234 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

they are very learned and expert, they cannot understand the musical
arrangements of Krsna’s flute. They simply listen attentively and try to
understand, but become bewildered and nothing more.”

Another gopi said, ““My dear friend, when Krsna returns home with His
cows, the footprint of the soles of His feet—with flag, thunderbolt, trident,
and lotus flower—relieves the pain the earth feels when the cows traverse
it. He walks in a stride which is so attractive, and He carries His flute. Just
by looking at Him we become lusty to enjoy His company. At that time,
our movements cease. We become just like trees and stand perfectly still.
We even forget what we look like.”

Krsna had many thousands of cows, and they were divided into groups
according to their colors. They were also differently named according to
color. When He would return from the pasturing ground, He would find
all the cows gathered. As Vaisnavas count 108 beads, which represent the
108 individual gopis, so Krsna would also chant 108 different groups of
cows.

“When Krsna returns, He is garlanded with tulasi leaves,’ a gopi
describes Him to a friend. “He puts His hand on the shoulder of a cowherd
boy friend, and begins to blow His transcendental flute. The wives of the
black deer become enchanted upon hearing the vibration of His flute,
which resembles the vibration of the vind. The deer come to Krsna and
become so charmed that they stand still, forgetting their homes and
husbands. Like us, who are enchanted by the ocean of the transcendental
qualities of Krsna, the she-deer become enchanted by the vibration of His
flute.”

Another gopi told mother Yasgoda, ““My dear mother, when your son
returns home, He decorates Himself with the buds of the kunda flower,
and just to enlighten and gladden His friends, He blows His flute. The
breeze blowing from the south pleases the atmosphere because it is fragrant
and very cool. Demigods like the Gandharvas and Siddhas take advantage
of this atmosphere and offer prayers to Krsna by sounding their bugles
and drums. Krsna is very kind to the inhabitants of Vrajabhtmi, Vrndavana,
and when He returns with His cows and friends, He is remembered as the
lifter of Govardhana Hill. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the most
exalted demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva come down to offer
their evening prayers, and they accompany the cowherd boys in glorifying
the qualities of Krsna.

“Krsna is compared with the moon, born in the ocean of the womb of
Devaki. When He returns in the evening, it appears that He is fatigued, but
He still tries to gladden the inhabitants of Vrndavana by His auspicious
