cukruśus tam apaśyantaḥ
kṛṣṇa rāmeti gopakāḥ
bhagavāḿs tad upaśrutya
pitaraḿ varuṇāhṛtam
tad-antikaḿ gato rājan
svānām abhaya-do vibhuḥ
cukrusuh -- they called out loudly; tam -- him, Nanda; apasyantah -- not seeing; krishna -- O Krishna; rama -- O Rama; iti -- thus; gopakah -- the cowherd men; bhagavan -- the Supreme Lord, Krishna; tat -- that; upasrutya -- hearing; pitaram -- His father; varuna -- by Varuna; ahritam -- taken away; tat -- of Varuna; antikam -- to the presence; gatah -- went; rajan -- my dear King Parikshit; svanam -- of His own devotees; abhaya -- of fearlessness; dah -- the giver; vibhuh -- the almighty Lord.
O King, not seeing Nanda Maharaja, the cowherd men loudly cried out, "O Krishna! O Rama!" Lord Krishna heard their cries and understood that His father had been captured by Varuna. Therefore the almighty Lord, who makes His devotees fearless, went to the court of Varunadeva.
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that when Nanda Maharaja went to bathe in the river, he was accompanied by several cowherd men. When Nanda did not come out of the water, they began to cry out, and Lord Krishna immediately came there. Understanding the situation, Sri Krishna entered the water and went to the court of the demigod Varuna, determined to free His father and the other cowherd men from fear of a mere demigod.
