Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.8.30
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesIngenious Ways of Stealing Butter
“When the milk and curd are kept high on a swing hanging from the ceiling and Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma cannot reach it, They arrange to reach it by piling up various planks and turning upside down the mortar for grinding spices. Being quite aware of the contents of a pot, They poke holes in it. While the elderly gopīs go about their household affairs, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma sometimes go into a dark room, brightening the place with the valuable jewels and ornaments on Their bodies and taking advantage of this light by stealing.
What the purport teaches
- Households kept yogurt and butter for emergencies. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma piled up planks and overturned a mortar to reach pots kept high above Them.
- They made holes in the pots so the contents would leak out and They could drink them.
- When butter and milk were kept in dark rooms, Their valuable jewels brightened the rooms. In these ways, They stole butter and milk from the neighborhood houses.
Try this today
Read the translation aloud once, noticing the different ways They reached the milk and curd.
Ask yourself
Which detail of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s resourcefulness most draws your attention?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.