252 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Narada had told Kamsa all about Krsna’s being transferred from Mathura
to Vrndavana just after His birth and about His killing all the demons sent
by Kamsa. Akrira then explained to Krsna the purpose of his coming to
Vrndavana: to take him back to Mathura. After hearing of these arrange-
ments, Balarama and Krsna, who are very expert in killing opponents,
mildly laughed at the plans of Kamsa.

They asked Nanda Maharaja to invite all the cowherd boys to go to
Mathura to participate in the ceremony known as Dhanur-yajia. Karsa
wanted them all to go there to participate in the function. On Krsna’s
word, Nanda Maharaja at once called for the cowherd boys and asked
them to collect all kinds of milk preparations and milk to present in the
ceremony. He also sent instructions to the police chief of Vrndavana to
tell all the inhabitants about Kamsa’s great Dhanur-yajiia function and
invite them to join. Nanda Maharaja informed the cowherd boys that they
would start the next morning. They therefore arranged for the cows and
bulls to carry them all to Mathura.

When the gopis saw that Akrira had come to take Krsna and Balarama
away to Mathura, they became overwhelmed with anxiety. Some of them
became so aggrieved that their faces turned black, and they began to
breathe warmly and had palpitations of the heart. They discovered that
their hair and dress immediately loosened. Hearing the news that Krsna
and Balarama were leaving for Mathura, others who were engaged in
household duties stopped working as if they had forgotten everything, like
a person who is called forth to die and leave this world at once. Others
immediately fainted due to separation from Krsna. Remembering His
attractive smile and His talks with them, the gopis became overwhelmed
with grief. They all remembered the characteristics of the Personality of
Godhead, how He moved within the area of Vrndavana and how, with
joking words, He attracted all their hearts. Thinking of Krsna and of their
imminent separation from Him, the gopis assembled together with heavy
beating hearts. Completely absorbed in thought of Krsna, tears fell from
their eyes. They began to converse as follows.

‘O Providence, you are so cruel! It appears that you do not know how
to show mercy to others. By your arrangement, friends contact one
another, but without fulfilling their desires you separate them. This is
exactly like children’s play that has no meaning. It is very abominable that
you arrange to show us beautiful Krsna, whose bluish curling hair beautifies
His broad forehead and sharp nose, who is always smiling to minimize all
contention in this material world, and then arrange to separate Him from
us. O Providence, You are so cruel! But most astonishingly You appear now
