One of the highlights of this evening’s performance:
The gopis carried tales to Yashoda, complaining time and again about how Krishna stole butter from them. But naughty little Krishna convinced his mother not to believe any of the complaints the other gopis made about him.
When Krishna stole butter in his own house, however, things changed – because Yashoda herself saw him.
Yashoda wanted to catch her little boy out and asked him, out of the blue, “Kanhaiya, did you eat butter?”
Taken aback, the words escaped from Krishna’s mouth, “Main nahin maakhan khayo – I did not eat butter! Ma, how did you think I had eaten the butter? I don’t even have the time to eat it! All day, I herd the cows. From dawn to dusk, I’m out grazing the cattle. When could I possibly eat butter?”
The argument did not work. So, Krishna thought of another justification. “Maiya mori, mother mine, I’m such a small boy! I have such small hands. How would I steal? I did not eat the butter! You know, ma, all these other boys – they ate the butter! And then, they smeared it all over my mouth!”
Even this did not work. Krishna thought that perhaps flattery would work. “Mother, my mother, my innocent mother… Don’t listen to all these people!”
Affection did not work either. It was time to try something else. “Everyday,” little Krishna said, angrily, “you send me out to work. From tomorrow I’m not going to work. Take back this blanket and this staff. I’m not going to work from tomorrow. I’m telling you, I did not eat the butter!”
Yashoda accepted even his anger.
Teary-eyed, Krishna came to his final argument. “Ma, I know that this is not about the butter at all. The butter was just an excuse. I understood what this is all about. You do not feel that I am your son at all. I don’t belong to you.”
How could any mother accept that? Yashoda, embracing Krishna, finally relented. “Yes, my Krishna, you did not eat the butter.”
Now came the most beautiful situation of all. Both Krishna and Yashoda knew that Krishna had eaten the butter. Yet, both of them were saying that he had not eaten it. A little guilty, but ever-mischievous, Krishna twisted the words just a little bit. “O, maiya mori, maine hi maakhan khayo. Oh, mother of mine, it was I who ate the butter!”
Hope to see you there!
Venue: IIM, Indore
Date and time: 6th July, 2013; 18:30
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