Krishna's lila, the butter thief embraced
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मेळवुनी पोरें तेथें रिघे एकसरें । वेगीं आणोनी सामोरें तेथें लोणी खाय ॥१॥
हरि सोंकला वो हरि सोंकला वो । सोंकला तो वारीं तुज लाज नाहीं तरी ।
आम्हां सांपडतां उरी तुज मज नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥
तुज वाटतसे कोड यासि लागतसे गोड । काय हासतेसी वेड तुज लागलें वो ।
आम्ही जाऊं तुजवरी पोरें चाळविल्या पोरी । काय सांगों भांडखोरी लाज वाटे आम्हां ॥२॥
मुख मळिण वदन उभा हाडतिये घोणे । तंव दसवंती म्हणे आणा शीक लावूं ।
थोर आणिला कांटाळा घरीं दारीं लोकपाळां । डेरा रिघोनी गुसळा तेथें लोणी खाय ॥३॥
मिळोनि सकळा दावें लावूनियां गळां । कैशा बांधिती उखळा येथें राहे उगा ।
बरा सांपडलासी हरी आजिच्यानें करिसिल चोरी । डोळे घालुनियां येरी येरीकडे हांसे ॥४॥
फांकल्या सकळा उपडूनियां उखळा । मोडी वृक्ष विमळार्जुन दोन्ही ।
उठिला गजर दसवंती नव्हे धीर । धांवे तुकयाचा दातार आळंगिला वेगीं ॥५॥
गोरस घेउनी सातें निघाल्या गौळणी । तंव ती कृष्णाची करणी काय करी तेथें ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
He gathers the children, enters the house boldly, and quickly eats the butter right before everyone. Hari is caught, Hari is caught! Scold him if you have no shame; if we catch him, neither you nor we will be spared. You think it is funny, and he finds it sweet. Why are you smiling? Have you gone mad? We will come to you directly; he has corrupted the boys and girls. What can we say of his quarrelsome ways? We are ashamed to speak. His face is smeared, his nose is running, and Dasavanti says: bring him here, we will teach him a lesson. He has caused great trouble in every home and neighborhood. He enters the churning place and eats the butter there. They all gather, tie a rope around his neck, and bind him to the mortar: now stay still. They say: we have caught you at last, Hari; today you will not steal again. But he glances mischievously from side to side and laughs. Then, having scattered them all, he uproots the mortar and topples the two Arjuna trees. A great commotion arises. Dasavanti cannot hold herself back. Says Tuka, the Lord, my benefactor, runs and embraces the child.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
He gathers the children, walks in boldly, and quickly eats the butter in front of everyone. Hari is caught, Hari is caught! Scold him if you have no shame; but if we catch him, neither you nor we will be spared. You think it is funny, and he finds it sweet. Why are you smiling? Have you gone mad? We will come straight to you; he has led the boys and girls astray. What can we say of his quarrelsome ways. We are ashamed to speak. His face is smeared, his nose running, and Dasavanti says: bring him here, we will teach him a lesson. He has caused great trouble in every home and street. He gets into the churning pot and eats the butter there. They all gather, tie a rope around his neck, and bind him to the mortar: now stay still. We have caught you at last, Hari; today you will steal no more. But he glances mischievously side to side and laughs. Then, scattering them all, he uproots the mortar and topples the two Arjuna trees. A great uproar rises; Dasavanti cannot hold herself back. Tuka says: the Lord, my benefactor, runs and embraces the child.
What it means
Tukaram retells the child Krishna's butter-stealing as both delight and revelation. The gopis come complaining to Yashoda, the boy is caught smeared and laughing, bound to the mortar to keep him still, and even then he breaks free and uproots the twin Arjuna trees. The frame the poem leaves unspoken is that the child who lets himself be tied is the Lord who fills everything; he submits to the rope of a mother's love and yet no binding can hold him. The verse keeps the mood playful and affectionate, the scolding of doting women rather than real anger. The claim it lands is the last line: the same Lord who plays the thief is the seeker's benefactor, and in the end he runs to embrace, which is what all his mischief was reaching toward.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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