1. Srila Prabhupada describes Krsna’s cowherding pastimes

    You have no experience here in your country. Have you got any experience? But in India we have got experience how in the morning the cowboy takes some food from the mother and with the cows he goes to the field. The cows are let loose on the grazing ground. They are enjoying, and this cowboy is sometimes singing. The flute, Krsna's flute is because He is cowboy.

    The cowboys still play in that flute. In India you'll find. Because the cows are let… They are doing their own work, and what this boy will do? They are playing. There are many cowherds boys, they are playing. Sometimes playing on flutes, sometimes sporting, sometimes eating. So Krsna was exactly doing like that. All the cowboy friend went with Him. Krsna was, of course, a very rich man's son. His father was very rich. So He used to take with Him very nice foodstuff, lugdoo, kacauri. And other, His poor friends, they were taking capatis, dry capatis. [laughs] So they were enjoying, dividing, "Your food, my food, his food."

    And sometimes there was some trouble in the forest because Kamsa was after Krsna to kill Him. He was sending his assistants. So some asura would come, Bakasura, Aghasura, and Krsna would kill. And the boys would return and narrate the story to their mother. "Oh, my dear mother! Such and such thing happened and Krsna killed it! Very…" [laughter] The mother will, "Oh, yes, our Krsna is very wonderful!" [laughter]

    So Krsna was their enjoyment. That's all. The mother is speaking of Krsna, the boy is speaking of Krsna. So therefore they did not know anything but Krsna. Krsna. Whenever there is some trouble, "Oh Krsna." When there is fire, "Oh, Krsna."

    That is the beauty of Vrndavana. Their mind is absorbed in Krsna. Not through philosophy. Not through understanding, but natural love. "Krsna is our village boy, our relative, our friend, our lover, our master." Some way or other, Krsna. That is the beauty. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami is describing the playing of the boys.

    ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
    dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
    mayasritanam nara-darakena
    sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
      [SB 10.12.11]

    "Oh, these boys playing with Krsna, they have attained this position, oh, after, I mean to say, accumulating many, many births pious activities."

    Krta-punya punjah. Just like a man collects dollar, dollar, dollar, dollar, dollar, and one time he amasses money, say, millions of dollars. Similarly, Sukadeva Gosvami is describing that these boys who are playing with Krsna, they have amassed their pious activities for millions and billions of births.

    >>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation — New York, April 11, 1969