śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; atha — next; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; parivṛtaḥ — surrounded; jñātibhiḥ — by His companions; mudita-ātmabhiḥ — who were joyful by nature; anugīyamānaḥ — His glories being chanted; nyaviśat — entered; vrajam — Vraja; go-kula — by the herds of cows; maṇḍitam — decorated.

vraje — in Vṛndāvana; vikrīḍatoḥ — while the two of Them were sporting; evam — in this way; gopāla — as cowherd boys; chadma — of the disguise; māyayā — by the illusion; grīṣmaḥ — summer; nāma — thus designated; ṛtuḥ — the season; abhavat — came about; na — not; ati-preyān — very much favored; śarīriṇām — by embodied beings.

saḥ — this (hot season); ca — nevertheless; vṛndāvana — of Śrī Vṛndāvana; guṇaiḥ — by the transcendental qualities; vasantaḥ — springtime; iva — as if; lakṣitaḥ — manifesting symptoms; yatra — in which (Vṛndāvana); āste — remains; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sākṣāt — personally; rāmeṇa saha — together with Lord Balarāma; keśavaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

yatra — in which (Vṛndāvana); nirjhara — of the waterfalls; nirhrāda — by the resounding; nivṛtta — stopped; svana — the sound; jhillikam — of the crickets; śaśvat — constant; tat — of those (waterfalls); śīkara — by the drops of water; ṛjīṣa — moistened; druma — of trees; maṇḍala — with the groups; maṇḍitam — decorated.

sarit — of the rivers; saraḥ — and the lakes; prasravaṇa — (coming into contact with) the currents; ūrmi — and waves; vāyunā — by the wind; kahlāra-kañja-utpala — of the kahlāra, kañja and utpala lotuses; reṇu — the pollen; hāriṇā — which was taking away; na vidyate — there was not; yatra — in which; vana-okasām — for the residents of the forest; davaḥ — tormenting heat; nidāgha — of the summer season; vahni — by forest fires; arka — and the sun; bhavaḥ — generated; ati-śādvale — where there was an abundance of green grass.

agādha — very deep; toya — whose water; hradinī — of the rivers; taṭa — upon the shores; ūrmibhiḥ — by the waves; dravat — liquefied; purīṣyāḥ — whose mud; pulinaiḥ — by the sandy banks; samantataḥ — on all sides; na — not; yatra — upon which; caṇḍa — of the sun; aṁśu-karāḥ — the rays; viṣa — like poison; ulbaṇāḥ — fierce; bhuvaḥ — of the earth; rasam — the juice; śādvalitam — the greenness; ca — and; gṛhṇate — take away.

vanam — the forest; kusumitam — full of flowers; śrīmat — very beautiful; nadat — making sounds; citra — variegated; mṛga — animals; dvijam — and birds; gāyan — singing; mayūra — peacocks; bhramaram — and bees; kūjat — cooing; kokila — cuckoos; sārasam — and cranes.

krīḍiṣyamāṇaḥ — intending to play; tat — that (Vṛndāvana forest); kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bala-saṁyutaḥ — accompanied by Balarāma; veṇum — His flute; viraṇayan — sounding; gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; go-dhanaiḥ — and the cows, who are their wealth; saṁvṛtaḥ — surrounded; aviśat — He entered.

pravāla — newly grown leaves; barha — peacock feathers; stabaka — bunches of small flowers; srak — garlands; dhātu — and colored minerals; kṛta-bhūṣaṇāḥ — wearing as their ornaments; rāma-kṛṣṇa-ādayaḥ — headed by Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; nanṛtuḥ — danced; yuyudhuḥ — fought; jaguḥ — sang.

kṛṣṇasya nṛtyataḥ — while Kṛṣṇa was dancing; kecit — some of them; jaguḥ — sang; kecit — some; avādayan — accompanied musically; veṇu — with flutes; pāṇi-talaiḥ — and hand cymbals; śṛṅgaiḥ — with buffalo horns; praśaśaṁsuḥ — offered praise; atha — and; apare — others.

gopa-jāti — as members of the cowherd community; praticchannāḥ — disguised; devāḥ — demigods; gopāla-rūpiṇau — who had assumed the forms of cowherd boys; īḍire — they worshiped; kṛṣṇa-rāmau — Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāma; ca — and; naṭāḥ — professional dancers; iva — just as; naṭam — another dancer; nṛpa — O King.

bhramaṇaiḥ — with whirling about; laṅghanaiḥ — jumping; kṣepaiḥ — throwing; āsphoṭana — slapping; vikarṣaṇaiḥ — and dragging; cikṛīḍatuḥ — They (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma) played; niyuddhena — with fighting; kāka-pakṣa — the locks of hair on the sides of Their heads; dharau — holding; kvacit — sometimes.

kvacit — sometimes; nṛtyatsu — while they were dancing; ca — and; anyeṣu — others; gāyakau — the two of Them (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma) singing; vādakau — both playing musical instruments; svayam — Themselves; śaśaṁsatuḥ — They praised; mahā-rāja — O great King; sādhu sādhu iti — “very good, very good”; vādinau — speaking.

kvacit — sometimes; bilvaiḥ — with bilva fruits; kvacit — sometimes; kumbhaiḥ — with kumbha fruits; kvaca — and sometimes; āmalaka-muṣṭibhiḥ — with palmfuls of āmalaka fruits; aspṛśya — with games such as tṛying to touch one another; netra-bandha — trying to identify another when one is blindfolded; ādyaiḥ — and so on; kvacit — sometimes; mṛga — like animals; khaga — and birds; īhayā — acting.

kvacit — sometimes; ca — and; dardura — like frogs; plāvaiḥ — with jumping; vividhaiḥ — various; upahāsakaiḥ — with jokes; kadācit — sometimes; syandolikayā — with riding in swings; karhicit — and sometimes; nṛpa-ceṣṭayā — with pretending to be kings.

evam — in this way; tau — the two of Them, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; loka-siddhābhiḥ — which are well known in human society; krīḍābhiḥ — with games; ceratuḥ — They wandered; vane — in the forest; nadī — among the rivers; adri — mountains; droṇi — valleys; kuñjeṣu — and groves; kānaneṣu — in the smaller forests; saraḥsu — along the lakes; ca — and.

paśūn — the animals; cārayatoḥ — while the two of Them were herding; gopaiḥ — along with the cowherd boys; tat-vane — in that forest, Vṛndāvana; rāma-kṛṣṇayoḥ — Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa; gopa-rūpī — assuming the form of a cowherd boy; pralambaḥ — Pralamba; agāt — came; asuraḥ — the demon; tat — Them; jihīrṣayā — with the desire of kidnapping.

tam — him, Pralambāsura; vidvān — knowing quite well; api — even though; dāśārhaḥ — the descendant of Daśārha; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarva-darśanaḥ — the omniscient; anvamodata — accepted; tat — with him; sakhyam — friendship; vadham — the killing; tasya — of him; vicintayan — meditating upon.

tatra — thereupon; upāhūya — calling; gopālān — the cowherd boys; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; prāha — spoke; vihāra-vit — the knower of all sports and games; he gopāḥ — O cowherd boys; vihariṣyāmaḥ — let us play; dvandvī-bhūya — dividing into two groups; yathā-yatham — suitably.

tatra — in that game; cakruḥ — they made; parivṛḍhau — the two leaders; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; rāma-janārdanau — Lord Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa; kṛṣṇa-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ — members of Kṛṣṇa’s party; kecit — some of them; āsan — became; rāmasya — of Balarāma; ca — and; apare — others.

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.

vahantaḥ — carrying; vāhyamānāḥ — being carried; ca — and; cārayantaḥ — tending; ca — also; go-dhanam — the cows; bhāṇḍīrakam nāma — named Bhāṇḍīraka; vaṭam — to the banyan tree; jagmuḥ — they went; kṛṣṇa-puraḥ-gamāḥ — led by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

rāma-saṅghaṭṭinaḥ — the members of Lord Balarāma’s party; yarhi — when; śrīdāma-vṛṣabha-ādayaḥ — Śrīdāmā, Vṛṣabha and others (such as Subala); krīḍāyām — in the games; jayinaḥ — victorious; tān tān — each of them; ūhuḥ — carried; kṛṣṇa-ādayaḥ — Kṛṣṇa and the members of His party; nṛpa — O King.

uvāha — carried; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śrīdāmānam — His devotee and friend Śrīdāmā; parājitaḥ — being defeated; vṛṣabham — Vṛṣabha; bhadrasenaḥ — Bhadrasena; tu — and; pralambaḥ — Pralamba; rohiṇī-sutam — the son of Rohiṇī (Balarāma).

aviṣahyam — invincible; manyamānaḥ — considering; kṛṣṇam — Lord Kṛṣṇa; dānava-puṅgavaḥ — that foremost demon; vahan — carrying; druta-taram — very quickly; prāgāt — he went off; avarohaṇataḥ param — beyond the place marked for climbing down.

tam — Him, Lord Baladeva; udvahan — carrying high; dharaṇi-dhara-indra — like the king of the mountains, Sumeru; gauravam — whose weight; mahā-asuraḥ — the great demon; vigata-rayaḥ — losing his momentum; nijam — his original; vapuḥ — body; saḥ — he; āsthitaḥ — becoming situated in; puraṭa — golden; paricchadaḥ — having ornaments; babhau — he shone; taḍit — like lightning; dyu-mān — flashing; uḍu-pati — the moon; vāṭ — carrying; iva — just as; ambu-daḥ — a cloud.

nirīkṣya — seeing; tat — of Pralambāsura; vapuḥ — the body; alam — quickly; ambare — in the sky; carat — moving; pradīpta — blazing; dṛk — his eyes; bhru-kuṭi — of his frown upon his eyebrows; taṭa — on the edge; ugra — terrible; daṁṣṭrakam — his teeth; jvalat — fiery; śikham — hair; kaṭaka — of his armlets; kirīṭa — crown; kuṇḍala — and earrings; tviṣā — by the effulgence; adbhutam — astonishing; hala-dharaḥ — Lord Balarāma, the carrier of the plow weapon; īṣat — a little; atrasat — became frightened.

atha — then; āgata-smṛtiḥ — remembering Himself; abhayaḥ — without fear; ripum — His enemy; balaḥ — Lord Balarāma; vihāya — leaving aside; sārtham — the company; iva — indeed; harantam — kidnapping; ātmanaḥ — Himself; ruṣā — angrily; ahanat — He struck; śirasi — upon the head; dṛḍhena — hard; muṣṭinā — with His fist; sura-adhipaḥ — the king of the demigods, Indra; girim — a mountain; iva — just as; vajra — of his thunderbolt weapon; raṁhasā — with the swiftness.

saḥ — he, Pralambāsura; āhataḥ — struck; sapadi — at once; viśīrṇa — split; mastakaḥ — his head; mukhāt — from his mouth; vaman — vomiting; rudhiram — blood; apasmṛtaḥ — unconscious; asuraḥ — the demon; mahā-ravam — a great noise; vyasuḥ — lifeless; apatat — he fell; samīrayan — sounding; giriḥ — a mountain; yathā — as; maghavataḥ — of Lord Indra; āyudha — by the weapon; āhataḥ — hit.

dṛṣṭvā — seeing; pralambam — Pralambāsura; nihatam — killed; balena — by Lord Balarāma; bala-śālinā — who is by nature very powerful; gopāḥ — the cowherd boys; su-vismitāḥ — most astonished; āsan — became; sādhu sādhu — “very wonderful, very wonderful”; iti — these words; vādinaḥ — speaking.

āśiṣaḥ — benedictions; abhigṛṇantaḥ — offering profusely; tam — to Him; praśaśaṁsuḥ — they praised; tat-arhaṇam — Him who was worthy of such; pretya — having died; āgatam — come back; iva — as if; ālingya — embracing; prema — out of love; vihvala — overwhelmed; cetasaḥ — their minds.

pāpe — the sinful; pralambe — Pralambāsura; nihate — being killed; devāḥ — the demigods; parama — extremely; nirvṛtāḥ — satisfied; abhyavarṣan — showered; balam — Lord Balarāma; mālyaiḥ — with flower garlands; śaśaṁsuḥ — they offered prayers; sādhu sādhu iti — crying “excellent, excellent.”