Text 27
evaṁ suhṛd-vacaḥ śrutvā
suhṛt-priya-cikīrṣayā
prahasya jagmatur gopair
vṛtau tālavanaṁ prabhū
evam — thus; suhṛt — of Their friends; vacaḥ — the words; śrutvā — hearing; suhṛt — to Their friends; priya — pleasure; cikīrṣayā — desiring to give; prahasya — laughing; jagmatuḥ — the two of Them went; gopaiḥ — by the cowherd boys; vṛtau — surrounded; tāla-vanam — to the Tāla forest; prabhū — the two Lords.
Hearing the words of Their dear companions, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma laughed and, desiring to please them, set off for the Tālavana surrounded by Their cowherd boyfriends.
Lord Kṛṣṇa was thinking, “How can a mere ass be so formidable?” And thus He smiled at the petition of His boyfriends. As stated by Lord Kapila in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.28.32), hāsaṁ harer avanatākhila-loka-tīvra-śokāśru-sāgara-viśoṣaṇam aty-udāram: “The smile and laughter of the Supreme Lord Hari is most magnanimous. Indeed, for those who bow down to the Lord, His smile and laughter dry up the ocean of tears caused by the intense suffering of this world.” Thus, to encourage Their boyfriends, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma smiled, laughed and immediately set out with them for the Tāla forest.