Whenever the childhood pastimes are mentioned, the mind naturally turns toward Lord Krishna. From Nand Baba’s courtyard to every lane of Braj, the sweet echoes of little Kanha’s playful mischief can be felt. Somewhere a pot of butter breaks, and somewhere the gopis, laughing all the way, arrive before Mother Yashoda with their complaints.
Lord Krishna is known by many names—Kanha, Gopal, Ghanshyam, Banke Bihari—but the affection hidden in the name “Makhan Chor” is unmatched. This name does not signify theft; rather, it lovingly reminds us of that divine child who steals butter and, in doing so, steals hearts. This very innocence and playful charm are beautifully reflected in the bhajan “Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo.”
Today’s leela is just as delightful, where a gopi arrives at the doorstep of the Queen of Braj with her sorrow. In the butter pot, there was no butter — only a lump of clay…
The Mischievous Leelas of the Butter Thief
The Butter Pot and the Lump of Clay
It was a quiet afternoon in Braj. Sunlight filtered gently into the courtyard while Mother Yashoda was busy with her household work. Just then, a gopi arrived with a heavy heart. There was complaint in her eyes, yet affection in her words.
“O Queen of Braj, Yashoda,” the gopi said, “your son is extremely clever. Today he has done something very wrong to me.”
Yashoda laughed. “Oh sister, are everyone else’s sons good and only mine bad? Tell me, what has my Kanha done now?”
The gopi took a deep breath and began, “One day, I hadn’t cooked vegetables at home. I thought that when my father-in-law returned from the fields, I would serve him butter and rotis. When he arrived in the afternoon, I laid out a mat, placed the rotis on a plate, and brought down the butter pot from the hanging shelf and kept it before him.” The pot was covered with a cloth.
She continued, “I couldn’t say anything because of propriety. My mind was confused — if I served too much butter, they would say the daughter-in-law is wasteful; if too little, they would say her parents taught her nothing. So I placed the entire pot before him and stood quietly at the kitchen door.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“O Queen of Braj,” she said, “the moment my father-in-law removed the cloth from the pot, he picked up the plate of rotis and threw it at my head, shouting, ‘Either the daughter-in-law will stay in this house, or I will!’ And in anger, he stormed out.”
Trembling, the gopi said, “I couldn’t understand what had happened. When I looked into the pot, there was no butter… only a lump of clay. Your son had eaten the butter and left the clay behind.”
Just then, Kanha arrived. Innocently he asked, “Baba, what happened? Why are you so angry?”
Baba replied, “How do you know I’m angry?”
Kanha smiled, “You’re turning the beads of your rosary very fast — that’s how I knew.”
Baba told him the entire story. Kanha smiled to himself — after all, the mischief was his.
Then he said, “Baba, I’ll tell this matter to Maiya.”
“What will you tell her?” Baba asked.
“I’ll say — the village this bhabhi comes from, talks are going on with that same village for me too. And I’ll say — the girls of that village joke with elders just like this.”
Now Baba’s anger grew even more. Standing at the doorway, the gopi panicked and pleaded, “Kanha, now please stop… this has gone too far.”
Kanha’s heart melted. He said, “Baba, the daughter-in-law is good. You won’t throw her out of the house, will you? Come, please eat your roti.”
Baba replied firmly, “I will not eat bread made by the daughter-in-law.”
Then Kanha said softly, “Baba, I give you my oath.”
And that was it — in Braj, who can refuse God’s oath? At that very moment, Baba rose and ate the meal.
Turning to Yashoda, the gopi said, “See, O Queen of Braj — this is what your son has done to me.”
Daily Complaints of the Gopis
Every day, Kanha would go to the gopis’ homes to steal butter. His group of friends would always be with him. And every day, the gopis would arrive at Yashoda’s place with their complaints. Eventually, Maiya grew tired of this and one day decided to keep Kanha at home. The entire day passed — Kanha was nowhere to be seen outside.
The gopis grew restless.
“Where is Kanha today?” they wondered.
Soon they found out — Maiya had kept him locked inside the house.
That was it. All the gopis went straight to Nand’s courtyard to complain.
They said, “Your son unties the calves at odd hours. The calves drink all the cows’ milk, and when we go to milk them, the cows kick. The churn breaks, elbows get bruised, and injuries happen.”
Yashoda replied, “O gopis, my son is still so little. You are grown-ups — scold him yourselves.”
Laughing, the gopis said, “O Queen of Braj, when we scold him, he stares at us with big red eyes…
and then suddenly laughs. Seeing his smile, even our anger turns into laughter.”
“And not just that,” the gopis continued, “he eats butter himself and feeds it to the monkeys too. He breaks the pots. And if he doesn’t find any butter, he pinches the cheeks of sleeping children and runs away.”
Standing behind, the Lord was listening to everything. Maiya caught hold of his hand and said,
“Lala, see — these are all the complaints against you.”
Kanha thought to himself,
“Today I’m all alone… the more I speak, the more trouble I’ll get into.”
Maiya tried to explain gently,
“Lala, stealing is a bad thing.”
And Kanha replied,
“Maiya, I have not eaten any butter.”
Lyrics – Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Bhor Bhayo Gaiyan Ke Pache, ॥2॥
Madhuban Mohin Pathayo.
Char Pahar Bansibat Bhatakyo,
Saanjh Pare Ghar Aayo.
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Main Balak Bahinyan Ko Chhoto, ॥2॥
Chheeko Kihi Bidhi Payo.
Gwal Baal Sab Bair Pare Hain,
Barbas Mukh Lapatayo.
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Tu Janani Man Ki Ati Bhori, ॥2॥
Inke Kahe Patiyaayo.
Jiy Tere Kachhu Bhed Upji Hai,
Jaani Parayo Jaayo.
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Yah Lai Apni Lakuti Kamariya, ॥2॥
Bahutahi Naach Nachayo.
Surdas Tab Bihansi Yashoda,
Lai Ur Kanth Lagayo.
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo. ॥2॥
Bhavarth
With an innocent face, Kanha says to Mother Yashoda,
“Maiya, these gopis are lying. I have not eaten the butter.”
He begins to defend himself sweetly,
“Every morning I go out to graze the cows, and in the evening I return home as Shyam. It seems to me that these cowherd boys must have forcefully smeared butter on my mouth.”
Then Kanha smiles and says,
“Maiya, you yourself think — you have tied the butter pot so high on the ceiling, and look at my tiny little hands. How could I possibly reach the butter pot with these small hands? You are so innocent, Maiya. They are all trying to defame me.”
Saying this, Kanha pretends to sulk,
“Now I won’t even go to graze the cows anymore.”
Surdas says — hearing Kanha’s clever words and childlike innocence, Mother Yashoda smiles within herself. Her heart melts, and she pulls Kanha into her embrace.
Then, lovingly, the mother asks,
“Lala, tell me the truth. Did you eat the butter or not? I give you my oath.”
The moment Kanha hears his mother’s oath, he bows his head and softly says,
“Yes, Maiya, I did eat the butter.”
Mother Yashoda then says to the gopis,
“See, gopis — whatever butter my Lala has eaten, from whomever he has taken it, I will sit at Nand’s doorstep and repay everyone measure by measure.”
Folding her hands, she pleads,
“But please, do not abuse him. He is the child of a poor woman. After great difficulty, I was blessed with this son.”
As she speaks, tears well up in Yashoda’s eyes.
Seeing this, the gopis smile and say,
“Yashoda, it is nothing like that. This Lala is not yours alone — he belongs to the whole of Braj. We came with complaints only as an excuse to have his darshan. The complaint is just a pretext; darshan is what we truly seek.”
Then, with deep love, the gopis say,
“Some fall in love with someone’s hair, some with their walk, some with their cheeks.
But we have given our lives only to Nand’s Lala. He alone is our wealth of life.”
And at that moment, the entire Braj echoes with joy —
Victory to the Butter-Thief Lord!
Victory to the Butter-Thief Lord!
