Killing of Dhenukāsura
117
by the hind legs and, exactly in the same way, wheel them around. Thus They killed all of them by throwing them into the palm trees. Because of the dead bodies of the asses, there was a panoramic scene. It appeared as if clouds of various colors were assembled in the trees. Hearing of this great incident, the demigods from the higher planets began to shower flowers on Krṣṇa and Balarāma and began to beat their drums and offer devotional prayers.
A few days after the killing of Dhenukāsura, people began to come into the Tālavana forest to collect the fruits, and animals began to return without fear to feed on the nice grasses grown there. Just by chanting or hearing these transcendental activities and pastimes of the brothers Krṣṇa and Balarāma, one can amass pious activities.
When Krṣṇa, Balarāma and Their friends entered the village of Vṛndāvana, They played Their flutes, and the boys praised Their uncommon activities in the forest. Their faces were decorated with  tilaka  and smeared with the dust raised by the cows, and Krṣṇa's head was decorated with a peacock feather. Both He and Balarāma played Their flutes, and the young  gopīs  were joyous to see Krṣṇa returning home. All the  gopīs  in Vṛndāvana remained very morose on account of Krṣṇa's absence. All day they were thinking of Krṣṇa in the forest or of Him herding cows in the pasture. When they saw Krṣṇa returning, all their anxieties were immediately relieved, and they began to look at His face the way drones hover over the honey of the lotus flower. When Krṣṇa entered the village, the young  gopīs  smiled and laughed. Krṣṇa, while playing the flute, enjoyed the beautiful smiling faces of the  gopīs .
Then Krṣṇa and Balarāma were immediately received by Their affectionate mothers, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī, and, according to the time's demands, they began to fulfill the desires of their affectionate sons. Simultaneously, the mothers rendered service and bestowed benediction upon their transcendental sons. They very nicely took care of their children by bathing and dressing Them. Krṣṇa was dressed in bluish garments, and Balarāma was dressed in yellowish garments, and They were given all sorts of ornaments and flower garlands. Being relieved of the fatigue of Their day's work in the pasturing ground, They looked refreshed and very beautiful.
They were given palatable dishes by Their mothers, and They pleasantly ate everything. After eating, They were seated nicely on clean bedding, and the mothers began to sing various songs of Their activities. As soon as They sat down on the bedding, They very quickly fell fast asleep. In this way, Krṣṇa and Balarāma used to enjoy Vṛndāvana life as cowherd boys.
Sometimes Krṣṇa used to go with His boy friends and with Balarāma,