तालीवनकृतक्रीडो बलपातितधेनुकः ।गोपीसौभाग्यसम्भाव्यो गोधूलिच्छुरितालकः॥
tālīvanakṛtakrīḍo balapātitadhenukaḥ ·gopīsaubhāgyasambhāvyo godhūlicchuritālakaḥ
who sported in the palm-grove (Tālavana)
Who played in the Tāla forest — the Dhenukāsura episode unfolds in the Tāla (palm) forest; before the demon's arrival, the boys play in the abundance of palm fruits.
at whose side Bala felled Dhenuka
the ass-demon of the palm-grove
'Whose Balarāma overthrew the Dhenuka-demon' — Balarāma grabs the ass-demon by the legs and swings him into the palm-trees until he dies; Kṛṣṇa kills the rest of the donkey-herd.
cherished as the gopīs' good fortune
Recognised as the gopīs' good fortune — the Veṇu-gīta opens with the gopīs declaring that their good fortune (saubhāgya) consists entirely in his presence.
whose curls were powdered with the cows' dust
With his curls dusted with cow-hoof dust — as Kṛṣṇa returns from the pasture, his curls are dusted with the goṣṭha's golden dust; the gopīs see him at evening and his appearance is celebrated.
