evaḿ kukudminaḿ hatvā
stūyamānaḥ dvijātibhiḥ
viveśa goṣṭhaḿ sa-balo
gopīnāḿ nayanotsavaḥ
evam -- thus; kukudminam -- the humped (bull demon); hatva -- killing; stuyamanah -- being praised; dvijatibhih -- by the brahmanas; vivesa -- He entered; goshtham -- the cowherd village; sa-balah -- together with Lord Balarama; gopinam -- of the gopis; nayana -- for the eyes; utsavah -- who is a festival.
Having thus killed the bull demon Arishta, He who is a festival for the gopis' eyes entered the cowherd village with Balarama.
This verse exemplifies the sublime contrast of spiritual qualities within Sri Krishna. In one four-line verse we simultaneously learn that Lord Krishna killed a powerful and wicked demon and that His boyish beauty gave festive pleasure to His young girlfriends. Lord Krishna is as hard as a thunderbolt or as soft as a rose, depending on our attitude toward Him. The demon Arishta wanted to kill Krishna and all His friends, so the Lord beat him into a wet rag and killed him. The gopis, however, loved Krishna, and thus the Lord boyishly reciprocated their conjugal feelings.
