Texts 22-23
vatsalo vraja-gavāṁ yad aga-dhro
vandyamāna-caraṇaḥ pathi vṛddhaiḥ
kṛtsna-go-dhanam upohya dinānte
gīta-veṇur anugeḍita-kīrtiḥ
utsavaṁ śrama-rucāpi dṛśīnām
unnayan khura-rajaś-churita-srak
ditsayaiti suhṛd-āsiṣa eṣa
devakī-jaṭhara-bhūr uḍu-rājaḥ
vatsalaḥ — affectionate; vraja-gavām — to the cows of Vraja; yat — because; aga — of the mountain; dhraḥ — the lifter; vandyamāna — being worshiped; caraṇaḥ — His feet; pathi — along the path; vṛddhaiḥ — by the exalted demigods; kṛtsna — entire; go-dhanam — the herd of cows; upohya — collecting; dina — of the day; ante — at the end; gītā-veṇuḥ — playing His flute; anuga — by His companions; īḍita — praised; kīrtiḥ — His glories; utsavam — a festival; śrama — of fatigue; rucā — by His coloring; api — even; dṛśīnām — for the eyes; unnayan — raising; khura — from the hooves (of the cows); rajaḥ — with the dust; churita — powdered; srak — His garland; ditsayā — with the desire; eti — He is coming; suhṛt — to His friends; āśiṣaḥ — their desires; eṣaḥ — this; devakī — of mother Yaśodā; jaṭhara — from the womb; bhūḥ — born; uḍu-rājaḥ — moon.
Out of great affection for the cows of Vraja, Kṛṣṇa became the lifter of Govardhana Hill. At the end of the day, having rounded up all His own cows, He plays a song on His flute, while exalted demigods standing along the path worship His lotus feet and the cowherd boys accompanying Him chant His glories. His garland is powdered by the dust raised by the cows’ hooves, and His beauty, enhanced by His fatigue, creates an ecstatic festival for everyone’s eyes. Eager to fulfill His friends’ desires, Kṛṣṇa is the moon arisen from the womb of mother Yaśodā.
According to the ācāryas, at this point the gopīs climbed into the watchtowers of Vṛndāvana’s houses so they could see Kṛṣṇa as soon as possible when He returned home. Mother Yaśodā was very anxious for her son to come back, and therefore she had the tallest of the beautiful young gopīs climb up to see when He would arrive. It is implied here that Kṛṣṇa was somewhat delayed on the way home because His lotus feet were being worshiped by great demigods along the path.