Shloka 19
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s Forest Games and the Slaying of Pralamba
तत्रोपाहूय गोपालान् कृष्ण: प्राह विहारवित् । हे गोपा विहरिष्यामो द्वन्द्वीभूय यथायथम् ॥ १९ ॥
tatropāhūya gopālān kṛṣṇaḥ prāha vihāra-vit he gopā vihariṣyāmo dvandvī-bhūya yathā-yatham
Then Kṛṣṇa, expert in all games, called the cowherd boys together and said, “O gopas! Let us play now; let us divide ourselves into two evenly matched teams.”
The word yathā-yatham means that Kṛṣṇa naturally wanted the two teams to be evenly matched so that there would be a good game. In addition to the pleasure of sporting, the purpose of the game was to kill the demon Pralamba.
FAQs
This verse shows Kṛṣṇa joyfully organizing games with His friends in Vṛndāvana, highlighting His intimate, affectionate līlā in sakhya (friendship) rasa.
Kṛṣṇa, skilled in play, gathers His friends to begin a game arranged in pairs—an expression of His leadership and loving camaraderie with the cowherd boys.
It encourages cultivating simple, pure-hearted relationships centered on Kṛṣṇa, and remembering that devotion can be intimate and joyful—not only formal or austere.