Devanagari
कृष्णं महाबकग्रस्तं दृष्ट्वा रामादयोऽर्भका: ।
बभूवुरिन्द्रियाणीव विना प्राणं विचेतस: ॥ ४९ ॥
Verse text
kṛṣṇaṁ mahā-baka-grastaṁ
dṛṣṭvā rāmādayo ’rbhakāḥ
babhūvur indriyāṇīva
vinā prāṇaṁ vicetasaḥ
Synonyms
kṛṣṇam
—
unto Kṛṣṇa
;
mahā
—
baka — grastam — swallowed by the great duck
;
dṛṣṭvā
—
seeing this incident
;
rāma
—
ādayaḥ arbhakāḥ — all the other boys, headed by Balarāma
;
babhūvuḥ
—
became overwhelmed
;
indriyāṇi
—
senses
;
iva
—
like
;
vinā
—
without
;
prāṇam
—
life
;
vicetasaḥ
—
very much bewildered, almost unconscious .
Translation
When Balarāma and the other boys saw that Kṛṣṇa had been devoured by the gigantic duck, they became almost unconscious, like senses without life.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When Balarāma and the other boys saw that Kṛṣṇa had been devoured by the gigantic duck, they became almost unconscious, like senses without life.
KB 10.11.49
When Kṛṣṇa was thus swallowed, all the boys, headed by Balarāma, became almost breathless, as if they had died.
Purport
Although Balarāma can do everything, because of intense affection for His brother He was momentarily bewildered. A similar thing is stated to have happened in connection with
rukmiṇī-haraṇa,
the kidnapping of Rukmiṇī. When Kṛṣṇa, after kidnapping Rukmiṇī, was attacked by all the kings, Rukmiṇī was momentarily bewildered, until the Lord took the proper steps.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Balarama and the other cowherd boys became unconscious. Though Balarama could have killed the asura, his response of fainting is because of brotherly affection. In the stealing of Rukmini Balarama displayed his brotherly affection by protecting Krsna. Just as sugar candy tastes bitter to the tongue for the diseased person, though his touch was as cool as a tender blue lotus, it felt like fire on the palate of the asura. It was the fault of the asura’s palate, not Krsna. Bakasura spit Krsna out. He saw Krsna in an unharmed state (aksata). This hints that Krsna’s body became hard like a thunderbolt.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The boys fainted. Though they knew the power of the Lord and though Balarāma had the power to immediately kill evil Baka, Balarāma and other boys suddenly become devoid of the powers of knowledge and action (jñāna and kriya-śakti) because they were overpowered by intense affection for Kṛṣṇa. An example is given. They were like senses without prāṇa. Balarāma’s affection can be seen when Kṛṣṇa went to steal Rukmiṇī:
śrutvaitad bhagavān rāmo vipakṣīya nṛpodyamam
kṛṣṇaṁ caikaṁ gataṁ hartuṁ kanyāṁ kalaha-śaṅkitaḥ
balena mahatā sārdhaṁ bhrātṛ-sneha-pariplutaḥ
tvaritaḥ kuṇḍinaṁ prāgād gajāśva-ratha-pattibhiḥ
When Balarāma heard about these preparations of the inimical kings and how Kṛṣṇa had set off alone to steal the bride, he feared that a fight would ensue. Immersed in affection for his brother, he hurried to Kuṇḍina with a mighty army consisting of infantry and of soldiers riding on elephants, horses and chariots. SB 10.53.20-21
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The boys fainted. Though they knew the power of the Lord and though Balarāma had the power to immediately kill evil Baka, Balarāma and other boys suddenly become devoid of the powers of knowledge and action (jñāna and kriya-śakti) because they were overpowered by intense affection for Kṛṣṇa. An example is given. They were like senses without prāṇa. The senses endowed with jñāna and kriya śaktis, cannot do anything when the main prāṇa disappears. It is as if they had been destroyed.