Kṛṣṇa goes house to house throughout Śrī Vraja Maṇḍala checking the love of the Vrajabasis. He taunts, teases, disturbs, plays naughty tricks, and does everything He can to test the limits of their love. When He sees that their love is boundless and can never falter or be shaken by anything, He becomes extremely pleased. This is the real nature of pure love. In Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇi, prema, pure love is defined as follows:
sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ yadyapi dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ sa premā parikīrtitaḥ
When the affectionate bond between lover and beloved can never be destroyed, even when there is every cause for its destruction, but instead of breaking it becomes unlimitedly newer and more relishable, such an attachment is called prema - pure transcendental love.
One morning, similar to many other mornings, Kṛṣṇa is caught red-handed by one of the Motherly Vraja Gopis while eating and distributing their sweets and butter. She asks Gopala, “Why do you steal laddos from my house, if you are hungry I will give you many laddos.” Kṛṣṇa said, “I am not a beggar, my father is the king of Vraja, my mother gives so much charity, why will I take your laddos?” The gopi says, “Why are you a thief then?” Kṛṣṇa says, “You are a thief, everything is God’s property, you are stealing and acquiring God’s property, I don’t steal anything for I know everything is God’s property, if I take anything and distribute it, this isn’t my bad activity, this is good, God is pleased when people are open-hearted and freely distribute all of His gifts. It is your bad nature to hide everything, who gave everything to you anyway?” The gopi said, “You are a very small boy, but your mentality is very high!” Kṛṣṇa said, “How long will you stay in this world? Did you create the milk or butter? This is from my family's cows. The cows eat grass and make milk for their calves. Why do you steal all the milk from the calves and hid it away for yourself, it should be given to everyone?” The gopi said, “Well, why did you come to my house?” Kṛṣṇa said, “This isn’t your house, this is my house, am I not your son? I am here with you and everyone else because this is my house. Do you not want me to come?” “No, come, but why don’t you simply ask for some food to eat.” Kṛṣṇa said, “I’m not your servant, this is my house, I’ll take as I like, what is my fault?” Thus Kṛṣṇa argued with the Vraja Devis bestowing us very nectarean instructions. In the early morning, the Vrajabasis drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s playful pastimes. In the early morning, Yasoda Mata sees Kṛṣṇa sleeping and covers Him with a shawl. But Kṛṣṇa has left a dummy of Himself and really slipped out and run to a far off village, there a poor gopi from a low caste had made many sweets all night and was waiting for Kṛṣṇa to come and steal them. Kṛṣṇa went with many sakhas and monkeys. Kṛṣṇa said, “Last night this gopi made many preparations, she has been waiting all night for us to come. Now, in the early morning, she has fallen asleep with her family.” Kṛṣṇa and the sakhas entered the house and ate everything, then they put one ladoo in the gopi's open mouth. She thought she was dreaming and Kṛṣṇa had put a ladoo in her mouth in the dream. Kṛṣṇa gave her some water to drink and then Kṛṣṇa gave some butter, halava and other sweets in and around her mouth. Kṛṣṇa and the sakhas ate many things and then they all left. When the mother-in-law, father in law and all the relatives came and saw that their son’s wife and eaten all halava, butter and ladoos, and that her cloth, hands, mouth, and face had signs of food all over. They said, “How is this gopi’s nature!?! First She made everything and then ate it all herself?” They shook her, she awoke and they were all loudly shouting at her. The gopi woke and saw, “Where has everything gone?” She could only remember Kṛṣṇa feeding her, and she had lost all other memory. “Why has this lady gone mad?” They were surprised and called Bhagavati Purnamasi. They told Purnamasi, “Perhaps last night one ghost came inside her.” Purnamasi said, “No. A demigod came, her heart is very clean; therefore the demigods accepted everything she offered.” “But her mouth has food in it and all her cloth has food scraps also, she ate everything.” The gopi said, “I saw a dream where someone gave me food in my mouth.” Kṛṣṇa goes here and there to all the houses of the Vrajabasis in the early morning. Afterward, they all come and complain about Kṛṣṇa to Yasoda Mata, but she looks and sees Kṛṣṇa sleeping in bed. Yasoda Mata says, “My son is still sleeping.” After, Kṛṣṇa rises and comes out rubbing His eyes. Why does Kṛṣṇa do this tricky business? All the Vrajabasis hearts have a place for only Kṛṣṇa, therefore, Kṛṣṇa goes everywhere to taste their love for Him. All the different Vrajabasis think, “How will Kṛṣṇa be my Beloved, my Son, my Friend.” All the children, animals, old and young gopas and gopis only think of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes the boys collect fruits for Kṛṣṇa, and the old men find and give various gifts to Kṛṣṇa. The mothers and Vraja devis cook something special and all think, “I will give this to Kṛṣṇa.” All the Vrajabasis are appointed to Kṛṣṇa while eating, sleeping, walking, or doing anything. Kṛṣṇa goes to their houses in the early morning during Brahma Muhurta. At that time all hearts are clean and fresh preparations have been prepared at night and the Vrajabasis are thinking, “Will Kṛṣṇa come?” They think, “I will go to Nandagram and give sweets to Kṛṣṇa.” But Kṛṣṇa says, “I won’t take one or two pieces, I will take everything, why will you carry and bring it here, I will come and take it myself.” In the darkness of the early morning, Kṛṣṇa goes and hides inside the houses, closes the gates, turns off all the ghee lamps, and smells where the sweets are hidden. He takes from there, collects them, eats, distributes, and for those who are sleeping, Kṛṣṇa puts four laddoos, butter, bananas, and other sweets by their heads, hands, Kṛṣṇa serves them and comes back. Thinking, “You cooked so nicely, I won’t take it alone.” When they wake, they look, “Who distributed this, how did they know where we hid it?” Kṛṣṇa distributes to all the cows, calves, animals and family members, He eats some and leaves some spread around the house. If he goes and doesn’t find anything then He will break the clay pots and other things. He will lock the Vrajabasis inside their rooms. This is His nature, He is very tricky and naughty but talks very sweetly. When one of the mothers catches Kṛṣṇa and says, “Why do you come to my house and disturb and destroy everything?” Kṛṣṇa says, “Are you my mother?” “Yes.” “Then why are you chastising me? You are my mother, your heart must be black and dirty and therefore my nature is like this also.” Then she forgets everything and says, “Okay, come and take, I will give you sweets with my own hand.” Kṛṣṇa says, “NO, then you will go and complain to Yasoda, your heart is only full of complaints. If your heart is clean, tomorrow then I will come and take from you.” The gopis says, “Naughty boy, you are very small, but your brain is very big.” If a gopi has some playful pastime with Kṛṣṇa then she will remember it daily at all times. If Kṛṣṇa doesn’t come to their house for some time, they think, “Where did He go? Why isn’t He coming?” If they hear that Kṛṣṇa went to a distant house, they will all run there, surround the house, and guard all four sides. Then they will catch Kṛṣṇa and embrace and kiss Him. Kṛṣṇa says, “You called me here.” Then Kṛṣṇa sits and hides inside the cloth of the mothers. She smiles and says, “Go!” “No, you like me, I’m your son.” Then she cries, “How do you understand my heart?” Kṛṣṇa says, “I like you, you are my mother.” Kṛṣṇa distributes this love.