PLATE SEVEN

Queen Kunti was somewhat bewildered by Krsna’s humanlike
pastimes, especially His childhood pastimes in Vrndavana. For example,
the cowherd boys of Vrndavana were able to play with Him just as if He
were an ordinary human child. Of course, neither they nor Krsna were
ordinary boys. The great sages who took birth as Krsna’s friends had
spent many, many previous lives performing severe penances and
austerities. Thus when Krsna appeared in Vrndavana, India, some fifty
centuries ago they were awarded the greatest possible benediction—the
opportunity to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead on an
equal level. By Krsna’s special mercy they did not know that He was the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; they simply loved Krsna, and this was
true of everyone in Vrndavana at the time of Krsna’s advent. Krsna’s
father and mother loved Krsna; Krsna’s girl friends loved Krsna; the
trees loved Krsna; the water loved Krsna; the flowers, the cows, the
calves—everyone and everything loved Krsna. Not surprisingly, even a
great devotee like Queen Kunti could not fully fathom these wonderful
relationships between Krsna and His most intimate associates. (p. 92)
