saḥ - he (the leader of the elephants); puṣkareṇa - with his trunk; uddhṛta - by drawing out; śīkara-ambubhiḥ - and sprinkling the water; nipāyayan - causing them to drink; saṁsnapayan - and bathing them; yathā - as; gṛhī - a householder; ghṛṇī - always kind (to the members of his family); kareṇuḥ - to his wives, the female elephants; karabhān - to the children; ca - as well as; durmadaḥ - who is too attached to the members of his family; na - not; ācaṣṭa - considered; kṛcchram - hardship; kṛpaṇaḥ - being without spiritual knowledge; aja-māyayā - because of the influence of the external, illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Like a human being who lacks spiritual knowledge and is too attached to the members of his family, the elephant, being illusioned by the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, had his wives and children bathe and drink the water. Indeed, he raised water from the lake with his trunk and sprayed it over them. He did not mind the hard labor involved in this endeavor.