The Butter on the Lips

Jul 9 2007  | Views 61 |  Comments  (0) Leave a Comment
The "Puranas" in Hindu literature contain, for the most part, mythological stories. The "Bhagwad Purana" is the most important of these in as much as it contains an account of Lord Krishna's childhood in one of its chapters. (The Mahabharata does not talk about Krishna's childhood.)

Based on the Krishna chapter in the Bhawad Purana, Soordas wrote several poems about Lord Krishna's childhood, one of which i particularly liked. It's called "Maiya Mori mai nahi makhan khayo" [oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter]

The setting is like this: Yashoda enters the house to find Krishna below the butter pot (which is kept tied high on the roof), and with butter on his lips. She protests that he's been eating all the butter ("makhan") there is; the song begins with Krishna declaring his innocence in the matter at the beginning, and then admitting his guilt at the end. I am giving my own English translation of the verses. Perhaps someone with a better command of the hindi dialect Soordas uses would care to offer a better translation.

-Rashmun
p.s. "lakut" = stick; and "kamariya" = blanket in this verse, as far as i know i.e. he was carrying these when he was out looking after the cows.

p.p.s. Yashoda was the foster mother of our hero. Devaki was his real mother, as the reader must know.

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bhor bhayo gaiyan ke pache madhuban mohe parayo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo
I've been out in Madhuban forest looking after the cows since the morning.
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 

char pahar madhuban mein bhar kyoN, sanjh pahar ghar ayo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

I've been out the whole goddamn day in Madhuban forest; i only came back in the evening.
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 
main balak baiyan ko choto, cheeko kisi vidhi payo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

I am a young child, i have small arms, how could i reach the butter pot up there?
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 
gwal bal sab bair pare haiN, barbas mooh laptayo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

All my friends are jealous of me, they forcibly rubbed butter all over my face.
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 
tu janni mann ki ati bhori inke kahe patichayo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

You're too innocent, you believe these friends of mine
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 

le le apni lakut kamariya, bahut hi naach nachaiyo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

Take your stick and your blanket, you're making me dance around a lot
oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 
tere man kuch bhed upaj haiN, jaan paraayo aayo
maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo

it seems that you don't love me as much as you should, because i am, after all, not your own child
Oh mother, it wasn't me who ate the butter!
 
dari sati muskayee Yashoda, shyam hi kanth lagayo
Kanhaiya, tai nahi makhan khayo

(On being reminded that she is a foster mother),
Yashoda, growing a little anxious, gave Krishna a hug
and said, "Kanhaiya, it wasn't you who ate the butter")
 

Maiya mori, mai ne hi makhan khayo
(The good guy that he is, our hero finally confesses:)

Oh mother, it was me who ate the butter

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I am curious. Did this poem remind mothers here of their own children?

-Rashmun

© Rashmun., all rights reserved.

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