Devanagari
श्रुत्वा तद्विस्मिता गोपा गोप्यश्चातिप्रियादृता: ।
प्रेत्यागतमिवोत्सुक्यादैक्षन्त तृषितेक्षणा: ॥ ५४ ॥
Verse text
śrutvā tad vismitā gopā
gopyaś cātipriyādṛtāḥ
pretyāgatam ivotsukyād
aikṣanta tṛṣitekṣaṇāḥ
Synonyms
śrutvā
—
after hearing
;
tat
—
these incidents
;
vismitāḥ
—
being struck with wonder
;
gopāḥ
—
the cowherd men
;
gopyaḥ ca
—
and their respective wives
;
ati
—
priya — ādṛtāḥ — received the news with great transcendental pleasure
;
pretya āgatam iva
—
thought that it was as if the boys had returned from death
;
utsukyāt
—
with great eagerness
;
aikṣanta
—
began to look upon the boys
;
tṛṣita
—
īkṣaṇāḥ — with full satisfaction, they did not want to turn their eyes from Kṛṣṇa and the boys .
Translation
When the cowherd men and women heard about the killing of Bakāsura in the forest, they were very much astonished. Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa and hearing the story, they received Kṛṣṇa very eagerly, thinking that Kṛṣṇa and the other boys had returned from the mouth of death. Thus they looked upon Kṛṣṇa and the boys with silent eyes, not wanting to turn their eyes aside now that the boys were safe.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When the cowherd men and women heard about the killing of Bakāsura in the forest, they were very much astonished. Upon seeing Kṛṣṇa and hearing the story, they received Kṛṣṇa very eagerly, thinking that Kṛṣṇa and the other boys had returned from the mouth of death. Thus they looked upon Kṛṣṇa and the boys with silent eyes, not wanting to turn their eyes aside now that the boys were safe.
KB 10.11.54
When the gopīs and cowherd men all heard the story from the boys, they felt great happiness because naturally they loved Kṛṣṇa, and by hearing about His glories and victorious activities they became still more affectionate toward Him. Thinking that child Kṛṣṇa had been saved from the mouth of death, they looked upon His face with great love and affection. They were full of anxiety and could not turn their faces from the vision of Kṛṣṇa.
Purport
Because of intense love for Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd men and women simply remained silent, thinking of how Kṛṣṇa and the boys had been saved. The cowherd men and women looked upon Kṛṣṇa and the boys and did not desire to turn their eyes aside.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The gopas and gopis, honored (adrtah) by seeing their beloved (ati priya), with eyes thirsting to drink the nectar of his beauty (trsata iksana), glanced at him (aiksantah), looking over his whole body, for fear that he was wounded.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Hearing this, the cowherd men and women were surprised. They were attentive to Kṛṣṇa for his protection with great affection. They looked at him with attachment. They could not stop looking at him for a long time because their eyes could not be satisfied. They glanced with attachment and affection as if he had returned from death. The word iva (as if) is used because they thought he had returned from death. Or, it was like a friend returning from death. Or, being separated from him during any day, they all longed to see him, but on hearing that he had killed Baka that day, they became particularly attached to him and gazed at him more intensely.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Hearing this, the cowherd men and women were surprised and immersed in great affection. They gazed at him with attachment. This means that they became blissful on seeing from him for a long time, because their eyes were never satisfied fully. The reason for looking at him with attachment and affection was that it was as if (iva) he had come back from death. They thought in this way because of great affection. Or they thought of him like a friend who had returned from death.
Or the gopīs were astonished. Ca here means “but.” They were distinguished from the cowherds by their intense prema. They were respected by Kṛṣṇa who was most dear and precious as he glanced at them. Thus they gazed at him with longing, with unsatisfied eyes. Or during the day in separation their eyes were thirsty for seeing him. And on hearing that he had killed Baka, they especially gazed at him with attachment.