"Oh you have made a great offense. If you have bathed without clothing in the water, then definiteley (u) you have offended Varuna, or Narayana (deva)." The gopis said, "This is a local custom and therefore as very young girls, we have made no offense." Krsna said, "For those performing vrata, bathing naked is certainly an offense to the Lord." Considering thus that the fruits of their vrata had become nullified, they became afraid and said, "Oh, we have made such an offense and now we will not get any results. Motrified and more motified, we should give up our lives. " Seeing the gopis who had performed such austerities, with worn bodies, pale and shivering, Krsna thought , "Oh, I should, being merciful, immediately prescribe some prayascitta so that they do not give up their lives." Therefore he said, "o thin bodied gopis, do not fear." He gave the remedy. "All women are servants of Narayana. This is the statement of scripture. Gargamuni has also said that I am similar to Narayana in qualities. Therefore I am now your Narayana. Therefore, turning towards me, you should offer respects to me to nullify your offense to Narayana, and then receive your lower garments. Because males don’t have any use for the lower garments of women I will give them all back. The upper garments however I will use myself as shawls." When the lowered their head as an obeisance, krsna said, "Oh no, offering respects with just the head is inferior." When he saw them then using one hand, he objected again "this is also inferior." Thus he made them offer both hands in prayer. When he saw them offering both hands, but low down to cover themselves, he said, "Hold your folded hands above your heads."

“Because they are young girls they cannot be blamed.” I have directly witnessed this, so it is not possible to cheat me. This is an offense against the deity of the water Varuṇa or Nārāyaṇa. Fold your hands and put them on your heads and nowhere else. This indicates Kṛṣṇa’s different intentions. He saw that they were trying to use one hand for offering respects. Therefore he told them to join their hands. And when they joined their hands they placed them downwards. Therefore he told them to place their hands on their heads. He instructed them to take only their lower garments, not their upper garments.

“Because they are young girls they cannot be blamed.” I have directly witnessed this, so it is not possible to cheat me. Deva-helanam actually means worship of Devī or Kātyāyanī (feminine). You have offended her. But in order to make them give up their stubbornness, he speaks of general disregard for all devatās. Or, deva-helanam can refer technically to an offense, in the form of some fault in the vrata. They should place their hands on their heads and nowhere else, in order that the king of rasikas could fulfill his desire. One should not offer respects with only one hand according to Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. They should join the hands together and place them on their heads, for he saw them joining their hands below. When they came near to take their cloth which was at the base of the kadamba tree (adhas), he would be able to see them clearly. Offering respects they should take their clothing. Or they should take their lower cloth (adhovasanam) and not their upper cloth. Vasanam is in the singular to indicate that each girl should take one piece of cloth.