Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.18.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesFriendly Play With Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
“Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played with their cowherd boyfriends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping and fighting. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would pull the hair on the boys’ heads.”
What the purport teaches
- The boys sometimes pretended to be machines, whirling about until they became dizzy. They also jumped about.
- They threw balls or stones and sometimes grabbed one another by the arms and tossed one another about. Slapping shoulders or backs and dragging one another were also parts of their play.
- Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma joined in arm wrestling and other friendly fighting. Sometimes They playfully held the hair on the other boys’ heads.
Try this today
Spend one minute remembering one scene of friendly play described in this verse.
Ask yourself
What do these playful details help you notice about the boys’ friendship with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.