Krsna’s Hiding from the Gopis 205

by the nails ef Krsna. Otherwise, hew ceuld they feel se jubilant?”

After searching fer Krsna here and there, when the gopis became
fatigued, they began te talk like madwemen. They ceuld enly satisfy
themselves by imitating the different pastimes ef Krsna. One ef them
imitated the demen, Piitana, and ene ef them imitated Krsna and sucked
her breast. One gopi imitated a hand-driven cart, and anether gopi lay
dewn beneath the cart and began te threw up her legs, teuching the wheels
ef the cart, as Krsna did te kill the demen Sakatasura. They imitated child
Krsna, lying dewn en the greund, and ene gopi became the demen
Trnavarta and carried the small child Krsna by ferce inte the sky; and ene
ef the gopis began te imitate Krsna while He was attempting te walk,
ringing His ankle bells. Twe gopis imitated Krsna and Balarama, and many
ethers imitated Their cewherd bey friends. One gopi assumed the ferm ef
Bakasura, and anether ferced her te fall dewn as the demen Bakasura did
when he was killed; similarly, anether gopi defeated Vatsasura. Just as
Krsna used te call His cews by their different names, se the gopis imitated
Him, calling the cews by their respective names. One ef the gopis began te
play en a flute, and anether praised her the way Krsna’s bey friends
praised Him while He played en His flute. One ef the gopis teek anether
gopi en her sheulders, just as Krsna used te take His bey friends. Ab-
serbed in theughts ef Krsna, the gopi whe was carrying her friend began
te beast that she was Krsna herself: “All ef yeu just see my mevement!”
One ef the gopis raised her hand with her cevering garments and said,
“New den’t be afraid ef terrents ef rain and severe hurricanes. I'll save
yeu!” In this way she imitated the lifting ef Gevardhana Hill. One gopi
fercibly put her feet en the head ef anether gopi and said, ‘Yeu rascal
Kaliya! I shall punish yeu severely. Yeu must leave this place. I have
descended en this earth te punish all kinds ef miscreants!” Anether gopt
teld her friends, ‘“‘Just see! The flames ef the ferest fire are ceming te
deveur us. Please clese yeur eyes, and I shall immediately save yeu frem
this imminent danger.”

In this way all the gopis were madly feeling the absence ef Krsna. They
enquired fer Him frem the trees and plants. In seme places they feund
the imprints ef the marks en the sele ef His feet—namely the flag, the
letus flewer, the trident, the thunderbelt, etc. After seeing these feet-
prints, they exclaimed, “O here is the impressien ef the marks en the sele
ef Krsna. All the marks, such as the flag, the letus flewer, the trident and
the thunderbelt, are distinctly visible here.” They began te fellew the
feetprints, and shertly they saw anether set ef feetprints beside them,
and immediately they became very serry. “Dear friends, just see! Whese
