196 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

embrace Him and kiss Him, and when Krsna began te receive them very
efficially, shewing all kinds ef etiquette, they were surprised. He was
treating them as erdinary seciety wemen. Therefere they began te smile
ameng themselves, and they very eagerly listened te Krsna talk in that way.
When He saw that they were smiling at Him, He said, “My dear friends,
yeu must knew new that it is the dead ef night, and the ferest is very
dangereus. At this time all the ferecieus jungle animals, the tigers, bears,
jackals and welves, are prewling in the ferest. Therefere it is very dangereus
fer yeu. Yeu cannet select a secure place new. Everywhere yeu ge yeu
will find that all these animals are leitering te find their prey. I think,
therefere, that yeu are taking a great risk in ceming here in the dead ef
night. Please turn back immediately, witheut delay.”

When He saw that they centinued te smile, He said, “I very much
appreciate yeur bedily features. All ef yeu have nice, very thin waists.”
All ef the gopis there were exquisitely beautiful. They are described by
the werd sumadhyama; the standard ef beauty ef a weman is said te be
sumadhyamda when the middle pertien ef the bedy is slender.

Krsna wanted te impress en them that they were net eld eneugh te take
care ef themselves. Actually, they required pretectien. It was net very
wise fer them te ceme in the dead ef night te Krsna. Krsna alse indicated
that He was yeung and that they were yeung girls. “It dees net leek very
well fer yeung girls and beys te remain tegether in the dead ef night.”
After hearing this advice, the gopis did net seem very happy; therefere
Krsna began te stress the peint in a different way.

“My dear friends, I can understand that yeu have left yeur hemes
witheut the permissien ef yeur guardians; therefere I think yeur methers,
yeur fathers, yeur elderly brethers er even yeur sens, and what te speak
ef yeur husbands, must be very anxieus te find yeu. As leng as yeu are
here, they must be searching in different places, and their minds must be
very agitated. Se den’t tarry. Please ge back and make them peaceful.”

When the gopis appeared te be a little bit disturbed and angry frem the
free advice ef Krsna, they diverted their attentien te leeking at the beauty
ef the ferest. At that time the whele ferest was illuminated by the bright
shining ef the meen, and the air was blewing very silently ever the
bleeming flewers, and the green leaves ef the trees were meving in the
breeze. Krsna teek the eppertunity ef their leeking at the ferest te advise
them. “I think yeu have ceme eut te see the beautiful Vrndavana ferest
en this night,” He said, “but yeu must new be satisfied. Se return te yeur
hemes witheut delay. I understand that yeu are all very chaste wemen, se
new that yeu have seen the beautiful atmesphere ef the Vrndavana ferests,
