Devanagari
आचेरुर्विविधा: क्रीडा वाह्यवाहकलक्षणा: ।
यत्रारोहन्ति जेतारो वहन्ति च पराजिता: ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
ācerur vividhāḥ krīḍā
vāhya-vāhaka-lakṣaṇāḥ
yatrārohanti jetāro
vahanti ca parājitāḥ
Synonyms
āceruḥ
—
they performed
;
vividhāḥ
—
various
;
krīḍāḥ
—
sports
;
vāhya
—
by the carried
;
vāhaka
—
the carrier
;
lakṣaṇāḥ
—
characterized
;
yatra
—
in which
;
ārohanti
—
climb
;
jetāraḥ
—
the winners
;
vahanti
—
carry
;
ca
—
and
;
parājitāḥ
—
the defeated .
Translation
The boys played various games involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers, who would have to carry them.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The boys played various games involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers, who would have to carry them.
KB 10.18.21
The defeated members in duel fighting had to carry the victorious members on their backs, as a horse carries its master.
Purport
Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī quotes the following relevant verse from the
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
(5.9.12):
hariṇākrīḍanaṁ nāma
bāla-krīdaṇakaṁ tataḥ
prakrīḍatā hi te sarve
dvau dvau yugapad utpatan
“They then played the childhood game known as
hariṇākrīḍanam,
in which each boy paired off with an opponent and all the boys simultaneously attacked their respective rivals.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
It was an appearance of play (bahya vahaka). The purpose is described. The person who was found after hiding himself would be the loser and have to carry the victor on his shoulders.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
They played games like hariṇā-krīḍaṇa. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says
hariṇākrīḍanaṁ nāma bālakrīḍanakaṁ tataḥ
prakrīḍatā hi te sarve dvau dvau yugapad utpatan
They then played the children’s game called hariṇākrīḍana. Two at a time would try to reach the goal by leaping like frogs.