Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.15.17
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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pāda-saṁvāhanam
—
the massaging of the feet
pāda (feet) + saṁvāhana (massage). Echoes verse 14, where Kṛṣṇa massaged Balarāma; here the cowherds massage Kṛṣṇa. Gauḍīya: pāda-sevā is one of the nine angas of bhakti (SB 7.5.23-24). The sakhās perform it without ceremony.
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mahā-ātmanaḥ
—
great souls
mahā (great) + ātman (self). Gauḍīya: a mahātmā in Gauḍīya theology is one defined by BG 9.13 — one who has taken shelter of daivī-prakṛti and worships Bhagavān with undeviating mind. The cowherd boys qualify by their bhakti, not by birth or learning.
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hata-pāpmānaḥ
—
who were free from all sins
hata (destroyed) + pāpman (sinfulness). The fanners are free of sin. Gauḍīya: in Vraja, proximity to Kṛṣṇa burns pāpa automatically; one need not perform separate atonement. The service itself is the cleansing.
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vyajanaiḥ
—
with fans
Instrumental plural of vyajana (fan). Gauḍīya: cāmara-sevā and vyajana-sevā are part of every Vaiṣṇava temple's daily rāja-upacāra. The sakhās perform Vraja's natural-leaf version of the same temple worship.
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samavījayan
—
perfectly fanned Him
sam (well) + a (toward) + vījaya (fan). The prefix sam adds completeness — they did it just right. Gauḍīya note: the perfection of sevā is rāgānuga (love-driven), not vidhi-driven. The sakhās don't consult any manual.
The word samavījayan indicates that the cowherd boys fanned the Lord very carefully and expertly, creating gentle and cooling breezes.
Kecit is in the plural to indicate that they would take turns massaging his feet, or that in each of the many beds where he had expanded his form three or four boys would massage his feet. Mahātmanaḥ should be mahātmānaḥ, fortunate souls. Some fortunate souls massaged his feet. Or, some massaged the feet of Kṛṣṇa, who had great, astonishing qualities (mahātmanaḥ). The boys were freed of all problems which could be created by interruption to their service (hata-pāpmānaḥ). They were free of all sins eternally. To say they had become purified of sins would be an insult. Ayam ātmā ’pahata-pāpmanā: the ātmā in the spiritual world is free of all sin. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.5) This should be understood in all the previous and following verses. They fanned him using slow, graceful gestures (sam--avījayan).
Since there were many boys they took turns massaging his feet. Or on the many beds, three or four would be on one bed massaging one of the expansions. Or, by his special power, though he is one, it was possible that many could massage him. Mahātmanaḥ should be mahātmānaḥ in refers to the boys. They were greatly fortunate. Or mahātmanaḥ can modify tasya (Kṛṣṇa’s) with the meaning of unlimited (great soul). One Kṛṣṇa, who had special power, could be in resting in many beds by spreading himself out. These boys had their sins destroyed by the Lord by glorifying him even in this world. We however are sinful, without the good fortune of serving him like this. They fanned him thoroughly (sam-bījayan), with slow graceful movements.
After a long ride, a great king lies down and his courtiers — without instruction — divide tasks: one massages, one fans, another sings. The cowherd boys do this for Kṛṣṇa not because rank requires it but because love spontaneously organizes itself. The verse calls them mahā-ātmanaḥ — great souls — precisely because their service is unprompted.
My note
Source: vedabase.io