Gopalacampu 1.10.70

1.10.70

[63] ete khalu bhoḥ dāsyāḥ-putra ! caurasya-kula ! paśyato-hara ! devānāṃ priya ! iti parasparaṃ sambodhayantaḥ krīḍanti | te caite meṣa-tat-poṣaka-tan-moṣakāyamāṇā ramamāṇā lakṣyante | yatra ca meṣā moṣyamāṇā api na bhāṣante | poṣakāś ca teṣāṃ bahalānāṃ sambhālanāya durbalāyante, moṣakās tu nirghoṣatayā pracchannam evāgacchanti | ayaṃ tu tat-poṣakāyamāṇaḥ śyāma-dhāmā kumāraḥ prabhākara-sahasra-prabhāva-bhāvitatayā nāsmad-vidha-sannidheya-sannidhānas tarkyate | tathāpy asmākam ayam evāvasaro varo nāvaro varaṇīyatām anusarati | atra hi tasya niravadhānasya bahiś-cara-prāṇa-tulāṃ valamānā bālakā vinaivārtiṃ hartavyā bhaveyuḥ | tato vyagrībhūtaḥ so' yam agrīyaś ca vinā vigrahaṃ grahītavyatām ṛcchet, sāmikṛtaṃ
tu na svāmine rociṣyate | tad etad vicārayaṃś cora-vad-ācāra-gopa-dāraka-prakāras tadīya-niviḍa-krīḍāyāṃ praviveśa | praviśya ca, niviḍa-kānana-kṛta-praveśatayā poṣakābhiniveśam atikrāmatas tān moṣāyamānān kramaśaś catuḥ-pañcāvaśeṣam apakramayāmāsa | apakramyāpakramya ca giri-guhāyāṃ nigūhayamānaḥ punaḥ punar ayamānaḥ peśaskaritānusārī prastarāstaraṇatas tad-dvāram āvavāra |

“Look, these boys are playing, addressing one another with: ‘Hey, son of a slave-woman! Clan of thieves! One who steals before our very eyes! Beloved of the gods!’ They appear to take delight in acting as sheep, their tenders, and their thieves. Wherein the sheep, even when being stolen, do not speak; the tenders are too weak to guard the many sheep; but the thieves approach in utter silence, concealed. Now this dark-complexioned boy acting as their tender, endowed with the splendor of a thousand suns, cannot be approached near by the likes of us, so it seems. Even so, this is our best opportunity, not inferior, that presents itself for choice. For here, the boys who are like his external life-breaths could be carried off without any struggle while he is unawares. Then, thrown into agitation, this foremost one might be captured without a fight. Yet half-done work will not please my master.” Deliberating thus, assuming the guise of a cowherd boy behaving like a thief, he entered into their dense game. Having entered, taking advantage of their having plunged into the thick forest and straying beyond the attention of the tender, he gradually carried off those playing the stolen sheep, until only four or five remained. Having stolen them away again and again and hidden them in a mountain cave, returning repeatedly like a potter-wasp, he blocked its entrance with an expanse of stones.