Text 21
suparṇa-tāla-dhvaja-cihitnau rathāv
alakṣayantyo hari-rāmayor mṛdhe
striyaḥ purāṭṭālaka-harmya-gopuraṁ
samāśritāḥ sammumuhuḥ śucārditaḥ
suparṇa — with (the symbol of) Garuḍa (the bird who carries Lord Viṣṇu); tāla — and the palm tree; dhvaja — by the banners; cihnitau — marked; rathau — the two chariots; alakṣayantyaḥ — not identifying; hari-rāmayoḥ — of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; mṛdhe — in the battle; striyaḥ — women; pura — of the city; aṭṭālaka — in the watchtowers; harmya — palaces; gopuram — and in the gateways; samāśritāḥ — having taken positions; sammumuhuḥ — fainted; śucā — by grief; arditāḥ — tormented.
The women stood in the watchtowers, palaces and high gates of the city. When they could no longer see Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s chariots, identified by banners marked with the emblems of Garuḍa and a palm tree, they were struck with grief and fainted.
The women are especially mentioned here because of their extraordinary attachment to Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma.