Shloka 12
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s Forest Games and the Slaying of Pralamba
भ्रमणैर्लङ्घनै: क्षेपैरास्फोटनविकर्षणै: । चिक्रीडतुर्नियुद्धेन काकपक्षधरौ क्वचित् ॥ १२ ॥
bhramaṇair laṅghanaiḥ kṣepair āsphoṭana-vikarṣaṇaiḥ cikrīḍatur niyuddhena kāka-pakṣa-dharau kvacit
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played with their cowherd friends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping, pulling and wrestling; sometimes They even tugged the boys’ topknots.
The ācāryas have explained this verse as follows: The word bhramaṇaiḥ indicates that the boys, pretending they were machines, would sometimes whirl about until they became dizzy. They would also sometimes jump about ( laṅghanaiḥ ). The word kṣepaiḥ indicates that sometimes they would hurl objects like balls or stones and that sometimes they would grab each other by the arms and throw one another about. Āsphoṭana means that sometimes they would slap one another’s shoulders or backs, and vikarṣaṇaiḥ indicates they would drag one another about in the midst of their play. By the word niyuddhena arm wrestling and other types of friendly fighting are indicated, and the word kāka-pakṣa-dharau means that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would sometimes grab the hair on the other boys’ heads in a playful manner.
FAQs
This verse depicts Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma play-wrestling like ordinary boys—spinning, leaping, throwing, striking, and pulling—revealing their sweet, humanlike Vraja pastimes.
Śukadeva highlights the vivid, tangible nature of Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana līlā—how the Supreme Lord lovingly participates in simple village games to delight His devotees.
It encourages remembering God through His approachable, joyful pastimes—cultivating devotion by hearing and reflecting on Kṛṣṇa’s līlā rather than seeing spirituality as dry or distant.