PLATE SEVEN
Queen Kuntī was somewhat bewildered by Kṛṣṇa's humanlike pastimes, especially His childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana. For example, the cowherd boys of Vṛndāvana were able to play with Him just as if He were an ordinary human child. Of course, neither they nor Kṛṣṇa were ordinary boys. The great sages who took birth as Kṛṣṇa's friends had spent many, many previous lives performing severe penances and austerities. Thus when Kṛṣṇa appeared in Vṛndāvana, India, some fifty centuries ago they were awarded the greatest possible benediction—the opportunity to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead on an equal level. By Kṛṣṇa's special mercy they did not know that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead; they simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and this was true of everyone in Vṛndāvana at the time of Kṛṣṇa's advent. Kṛṣṇa's father and mother loved Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa's girl friends loved Kṛṣṇa; the trees loved Kṛṣṇa; the water loved Kṛṣṇa; the flowers, the cows, the calves—everyone and everything loved Kṛṣṇa. Not surprisingly, even a great devotee like Queen Kuntī could not fully fathom these wonderful relationships between Kṛṣṇa and His most intimate associates. ( p. 92 )