What can I say? Because of this anger I do not go out to play; again and again they ask me, who is your mother and who is your father?

In these tender lines by the saint-poet Surdas, little Krishna complains to his mother Yashoda with pure, childlike innocence. Upset and hurt, he says that he no longer wants to go out and play because his friends keep teasing him. They repeatedly mock him, asking who his real mother and father are, pointing out that both Yashoda and Nanda are fair-complexioned while Krishna is dark. Hurt by their words, the young boy runs to his mother seeking comfort, reassurance, and love. The verse beautifully captures the sweet anger of a child who finds his only refuge in his mother's embrace.