Shloka 15
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s Forest Games and the Slaying of Pralamba
क्वचिच्च दर्दुरप्लावैर्विविधैरुपहासकै: । कदाचित् स्यन्दोलिकया कर्हिचिन्नृपचेष्टया ॥ १५ ॥
kvacic ca dardura-plāvair vividhair upahāsakaiḥ kadācit syandolikayā karhicin nṛpa-ceṣṭayā
Sometimes they leaped about like frogs, sometimes they played various joking pranks, sometimes they rode on swings, and sometimes they imitated the ways of kings.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains the word nṛpa-ceṣṭayā as follows: In Vṛndāvana there was a particular place on the riverbank where people who wanted to cross the Yamunā would pay a small tax. At times the cowherd boys would assemble in this area and prevent the young girls of Vṛndāvana from crossing the river, insisting that they had to pay a customs duty first. Such activities were full of joking and laughter.
FAQs
This verse describes the Vraja boys’ playful sports—leaping like frogs, joking, swinging, and even imitating kings—showing the intimate, carefree friendship (sakhya) shared with Kṛṣṇa.
Śukadeva highlights Kṛṣṇa’s Vraja-līlā to reveal the sweetness of devotional intimacy, where the Supreme Lord becomes a friend to His devotees and participates in ordinary village play.
They remind a devotee that bhakti is not only solemn practice but also loving, natural relationship—cultivating simplicity, joy, and affectionate remembrance of Kṛṣṇa in daily life.