After greeting the elder cowherd men, Balarama was welcomed by the younger men, according to proper order. According to age, friendship and relationship, he associated intimately with them with smiles, hand shaking and embraces. Having rested after eating, he again sat down comfortably, and they asked him about his welfare. He, his voice choked with prema for his own cowherd friends, also asked about their welfare. Those cowherd men had completely renounced the carrying out of their daily bodily functions. Since the day that Krsna left, out of their nature, they did not even carry out the functions such as sleeping and eating.

The verse describes his meeting with Nanda’s associates (elders). Then the next day (atha) he met closely (upetya) with his cowherd friends with affection and respect (sam), going personally to their houses with laughing and holding hands, according to age. After eating he sat comfortably while they all rested after their services. They all sat around him and asked about the health of the Yadus, according to their age and friendship with Balarāma. Others also, according to relationship as sons of his uncle etc., according to age and friendship (yathā-vayo yathā-sakhyaṁ yathā-sambandham ātmanaḥ), came and asked questions. “Laughing and holding hands” refers to his friends. They showed mutual joy because they constantly had sphūrtis of his presence in secret, as explained when Uddhava had come. The word ādi indicates bowing to elders and other courtesies. sa tān abhaṣāta prītyā yathāpūrvaṁ arindama / gopāns tenaiva vidhinā yathā nyāyaṁ yathā vayaḥ // tathaiva prāha tān sarvān tathaiva pariharṣayan / tathaiva saha gopībhī yojayan madhurāḥ kathāḥ // He spoke to them with affection as previously he had done, correctly according to rules and age. Then he spoke to them, giving them all joy. Then he met with the gopīs and spoke sweet topics. Hari-vaṁśa Then he asked them about the people of Vraja. They asked him and then he asked them, both with choked words, out of prema. They had given up everything for Kṛṣṇa, who attracted everyone with his beauty, including his lotus eyes. He first attracted them with his blissful form and then attracted away all their miseries (kṛṣṇe). eṣāṁ ghoṣa-nivāsinām uta bhavān kiṁ deva rāteti naś ceto viśva-phalāt phalaṁ tvad-aparaṁ kutrāpy ayan muhyati sad-veṣād iva pūtanāpi sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā yad-dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte O Lord! What can you give to the people of Vraja whose houses, possessions, friends, dear ones, bodies, sons, life airs and hearts are dedicated only to you, since there is nothing superior to you or Vraja (which you have already given)? Thinking of this my mind becomes bewildered. You awarded yourself even to Pūtanā and her family members because she wore the disguise of a nurse. SB 10.14.35 Previously they had given up everything out of attachment to him. Now in separation they naturally had no taste for their possessions but out of expectation that he would return they kept their possessions. They then heard of his battles with demons. In order to destroy obstacles for him, they gave up household goods (rādhasaḥ) to the devatās and brāhmaṇas as acts of charity. Now they asked about the health of his assistants in battling the demons. Balarāṁa asked them about their health since he was worried about them and was compassionate to them since they had given up everything. Śukadeva, on remembering their ensuing difficulties, lost control of his senses.

He met with the cowherds, according to age, with smiles etc. They questioned him after he was relieved of fatigue from his journey and was sitting comfortably or after the smiles had finished. Or he was not tired from the long journey and thus sat comfortably. They also exchanged affectionate words (ādibhiḥ). They came close to him according to the relationship. Nanda and Yaśodā called brothers and other relatives. sa tān abhaṣāta prītyā yathāpūrvaṁ arindama / gopāns tenaiva vidhinā yathā nyāyaṁ yathā vayaḥ // tathaiva prāha tān sarvān tathaiva pariharṣayan / tathaiva saha gopībhī yojayan madhurāḥ kathāḥ // He spoke to them with affection he had done as previously, correctly according to rules and age. Then he spoke to them, giving them all joy. Then he met with the gopīs and spoke sweet topics. Hari-vaṁśa They asked him with choked voices about Kṛṣṇa, who attracted their hearts, because he was most beautiful (kamala-patrākṣe), who could relieve distress just by his glance, and were asked by Balarāma about their well-being. They wanted to see him. They had given up everything for him. Previous to Uddhava’s coming, the people had not given up everything, hoping he would return. After Uddhava came, losing hope that Kṛṣna would come or agitated by his long absence, they lost interest in maintaining their bodies. Or with their words choked because of his prema for them, they asked him about Kṛṣṇa in the following verse.