Why would the supreme personality of God feel the need to steal?
Vedas declare that Shri Krishna is the supreme divine personality. He is often portrayed as mischievous, particularly through the stories where He is known to steal butter from the gopis - the cowherd maidens of Braj. This behavior
Why would the supreme personality of God feel the need to steal?
Vedas declare that Shri Krishna is the supreme divine personality. He is often portrayed as mischievous, particularly through the stories where He is known to steal butter from the gopis - the cowherd maidens of Braj. This behavior appears contradictory to the image of God, who is perfect in all respects.
This behavior raises many questions in the minds like
Lord Krishna is self-complacent, why does He steal anything?
He does not feel hungry then why did He specifically steal butter?
Why did he steal butter when his father, the king of Braj, had 900,000 cows?
Why did he steal from the gopis in Braj and not after leaving Braj?
People steal mainly for the following reasons:
out of habit of stealing due to past sanskaars.
for personal gains
for hurting others
Lord Krishna didn't steal for any of these reasons. He stole butter from the milkmaidens of Braj for a very different reason.
Shri Krishna is fully content and perfect in all respects, needing nothing from anyone. In addition, His biggest attribute is bhakt-vashya, which means "enslaved by His devotees". He is deeply moved by the love and devotion of His devotees and does what His devotees want Him to do.
His act of stealing butter is not about taking away something for Himself, or hurting them. Instead, it is about showering love and grace on those who yearn for it.
Krishna stealing butter is both a historical truth and a symbolic gesture. Butter is the essence of milk. The gopi's mind is saturated with selfless love for Shri Krishna. By "stealing" their butter, Lord Krishna is figuratively speaking, stealing their minds, thus drenching them in His love. Mind you, he does not steal only tangible objects like butter. He steals intangible objects like the mind also!
Also, Krishna didn't steal butter only from the gopis. He stole butter from His own home as well where His father owned 900,000 cows. When mother Yashoda would feed Him milk, butter and yogurt, He would eat only a little, so that He could quietly steal butter from His own home and eat.
Krishna stealing butter from behind Maiya's back.
This stealing is NOT due to bad sanskaars, or to satisfy His hunger. Rather, His actions delighted His devotees and showed them the gracious side of His personality.
You might wonder what is so gracious about stealing. So, let us consider the fact that unexpected events like a President of a country sweeping the street are uncommon. It surprises people hence it draws immediate attention. In the divine realm, when God, who is self-sufficient and self-content, acts in ways that are not typical of His personality, it sparks joy and love in His devotees. They know that it is due to His subservient nature that He is behaving in this unusual manner. This further enhances their love for Him.
Once Krishna entered the home of a gopi who had just finished extracting butter by churning yogurt. From the time she milked the cow, she wanted Krishna to steal the butter. So shehung it from the ceiling high enough so Krishna could reach the pot.
As Krishna entered her hut she hid and watched Krishna steal butter. But when her mother-in-law added chili while frying the dal (lentil soup), Krishna could not control His sneeze. The sneeze alarmed her mother-in-law. For fear of being punished, Krishna ran out of the home barefoot. The gopi's heart ached seeing little Krishna running out bare feet in the scorching summer sun. Fearing that His tiny soft feet would get burnt, she felt a wrenching pain in her heart. She too ran behind Him, saying -
नीतं यदि नवनीतं नीतं नीतं किमेतेन । आतपतापितभूमौ माधव मा धाव मा धाव ॥
“Madhav, it is okay for you to steal the butter. Do not be afraid and run away. Stay and have as much butter as you’d like”, displaying her approval for stealing the butter.
Hey Kanha! Stop! it is okay to steal butter from my house!
In conclusion, these stories illustrate Shri Krishna's love for His devotees and His willingness to go to great lengths to bring them joy. Due to His attribute of bhakt-vashyata He steals butter to please those devotees who have longed for Him to steal it. That is why He stole butter only in Braj. Elsewhere He did leelas laced with more majesty. They didn't have the sweetness that is found in Braj.
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Why would the supreme personality of God feel the need to steal?
Vedas declare that Shri Krishna is the supreme divine personality. He is often portrayed as mischievous, particularly through the stories where He is known to steal butter from the gopis - the cowherd maidens of Braj. This behavior appears contradictory to the image of God, who is perfect in all respects.
This behavior raises many questions in the minds like
People steal mainly for the following reasons:
Lord Krishna didn't steal for any of these reasons. He stole butter from the milkmaidens of Braj for a very different reason.
Shri Krishna is fully content and perfect in all respects, needing nothing from anyone. In addition, His biggest attribute is bhakt-vashya, which means "enslaved by His devotees". He is deeply moved by the love and devotion of His devotees and does what His devotees want Him to do.
His act of stealing butter is not about taking away something for Himself, or hurting them. Instead, it is about showering love and grace on those who yearn for it.
Krishna stealing butter is both a historical truth and a symbolic gesture. Butter is the essence of milk. The gopi's mind is saturated with selfless love for Shri Krishna. By "stealing" their butter, Lord Krishna is figuratively speaking, stealing their minds, thus drenching them in His love. Mind you, he does not steal only tangible objects like butter. He steals intangible objects like the mind also!
Also, Krishna didn't steal butter only from the gopis. He stole butter from His own home as well where His father owned 900,000 cows. When mother Yashoda would feed Him milk, butter and yogurt, He would eat only a little, so that He could quietly steal butter from His own home and eat.
This stealing is NOT due to bad sanskaars, or to satisfy His hunger. Rather, His actions delighted His devotees and showed them the gracious side of His personality.
You might wonder what is so gracious about stealing. So, let us consider the fact that unexpected events like a President of a country sweeping the street are uncommon. It surprises people hence it draws immediate attention. In the divine realm, when God, who is self-sufficient and self-content, acts in ways that are not typical of His personality, it sparks joy and love in His devotees. They know that it is due to His subservient nature that He is behaving in this unusual manner. This further enhances their love for Him.
Once Krishna entered the home of a gopi who had just finished extracting butter by churning yogurt. From the time she milked the cow, she wanted Krishna to steal the butter. So she hung it from the ceiling high enough so Krishna could reach the pot.
As Krishna entered her hut she hid and watched Krishna steal butter. But when her mother-in-law added chili while frying the dal (lentil soup), Krishna could not control His sneeze. The sneeze alarmed her mother-in-law. For fear of being punished, Krishna ran out of the home barefoot. The gopi's heart ached seeing little Krishna running out bare feet in the scorching summer sun. Fearing that His tiny soft feet would get burnt, she felt a wrenching pain in her heart. She too ran behind Him, saying -
“Madhav, it is okay for you to steal the butter. Do not be afraid and run away. Stay and have as much butter as you’d like”, displaying her approval for stealing the butter.
In conclusion, these stories illustrate Shri Krishna's love for His devotees and His willingness to go to great lengths to bring them joy. Due to His attribute of bhakt-vashyata He steals butter to please those devotees who have longed for Him to steal it. That is why He stole butter only in Braj. Elsewhere He did leelas laced with more majesty. They didn't have the sweetness that is found in Braj.
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