Fraternal Devotion 331

to accompany Him to the pasturing grounds. In the meantime, Krsna
would be dressed by Mother Yagoda, and when she would see a boy
standing at the door, she would call him: “Well, Visala, why are you
standing there? Come here!” So with the permission of Mother
Yasoda, he would immediately enter the house. And while Mother
Yagoda was dressing Krsna, he would try to help put on Krsna’s
ankle bells, and Krsna would jokingly strike him with His flute. Then
Mother Yasoda would call, “‘Krsna, what is this? Why are You teasing
Your friend?”” And Krsna would laugh, and the friend would also
laugh. These are some of the activities of Krsna’s sakhas. Sometimes
the sakhads would take care of the cows who were going hither and
thither. They would tell Krsna, ‘““Your cows were going off here and
there,” and Krsna would thank them.

Sometimes when Krsna and His sakhds went to the pasturing
ground, Karnsa would send a demon to kill Krsna. Therefore, almost
every day there was a fight with some different kind of demon. After
fighting with a demon, Krsna would feel fatigued, the hairs on His
head would be scattered, and the sakhas would immediately come
and try to relieve Him in different. ways. Some friends would say,
“My dear Visala, please take this fan of lotus leaves and fan Krsna so
that He may feel some comfort. Varttthapa, you just brush the scat-
tered hairs on Krsna’s head which have fallen upon His face. Vrsabha,
don’t talk unnecessarily! Immediately massage Krsna’s body. His
arms have become tired from fighting and wrestling with that demon.
Oh, just see how our friend Krsna has become tired!” These are some
examples of the treatment given to Krsna by the sakhas.

One of the sakhas, known as Devaprastha, is described as follows:
he is very strong, a ready scholar, and is very expert in playing ball.
He wears a white dress, and he ties his hair into a bunch with a rope.
Whenever there is a fight between Krsna and the demons, Devaprastha
is the first to help, and he fights just like an elephant.

One of the gopis once said to her friend, “My dear beautiful
friend, when Krsna, the son of Maharaj Nanda, was taking rest within
the cave of a hill, He was keeping His head on the arms of Sridama,
and He was putting His left hand on Dama’s chest. Taking this op-
portunity, Devaprastha, out of his strong affection for Krsna, im-
