With the intention of showing that being born as a generous tree is a worthy birth for a gentleman, whereas being born as a miserly brahmana is useless, Krsna began praising the trees, calling out to his friends. Eight cowherd boys beginning with Stoka Krsna protected Krsna on the eight sides and Devaprastha and Varuthapa functioning as overseer of the arrangement and lookout, served as the upper and lower directions. The eleventh person, Bhadrasena, the leader of the cowherd boys, paying attention to all the details, was situated at a distance. Krsna observed that the trees tolerated rain and other inconveniences, but sheltered others from rain and heat.

In order to criticize the brāhmaṇas to whom he will request for their disrespect, Kṛṣṇa calls his friends and praises the trees. He calls the boys in the order that he sees them. Some say the ten boys surrounding him represent the ten directions which gathered around him out of prema. The first eight are in the eight directions. Devapraṣṭha holds and umbrella above him and Varūthapa cleans the path in front of him. They thus represent up and down directions. The eleventh boy was Bhadrasena who was the commander-in-chief of the boys. He was Balarāma’s attendant and was situated at a distance at that time. The trees were greatly fortunate. Some trees tolerate the wind etc. but do not protect others. Other trees being merciful and affectionate protect others but do not tolerate the wind themselves. They require some help. These trees however do not require help and help others. Thus they are fortunate.

He called the chief boys by name out of affection. Though Śrīdāmā is the chief, he called Stokakṛṣṇa first since he was a friend on an equal level and was standing in front of him. These ten stood around Kṛṣṇa to protect him according to Yaśodā’s order. This is understood from the Uttara-khaṇḍa of Bhāgavatāmṛta. Stoka-kṛṣṇa, Aṁśu, Śrīdāmā, and Subala were in the east, south, west and north. Arjuna, Viśāla, Vṛṣabha, and Ojasvī were in the southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast. Devapraṣṭha held an umbrella above him and Varūthapa cleaned the path in front of him. They thus represent up and down directions. The eleventh boy was Bhadrasena who was the commander-in-chief of the boys and lookout. Kṛṣṇa did not call him because he was nearby, always wandering here and there.