All this later poetry differed from the Gita Govinda in one important respect.  Instead of dwelling on the temporary rupture in Radha and Krishna’s relationship, it roved freely over the many phases of their love-making, subjecting every incident to delighted analysis.  A poet thought and felt himself into Radha’s mind when as a young girl about to become a woman she discovered for the first time the exquisite sensations of awakening love.  Or he imagined he was Krishna stumbling on Radha by accident and being stirred to ecstasy by his first glimpse of her glowing charms.  Sometimes he even became the unseen viewer of their rapturous exchanges, comforting Radha with sage remarks or egging her on to appease her hungry lover.  In this way many incidents not recorded of any cowgirl in the Bhagavata Purana, though possibly preserved in oral tradition, came gradually into prominence, thereby confirming Radha as Krishna’s greatest love.

The following incidents will illustrate this process.  Radha would be described as one day taking her curds and milk to a village the farther side of the river Jumma.  Krishna hears of her expedition and along with other cowherd boys waylays Radha and her friends and claims a toll.  Radha refuses to pay but at last offers to make a token gift provided he ferries them over.  Meanwhile a cowherd boy has hidden the boat and night is coming on.  It is now too late to return so the girls have no alternative but to stay with Krishna.  They lie down by the bank but in the darkness give Krishna not only the toll but also their souls and bodies.

In another poem, Krishna is shown pestering the cowgirls for curds.  Radha decides to stand this no longer and partly in jest dresses herself up as a constable.  When Krishna next teases the girls, she descends upon him, catches him by the wrist and ‘arrests’ him as a thief.[61]

It is in the poems of Chandi Das, however, that Krishna’s most daring ruses are described.  Having once gained admittance to Radha’s house by dressing himself as a cowgirl, he is shown pretending to be a flower-seller.  He strings some flowers into a bunch of garlands, dangles them on his arm and strolls blandly down the village street.  When he reaches Radha’s house, he goes boldly in and is taken by Radha into a corner where she starts to bargain.  Krishna asks her to let him first adorn her with a garland and then she can pay him.  Radha agrees and as he slips a garland over her head, Krishna kisses her.  Radha suddenly sees who it is and holds his hand.

On another occasion, Radha is ill from love and is lying at home on her bed.  Krishna thereupon becomes a doctor and goes from house to house curing the sick.  So successful are his cures that Radha also is tempted to consult the new doctor and sends a maid to call him, Krishna comes but before entering adopts a wild disguise—­putting his clothes on inside out, matting his hair with mud, and slinging a bag of roots