And amongst those beautiful females of fair complexion and excellent ornaments, Krishna was the foremost in beauty and fame and splendour.

Krishna is no longer the tepid well-groomed youth of Mughal tradition, but a vigorous Rajput noble expressing with decorous vehemence all the violent longings denied expression by the Rajput moral code.

Having revealed his true nature, therefore, Krishna becomes a cowherd once again and is accepted by the cowherds as being only that.

Krishna the cowherd, on the other hand, is essentially a lover.

This second Krishna is the preacher of the Bhagavad Gita, the great sermon delivered on the battle-field of Kurukshetra.

Krishna is still a young boy and Radha a girl a few years older.

From this point of view, Krishna the prince was a mere pillar of boring respectability.

Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, and persons acquainted with the philosophy of the soul say that the illustrious Krishna is eternal Virtue.

Krishna thereupon becomes a doctor and goes from house to house curing the sick.

Although reared and bred among the cowherds, Krishna is, in fact, a child of Mathura.

From time to time the cowherds realize that Krishna is Vishnu and adore him as God.

The situation in fact has changed overnight for far from merely appealing to the cowgirls' maternal instincts, Krishna is now the darling object of their most intense passion.

, a friend describes how Krishna is behaving. 'The wife of a certain herdsman sings as Krishna sounds a tune of love Krishna here disports himself with charming women given to love.'

This, O Krishna, is the eternal (source of) prosperity.

Krishna is no longer a mischievous baby, indulging in tantrums yet wringing the heart with his childish antics.

He dare not disclose his secret that Krishna is not Nanda's son but his own.

I have not, for example, discussed statements such as 'Krishna was not a god but a hero of a rough tribe of cowherds.'

It makes clear that throughout the story Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu and that his main reason for being born is to aid the good and kill demons.

As the pilfering increases, the married cowgirls learn that Krishna is the ringleader and contrive one day to catch him in the act.

Among such youths Krishna is still an obvious target and although unaware that this is the true object of their quest, demons continue to harry him.

Thinking Krishna is her slave, she complains of feeling tired and asks him to carry her on his shoulders.

This second Krishna is the preacher of the Bhagavad Gita, the great sermon delivered on the battle-field of Kurukshetra.