SB 10.8.30 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

हस्ताग्राह्ये रचयति विधिं पीठकोलूखलाद्यै- श्छिद्रं ह्यन्तर्निहितवयुन: शिक्यभाण्डेषु तद्वित् । ध्वान्तागारे धृतमणिगणं स्वाङ्गमर्थप्रदीपं काले गोप्यो यर्हि गृहकृत्येषु सुव्यग्रचित्ता: ॥ ३० ॥

Verse text

hastāgrāhye racayati vidhiṁ pīṭhakolūkhalādyaiś chidraṁ hy antar-nihita-vayunaḥ śikya-bhāṇḍeṣu tad-vit dhvāntāgāre dhṛta-maṇi-gaṇaṁ svāṅgam artha-pradīpaṁ kāle gopyo yarhi gṛha-kṛtyeṣu suvyagra-cittāḥ

Synonyms

hasta — agrāhye — when the destination is out of the reach of His hands ; racayati — He arranges to make ; vidhim — a means ; pīṭhaka — by wooden planks piled together ; ulūkhala — ādyaiḥ — and by overturning the stone mortar for grinding spices ; chidram — a hole ; hi — indeed ; antaḥ — nihita — about the contents of the pot ; vayunaḥ — with such knowledge ; śikya — hanging by a swing ; bhāṇḍeṣu — in the pots ; tat — vit — expert in that knowledge, or in full knowledge ; dhvānta — āgāre — in a very dark room ; dhṛta — maṇi — gaṇam — because of being decorated with valuable jewels ; sva — aṅgam — His own body ; artha — pradīpam — is the light required for seeing in darkness ; kāle — after that, in due course of time ; gopyaḥ — the elderly gopīs ; yarhi — as soon as ; gṛha — kṛtyeṣu — in discharging household affairs ; su — vyagra — cittāḥ — are busily engaged .

Translation

“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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"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 pick 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. KB 10.8.30 “If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter and milk in a solitary dark place, your Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma find it in the darkness by the glaring effulgence of the ornaments and jewels on Their bodies. If by chance They cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt, They go to our little babies and pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They go away. If out of fear of these naughty boys we keep our stock of butter and yogurt high on the ceiling, hanging on a swing, although it is beyond Their reach They arrange to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden planks over the grinding machine. And if They cannot reach, They make a hole in the pot. We think therefore that you’d better take all the jeweled ornaments from the bodies of your children.” On hearing this, Yaśodā would say, “All right, I will take all the jewels from Kṛṣṇa so that He cannot see the butter hidden in the darkness.” Then the gopīs would say, “No, no, don’t do this. What good will you do by taking away the jewels? We do not know what kind of boys these are, but even without ornaments They spread some kind of effulgence so that even in darkness They can see everything.” Then Mother Yaśodā would inform them, “All right, keep your butter and yogurt carefully so that They may not reach it.” In reply to this, the gopīs said, “Yes, actually we do so, but because we are sometimes engaged in our household duties, these naughty boys enter our house somehow or other and spoil everything.

Purport

Formerly, in every household, yogurt and butter were kept for use in emergencies. But Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would pile up planks so that They could reach the pots and would then pick holes in the pots with Their hands so that the contents would leak out and They could drink it. This was another means for stealing butter and milk. When the butter and milk were kept in a dark room, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would go there and make the place bright with the valuable jewels on Their bodies. On the whole, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma engaged in stealing butter and milk from the neighborhood houses in many ways.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"Another day he entered another house and not being able to reach the pot, he thought of some method (vidhim racayati). Sometimes he piles up seats, or climbs on a mortar, or on the shoulders of other boys. He knows (vayunah) what is in the pots hung by string from the ceiling (sikabhandesu), just by seeing the exterior. If unable to take the contents, he makes a hole with pole headed with a sharp iron point. He knows all about this work (tadvit): how to put a hole in the pot, how to get the yogurt pouring out, how to open the mouths of the boys and let them take their fill. Even in the dark it is not impossible. In dark rooms their bodies (svangam) and also their jewels act as lamps. Nothing is not known to them." "Why don’t you be more careful?" "When everyone is busy in household affairs, he comes. Though he has a bewitching power for stealing with his soft smile, his baby words, his sweet movements and bodily beauty, he likes to steal on the sly. In order to find out who is there he sends other boys as spies to the gopis’ houses."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“You are speaking something amazing! I want to hear his method of stealing.” He certainly (hi) produces a method for getting it in his hands by using wood planks, mortars and other items, such as climbing on the backs of his friends as described by Bilvamaṅgala in the words pīṭha-niṣaṇṇa-bālaka-gale: placing his feet on the nape of neck of a crouched boy. He climbs on the shoulders of another boy. “But the pot is place very high above him.” He produces a hole in the pot hanging from a rope by using a stick with a long, pointed end. “But from far away it is difficult to make a hole which will pour out the liquid contents. The pot will break.” He knows how to do it (tad-vit). “How does he know which pot among all the pots has the desirable contents?” By seeing the qualities of the pot he knows what is inside (antar-nihita-vayunaḥ). “Why do you not keep the pots in a dark corner?” He lights up the darkness with his limbs. He does not depend on his jewels. He wears the jewels because of anxiety, in case there is some deep darkness that his effulgence cannot penetrate. If he did not wear jewels, there may be small traces of darkness remaining. People think that by putting jewels on the thief you are helping him steal. These rare gems may be stolen by our husbands. They think that he should not wear these ornaments any more. It is astonishing that though he wears invaluable jewels, he steals milk. They then laughed. “If this is true, hide, catch him and bring him here.” It is not possible because he comes when it is not possible to catch him-- when we are busy with household chores. Yarhi repeats the meaning of kale in order to emphasize Kṛṣṇa’s devious ways. Or, “How does he know what is in the pot?” By the characteristics of the pots he can understand. “You are all gossiping. What are you saying? My child is innocent.” He has knowledge of what is held in the pots because of his intelligence. He has knowledge of others’ goods and of time. He is expert in making holes and climbing to inaccessible places. They all laughed because of his power to bewilder them. It should be understood that he was a great thief because he was complete in all qualities.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The method for stealing and eating the butter is described. He climbs on the backs of his friends as described by Bilvamaṅgala in the words pīṭha-niṣaṇṇa-bālaka-gale: placing his feet on the nape of neck of a crouched boy. Hi means certainly. Climbing up they put holes in the pots hanging from the ceiling. Knowing what is in the pots (tadvit), they do this. Or why do they devise these means of stealing? They enjoy the yogurt (tadvit). He does this to eat the yogurt. “Oh, you are lying! It is not possible this small child to know this, since he is pure and simple in intelligence.” He has all knowledge interally (antar-nihita-vayunaḥ). O Yaśodā! Let him steal if he is not able to pay the price. Laughing they say “He has gems on his body.” How is this possible with the women in the house? He does this while the women are busy. He is a great thief.