Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.19.1
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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krīḍā
—
play
Kṛṣṇa's līlā with His sakhās is itself krīḍā — divine play, not idle distraction. Gauḍīyas read sakhya-rasa precisely here: the supreme Person is at play with His friends, and the rest of the universe is arranged around that play.
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āsakteṣu
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completely absorbed
From √sañj — the same root as saṅga. Ordinary saṅga binds; saṅga to Kṛṣṇa's play liberates. The boys' absorption is the Vraja-prototype of the kind of attachment bhakti is trying to cultivate.
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gopeṣu
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among the cowherd boys
Locative plural of gopa. The sakhās of Vraja — eternal associates in sakhya-rasa, not ordinary playmates. Their absorption is itself a rasa, not a lapse in duty.
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tṛṇa-lobhena
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out of greed for grass
Compound: tṛṇa (grass) + lobha (greed). The cows' single-minded pull toward more grass is the Bhāgavatam's gentle counter-image to the sakhās' single-minded pull toward Kṛṣṇa — both are absorption, but only one finds its true object.
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gahvaram
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a dense forest
A thicket — a place where things get lost. Vraja's forests are the līlā-stage on which Kṛṣṇa's protection is repeatedly demonstrated; the gahvara here will soon become the Īṣīkāṭavī of the next verse.
The nineteen chapter describes how Krsna protected the cowherd boys from a wild fire in the rushes while their eyes were closed and how, opening of their eyes, they found themselves at the base of bhandira banyan tree. While the boys were absorbed in playing, the cows, wandering far off (duracarini) out of greed for grass, entered a dense forest.
In relation to this now another astonishing pastime, involving human-like qualities, is related that happened in sequence. Their cows or unlimited (tad) cows wandered off and entered a dense forest (gahvaram). Being absorbed in their grazing activities with a greed generated by experiencing the bliss of being herded by Kṛṣṇa, the bliss of Gokula, they had greed for the grass. They were like the other inhabitants. yaj-jīvitaṁ tu nikhilaṁ bhagavān mukundas tv adyāpi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva Their entire life and soul is the Lord, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is sought even today by the Upaniṣads. SB 10.14.34 It was not ordinary greed since it was possible fill the stomach in a few second anywhere in Vṛndāvana, because of its nature.
In relation to this now another astonishing pastime, involving human-like qualities, is related that happened in sequence. Their cows or unlimited (tad) cows wandered off and entered a dense forest (gahvaram) out of greed for grass. Though protected by the Lord, by this greed for enjoyment they fell into difficulty. They wandered by their own desires (svairam) and thus met with difficulty. But by his great mercy he would rescue the cows. That is explained later. Elsewhere also one should understand the conclusion according to one’s bhāva.
The cowherd boys are so absorbed in play with Kṛṣṇa that the cows they were minding slip away into the deep forest — a Vraja image of how, once attention is fixed on Kṛṣṇa Himself, the secondary duties around Him almost manage themselves, until a līlā-arranged crisis calls everyone back. The Lord lets the cows wander so that a rescue may be staged.
My note
Source: vedabase.io