Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.43
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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prāṇa-īśam
—
the Lord of (their) life-airs
Compound: prāṇa (life-breath) + īśa (master). Kṛṣṇa is named as the boys' very prāṇa-īśa — life-breath master. Not 'best friend' or 'favorite'; the actual sovereign of their breathing. The sakhya-rasa raised to absolute dependence.
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kṛṣṇa-māyā-āhatāḥ
—
struck by Kṛṣṇa's māyā
Compound: Kṛṣṇa + māyā + āhata (struck). The boys are 'struck' not by the harsh mahā-māyā that bewilders the conditioned soul but by Kṛṣṇa-māyā — the internal yoga-māyā that protects them from the pain of separation.
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kṣaṇa-ardham
—
half a moment
Compound: kṣaṇa (moment) + ardha (half). One half-instant. The year of separation contracted to almost nothing. Compare Caitanya-caritāmṛta's report that Mahāprabhu's separation-moods reversed the figure: kṣaṇam padam yugāyate.
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menire
—
they considered
Imperfect of √man — to think, consider. Subjective time, not objective. Yoga-māyā operates on the subject's perception. The Gauḍīya analysis: the līlā's time-quality is itself a rasa-vibhāva.
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antarā
—
in between (separated from)
Adverb — apart, in the interval. Even the word 'antara' (between) registers the separation; yet the menire (consideration) collapses the antara. The verse holds both: actual separation, felt non-separation.
Four verses show how the power of yogamaya allowed the cowherd boys to be unaware of the missing time of one year and complete their lunch pastimes with Krsna as previously. Without their prana devata, one year became like a moment as they were covered by yogamaya. (usually in meeting Krsna a long time seems very short, but in this case separation from Krsna seemed very short—because of yogamaya).
The boys’ ignorance of time was caused by māyā. They passed a year without the Lord of their (ātmanaḥ) lives. Or they were bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s own (ātmaṇaḥ) māyā. Though it was Brahmā’s māyā, it was permitted by Kṛṣṇa and carried out by Brahmā. Balarāma thought, “It can only be the māyā of my brother and nothing else that has fooled me.” (SB 10.13.37) Though it is impossible that Balarāma could be bewildered, by Kṛṣṇa’s iccha-śakti, endowed with all powers, it is not impossible. Thus Balarāma also was subjected (hatā) to māyā. This meaning of hatā is according to Amara-koṣa. He was the Lord of their lives since he was the prince among the cowherds (Kṛṣṇa). The boys thought that only five moments had passed. In their perception, time had remained without passing of muhūrtas, days and seasons. Śukadeva calls out to the king in astonishment.
The boys’ ignorance of time was caused by māyā. They passed a year in the absence of the Lord of their (ātmanaḥ) lives. Or they were bewildered by Kṛṣṇa’s own (ātmaṇaḥ) māyā. Though it was Brahmā’s māyā, it was permitted by Kṛṣṇa and carried out by Brahmā. Balarāma thought, “It can only be the māyā of my brother and nothing else that has fooled me.” (SB 10.13.37) Thus everything was adjusted. That was previously discussed. They were covered by Kṛṣṇa’s māyā. He was the lord of their lives because he was Kṛṣṇa, the the young child of Nanda and they were the boys of Vraja (ārbakāḥ). Śukadeva calls out to Parīkṣit in amazement.
- Which 'long' wait of mine might look like a moment from Kṛṣṇa's view?
- How could trusting His timing change my impatience today?
A child asleep on his mother's lap dreams an hour of war and wakes feeling no time has passed. The boys, separated from Kṛṣṇa for a year — their prāṇa-īśa, the lord of their very breath — felt the year as half a moment. Māyā can shrink time when it serves Bhagavān's līlā; the duration of separation is decided by the Lord, not the clock.
My note
Source: vedabase.io