Text 23
ittham sva-gokulam ananya-gatiṁ nirīkṣya
sa-strī-kumāram ati-duḥkhitam ātma-hetoḥ
ājñāya martya-padavīm anuvartamānaḥ
sthitvā muhūrtam udatiṣṭhad uraṅga-bandhāt
ittham — in this fashion; sva-gokulam — His own community of Gokula; ananya-gatim — having no other goal or shelter (than Him); nirīkṣya — observing; sa-strī — including the women; kumāram — and children; ati-duḥkhitam — extremely distressed; ātma-hetoḥ — on His account; ājñāya — understanding; martya-padavīm — the way of mortals; anuvartamānaḥ — imitating; sthitvā — remaining; muhūrtam — for some time; udatiṣṭhat — He rose up; uraṅga — of the serpent; bandhāt — from the bonds.
The Lord remained for some time within the coils of the serpent, imitating the behavior of an ordinary mortal. But when He understood that the women, children and other residents of His village of Gokula were in acute distress because of their love for Him, their only shelter and goal in life, He immediately rose up from the bonds of the Kāliya serpent.