मैया मैं नहीं माखन खायो

यह एक अत्यंत मनमोहक भजन है जो बाल कृष्ण की मासूम चंचलता और माखन चोरी की लीला को दर्शाता है। इस भजन में नन्हे कृष्ण अपनी माता यशोदा से कहते हैं कि उन्होंने माखन नहीं खाया। वे सफाई देते हैं कि भोर होते ही उन्हें गायों की देखभाल के लिए मधुबन (वन) में भेज दिया गया था। कृष्ण बताते हैं कि सभी ग्वाल-बाल (ग्वाले के बच्चे) मिलकर बैठे और सारी मिठाइयाँ खा गईं, लेकिन किसी ने झूठा आरोप लगाया कि चोरी उन्होंने की। वे अपनी माँ से विनती करते हैं कि उनके मुख को देखें - उस पर न तो माखन लगा है और न ही कोई दाग-धब्बा है, फिर क्यों उन पर गलत आरोप लगाया जा रहा है। महान संत कवि सूरदास इस भजन के माध्यम से भगवान कृष्ण की दिव्य लीला का गुणगान करते हैं। यह भजन बाल कृष्ण की मासूमियत, चतुराई और माँ-बेटे के बीच के प्यारे रिश्ते को बड़ी खूबसूरती से दर्शाता है। आध्यात्मिक दृष्टि से, यह भजन जीवात्मा और परमात्मा के बीच के खेल को दर्शाता है, जहाँ भगवान अपने भक्तों के साथ मधुर लीलाएं करते हैं।

This is an enchantingly playful bhajan that depicts the innocent mischief of young Lord Krishna and his famous butter-stealing leela (divine play). In this delightful composition, little Krishna tells his mother Yashoda that he did not eat the butter, presenting his case with childlike innocence and clever reasoning. He explains that early in the morning, at the break of dawn, he was sent to the Madhuvana (the sweet forest) to take care of the cows and ensure their well-being, which was his daily responsibility. Krishna narrates that all the cowherd boys (gwal-bal) sat together and collectively ate all the sweets and delicacies, enjoying their feast together. However, someone has falsely and unjustly accused him of stealing, and he questions where this false allegation has come from. With complete innocence, he requests his mother to carefully examine his face - there is absolutely no butter on it, not even a single stain or spot that would indicate he had eaten anything. He wonders why he is being wrongly blamed when there is no evidence against him. The great poet-saint Surdas, who was blind but had divine vision of Krishna's leelas, beautifully captures this conversation and glorifies the Lord's playful nature (leela) through this composition. The bhajan represents multiple layers of meaning: on the surface, it shows the adorable innocence and clever arguments of child Krishna (Bal Krishna); at a deeper level, it illustrates the sweet, loving relationship between mother and child, filled with both affection and playful accusations; and at the highest spiritual level, it symbolizes the soul's playful interaction with the Divine, where God engages in sweet pastimes with devotees to draw them closer. This bhajan reminds devotees that approaching God with childlike innocence and complete surrender brings one closer to experiencing divine love and grace.