ekadā - one day; te - they; paśūn - the animals; pālāḥ - the cowherd boys; cārayantaḥ - grazing; adri - of a mountain; sānuṣu - on the sides; cakruḥ - they enacted; nilāyana - of 'stealing and hiding'; krīḍāḥ - games; cora - of thieves; pāla - and protectors; apadeśataḥ - playing the roles.

One day the cowherd boys, while grazing their animals on the mountain slopes, played the game of stealing and hiding, acting out the roles of rival thieves and herders.