Text* 1: Ĺukadeva GosvÄmÄŤ said: Surrounded by His blissful companions, who constantly chanted His glories, ĹrÄŤ KášášŁáša then entered the village of Vraja, which was decorated with herds of cows.
Text 2: While KášášŁáša and BalarÄma were thus enjoying life in VášndÄvana in the guise of ordinary cowherd boys, the summer season gradually appeared. This season is not very pleasing to embodied souls.
Text* 3: Nevertheless, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was personally staying in VášndÄvana along with BalarÄma, summer manifested the qualities of spring. Such are the features of the land of VášndÄvana.
Text 4: In VášndÄvana, the loud sound of waterfalls covered the cricketsâ noise, and clusters of trees constantly moistened by spray from those waterfalls beautified the entire area.
Text* 5: The wind wafting over the waves of the lakes and flowing rivers carried away the pollen of many varieties of lotuses and water lilies and then cooled the entire VášndÄvana area. Thus the residents there did not suffer from the heat generated by the blazing summer sun and seasonal forest fires. Indeed, VášndÄvana was abundant with fresh green grass.
Text* 6: With their flowing waves the deep rivers drenched their banks, making them damp and muddy. Thus the rays of the sun, which were as fierce as poison, could not evaporate the earthâs sap or parch its green grass.
Text* 7: Flowers beautifully decorated the forest of VášndÄvana, and many varieties of animals and birds filled it with sound. The peacocks and bees sang, and the cuckoos and cranes cooed.
Text* 8: Intending to engage in pastimes, Lord KášášŁáša, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accompanied by Lord BalarÄma and surrounded by the cowherd boys and the cows, entered the forest of VášndÄvana as He played His flute.
Text* 9: Decorating themselves with newly grown leaves, along with peacock feathers, garlands, clusters of flower buds, and colored minerals, BalarÄma, KášášŁáša and Their cowherd friends danced, wrestled and sang.
Text 10: As KášášŁáša danced, some of the boys accompanied Him by singing, and others by playing flutes, hand cymbals and buffalo horns, while still others praised His dancing.
Text* 11: O King, demigods disguised themselves as members of the cowherd community and, just as dramatic dancers praise another dancer, worshiped KášášŁáša and BalarÄma, who were also appearing as cowherd boys.
Text 12: KášášŁáša and BalarÄma played with their cowherd boyfriends by whirling about, leaping, hurling, slapping and fighting. Sometimes KášášŁáša and BalarÄma would pull the hair on the boysâ heads.
Text* 13: While the other boys were dancing, O King, KášášŁáša and BalarÄma would sometimes accompany them with song and instrumental music, and sometimes the two Lords would praise the boys, saying, âVery good! Very good!â
Text 14: Sometimes the cowherd boys would play with bilva or kumbha fruits, and sometimes with handfuls of Ämalaka fruits. At other times they would play the games of trying to touch one another or of trying to identify somebody while one is blindfolded, and sometimes they would imitate animals and birds.
Text 15: They would sometimes jump around like frogs, sometimes play various jokes, sometimes ride in swings and sometimes imitate monarchs.
Text* 16: In this way KášášŁáša and BalarÄma played all sorts of well-known games as They wandered among the rivers, hills, valleys, bushes, trees and lakes of VášndÄvana.
Text 17: While RÄma, KášášŁáša and Their cowherd friends were thus tending the cows in that VášndÄvana forest, the demon Pralamba entered their midst. He had assumed the form of a cowherd boy with the intention of kidnapping KášášŁáša and BalarÄma.
Text* 18: Since the Supreme Lord KášášŁáša, who had appeared in the DaĹÄrha dynasty, sees everything, He understood who the demon was. Still, the Lord pretended to accept the demon as a friend, while at the same time seriously considering how to kill him.
Text 19: KášášŁáša, who knows all sports and games, then called together the cowherd boys and spoke as follows: âHey cowherd boys! Letâs play now! Weâll divide ourselves into two even teams.â
Text* 20: The cowherd boys chose KášášŁáša and BalarÄma as the leaders of the two parties. Some of the boys were on KášášŁášaâs side, and others joined BalarÄma.
Text 21: The boys played various games involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers, who would have to carry them.
Text 22: Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time tending the cows, the boys followed KášášŁáša to a banyan tree known as BhÄášá¸ÄŤraka.
Text* 23: My dear King ParÄŤkᚣit, when ĹrÄŤdÄmÄ, VášášŁabha and the other members of Lord BalarÄmaâs party were victorious in these games, KášášŁáša and His followers had to carry them.
Text 24: Defeated, the Supreme Lord KášášŁáša carried ĹrÄŤdÄmÄ. Bhadrasena carried VášášŁabha, and Pralamba carried BalarÄma, the son of RohiášÄŤ.
Text 25: Considering Lord KášášŁáša invincible, that foremost demon [Pralamba] quickly carried BalarÄma far beyond the spot where he was supposed to put his passenger down.
Text 26: As the great demon carried BalarÄma, the Lord became as heavy as massive Mount Sumeru, and Pralamba had to slow down. He then resumed his actual form â an effulgent body that was covered with golden ornaments and that resembled a cloud flashing with lightning and carrying the moon.
Text 27: When Lord BalarÄma, who carries the plow weapon, saw the gigantic body of the demon as he moved swiftly in the sky â with his blazing eyes, fiery hair, terrible teeth reaching toward his scowling brows, and an amazing effulgence generated by his armlets, crown and earrings â the Lord seemed to become a little frightened.
Text 28: Remembering the actual situation, the fearless BalarÄma understood that the demon was tášying to kidnap Him and take Him away from His companions. The Lord then became furious and struck the demonâs head with His hard fist, just as Indra, the king of the demigods, strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt weapon.
Text* 29: Thus smashed by BalarÄmaâs fist, Pralambaâs head immediately cracked open. The demon vomited blood from his mouth and lost all consciousness, and then with a great noise he fell lifeless on the ground, like a mountain devastated by Indra.
Text* 30: The cowherd boys were most astonished to see how the powerful BalarÄma had killed the demon Pralamba, and they exclaimed, âExcellent! Excellent!â
Text* 31: They offered BalarÄma profuse benedictions and then glorified Him, who deserves all glorification. Their minds overwhelmed with ecstatic love, they embraced Him as if He had come back from the dead.
Text 32: The sinful Pralamba having been killed, the demigods felt extremely happy, and they showered flower garlands upon Lord BalarÄma and praised the excellence of His deed.