Chapter Seven Vatsa-vatsapāla-haraṇa Kidnapping of the Calves and Cowherd Boys

O king of kings, please listen as I describe other pastimes Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, enjoyed in His kaumara and paugaṇḍa years.

After rescuing the calves and gopas from death in Aghāsura's mouth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to the Yamunā's shore and spoke the following delightful words:

vāyunā tri-vidhākhyena sugandhena sugandhitam madhupa-dhvani-samyuktaṁ kuṣja-druma-latākulam atropaviśya gopālā dinaika-prahare gate bhojanasyāpi samayaṁ tasmāt kuruta bhojanam ahaḥ—Oh; ati-ramyam—very beautiful; pulinam—shore; priyam—favorite; komala—soft; vālukam—sand; śarat—autumn; praphulla—blooming; padmānām—of lotuses; parāgaiḥ—with pollen; paripūritam—filled; vāyunā—by the breeze; tri-vidhākhyena—named trividha; sugandhena—with the fragrance; sugandhitam—scented; madhupa—of bees; dhvani—the sound; samyuktam—with; kuṣja—forest; druma—trees; latā—vines; ākulam—filled; atra—here; upaviśya—entering; gopālā—O gopas; dina—of the day; eka—one; prahare—a period of three hourse; gate—passed; bhojanasya—of lunch; api—also; samayam—the time; tasmāt—from that; kuruta—do; bhojanam—lunch. O gopas, let us go to this beautiful and pleasing riverbank of soft sands, which is flooded with pollen from the lotuses blossoming in autumn, fragrant with a breeze carrying three scents, and filled with trees, vines, and the humming of bees, and, now that three hours have passed and it is time for lunch, let us take our lunch here.

vāyunā tri-vidhākhyena sugandhena sugandhitam madhupa-dhvani-samyuktaṁ kuṣja-druma-latākulam atropaviśya gopālā dinaika-prahare gate bhojanasyāpi samayaṁ tasmāt kuruta bhojanam ahaḥ—Oh; ati-ramyam—very beautiful; pulinam—shore; priyam—favorite; komala—soft; vālukam—sand; śarat—autumn; praphulla—blooming; padmānām—of lotuses; parāgaiḥ—with pollen; paripūritam—filled; vāyunā—by the breeze; tri-vidhākhyena—named trividha; sugandhena—with the fragrance; sugandhitam—scented; madhupa—of bees; dhvani—the sound; samyuktam—with; kuṣja—forest; druma—trees; latā—vines; ākulam—filled; atra—here; upaviśya—entering; gopālā—O gopas; dina—of the day; eka—one; prahare—a period of three hourse; gate—passed; bhojanasya—of lunch; api—also; samayam—the time; tasmāt—from that; kuruta—do; bhojanam—lunch. O gopas, let us go to this beautiful and pleasing riverbank of soft sands, which is flooded with pollen from the lotuses blossoming in autumn, fragrant with a breeze carrying three scents, and filled with trees, vines, and the humming of bees, and, now that three hours have passed and it is time for lunch, let us take our lunch here.

vāyunā tri-vidhākhyena sugandhena sugandhitam madhupa-dhvani-samyuktaṁ kuṣja-druma-latākulam atropaviśya gopālā dinaika-prahare gate bhojanasyāpi samayaṁ tasmāt kuruta bhojanam ahaḥ—Oh; ati-ramyam—very beautiful; pulinam—shore; priyam—favorite; komala—soft; vālukam—sand; śarat—autumn; praphulla—blooming; padmānām—of lotuses; parāgaiḥ—with pollen; paripūritam—filled; vāyunā—by the breeze; tri-vidhākhyena—named trividha; sugandhena—with the fragrance; sugandhitam—scented; madhupa—of bees; dhvani—the sound; samyuktam—with; kuṣja—forest; druma—trees; latā—vines; ākulam—filled; atra—here; upaviśya—entering; gopālā—O gopas; dina—of the day; eka—one; prahare—a period of three hourse; gate—passed; bhojanasya—of lunch; api—also; samayam—the time; tasmāt—from that; kuruta—do; bhojanam—lunch. O gopas, let us go to this beautiful and pleasing riverbank of soft sands, which is flooded with pollen from the lotuses blossoming in autumn, fragrant with a breeze carrying three scents, and filled with trees, vines, and the humming of bees, and, now that three hours have passed and it is time for lunch, let us take our lunch here.

I see that this place with soft sands is a very good place for our lunch. The calves will drink the water here, and then they will go to the new grasses there.

Hearing Kṛṣṇa's words, the boys said, "So be it." They all sat down on the riverbank to take lunch.

Some boys, who had not brought lunch, whispered in Kṛṣṇa's ear:

We did not bring any lunch. With the calves we have come very far from Nanda's village.

Hearing this, Kṛṣṇa said: Dear friends, don't lament. I will carefully give lunch to everyone. All you boys just follow My words.

On Kṛṣṇa's word all the boys assembled around Kṛṣṇa, put down their gopa-ropes, and ate their lunch in Kṛṣṇa's company.

With the gopa boys dressed in garments of many colors, Kṛṣṇa made a royal circle, with Himself, dressed in yellow, in the center.

O king of Videha, surrounded by the gopa boys as Indra is surrounded by the demigods or a lotus whorl is surrounded by many soft petals, Kṛṣṇa shone with great splendor.

Making lunch-trays out of flowers, grass, twigs, leaves, fruit, rocks, rope, or their hands, the boys ate.

Then one boy suddenly gave a morsel to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa ate it, glanced at everyone, and said:

Showing the others, Kṛṣṇa said: Friend, I do not know of anything more delicious than this. The boy said: It is so. Then the boy gave morsels of that food to the others.

Joking and laughing, the boys ate. Then Subala gave a morsel of food to Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa tasted the morsel and laughed. All the boys that tasted that food laughed aloud.

The boys said: O son of Nanda, his bewildered grandmother does not know how to cook. That was not delicious.

Then Śrīdāmā gave a morsel to Kṛṣṇa and the other boys. All the boys of Vraja declared, "This is the best."

Then Varūthapa earnestly gave a morsel to Kṛṣṇa and all the other boys.

śrī-bāla ūcuḥ tādṛśaṁ bhojanaṁ cāsya yādṛśaṁ subalasya vai bhuktvā—eating; tu—indeed; jahasuḥ—laughed; sarve—all; śrī-kṛṣṇādyā—headed by Kṛṣṇa; vrajārbhakāḥ—the boys of Vraja; śrī-bālāḥ ūcuḥ—the boys said; tādṛśam—like that; bhojanam—food; ca—and; asya—of him; yādṛśam—like which; subalasya—of Subala; vai—indeed. When they ate it, Kṛṣṇa and all the boys of Vraja laughed. The boys said, "This is like Subala's food.

"by eating this we have all become very unhappy at heart." In this way each boy showed his lunch to the others.

Laughing and making each other laugh, the boys enjoyed pastimes. Tucked into the cloth about His waist His flute, stick, and horn, . . .

. . . in His left hand a morsel of food, on His fingers pieces of fruit, on His head a crown, over His shoulder a yellow cloth, . . .

. . . on His chest a forest garland, on His hips a belt, on His feet anklets, on His chest a Kaustubha jewel and Śrīvatsa mark, . . .

. . . staying in the midst of the gopas and making them laugh with His joking words as the people of Svargaloka and the other planets gazed with wonder, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the enjoyer of sacrifices, enjoyed many pastimes.

As the boys, for whom Kṛṣṇa was the Lord of their lives, ate, the calves, greedy for more grass, went far away, deep in the forest.

Seeing that the gopas were frightened, Kṛṣṇa said to them, "Don't go. I shall bring the calves here."

Saying this, Kṛṣṇa stood up, took a morsel of food in His hand, and left to search the caves and forests for the calves.

Then the demigod Brahmā, who had already seen the liberation of Aghāsura, came and gazed at Kṛṣṇa happily eating lunch with the boys on the riverbank.

As he gazed at Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā said in his mind, "This must be a gopa. He cannot be Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead. Why would Lord Hari enjoy such wretched food with the gopa boys of Vraja?"

After speaking these words, Brahmā became bewildered by the Lord's illusory potency. O king, he set his heart on seeing the beautiful glories of the Lord.

As he stood in the sky, Brahmā, and who was very surprised to see Aghāsura's liberation, stole all the calves and boys and disappeared. .pa