Tukaram, Poem 1218

The cowherd damsels meet and complain to Yasoda, “There is neither milk nor curds nor ghee left hanging from the peg; he collects the lads and comes in to steal it. He carries it off smartly and eats it before our eyes. This is a trick of Hari’s, a trick of his; keep him away—even if you are not ashamed of him! If we catch him, you and I will have nothing to do with each other; you think it amusing and he enjoys himself. What are you laughing for? Have you gone mad? Shall we follow your example? The lad has misled our girls. How can we tell his naughtiness? We feel ashamed to mention it. He soils his face with dirt and stands with his head covered.” Then says Dasavanti, “Bring him here and we will teach him! He torments everyone at home and abroad; even the watchmen themselves. He gets into the big pot of foaming milk and eats the butter! The maids have met together and tied a noose round his neck; they fasten him to the stone mortar and say, ‘We have caught him; let him be still there.’ But he is no sooner caught than he steals from us. We look at each other and laugh, I in my ways; then Hari lifted up the mortar, and as he broke the two white arjuna trees, Dasavanti was alarmed; she ran in to Tuka’s generous lord and embraced him.”