Lord Krishna and His Beloved Friend Mansukh
भगवान कृष्ण और उनके प्रिय सखा मनसुख
When Lord Krishna was very young, He used to play with His friends and the Gopis. He had many friends. This is also beautifully mentioned in Gurbani:
“Kawal Nain Madhur Bain, Kot Sen Sang Soh…”
There were countless Gopis and countless friends around Him. Mother Yashoda would lovingly feed Him curd and butter.
Today, as we remember our beloved Bal Gopal, He who is Govind and Gopal, our attention goes toward one particular friend of His.
Who was that friend?
His name was Mansukh.
Mansukh was also a small child, just like Lord Krishna.
One day, Krishna saw His friend sitting quietly and looking sad. He thought, “Why is he sitting here so quietly?”
Lord Krishna loved talking to Mansukh because Mansukh was very innocent. There was no cleverness or cunningness in him. He was simple and pure.
And God loves those who are simple and innocent.
If you become truly simple and innocent, God Himself will come to meet you. You will not have to search for Him. God will see your heart, your simplicity, and your innocence—and He will come to you.
You only need to leave behind cleverness and complications.
Just become simple:
“Lord, I am just as I am. I am Your devotee. I am Your little servant.”
Seeing His friend sad, Lord Krishna felt compassion and love for him. He walked over and sat beside Mansukh.
In the language of Braj, they would lovingly speak to each other as “ Lalla “.
Krishna said,
“Lalla, you look sad. What happened? Why are you unhappy?”
Although Krishna Himself was just a little child, He lovingly placed His hand under Mansukh’s chin, looked into his eyes, and asked,
“Mansukh, Lalla, are you crying? Are you sad? What happened to my friend?”
Mansukh was sitting there with his head lowered, crying.
He said,
“Kanha, shall I tell you the truth? My mother is very poor. We don't have butter in our house like you do. I also feel like eating butter just like you.”
“In your house, Nand Baba is the head of the village. Mother Yashoda brings so many pots full of butter. You get plenty of butter to eat.”
“But I have never had butter. I have been longing to taste it.”
“Today, I told my mother, ‘Mother, I also want to eat butter like Kanha.’”
“My mother hugged me and started crying too. She said, ‘My son, God has made us the way we are, and we should be happy with whatever He has given us.’”
“‘If there is no butter in our house, then there is no butter. It is all right. When God gives it to us, we will have it.’”
“Then my mother told me to go outside and play.”
“But I felt sad from inside.”
“I wondered, why does God give some people plenty of butter to eat, while He does not give me any?”
And now, the Lord Himself was sitting right in front of him—the very God whom Mansukh was questioning was sitting right there in front of him, listening to everything.
Lord Krishna held both of His friend's hands in His own hands. He looked into Mansukh's eyes and lovingly said,
“Do not worry. From today, you will not worry anymore. I will bring butter for you.”
“Kanha promises you today—I will bring butter for you. You don't have to worry. You will not cry anymore.”
But Mansukh was so innocent that he immediately became worried about Krishna.
He said,
“If you bring butter from Mother Yashoda, she will scold you. I will also get scolded. My mother may even complain, and she may beat me too.”
“Kanha, don't do this. I don't want butter that you take from your house.”
Krishna sat there thinking.
Then He said,
“All right. I have given you my word.”
“From wherever I have to bring it, I will bring it for you.”
And this is where Lord Krishna became the Butter Thief- Makhan Choor.
But do you know something?
Krishna did not need to steal butter for Himself.
He became a butter thief for His friend.
Whenever He saw pots of butter, He would go there, steal the butter, call Mansukh, and lovingly feed him.
He would sit with him and say,
“Come, eat. Eat this butter and mishri.”
Many people do not know that Lord Krishna did not steal butter for Himself.
He stole it for His friend, His beloved companion, Mansukh.
This is the love of God.
God does not come into this world for Himself. He comes for the welfare of others.
“Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah” — May everyone be happy.
And as the teaching says:
“God is beyond birth and death; He comes for the welfare of humanity.”
The story of Krishna and Mansukh reminds us that God looks beyond our possessions, status, and circumstances. He sees the simplicity of the heart.
Where there is innocence, love, and complete simplicity, there is a place for Divine grace.