What was the purpose behind the Krishna avatara? The obvious reply would be that the Supreme One came to earth to put an end to the atrocities of Kamsa, Sisupala, and others. It can also be said that He came to save the Pandavas, to show the world that He is ready to be even a messenger and a charioteer for the sake of those who have affection for Him.
But Nammazhvar’s answer to the question is different, for he says that the Supreme One came to earth as Krishna in order to eat butter! That is why He chose to grow up in Gokula, where there were many cows! Nammazhvar describes a scene in Sri Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Narayana, elaborated M.A. Venkatakrishnan, in a discourse. The Lord was being worshipped there, and even as the puja was taking place, sages like Narada arrived there and told Him about the plentiful supply of butter in Gokula. Immediately, in less than a second, the Lord disappeared from Sri Vaikuntha and went off to Gokula in search of the butter!
In the Rama avatara, as a prince, He would never have been allowed to eat so much butter. His diet as a member of a royal family would have been rich and varied. That is why Krishna chose to come to Gokula. Moreover, He chose to come as a child, because the butter thieving He resorted to would never have been tolerated in an adult.
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Vedanta Desika describes Krishna’s dance to show His happiness over the possibility of eating butter. Krishna had folded one leg and with the other foot firmly on the ground He danced, says Desika. The accompaniment was the noise of the curd being churned to get butter.
But why did the Gopikas object to Krishna’s thieving of butter? Krishna was the darling of the Gopikas. They were worried that if He ate so much butter, He would be sick. Krishna’s butter thieving was enjoyed by many poets, and the objections of the Gopikas serve to show the love they had for Him.