Krishna and the Butter Pot — Damodaraदामोदर

The story

In the village of Gokul, little Krishna loved butter more than anything. One morning his mother Yashoda was churning butter and singing about him. Krishna came and wanted milk, so she stopped and fed him. But then she saw the milk boiling over on the stove and ran to save it, leaving Krishna on the floor.

Krishna was cross! He took a stone and broke the butter pot, then ran off with the fresh butter. He climbed onto an upturned mortar and began feeding the butter to the monkeys!

When Yashoda came back and saw the broken pot, she picked up a stick and went to find him. Krishna saw her and ran — but she caught him. "You naughty boy! I will tie you to this mortar," she said.

She took a rope — but it was two fingers too short. She tied on another rope, and another — still two fingers too short! All the ropes in the house were not enough. Yashoda was tired and sweating. Seeing his mother working so hard, Krishna let himself be tied. That is why he is called Damodara — "the one with a rope around his waist (udara)".

Still tied to the heavy mortar, Krishna crawled between two tall trees and pulled it so hard that the trees fell down. Out of them came two gods who had been cursed to stand as trees. They thanked Krishna and went home. When Yashoda saw her little boy safe, she hugged him tight.

What we learn

• God, who is greater than everything, lets himself be "tied" by love.
• Naughtiness has consequences, but a mother's love is always there.
• Even when we are punished, we should love and respect our parents.

A shloka to learn

Questions to talk about

• Why did Krishna break the butter pot?
• Why was the rope always two fingers too short?
• What does the name Damodara mean?
• Have you ever done something naughty? How did you make it right?

Parents and teachers: read the story aloud, then talk about the questions together. Let children retell it in their own words.

Frequently asked questions