.“ And
the gopés in Baladeva Prabhu’s party said, “If Baladeva wins this
battle, then we will give Baladeva a laòòu.”
Kåñëa and Baladeva could understand what was going on,
and in this way, the gopés
inspired the two brothers to wrestle
with each other. Kåñëa and Baladeva were naked, and stood
opposite each other. They began to slap Their thighs and chests
like adult wrestlers. Then They caught hold of each other and
tried to bring each other to the ground. They were equally
matched and sometimes Baladeva would almost defeat Kåñëa
but then, Kåñëa would turn just in time to defeat Baladeva.
Then Baladeva would defeat Him. They were going on like this
— back and forth — and everyone would sing and clap to see
the fun. All the gopés
were overjoyed to see this play.
Complaining in Love
As Kåñëa grew older and bigger, He often wore only a golden
chain around His waist, which tinkled and jangled as he walked.
He always wondered, “Where is that sound coming from?” He
used to look here and there, not realising that He was making
the sound Himself.
The gopés still came to see Kåñëa, but now they came to Yaçodä
Ma to complain about her son: “Sometimes Kåñëa comes to our
houses, and He steals our butter, even though we have hidden it
(10) The Butter Thief
in different places. He has so many friends — Sudämä, Çrédämä,
Subala, Madhumaìgala — and they’re always with Kåñëa.
They’re just like mischievous little monkeys.” Kåñëa’s baby
friends were all naked, and they were His constant companions.
When the gopés came to Mother Yaçodä to complain about
Kåñëa, they were not at all angry. On the contrary, they felt
sorry
for Yaçodä. They thought, “Yaçodä is not as fortunate as we are.
Kåñëa comes to our houses and plays here and there, and steals
things according to His own sweet will; but He doesn’t steal
things in His own house, and He does not play so sweetly there.
So Yaçodä is not as fortunate as we are, because she doesn’t see
all these sweet pastimes. We are so blessed.” It seemed as if they
were coming to complain to Yaçodä. But really, they were only
pretending to complain, so they could relish sharing stories about
Kåñëa, and let Yaçodä know how sweet her son was.
Here are some of the stories that Yaçodä’s friends would tell
her: “Oh! Your boy has become so naughty! He enters our houses,
and plays so many mischievous tricks. He steals our butter, and
then He hands it out to his friends, and even to the monkeys.
“Sometimes He makes a crafty plan, and tells one of His
friends, ‘You go to your mother, while we hide in the shelter
of a tree, or another good hiding place just outside the house.
Say to your mother, Oh, come quickly! Someone has untied the
calf’s tether, and it’s running free. Now it’s taking its mother’s
milk, and soon there won’t be any left.’
“When the boy tells his mother, the gopé goes chasing after
the calf, and while she is away, Kåñëa and His friends enter her
home, and steal butter and whatever else they want.”
Sometimes a gopé would hide in her own house thinking,
“Kåñëa must come, and then I will catch Him.” Sure enough,
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes (11)
Kåñëa would creep in and put His hand in the pot of butter.
The gopé would suddenly pounce on Kåñëa and scold Him:
“Oh! You are stealing in my house?”
Kåñëa would say, “Oh, Mother, I came here because I
thought this was My home and you are My mother. It never
occurred to Me that you’re not My mother, and I certainly
didn’t think you’d catch hold of Me and beat Me.” Saying
this He smiled, and the gopé’s heart melted. Although she had
caught hold of Kåñëa’s wrist, He wrenched His hand free and
ran away.
The Runaway Calf
One day a gopé told Mother Yaçodä, “Today, I caught your son
Kåñëa in the act, with His hand right in a pot of butter. I asked
Him, ‘Why have You come here? Did You come to steal butter?’
“‘No, no mother! I was searching for My calf. I was playing
with him today, and he ran away. So I followed him, but he
jumped into this pot.’
“Oh, your calf has jumped in this pot, has he?
“‘Yes, Mother’, your son replied very innocently. And when
He pulled His hand out of the butter pot, He was holding a
marble toy calf! Then He and His friends all began to laugh,
and they quickly ran away.”
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He always
wants to please His devotees. Kåñëa’s other incarnations are not
like He is. Everyone can worship Kåñëa, but Kåñëa Himself wants
to worship His pure devotees, serve them, and fulfil their
desires.
Kåñëa’s pure devotees in Vraja think, “I really want Kåñëa to come
to my house and steal butter from me,” and that is why Kåñëa
comes. Otherwise, Kåñëa will never come to any home.
(12) The Butter Thief
Kåñëa Only Accepts Love And Affection
Kåñëa will only accept an offering that is made with love and
affection. One incident that shows this took place many years
later in Hastinäpura.
It is well known that Arjuna and his four brothers were Kåñëa’s
very dear friends and devotees. Duryodhana, who also lived in
Hastinäpura, was the sworn enemy of Arjuna and his brothers
(later they fought each other at the Battle of Kurukñetra), but he
wanted to invite Kåñëa to a feast. Duryodhana was very wealthy,
so he served preparations of delicious foodstuffs — such as Iaòòu,
perä, kachoré, sandeça and mäkhan — in golden dishes, and water
in golden cups. Then he requested Kåñëa, “Please come and take
Your meal with Me.”
Kåñëa objected, “I can’t eat anything, because I have no
appetite. I only eat anything where there is love and affection, I
can never eat with you, because you have no love and affection
for Me! I came to Hastinäpura to ask you to make peace with
Arjuna and his brothers, but you have not complied. How can
I take My meal with you? I’m not a beggar, and I’m not hungry.”
Delicious Banana Peels
Shortly after rejecting Duryodhana’s opulent feast, Kåñëa
went to Vidura’s house. Vidura was Kåñëa’s devotee, and was
also very affectionate to Arjuna and his four brothers. In fact,
on several occasions he had saved them from great danger.
Because of this, Kåñëa was very fond of Vidura. When
Kåñëa got to Vidura’s house, Vidura was not there, so Kåñëa
pleaded with his wife Viduräëé, “Oh, Viduräëé Maiyä, I am so
hungry! Please give Me something to eat.” Viduräëé was very
affectionate to Kåñëa, and she was anxious to serve Him. She
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes (13)
began to offer Him bananas, but in her confusion, she threw
away the fruit and gave Him the peels. Kåñëa affectionately
accepted the peels, and relished them joyfully. They tasted
sweeter to Him than all the preparations and offerings made in
Dvärakä by his chief queens Rukmiëé and Satyabhämä.
While Kåñëa was completely absorbed in accepting Viduräëé’s
offering of banana peels, Vidura came in. He was astonished at
what he saw, and exclaimed, “Oh, Viduräëé! What are you doing?”
Kåñëa tried to caution him, “Don’t speak to her. She is not
in her external senses. She is fully absorbed in transcendental
love and affection.” Viduräëé, however, came back to external
consciousness when she heard her husband speak, and soon
realised what was happening. She then gave Kåñëa the fruit of
the bananas and threw away the peels.
Kåñëa was a little disappointed. “Oh! This fruit is not as tasty
as the peels were.”
From this pastime, we can see that Kåñëa never becomes
hungry. He doesn’t want to taste banana, or sweets, or milk or
anything. He just wants to take the essence of all the fruits.
What is that essence? It is simply love and affection, the mood
of bhakti in the offering. Kåñëa will never accept anything from
someone who has no deep love and affection for Him. On the
other hand, He will forcibly take what He wants from a devotee
who has love and affection for Him, if that devotee does not give
Him enough.
When Kåñëa appeared in the form of His own devotee as
Caitanya Mahäprabhu, He used to quarrel with His dear
devotee Çrédhara, and take the things that Çrédhara was selling.
Çrédhara used to protest, “No! I won’t give you these things
without payment! I’m a very poor person. You shouldn’t take
these things. Go and get them from someone else.”
(14) The Butter Thief
But Mahaprabhu used to take his banana flowers and other
items anyway. That is Kåñëa’s nature. Kåñëa is not a beggar. He
is full in all opulence, but still He comes to Vraja to serve all
His
associates, and to play with them.
Kåñëa is Let Down
Now Kåñëa became somewhat bigger. One day Yaçodä told
Him, “It’s Your birthday today. Go and bring a female calf here
and worship her.”
Kåñëa became very happy. He went out and chose a very
beautiful she-calf. She was as white as a swan. The calf was very
healthy, stout and strong, and was jumping here and there. Kåñëa
wanted to catch her, but couldn’t because she was jumping so
much. After a great struggle He managed to catch hold of her,
intending to bring her into the courtyard. He tried to tie up her
four legs, but the calf refused to let Him, and they had another
wrestling match. Somehow or other, Kåñëa managed to bring her
into the courtyard. As He was doing so, He noticed a pot hanging
from a rope. He immediately understood that this pot was full of
sweet butter. In an instant, His intense greed for the butter made
Him forget that He was supposed to bring the calf in. But how
could He reach the butter? It was hanging high up in the rafters,
and there was no ladder or anything to stand on.
When He was with His friends, He would climb on their
backs, one by one, higher and higher, until He could reach the
butter. However, none of His friends were with Him, and He
had no stick. What to do?
After considering carefully, Kåñëa thought, “I can reach the
butter very easily if I stand on this calf.” He climbed up on
the calf’s back, and when He stood upright He was just high
The Lord’s Childhood Pastimes (15)
enough to put His hand into the pot. At that moment, the calf
suddenly jumped away. Kåñëa had put His whole arm into the
pot, so when the calf ran away, He was left dangling there. Now
He called out fearfully, “O Mother! Mother! Mother!” and
cried bitterly.
Mother Yaçodä was churning butter, and when she heard
Kåñëa weeping and crying for her, she smiled and ran out to
help Him. As soon as she saw Him hanging high above the
ground, she understood what had happened.
“You stay like that!” she told Him. “I’m not going to touch You.
And I’ll punish You for being naughty. I’ll never help You!”
Kåñëa began to weep more loudly: “Mother! Mother! Mother!”
Of course, Yaçodä brought Him down. Kåñëa was charmingly
mischievous in His boyhood, and that is why He garnered
so much love and affection from all the gopés, especially His
mother.
Caught in the Act
One day, Yaçodä’s gopé
friend told her a story about Kåñëa’s
mischievous activities. “Early this morning, Kåñëa came to my
house to steal butter. When He got there, He saw that everything
had been stored very carefully, and there was no butter lying
about for Him to steal. My little baby son was asleep, but Kåñëa
pinched him so much that he woke up and began to cry. If we
don’t keep butter in our houses for Him to steal, then He will
do such terrible things. And if He finds butter and doesn’t like
it, He breaks all the pots.”
When Yaçodä heard this story she thought, “I think that
Kåñëa has become wayward, stealing butter in other people’s
houses. I must teach Him a good lesson.”
(16) The Butter Thief
Meanwhile, her gopé friend thought, “Yaçodä doesn’t really
believe us when we tell her what her son has done. I’ll wait for
Kåñëa in my house, and when He comes, I’ll catch Him in the act,
and take Him to Yaçodä. Then she’ll see how naughty her boy is.”
In the very early morning, while it was still dark, Kåñëa came
alone to the house. He was stealing butter here and there, and
thinking, “No one can catch me.” However, that gopé was hidden
from view, and waiting to catch Him. When Kåñëa came and
ate her butter, she was watching Him from her hiding-place.
She pounced on Him, and caught Him with butter still on his
hands and mouth. “Oh, I will take you to Mother Yaçodä!” she
exclaimed in great excitement. “Then she’ll have to believe us
when we tell her that her boy is a great thief.”
The gopé covered Kåñëa with a shawl to take Him as a captive
to Yaçodä Maiyä. When she arrived at Yaçodä’s house, she called
out, “Oh Yaçodä! Oh Yaçodä! Just see! I have caught your son
stealing butter! He has become a thief! You’ve never believed
me up till now, but today you’ll have to believe me.”
Yaçodä came out to meet her friend, and on the way, she saw
that Kåñëa was asleep on the bed. Puzzled, she asked, “Where is
my son?” In response, the gopé
took off the cloth that she had
used to wrap up Kåñëa when she caught Him. “Oh!” She was
amazed to see that it was not Kåñëa, but her own son who was
wrapped in the shawl! Kåñëa came out of the bedroom, and
started weeping. “O Mother! O Mother! Just see! They are all
telling lies about Me. I have never been to that house. They are
all liars! Now I will have
to go and steal some butter!”
Chapter Three
Bound By Love
Yaçodä Maiyä’s Beauty
While Yaçodä performed her household chores, she wondered
how to satisfy Kåñëa’s desire for butter. “All the other gopés
prepare butter with their own hands to give to Kåñëa with love
and affection,” she thought. “Their butter is so sweet. Until now,
I haven’t made butter myself; my servants and maidservants
have done it for me. From now on, I’ll milk the cows with my
own hands, put the milk on the fire and then I’ll personally
make very sweet yoghurt from it. I’ll churn the yoghurt myself,
so that my butter will be very sweet and tasty, and Kåñëa will
take it with great delight.”
Having made this decision, on the day of Diwali, Yaçodä sent
all her servants and maidservants to the house of Nanda Bäbä’s
older brother, Upananda. She even sent Rohiëé Maiyä off with
Baladeva, because there was no one to help with the Diwali
preparations at Rohiëé’s palace. At dawn, as the reddish sun
rose in the peace and calm of the early morning, Yaçodä was
all alone, churning yoghurt. Yaçodä was very beautiful. If she
were not, how could Kåñëa be beautiful? The son cannot be so
beautiful if the mother is not.
How can we describe Yaçodä’s beauty? Her breasts were so
broad, that it seemed as if her slim waist would break if she
bent down. She wore fine silk clothes. In India at that time,
the art of making silk cloth was highly developed. A standard
cloth sari for a lady was about ten yards. The weavers were so
(18) The Butter Thief
expert and the cloth so fine, that a full sari could be pulled
through a hole no wider than one’s finger-nail. Yaçodä had put
on especially fine silken cloth for the Diwali festival, and her
feminine beauty shone through her clothing.
Mother Yaçodä prepared for churning by putting the pot
of yoghurt next to a pillar, and supported the churning rod in
the pot with thin ropes attached to the pillar. She then began
to churn by pulling on the ends of the rope that was wrapped
around the churning rod. She was very beautiful, resourceful
and intelligent. That is why Kåñëa was so attractive. If thousands
of people were watching His activities, He would completely
capture everyone’s attention.
What was Yaçodä’s mood while she was churning? She was
remembering the sweet childhood pastimes of Bäla Kåñëa and
singing: “Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara
Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara Mädhaveti, Govinda Dämodara
Mädhaveti.” Yaçodä was absorbed in singing, and thinking of
Kåñëa. Her heart was melting, her eyes were closed, and tears
of love were flowing down her cheeks.
Yaçodä’s Singing
When Vaiñëavas sing in glorification of Çré Kåñëa, they
accompany themselves with a special drum called the mådaìga.
The large end of the mådaìga
resounds deeply, “Tan! Tan!” and
the small end gives a high sound, “Dik! Dik!” The singers also
play small hand cymbals called karatälas, which chime sweetly.
While Mother Yaçodä was singing and churning, the rhythmic
motion of the churning rod in the deep pot of yoghurt made
a sound like the drum: “Dik, dik, tan! Dik, dik, tan!” At the
same time, the golden chain on her neck, and the bangles on
Bound By Love (19)
her wrists chimed in time like very sweet cymbals. Yaçodä was
singing in time with the sounds of her bangles and the yoghurt
pot. The ‘Dik tan’ sound of the churning was singing, “Fie
on those who don’t worship Kåñëa, and who don’t remember
Kåñëa! Fie on them! Fie on them! Dik-tan! Dik-tan!”
Kåñëa Searches for Yaçodä
Yaçodä was totally absorbed. In the meantime, Kåñëa awoke
in the bed where He slept with His mother. His eyes were still
closed, but He was searching for His mother with His hands,
and whimpering softly: “Ma! Ma! Ma!” When He found that
His mother was not there, He began to cry a little louder and
rub His sleepy eyes with His little fists. At first, there were
no tears. He just smeared the black kajal (eye-liner) that His
mother had applied to His big eyes, which were very long, like
the petals of a lotus flower.
When Kåñëa could not find His mother, He began to weep:
“I’ve just woken up, and I’m so hungry, but Mother has gone
somewhere and left Me.” He cried, as babies do when they want
their mother. After a while, he heard the sound of the churning
and
He realised that His mother could not hear Him. “Oh, she’s over
there churning, ‘Dik-tan!’ ‘Dik-tan!’ and she’s singing, ‘Govinda
Dämodara Mädhaveti’, and that’s why she can’t hear Me.”
He began to cry more loudly, but still His mother did not
come. Now He wanted to climb down from the bed, but it was
high, so how could He get down? As the Supreme Lord, He is
limitless, and the whole universe is within His body. However,
playing the part of a small child, He could hardly get down from
His bed. Kåñëa lay on His stomach, put His feet over the side of
the bed, and very carefully began to let Himself down, feet first.
(20) The Butter Thief
Slowly He slid off the bed until His feet touched the ground,
and then He began to walk towards His mother.
He was walking very unsteadily, staggering first to one side
and then to the other, because He was still quite sleepy. He was
crying, and tears were rolling down His cheeks. His tears were
white like the River Ganges, and the streaks of smeared kajal
(eye-liner) running down His face were black like the River
Yamunä. He was weeping loudly now, but Yaçodä was so absorbed
in her own singing and churning, that she could not hear Him.
At last, baby Kåñëa came right up to Yaçodä. He caught hold
of the churning stick with His left hand and the end of her veil
with His right hand. Yaçodä, still absorbed, wondered, “What
has stopped my churning?” Then she looked down and saw her
baby Kåñëa.
“Oh, Kåñëa has come, and He’s crying.”
Yaçodä stopped churning at once, and took Kåñëa in her lap.
He was still weeping, so she wiped His tears with her veil, and
began to relieve Him of His distress. She pacified Him, caressed
Him, and put her breast in His mouth.
Desperate Milk
Now Kåñëa stopped crying, but Yaçodä began to softly weep,
and tears of love flowed gently down her cheeks. At the same
time, her hair began to stand on end in her transcendental
loving ecstasy. Advanced devotees experience eight bodily
symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, and these symptoms all
began to appear in Yaçodä.
Tears poured profusely from her eyes, her body trembled,
and she began to perspire heavily. She was completely absorbed
in her ecstasy of transcendental maternal affection for Kåñëa,
Bound By Love (21)
and Kåñëa was fully savouring that love. Kåñëa sucked Yaçodä’s
breast for some time, but He was still not satisfied, because He
had been hungry for a long while.
Meanwhile, Yaçodä looked at the pot of milk that she had
left heating, and saw that the milk was boiling over into the
fire. Yaçodä realised that this milk was also a devotee, who was
thinking, “I want to serve Kåñëa, but Kåñëa’s stomach is so vast
that it can contain the whole universe, and there is enough milk
in Yaçodä’s breasts to fill millions of oceans. Kåñëa’s appetite
is
limitless, His stomach is limitless, and Yaçodä has an endless
supply of milk. If Kåñëa takes Yaçodä’s milk for millions of
years,
it will never be depleted. I will never have a chance to serve
Kåñëa in this lifetime, so what is the use of maintaining my life?
It’s better if I die now.” That is why the milk was boiling over
into the fire.
Gurudeva Engages Devotees
Wherever you find devotees, one symptom of their bhakti is
that they feel humble and inadequate in their service to Kåñëa:
“My body, my mind and my senses are not engaged in serving
Kåñëa. What is the use of my life?”
We are not thinking like these devotees because we do not
practice bhakti properly. When this intense desire for service
arises during one’s practice, Kåñëa will appear at once and
award us His service. Or a devotee like Yaçodä will come and
give us a chance to serve Kåñëa.
When Yaçodä understood that this milk was desperately
jumping into the fire, she told it, “All right, I will engage you
in Kåñëa’s service and I will serve Kåñëa afterwards.” A real
bhakta — a guru like this — engages newer and newer
devotees
(22) The Butter Thief
in serving Kåñëa. Gurudeva’s service is to engage qualified souls
— those who are eager — in Kåñëa’s service.
Yaçodä Maiyä is like a guru, teaching how to serve in the
mood of parental love for Kåñëa. In order to help the milk
serve Kåñëa, she had to put Kåñëa down quickly, and run to the
fire. This is the guru’s
inclination and mood — to increase the
service to Kåñëa by engaging others. It is the first duty. That is
why Yaçodä Maiyä wanted to put Kåñëa aside.
Yaçodä Defeats Kåñëa
Just after Kåñëa was born, when He was only six days old,
a demoness called Pütanä came to Våndävana to try to kill
Him. She put poison on her breast, and took the form of a very
beautiful woman. When she offered her breast to baby Kåñëa,
He began to suck out her life. The demoness had the strength
of many thousands of elephants, but even though she tried to
pull Kåñëa from her breast, she could not escape from His grasp,
and she died.
Now Kåñëa was much older and stronger. When He saw that
Yaçodä wanted to put Him down, He caught hold of her like
a baby monkey. He wrapped His arms and legs tightly around
her body, and fastened His mouth on her breast. All His senses
were completely engaged, and He resolved, “I won’t give up My
position in Yaçodä’s lap!”
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He
possesses the sum total of all opulence. He has the power to
defeat the whole world, including all sorts of mighty demons
such as Keçé, Agha, Baka, Pütanä, Hiraëyakaçipu and Rävaëa.
Still, He could not prevent His mother from putting Him down!
Yaçodä Maiyä defeated Him without any difficulty.
Bound By Love (23)
“You should sit here,” she told Him, and despite Kåñëa’s best
efforts, she quickly and easily lifted Him off her lap with one
hand, and put him down. Kåñëa was helpless. This is a good
lesson for everyone. If anyone has such deep and strong bhakti
for Kåñëa, Kåñëa becomes like a baby. By the arrangement of
His pastime potency Yogamäyä, His limitless power deserts
Him, and He becomes helpless.
Yaçodä left Kåñëa, even though He wanted to keep drinking her
breast milk. He began to weep loudly and He became angry: “She
hasn’t satisfied My hunger, and yet she has left Me to save that
milk.”
The Servant of the Servant
It is clear from this pastime that those who serve Kåñëa
also take care of the articles with which Kåñëa is served: the
utensils, the clothes, the flute, the peacock feather and all
the paraphernalia. Yaçodä Maiyä gave more attention to these
than she did to Kåñëa. Why? This is the nature of the bhakta
(devotee) in this world. It is not so easy to understand, but
there
are some examples that will help us.
Yaçodä would sometimes chastise Kåñëa when He got mud
and earth on His clothes. “Oh, You are so naughty!” she would
say. “I have just washed Your clothes, and now You’ve made
them dirty again.”
Now, when the milk jumped into the fire, Yaçodä had to put
Kåñëa aside to go and save it, even though Kåñëa was weeping. Why?
What was so special about this milk? The whole purpose of the milk
was to satisfy Kåñëa, but Yaçodä’s priority was exactly the
opposite:
she was ready to satisfy the milk before she satisfied Kåñëa.
Why did she put Kåñëa aside, and go to save the milk — even
though He wept when she did so? For the same reason that she
(24) The Butter Thief
sometimes disciplined Him for making His clothes dirty: the milk
was for Kåñëa’s service, just as the clothes were for Kåñëa’s
service.
This is the nature of pure bhakti
(transcendental devotional
service). Kåñëa has more affection for those who serve His
bhakta (devotee) than He does for those who
serve Him directly.
He becomes very pleased with the servant of the devotee. We
must try to understand this concept; it is essential.
For example, Çrématé Rädhikä is Kåñëa’s dearmost devotee,
so Kåñëa is more pleased with one who is serving Her than He
is with someone who is serving Him directly. And if someone is
serving Rüpa Maïjaré, who is the servant of Çrématé Rädhikä,
Kåñëa will say, “You are a servant of Rüpa Maïjaré? Oh, I shall
give you everything. What do you want?”
This is the nature of bhakti.
Om Tat Sat
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