tān - all those boys; vīkṣya - seeing; kṛṣṇaḥ - the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; sakala-abhaya-pradaḥ - who is the source of fearlessness for everyone; hi - indeed; ananya-nāthān - especially for the cowherd boys, who did not know anyone except Kṛṣṇa; sva-karāt - from the control of His hand; avacyutān - now gone out; dīnān ca - helpless; mṛtyoḥ jaṭhara-agni-ghāsān - who had all entered like straws into the fire of the abdomen of Aghāsura, who was very bold and hungry, like death personified (because the asura had assumed a big body, he must have had a very strong appetite); ghṛṇā-arditaḥ - therefore, being compassionate due to causeless mercy; diṣṭa-kṛtena - by things arranged by His internal potency; vismitaḥ - He also, for the time being, was astonished.

Kṛṣṇa saw that all the cowherd boys, who did not know anyone but Him as their Lord, had now gone out of His hand and were helpless, having entered like straws into the fire of the abdomen of Aghāsura, who was death personified. It was intolerable for Kṛṣṇa to be separated from His friends the cowherd boys. Therefore, as if seeing that this had been arranged by His internal potency, Kṛṣṇa was momentarily struck with wonder and unsure of what to do.