Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.18.15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPastimes Full of Joking and Laughter
“They would sometimes jump around like frogs, sometimes play various jokes, sometimes ride in swings and sometimes imitate monarchs.”
What the purport teaches
- The boys sometimes jumped like frogs, played jokes and rode in swings.
- They also pretended to be monarchs. The purport connects this play with a place where people paid a small tax to cross the Yamunā.
- The boys sometimes stopped the young girls of Vṛndāvana there and insisted on a customs duty before they could cross. These activities were full of joking and laughter.
Try this today
Read the verse once more, paying attention to the playful mood of each activity.
Ask yourself
How does the purport’s description of joking and laughter help you understand the boys’ imitation of monarchs?
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.