Then (tat) those gopis , who had made Krsna their live, heard that Akrura had come to take Krsna and Balarama to Mathura from others.

The gopīs heard from someone talking (upaśrutya) since they could not have heard directly. They were extremely pained. In their extreme distress they felt that death was preferable. Or the nitya-siddha gopīs, just on hearing Nanda’s announcement became overcome with grief, whereas the sādhana-siddha gopīs, on hearing that Akrūra had come to take Kṛṣṇa, became aggrieved. Their grief arose from fear of separation from Kṛṣṇa, not from fearing he would be harmed in Mathurā for verse 23 expresses their fear that he will be attracted to the women of Mathurā. Kṛṣṇa went with the approval of the senior cowherd like Upananda and Nanda (and therefore he would be safe). If it had not been so, the gopīs would have immediately died. The līlā-śakti made this arrangement. Their fear of separation was not fear of separation forever, since they believed he would stay in Mathurā for only a short time. They address him in verse 22 as the son of Nanda, to affirm his connection with Vraja. Their only fear was that he would be attracted to the women of Mathurā (verse 23). If they had thought otherwise they would have stated it. The hope that he would return was the reason they maintained their lives. This condition of the women in separation (proṣita) is caused by their extreme anurāga.

The gopīs heard from someone talking or from the announcement (upaśrutya) since they could not have heard directly. They were extremely pained. In their extreme distress they felt that death was preferable. Or hearing the announcement they were pained and later, hearing that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would go, they became greatly pained.