tatheti mīlitākṣeṣu
bhagavān agnim ulbaṇam
pītvā mukhena tān kṛcchrād
yogādhīśo vyamocayat
tatha -- all right; iti -- thus speaking; milita -- closing; aksheshu -- their eyes; bhagavan -- the Supreme Lord; agnim -- the fire; ulbanam -- terrible; pitva -- drinking; mukhena -- with His mouth; tan -- them; kricchrat -- from the danger; yoga-adhisah -- the supreme controller of all mystic power; vyamocayat -- delivered .
"All right," the boys replied, and immediately closed their eyes. Then the Supreme Lord, the master of all mystic power, opened His mouth and swallowed the terrible fire, saving His friends from danger.
The cowherd boys were suffering from extreme fatigue, hunger and thirst, and were about to be consumed by a horrible forest fire. All this is indicated here by the word kricchrat.
