Srimad Bhagavatam – day 592
Why does Krishna steal butter?
Krishna replied,
“nāhaṁ bhakṣitavān amba sarve mithyābhiśaṁsinaḥ
yadi satya-giras tarhi samakṣaṁ paśya me mukham
nāhaṁ bhakṣitavān amba O Mother, I have not eaten mud. Who says I have eaten mud?
sarve mithyābhiśaṁsinaḥ: All these boys accuse me for no fault of mine.
yadi satya-giras tarhi samakṣaṁ paśya me mukham : If you believe these boys speak the truth, then look into my mouth and check for yourself”.
Swamiji explains: ‘O Mother, I did not eat mud. You have to believe me. All these boys are lying. Do you truly love me? If so, you have to believe my words. Why do you believe their words? If at all you believe that my friends have spoken the truth, then check my mouth’.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “ Hearing these words uttered by her son, Yashoda said, ;If you claim that your friends were lying, open your mouth and show me.’
Krishna, the Supreme Lord, had, for the purposes of exhibiting His transcendental sports, manifested as a small infant on Earth. He possessed an absolutely crystal-clear mind untouched by any transformations. Due to feelings of oneness towards all objects, He could declare, ‘I have not eaten mud’.”
He did not wail nor did He pick a fight with his team-mates. He was not even suspicious of them. He was after all the Supreme Lord who was situated in the original Self. He began to exhibit His transcendental plays from the moment of His birth. When He, as a new-born, was being taken to Gokula, the snake Adiśeṣa appeared and using its hood protected Him from rain. Was this not His transcendental sport? On the day of his birth, He had shown himself in all glory to the Devatas who had assembled there to see Him-
Tam adbhutam balakam ambujekṣaṇam catur-bhujam sankha-gadady- udayudham
srivatsa-lakshmam gala-sobhi-kaustubham pitambaram sāndra-payoda-saubhagam
The Lord descended to Earth in His original form. He was in that wonderful, supreme form wherein He was draped in golden-yellow silken clothing and was holding in His hands discus, conch and other weapons. After descending in this manner, at the behest of his parents, He transformed into a tiny human infant.
This hymn, which explains the glory of the Lord when He descended to Earth in His original form, is worth remembering time and again!
Every time Swamiji visits Dattavenkateshwara temple, He recollects this hymn. To Swamiji, Lord Venkateshwara appears exactly as described in this hymn. May He make Himself visible to you in a similar manner!
Had the Lord not manifested in a human form, ordinary people would have failed to see Him. Human eyes are inadequate to see the wondrous, original form of the Lord. This gross body and senses are not equipped to perceive divine illumination. In order to bless human beings, the Lord willingly took on a human form. He cried and laughed exactly like a human. For spiritually uplifting the Gopis and Gopikas He ran, played, and engaged in mischievous deeds just like an infant.
The butter that He steals symbolizes the concentrated sins of people from whom He stole. It is said that in every mind, the accumulated sin resides in the form of soft butter and not in the form of solid. Sins cause human beings to behave in a strange manner. Sins incite the person to tell lies; they cause him to be envious of others.
One should always speak the truth. Is it right to tell lies? Secondly, our wicked eyes always run towards the body parts of others. They love to see that which should not be seen. Not satisfied with this, the mind tries to enter those scenes and experience them. The ears incite us to hear unwanted gossip. All these sins accumulate and remain as butter in the mind.
When yoghurt is churned vigorously, butter emerges. Likewise, through continuous churning of the mind i.e. due to frequent bouts of cheating, envy, and the like, the butter called sins accumulates. This is the butter He steals.
Without rhyme or reason, people are ready to tell lies. People in general are fascinated by lies and listen attentively to them. Some people are habitual boasters. Night and day, they brag meaninglessly.
Habitual swindlers and liars externally project a calm, happy face when lies flow freely from their mouths. Approach them for any work and they are going to rip you apart. One should be vigilant and keep distance from them.
When it is said that Krishna steals butter, it implies He steals the collective sins of the person which have accumulated to form a mass.
Vamanaya namah