The Kaustubha hung behind Krishna, out of sight. Radha asked Him in surprise where His jewel had gone. Krishna answered that She had taken it. She denied it. Vishakha, Lalita and Sulekha were also named in the playful exchange.
Denials followed one another in the merry company. Then another gopi turned the accusation toward Vaijayanti. She accused the flower garland of taking the jewel. It wanted to adorn Krishna’s chest all by itself, she claimed. In this joke, the garland became the thief.
The garland was told to return the jewel at once. The playful accusation even threatened it with punishment. As the garland was moved, the Kaustubha appeared hanging behind Krishna’s neck. The gopis saw the jewel there. They immediately gathered closer and laughed.
