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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.65.17

ద్వౌ మాసౌ తత్ర చావాత్సీన్మధుం మాధవమేవ చ । రామ: క్షపాసు భగవాన్ గోపీనాం రతిమావహన్ ॥ ౧౭ ॥
dvau māsau tatra cāvātsīn
[dvau maasau tatra chaavaatseen]
madhuṁ mādhavaṁ eva ca
[madhum maadhavam eva cha]
rāmaḥ kṣapāsu bhagavān
[raamah kshapaasu bhagavaan]
gopīnāṁ ratim āvahan
[gopeenaam ratim aavahan]
dvau — two māsau — months tatra — there (in Gokula) ca — and avātsīt — resided madhum — Madhu (the first month of the Vedic calendar, at the time of the spring equinox) mādhavam — Mādhava (the second month) eva — indeed ca — also rāmaḥ — Balarāma kṣapāsu — during the nights bhagavān — the Supreme Lord gopīnām — to the gopīs ratim — conjugal pleasure āvahan — bringing .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dvau māsau tatra cāvātsīn
dvau
two
māsau
months
tatra
there (in Gokula)
ca
and
avātsīt
resided
madhuṁ mādhavaṁ eva ca
madhum
Madhu (the first month of the Vedic calendar, at the time of the spring equinox)
mādhavam
Mādhava (the second month)
eva
indeed
ca
also
rāmaḥ kṣapāsu bhagavān
rāmaḥ
Balarāma
kṣapāsu
during the nights
bhagavān
the Supreme Lord
gopīnāṁ ratim āvahan
gopīnām
to the gopīs
ratim
conjugal pleasure
āvahan
bringing .
  • māsau — two months
    Dual of māsa (month). The dual is deliberate — Madhu and Mādhava paired. Vasanta-rāsa traditionally happens in this exact span; Gauḍīyas mark these months as rasa-charged.
  • madhum — Madhu
    The first spring month — also literally 'honey.' Bhagavān's spring is honey-named. Gauḍīya poets exploit the double meaning: the month itself is sweet because He is present in it.
  • mādhavam — Mādhava (the second month)
    Vaiśākha — but also a name of Kṛṣṇa Himself. The month name and the Lord's name converge. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Mādhavendra Purī parampara takes its emblem from this convergence.
  • kṣapāsu — during the nights
    Locative plural of kṣapā (night). Vraja's rāsa-līlā always happens by night. The Bhāgavatam quietly signals that Balarāma's two months replay the rāsa structure — by night, in the forest, with the gopīs.
  • gopīnām — to the gopīs
    Genitive plural. Gauḍīyas note carefully that the gopīs who participate in Balarāma's rāsa are a distinct set from the parakīya-gopīs of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa; the doctrine preserves the uniqueness of Kṛṣṇa's mādhurya.
  • ratim — conjugal pleasure
    Rati — desire, pleasure, also a technical term for the sthāyī-bhāva of mādhurya. The Bhāgavatam uses the technical word; Gauḍīya rasa-śāstra inherits it directly from this verse-family.
Lord Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there for the two months of Madhu and Mādhava, and during the nights He gave His cowherd girlfriends conjugal pleasure.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that the gopīs who enjoyed conjugal affairs with Śrī Balarāma during His visit to Gokula had not taken part in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance, being too young at the time. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī confirms this statement by quoting a phrase from the Bhāgavatam (10.15.8) — gopyo ’ntareṇa bhujayoḥ — which indicates that there are particular gopīs who act as Lord Balarāma’s girlfriends. Furthermore, Jīva Gosvāmī states that during the Holī festivities celebrated when Kṛṣṇa killed Śaṅkhacūḍa, the gopīs Lord Balarāma enjoyed with were different from the ones Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī agrees with this explanation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Lord Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there for the two months of Madhu and Mādhava, and during the nights He gave His cowherd girlfriends conjugal pleasure.
Commentary

Madhu month is caitra and madhava month is vaisakha. Sridhara Swami argues that these gopis with whom Baladeva enjoyed were different from those who enjoyed with Krsna, because they were too young and immature when Krsna performed his rasa lila. Jiva Goswami says that during the pastime of killing Sankhachuda demon and the holi pastmes, there is specific mention of Balarama's own group of gopis. It was with these gopis that Balarama enjoyed during these two months.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

According to the principle enunciated by the word tāḥ in the previous verse, those gopīs were dedicated to Kṛṣṇa alone. The gopīs mentioned in the present verse were other gopīs dedicated only to Balarāma. Words which indicate general qualities should be explained according to context. For instance of one says “Brāhmaṇas should be respected” this applies to all brāhmaṇas. But if one says “The brāhmaṇas should be hidden” this would applies to brāhmaṇas in a certain situation and not to all brāhmaṇas or other brāhmaṇas. Similarly a word with various meanings should take the meaning most suitable to the circumstance. If one says bring the saindhava, normally this would meaning “Bring the salt” instead of “Bring the king of Sindh.” Thus the word gopī does not always mean Kṛṣṇa’s consorts. Gopyaś cākarṇya muditā yaśodāyāḥ sutodbhavam: the gopī wives of the cowherd men were very pleased to hear that mother Yaśodā had given birth to a son. (SB 101.59) Gopyas tūrṇaṁ samabhyetya jagṛhur jāta-sambhramāḥ: gopīs immediately came forward with great jubilation and picked Kṛṣṇa up. (SB 10.6.18) Ruditam anuniśamya tatra gopyah: Yaśodā’s friends, the other gopīs, approached mother Yaśodā, hearing her pitiful crying. (SB 10.7.25) Kṛṣṇasya gopyo ruciraṁ vīkṣya kaumāra-cāpalam: all the elder gopīs saw the very attractive childish restlessness of Kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.8.28) Gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad: my dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind you when you committed an offense. (SB 1.8.31) Prasādaṁ lebhire gopī: such mercy was received by mother Yaśodā. (SB 10.9.20) Pariṣvaktaś cirotkaṇṭhair gopair gopībhir eva ca: having long suffered the anxiety of separation, the cowherd men and their wives embraced Balarāma. (SB 10.65.2) They embraced him out of great confusion due to separation. It should not be thought that in the present context the gopīs referred to are Kṛṣṇa’s gopīs. Similarly, in the Fifth Canto (5.11.12-13), there are contiguous statements (verses 12-13) with the word kṣetra-jṣa, but the word means jīva in the first instance and God in the second instance. The submersion of the earth during Svayambhūva’s period was different from the submersion of the earth during the killing of Hiraṇyakṣa though the two stories are mixed. Thus the gopīs referred to by the word tāḥ in the previous verse does not refer to the gopīs mentioned in this verse because of the reasons previously mentioned. If they were, it would have created a scandal in Dvārakā. What more need be said. Now the present pastime is explained. Having completely consoled Kṛṣṇa’s dear gopīs, he enjoyed with other gopīs of Balarāma’s group about whom Kṛṣṇa joked during their kaumāra period, foreseeing their future intimate relationship, by saying “You have embraced the young cowherd women between your two arms.” (SB 10.15.8) These gopīs mingled with Kṛṣṇa’s gopīs during the events leading to the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa and the Holikā pastimes. Previously they maintained their chastity by not association with him. With the consent of Kṛṣṇa, by his request, Balarāma pacified his own gopīs for two months. The word ca indicates a different subject. It was said in verse 1 that he went to Vraja, desiring to see his friends. That was his principle aim. Secondarily he enjoyed with his own gopīs. He did this at night, in a most secret way, far way, on the bank of the Yamunā, for he was suitable for enjoying (rāmaḥ) and he was Bhagavān. Thus he enjoyed with many gopīs.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Having pacified Kṛṣṇa’s gopīs first, which was his main goal, showing that he was fully dedicated to the people of Vraja, he enjoyed in the spring. The word ca means “but,” indicating a separate topic. He stayed not only for the two months (eva) but also longer (ca). Vṛndāvana expected Balarāma to come at this time. Thus the forest was beautiful with flowers flowing with nectar. In the nights filled with the spring moonlight, he gave conjugal pleasure to the gopīs because he was skillful at love (rāmaḥ) since he was fully knowledgeable of love according to the kāma scriptures (bhagavān). Or though he had this nature, did he pacify the gopīs with such messages? No, he could not pacify them at all, because they were in great pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa and wanted to see him. But he stayed two months to give them slightly more happiness even when they slept at night. The word ca indicates slightly more. Now the pain of separation increased at that time. He did this because he was most merciful (bhagavān), and the giver of happiness (rāmaḥ).

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses

When a brother spends spring in his home village and the moon stays full longer than usual, every night feels stolen back from time. Balarāma's two months in Vraja are the way Bhagavān re-pays separation: not with explanation, with presence.

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