Krishna lila, the butter thief caught
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
उघडें कवाड उभ्या काळोशाचे आड । साता पांचा एक भीड मौनेंची ठेल्या ॥१॥
नित्य सोंकवला नेदी । सांगों चित्त बोला । आतां सांपडतां याला कोण सोडी जीवें ॥ध्रु.॥
जाणोनियां हरी त्याच घरा आला चोरी । गडियां ठेवुनी बाहेरी पूर्वद्वारें शिरे ।
त्यांच्या भयाभीत चाले पिलंगत भोंवतालें । पाहे तंव देखियेलें नवनीत पुढें ॥२॥
उतरोनि सिंकें । पाहे चाखोनियां निकें । गोड तें चि एका एकें । हातीं लांबवितो ।
जाणे राखती तयांसि । तेथें अधिक चि नासी । माग लावी हात पुसी । चोरी जाणावया ॥३॥
जाणोनियां नारी । मूळ वर्मद्वार धरी । माजे कोंडूनी भीतरी । घरांत धरीयेला ।
कां रे नागविसी । माझे मुळीं लागलासी । आणवीन तुजपासीं । मागें खादलें तें ॥४॥
दोही संदी बाहे । धरूनि नेती माते पाहे । काय नासी केली आहे । घरामाजी येणें ।
तुका म्हणे मुख । त्याचें वाढों नेदी दुःख । दसवंती कवतुक। करुनी रंजविल्या ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
The door stands open, yet darkness hides within; the five and seven faculties are crushed into silence. Krishna, knowing the house well, enters stealthily through the front door while his companions wait outside. He circles cautiously, spots the fresh butter ahead, lowers the hanging pot, and tastes it piece by piece, stretching out his hand for more. The women discover the trail and catch him inside. Says Tuka, his face never lets sorrow grow; he charmed and delighted them all with his playful mischief.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
The door stands open, but darkness hides inside; the five and the seven senses are crushed into silence. Knowing the house well, Hari comes in to steal. He leaves his friends outside and slips in through the front door. Afraid of them, he creeps along, circling close to the ground. Then he sees the fresh butter ahead. He lowers the hanging pot, tastes it carefully, and finds it sweet, and one by one he stretches his hand for more. He knows the women guard their butter, so there he spoils the most. He smears the trail and wipes his hand, to leave the theft to be found. Knowing his ways, the women hold the secret inner door, shut him in, and catch him inside the house. Why do you rob us? You have ruined my store. I will make you bring back all you ate before. They take him by both arms and lead him to his mother. See what spoiling he has done coming into the house. Tuka says: his face never lets sorrow grow; with his playful mischief he charmed and delighted them all.
What it means
This is the butter-thief story told as pure delight. Krishna sneaks into a milkmaid's house, tastes the hidden butter, makes a deliberate mess, and even smears the trail so the theft will be discovered, all the mischief of a God who wants to be caught. The women do catch him, scold him, threaten to make him repay what he ate, and march him off to his mother. Yet the abhanga's last line turns the scene: his face will not let any real anger or sorrow take hold, and his charm melts the very women who came to punish him. Tukaram lets the playfulness make the point that the Lord disarms those who would accuse him.
Krishna Leela
Poems celebrating Krishna's birth, childhood, and divine play.
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