Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.11
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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yajña-bhuk bāla-keliḥ
—
the enjoyer of sacrifices, now in childhood play
Compound: yajña-bhuk (eater of sacrifice) + bāla-keli (child-play). The verse's whole theological pivot is in this compound — He who is Yajña-bhuk in the Vedic cosmos is bāla-keli in Vraja. Gauḍīyas treasure it as the proof-text of svayaṁ-bhagavān's intimate descent.
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veṇum
—
the flute
From √veṇ. The flute is Kṛṣṇa's signature instrument — the muralī that later draws the gopīs into the rāsa. Here it is casually tucked into His waistband. Gauḍīyas note this 'casual' detail: the same flute that will undo the gopīs' household lives is now a lunch-table prop.
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narmabhiḥ
—
with joking words
Instrumental plural of narma (jest, playful banter). Narma is a specific Gauḍīya category of līlā — Kṛṣṇa's playful banter with friends and gopīs. Rūpa Gosvāmī treats narma as one of the recurring features of madhura and sakhya.
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sva-pari-suhṛdaḥ
—
His own personal friends
Compound: sva (own) + pari (around) + suhṛd (good-heart, friend). Suhṛd in Gauḍīya usage is the deepest word for friend — heart-companions. The boys are not retinue; they are heart-mates.
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svarge loke miṣati
—
while the heavenly planet looked on
Locative absolute: 'with the heavenly realm watching.' The demigods cannot intervene, cannot join — only stare. Gauḍīyas read this as svarga's structural limit: it permits witness but not participation in Vraja.
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masṛṇa-kavalam
—
soft morsel of curd-rice
Compound: masṛṇa (smooth, soft) + kavala (morsel). The exact texture of the food. Bhāgavata-style sense-detail: not 'food' but specifically soft curd-rice — the kind that yields between the fingers. The same kavala returns at verse 14 when He leaves with it still in hand.
When Kṛṣṇa was eating with His cowherd boyfriends, a certain bumblebee came there to take part in the eating. Thus Kṛṣṇa joked, “Why have you come to disturb My brāhmaṇa friend Madhumaṅgala? You want to kill a brāhmaṇa. This is not good.” All the boys would laugh and enjoy, speaking such joking words while eating. Thus the inhabitants of the higher planets were astonished at how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who eats only when yajña is offered, was now eating like an ordinary child with His friends in the forest.
This verse describes the outstanding qualities of Krsna and his friends eating. Krsna had his flute tucked in his cloth at the waist at the right side. On the left side were tucked his horn and stick. In his left hand was a big lump of curd rice. And in between his fingers he held small pieces of things like lemon and amla pickles for spreading on it. Or the words can mean that he held small lumps of rice in his right hand, taking from the left hand small amounts into the right hand in order to eat. Sitting in a circle facing Krsna, they all chattered as they ate. "O bee, why are you flying near my face? Go to Madhumangala in front of you and get a drink." "O friend, do you want the bee to bite me? Are you not afraid of killing a brahmana?" " Look at that band of wild monkeys! Though you are hungry and alert, the boys are eating peacefully. Approach so they don’t see you and eat their food." His sarva kalpa sakti and lila sakti then fulfilled this wish. " O Lord! If you want some obstacle during this lunch for some amusement, then we will go and bring Brahma." While the inhabitants of svarga loka were watching in amazement, Krsna, the enjoyer of the offering of ghee purified by mantra and offered in sacrifice (yajna bhuk), absorbed in playing with his friends--scolding, praising, giving and taking half eaten food (balakeli)-- ate his lunch.
After describing the eating pastimes of the Lord along with the boys, Śukadeva now describes Kṛṣṇa’s activities in particular. He held in his fingers various pickled fruits suitable to eat with the yogurt rice. Coming on their own (svaiḥ) the devatās watched. Though the Lord as yajṇa-bhuk is worshipped by offering him oblations which he eats simply by acceptance, he was now playing like human child and eating like the boys (bāla-keliḥ). The devatās saw this with astonishment. Another interpretation by using sandhi rules is to make the word ayajṣa-bhuk. Playing with the other boys, he did not accept the sacrificial offerings made with great effort. In the midst of eating (madhye) he played by accepting the food with joking, praising, criticizing, eating, making faces and laughing with them all or individually, while examining the food. And in eating, he showed his power by facing each one of them simultaneously and also acted in a superior role as a small boy by holding his flute and stick. As previously, this shows a special aspect of Bhagavān.
The same person who, as Yajña-puruṣa, accepts offerings from a thousand fire-altars now sits cross-legged on the sand with curd-rice between his fingers and a piece of fruit tucked between knuckles, joking with his friends — and the demigods peer down speechless. Aiśvarya does not vanish; it is consented to be set aside for the rasa of friendship.
Throughout Vraja-līlā the demigods — Brahmā, Indra, the Maruts — appear in the sky to watch with wonder what the Bhāgavata calls bāla-keli. The Lord they reach only through years of yajña is here a cowherd boy with curd-rice on His fingers.
Gauḍīyas read these spectator-moments (here at 10.13.11; later at Govardhana, at the rāsa) as the Bhāgavata's standing argument: vaidhī-mārga produces awe; rāgānugā produces this intimate scene. The demigods envy what the boys take for granted.
My note
Source: vedabase.io