Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 10: The Summum Bonum

Chapter 65: Lord Balarama Visits Vrindavana. Text 2

pariṣvaktaś cirotkaṇṭhair
gopair gopībhir eva ca
rÄmo 'bhivÄdya pitarÄv
Äśīrbhir abhinanditaḥ

 pariá¹£vaktaḥ - embraced; cira - for a long time; utkaṇṭhaiḥ - who had been in anxiety; gopaiḥ - by the cowherd men; gopÄ«bhiḥ - by the cowherd women; eva - indeed; ca - also; rÄmaḥ - Lord BalarÄma; abhivÄdya - offering respects; pitarau - to His parents (Nanda and YaÅ›odÄ); Äśīrbhiḥ - with prayers; abhinanditaḥ - joyfully greeted.


Text

Having long suffered the anxiety of separation, the cowherd men and their wives embraced Lord BalarÄma. The Lord then offered respects to His parents, and they joyfully greeted Him with prayers.

Purport

ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« gives the following verse regarding this situation:

nityÄnanda-svarÅ«po ’pi
 prema-tapto vrajaukasÄm
yayau kṛṣṇam api tyaktvÄ
 yas taá¹ rÄmaá¹ muhuḥ stumaḥ

“Let us repeatedly glorify Lord BalarÄma. Although He is the original personality of eternal bliss, NityÄnanda, He felt pained by His love for the residents of Vraja, and thus He went to see them, even at the cost of leaving Lord Kṛṣṇa.â€