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Chapter 11: The Childhood Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa

Verse 39–40 of 57
SB 10.11.39-40

क्वचिद्वादयतो वेणुं क्षेपणैः क्षिपतः क्वचित् क्वचित्पादैः किंकिणीभिः क्वचित्कृत्रिमगोवृषैः वृषायमाणौ नर्दन्तौ युयुधाते परस्परम् अनुकृत्य रुतैर्जन्तूंश्चेरतुः प्राकृतौ यथा

kvacid vādayato veṇuṁ kṣepaṇaiḥ kṣipataḥ kvacit kvacit pādaiḥ kiṅkiṇībhiḥ kvacit kṛtrima-go-vṛṣaiḥ vṛṣāyamāṇau nardantau yuyudhāte parasparam anukṛtya rutair jantūṁś ceratuḥ prākṛtau yathā

Synonyms

kvacitsometimes; vādayataḥblowing; veṇumon the flute; kṣepaṇaiḥwith a device of rope for throwing; kṣipataḥthrowing stones to get fruit; kvacitsometimes; kvacit pādaiḥsometimes with the legs; kiṅkiṇībhiḥwith the sound of ankle bells; kvacitsometimes; kṛtrima-go-vṛṣaiḥby becoming artificial cows and bulls; vṛṣāyamāṇauimitating the animals; nardantauroaring loudly; yuyudhāteThey both used to fight; parasparamwith one another; anukṛtyaimitating; rutaiḥby resounding; jantūnall the animals; ceratuḥThey used to wander; prākṛtautwo ordinary human children; yathālike..

Translation

Sometimes Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would play on Their flutes, sometimes They would throw ropes and stones devised for getting fruits from the trees, sometimes They would throw only stones, and sometimes, Their ankle bells tinkling, They would play football with fruits like bael and āmalakī. Sometimes They would cover Themselves with blankets and imitate cows and bulls and fight with one another, roaring loudly, and sometimes They would imitate the voices of the animals. In this way They enjoyed sporting, exactly like two ordinary human children.

Purport

Vṛndāvana is full of peacocks. Kūjat-kokila-haṁsa-sārasa-gaṇākīrṇe mayūrākule [Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 5]. The Vṛndāvana forest is always full of cuckoos, ducks, swans, peacocks, cranes and also monkeys, bulls and cows. So Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to imitate the sounds of these animals and enjoy sporting.

Verse 39–40 of 57