Shloka 14
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s Forest Games and the Slaying of Pralamba
क्वचिद्बिल्वै: क्वचित्कुम्भै: क्वचामलकमुष्टिभि: । अस्पृश्यनेत्रबन्धाद्यै: क्वचिन्मृगखगेहया ॥ १४ ॥
kvacid bilvaiḥ kvacit kumbhaiḥ kvacāmalaka-muṣṭibhiḥ aspṛśya-netra-bandhādyaiḥ kvacin mṛga-khagehayā
Sometimes the cowherd boys played with bilva or kumbha fruits, and sometimes with handfuls of āmalaka fruits. At other times they played games of touching one another or of identifying someone while blindfolded, and sometimes they imitated animals and birds.
Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī explains that the word ādyaiḥ, “by other such sports,” indicates such games as chasing one another and building bridges. Another pastime would occur at noon, while Lord Kṛṣṇa was taking rest. Nearby, the young cowherd girls would be passing by, singing, and Kṛṣṇa’s boyfriends would pretend to inquire from them about the price of milk. Then the boys would steal yogurt and other items from them and run away. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Their friends would also play games in which they would cross the river in boats.
FAQs
This verse describes Kṛṣṇa and His companions playing simple forest games—using fruits and pots, playing blindfold and ‘don’t touch’ games, and imitating animals and birds—showing His intimate, humanlike sweetness (mādhurya) in Vraja.
Śukadeva narrates Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja-līlā to reveal the Lord’s approachable, affectionate nature and the pure love of His associates, helping listeners like Parīkṣit Mahārāja absorb the mind in bhakti through vivid remembrance.
Cultivate simple, joyful remembrance of Kṛṣṇa—bringing devotion into ordinary moments—by valuing innocence, friendship, and playfulness in a Kṛṣṇa-centered way rather than seeking spirituality only in complexity.