S'rî S'uka said: 'Whenever Krishna had left for the forest, the gopîs, unhappy chasing Him in their mind, passed their days singing loudly about Krishna's pastimes.
(2-3) The gopîs said [in double verses]: 'With His left cheek put to His left arm He, oh gopîs, with His eyebrows moving, places the flute at His lips, while stopping the holes with His tender fingers. Where Mukunda thus sounds His flute, the women travel the sky together with the Siddhas. Embarrassed about the desires pursued by their minds, they listen in amazement and forget the sadness they felt, as also their girdles. (4-5) Oh girls, listen how wonderfully Nanda's son, the giver of joy to people in trouble, He with His brilliant smile and fixed streak of lightning [the S'rîvatsa or the goddess] on His chest, sounds His flute. Groups of bulls kept in the pasture, deer and cows, with their ears pricked up at a distance, with their mouths filled, stop chewing and, transfixed by His play, dreaming, stand frozen as if it concerned a drawn picture. (6-7) When Mukunda dear gopîs, looking like a wrestler with an arrangement of [peacock] feathers, [mineral] colors and leaves, together with Balarâma and the gopas, calls for the cows, the flow of the rivers is interrupted. The rivers, just like us lacking in piety, trembling out of love, with their arms of water stand perplexed, while hankering for the dust of His lotus feet that is transported by the wind. (8-9) When He, moving around in the forest and on the hillsides, as the Original Person with His flute calls for the cows and He, for His prowess and inexhaustible opulences, by His company extensively is praised in every way, the creepers and the trees, heavy with flowers and fruits, bend over all by themselves. As if they wanted to reveal Vishnu present within them, they in their love rain down torrents of sweet sap, while the growths on their bodies stand on end in ecstatic love. (10-11) The very moment He, as the most attractive one to behold, raises His flute, with respect for the desirable song of the strongly humming swarm of bees around His divine garland which is intoxicated by the honey sweet [subtle] fragrance of the tulsî flowers, oh then, the cranes, swans and other birds in the lake, with their minds seized by the charm of the song, come forward to pay Him homage with their eyes closed, keeping silent with their minds under control. (12-13) Oh Vraja devîs, when He, being together with Balarâma, for fun wears a garland on His head, and He at the mountain side gives happiness vibrating on His flute and makes the whole world delightfully enjoy, the deck of clouds, afraid to offend such a great personality, in return most gentle minded, thundering and raining flowers upon his Friend, offers its shade as a parasol. (14-15) Oh pious lady [Yas'odâ], when your son, who is an expert in different cowherd matters and a genius in the different styles of playing, places His flute to His bimba-red lips to produce the harmonious sounds of His music, the masters of spiritual authority like Indra, S'iva and Brahmâ, who hear that tonal variety, with their minds confounded bow their heads because they cannot fathom its essence. (16-17) When He plays His famous flute and, moving with the grace of an elephant, with His flower petal lotus feet marks the soil of Vraja with the different symbols of the flag, thunderbolt, lotus and elephant goad, He with His body relieves the earth from the distress caused by the hooves [of the cows]. As He walks [by] and bestows His playful glances, we get excited in our amorous feelings and stand transfixed like trees, in our bewilderment not knowing anymore [what the condition would be of] our dresses and braids.(18-19) At times, when He, with the garland around His neck smelling of the by Him favored tulsî, counts the cows on a string of colored beads and then, throwing His arm over the shoulder of a loving companion, sings, the wives of the black deer, the doe - just like the gopîs who gave up their civil aspirations -, approach that ocean of transcendental qualities to sit at His side with their hearts stolen by the sound produced by Krishna's flute. (20-21) Oh sinless lady, your darling child, the son of Nanda, is now, with His attire ornamented with a garland of jasmine flowers and surrounded by the gopas and the cows, having fun playing with His companions along the Yamunâ. The wind gently blowing in His favor, honors Him there with a touch of sandalwood scent, while the lesser divinities [the Upadevas] surrounding Him present Him gifts and offer praise with instrumental music and songs. (22-23) Taking care of the cows of Vraja and at His feet being worshiped as the lifter of the mountain [see 10.25] He, at the end of the day, collected the herd of cows. Playing His flute with His companions, He on His way was everywhere worshiped by all adults [and demigods]. This moon, born from the womb of Devakî, who came with the wish to fulfill the desires of His friends, was, even when He was tired and His garland was colored by the dust raised by the hooves, a feast for the eyes. (24-25) He greets His well-wishing friends while slightly rolling His eyes as if He is intoxicated. With His garland of forest flowers, with His face paled like a jujube plum [a badara], with the soft line of His cheeks and with the beauty of the golden earrings adorning Him, He is the Lord of the Yadus, the Lord sporting just like the lord of the elephants. His joyful face is like the moon, the lord of the night, who at the end of the day dispels the miserable heat of the cows [and the gopîs] of Vraja.'
(26) S'rî S'uka said: 'Oh King, the women of Vraja, with their hearts and minds absorbed in Him, thus enjoyed their days, highly spirited singing about Krishna's pastimes.'
