He tends cows along with other young cowherds. The term Goa is derived from Goparashtra i.e. the area of cowherds and shepherds. Townsfolk furthermore had their own cowherds and a swineherd. Mahabharata refers it to as the country of cowherds. His fellow cowherds were gods, states the text. The only prosperous area in Khandesh was Asirgarh, populated by the rich cowherds, Ahirs. Two cowherds - Iollas and Lycidas - meet. They include pollarded willows, cottages in cornfields, cowherds, autumn landscapes, and meadows with streams. These three being Hatkar (shepherds), Ahir (cowherds) and Khutekar (wool and blanket weavers)/Sangar. His ship stopped at Rhodes and was mistaken by some cowherds for a pirate ship. He wondered at such a strangle sight and told about it to the other cowherds. Balarama killed Dhenuka's demon attendants and set the forest open for the cowherds. On one 'Holy' day, all the cowherds except Vijyanand worshipped Lord Krishna. He was then sent by his mortal father, Amphitryon to tend his cowherds. To feed the twelve, he gambles, first with cowherds, later with the king.