The love for their own sons had now increased to as much as that for Krsna, which had exceeded the love for their own sons. But now their love for Krsna also increased even more. The love for someone else’s child, kept exceeding the love for their own children. King Pariksit asks concerning this fact. How is it that the love for another’s child increased beyond the love for their own child since the pastime with Lord Brahma? Usually parents have more love for their own children, even if others children have better qualities. What was the cause of contradiction to normal experience?

“One sees that affection is of three types: because of beauty in the object, because of possessiveness, and because of natural bodily relationship, but Kṛṣṇa assumed exactly the forms of the boys, so his beauty in those forms was not different from theirs. The mothers had the same possessiveness as before. And the mothers still had relationships as mothers with their sons. This third affection is seen when Pradyumna returned his mother’s breasts began to flow with milk. (SB 10.55.30) Kṛṣṇa was here in the opposite position since he was not their real son. How could their love for him be greater than that for their real sons?” Desiring to know, Parīkṣit asked. How could such love arise for Kṛṣṇa when he took the forms and names of the boys? He was not in his svarūpa. Kṛṣṇa had taken birth from another (parodbhave)—Nanda and Yaśodā. This shows that he was their real son as shown by the statement nandas tvātatmja utpanne: Nanda became joyful at the birth of his son. (SB 10.5.1) If this were not so, Parīkṣit should have asked “How did Kṛṣṇa have affection for Nanda and Yaśodā?” This is proof that Kṛṣṇa was Nanda’s son from the text itself. Another interpretation is as follows. vrajaukasāṁ sva-tokeṣu sneha-vally ābdam anvaham śanair niḥsīma vavṛdhe yathā kṛṣṇe tv apūrvavat Now, for one year, their affection for their own sons gradually increased without limit, for Kṛṣṇa had now become their sons. And their affection for Kṛsṇa increased more than previously to an astonishing degree. SB 10.13.26 The question concerns Kṛṣṇa as described in the above verse. How could they develop even more love for Kṛṣṇa? He had more beauty than previously and more than that, there was greater possessiveness (since he also became their son at that time) and bodily relationship (since he was also their son). With a desire to reveal that truth, the question is asked.

O direct form of the Vedas (brāhmaṇa)! You know everything. The women thought of Kṛṣṇa as the son of Yaśodā, not as the Lord. They should not develop more affection for him than for their own children. An object shows itself by its nature. What is the reasoning for this attraction? They developed more love than previously even (api) for their own sons. Sometimes ca is seen with the same meaning. Please explain this. The question is how did this happen rather than was it suitable. There are many cases of giving up one’s children. Or seeing many sages undergoing austerities but with attachment to their children, rather than for the Lord, Parikṣit addresses Śukadeva while laughing at them.