Krishna, the Beautiful, came in the lead, bedecked and beflowered. The spirit of life He was, with a transfiguring glory in His face, and His eyes full of softness and love-light. His body all graceful in curves to behold, yet strong in the vigor of youth, that shone through its grace.
With His hands on the necks of His two favorite cows, those who ever followed Him about as a child, the white on His right side, the black on His left, homeward they ran, while the white dust arose and covered and caressed them; one after the other, each bedecked with garlands, and each boy between two cows, who like them were wreathed with wild flowers.
And the elder Gopis and Gopas held their breath at the sight, so entrancing, that reached their eyes at the home-coming of the boys and their cows, bedecked and beflowered with the sweet wild flowers, and headed by Him whom they loved.
CHAPTER XIX.
Thus spring ripened into summer and autumn, and again the rolling seasons touched upon the heels of one another; and Krishna grew into greater beauty with each season of His earthly career.
More and more the people of Brindāban became absorbed in Him. The young and old, those near and far, looked upon Him as one without whom they could not exist.
And so it was, the complete whole was He of whom they were but parts, and ever were they reaching to again find the Heart out of which they had sprung.
His smile was to them the sun that warmed, His words the flowers which filled them with joy, His deeds the fruits which satisfied the hunger of their hearts.
The very quick of their lives He was; and nothing lived, breathed, bloomed, or grew in Brindāban, from the people to the cattle, creeping things and all that grew, that did not draw life from the Lord that dwelt as Youth among them.
And the milk-maids, who in loving companionship oft with him roamed to the hillside where with the other boys he tended the cattle, would in fond love contemplate the Youth, knowing not what the potency was that drew them, forgetful of all duties, to His side.