Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.18.31
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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pretya-āgatam-iva
—
as if come back from the dead
Pretya (having died) + āgata (come) + iva (as if). Even though Balarāma was never truly in danger, the sakhās feel the danger in their bodies. Gauḍīya rasa-theory calls this anubhāva — bodily symptoms of bhāva, including reactions appropriate to imagined separation.
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ālingya
—
embracing
Absolutive of ā+√liṅg — to embrace. Physical embrace is the sakhya-rasa's primary anubhāva. Gauḍīyas note that āliṅgana is one of the eight permitted exchanges between rasika and Bhagavān (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu's catalogue of sakhya-bhāva exchanges).
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prema-vihvala-cetasaḥ
—
their minds overwhelmed with ecstatic love
Prema (mature love) + vihvala (overwhelmed) + cetas (mind). The Gauḍīya technical compound for the topmost bhāva-state. Same root vihvala will reappear repeatedly in Caitanya's biographies. The chapter ends sakhya at the gates of prema.
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āśiṣaḥ-abhigṛṇantaḥ
—
offering benedictions
Āśiṣ (blessing) + abhi+√gṝ (to speak loudly, to praise). Boys offering blessings to Bhagavān — Gauḍīyas note the inversion: the source of all blessings receives blessings, and accepts them because prema is the currency, not protocol.
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tat-arhaṇam
—
Him who was worthy of such (praise)
Tat (that) + arhaṇa (worthy of). Even in the heat of embrace the verse marks His worthiness — sakhya does not erase reverence, it lets reverence live inside intimacy.
The cowherd boys began to praise Balarama (tam) who was worthy of praise (arham).
They blessed him saying “Play long with your younger brother and protect us.” They offered blessings profusely, on all sides (abhi). They blessed him, praised him and embraced him out of prema.
They gave the benediction, “May there be affection between you two brothers. Play happily with your younger brother in Vraja always, and protect us. May you have victory everywhere. Be wealthy, have sons and live happily with your family.” In this way they inspired thoroughly (abhigṛhnantaḥ) Balarāma who was worthy of blessings (arhaṇam). Or they praised him, being worthy of him. The cause of all this is that they were filled with the joy of prema.
They embrace Him as if He had died and come back. The sakhās do not coolly congratulate — they hold Him in prema-vihvala, mind overflowing. This is sakhya at its fullest: relief, embrace, no separation between affection and devotion.
My note
Source: vedabase.io