If we catch a person lying, the natural reaction will be anger. But when Krishna told lies, even His lies had a charm to them, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse.
One day a Gopika comes to Yasoda with a complaint. Her daughter had been wearing a pretty pair of bangles. She had instructed her not to talk to Krishna.
But when the mother was away, Krishna approached the girl and asked whether He could have a look at her bangles. The girl admiring Krishna' good looks, forgot her mother's warning and gave Krishna her bangles. Krishna promptly took the bangles and traded them for jamun fruits. But Yasoda, instead of punishing Krishna, says to the Gopika that she should not have left her daughter alone.
Another Gopika comes with her complaint. She too knew that Krishna was out to steal butter. So she had asked her daughter to have no truck with Krishna.
That morning, the Gopika had poured milk into a pot to boil it, but found that she had no embers to light a fire. So she decided to borrow some embers from her neighbour. But she could not leave the milk unguarded, for fear that Krishna would come and drink it up. So she left her daughter in charge, with the warning that Krishna, seeing her leave, might come to the house and try to steal the milk, and that the girl should, therefore, be careful. The girl assured her mother that she would be careful. But what was supposed to be a quick, purposeful visit turned into a bit extended, for the woman stayed awhile in her neighbour's house, indulging in idle gossip.
This was the opportunity Krishna was waiting for. He sneaked into the house and struck up a conversation with the girl.
Forgetting her mother's words, the girl told Krishna that her mother was at her neighbour's place. Krishna wondered what was keeping the girl's mother so long, and He asked her to go and see what the matter was. And while the girl was away, He drank all the milk. And yet Yasoda doesn't get angry with her son, for even His lies are endearing!
