āge - in front; mṛgī-gaṇa - the deer; dekhi' - seeing; kṛṣṇa-aṅga-gandha - the aroma of Kṛṣṇa's body; pāñā - getting; tāra mukha - their faces; dekhi' - seeing; puchena - inquire; nirṇaya kariyā - making certain.

The gopīs then came upon a group of she-deer. Smelling the aroma of Kṛṣṇa’s body and seeing the faces of the deer, the gopīs inquired from them to ascertain if Kṛṣṇa was nearby.