An introduction to the midday pastimes (madhyāhna-līlā) is found in Govinda-līlāmṛta (8.1):
madhyāhne ’nyonya-saṅgodita-vividha-vikārādi-bhūṣā-pramugdhau
vāmyotkaṇṭhātilolau smara-makha-lalitādy-āli-narmāpta-śātau
dolāraṇyāmbu-vaṁśī-hṛti-rati-madhupānārka-pūjādi-līlau
rādhā-kṛṣṇau satṛṣṇau parijana-ghaṭayā sevyamānau smarāmi
I meditate upon Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, who at midday enjoy each other’s company, being beautifully decorated with various transcendental sentiments, such as aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāvas and vyabhicāri-bhāvas. They become extremely restless due to contrariness (vāmya ) and yearning (utkaṇṭhā ). In Their amorous play (kandarpa-yajña ) the joking words of Śrī Lalitā and the other sakhīs give Them much pleasure. They blissfully enjoy sports like swinging (jhūlā ), frolicking in the forest (vana-vihāra ), playing in the water (jala-keli ), stealing the f lute (vaṁśī-haraṇa ), amorous meeting (rati-krīḍā ), drinking honey (madhu-pāna ), worshipping the Sun-god (sūrya-pūjā ) and many other kinds of pastimes, while being served by Their dear ones.
rādhā-kuṇḍe sumilana, vikārādi-vibhūṣaṇa,
vāmyotkaṇṭha-mugdha-bhāva-līlā
sambhoga-narmādi-rīti, dolā-khelā vaṁśī-hṛti,
madhu-pāna, sūrya-pūja khelā
jala-khelā, vanyāśana, chala-supti, vanyāṭana,
bahu-līlānande dui jane
parijana suveṣṭita, rādhā-kṛṣṇa susevita,
madhyāhna-kālete smari mane
After finishing Her prasāda-sevā at Nanda-bhavana, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī returns to Jāvaṭa with Her sakhīs, where She very eagerly waits to meet Her prāṇa-priyatama, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Her mother-in-law, Jaṭilā, orders Her to worship Sūryadeva, and on this pretext, she leaves Her house with Her sakhīs and secretly departs for Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where She is able to freely meet with Her beloved. There, His darśana and touch decorate Her with aṣṭa-sāttvika, kila-kiñcita and many other bhāvas.
Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s contrary mood (vāmya-bhāva ) enables Her prāṇeśvara to relish the mellows of pastimes to their highest extent, and it also stimulates His ever-fresh eagerness. Then many pastimes take place with the gopīs, such as meeting with Kṛṣṇa (sambhoga ), joking while playing dice (pāśā-krīḍā ), playing hide-and-seek (āṅkha-micaunī ), stealing the f lute (vaṁśī-corī ), drinking honey (madhu-pāna, or prema-pāna ), engaging in water-sports (jala-krīḍā ), having a picnic (vanya-bhojana ), feigning sleep (chala-śayana ) and worshipping the Sun-god (sūrya-pūjā ). Absorbed in meditating on these pastimes, the rāgānuga-sādhaka chants Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names.
[Bhajana-rahasya and Śikṣāṣtaka commentary is used under cc-by-sa GVP]