SB 10.43.34 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नित्यं प्रमुदिता गोपा वत्सपाला यथास्फुटम् वनेषु मल्लयुद्धेन क्रीडन्तश्चारयन्ति गा: ॥ ३४ ॥

Verse text

nityaṁ pramuditā gopā vatsa-pālā yathā-sphuṭam vaneṣu malla-yuddhena krīḍantaś cārayanti gāḥ

Synonyms

nityam — always ; pramuditāḥ — very happy ; gopāḥ — cowherds ; vatsapālāḥ — tending the calves ; yathā — sphuṭam — obviously ; vaneṣu — in the various forests ; malla — yuddhena — with wrestling ; krīḍantaḥ — playing ; cārayanti — they graze ; gāḥ — the cows .

Translation

It is well known that cowherd boys are always joyful as they tend their calves, and that the boys playfully wrestle with each other while grazing their animals in the various forests.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

It is well known that cowherd boys are always joyful as they tend their calves, and that the boys playfully wrestle with each other while grazing their animals in the various forests. KB 10.43.34 “You are cowherd boys, and we have heard that while tending Your cows in the forest, You enjoy wrestling with each other.

Purport

Here Cāṇūra explains how the two brothers came to be expert at wrestling.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse explains how they became expert at wrestling.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“But cowherds like us do not know such things since we constantly heard cows.” The cowherds, starting with herding calves, by that method, herd the cows and play at wrestling. Śukadeva records their harsh words meant to mock the boys. The cowherds, actually herders of calves (yathāvat), herd animals related to cows (yathāvat), and play at wrestling. The wrestlers say this as a joke. The word yathāvat should be understood twice.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

“But cowherds like us do not know such things, since we constantly herd cows.” The cowherds protect the cows. They clearly play. Even those who herd the calves play. Or gā refers to cows and related animals (calves). The cowherds start by herding calves and play. That is clear.