"Because of your anxiety for us, you never had the opportunity of happiness of raising us through the balya, pauganda and kaisora ages." "But the women of Mathura mentioned in chapter 44, verse 8 that Krsna and Balarama were of kaisora age, and had not reached yauvana. Thus the match between the huge wrestlers and the young boys was unequal. Therefore it cannot be said that they had finished their kaisora age. Kaumara age is up to the fifth year. Pauganda is the fifth year to the tenth year. Kaisora is from the tenth to fifteenth year. After that is yauvana. As Krsna was eleven when he killed Kamsa, he would be in the kairsora age according to the above definition. Uddhava has said, "Krsna lived with Balarama secretly in Vraja until the eleventh year." Because of this statement, and the fact that they had not undergone the upanayana samskara, it should be concluded that they started the kaisora age while in Vraja but it had not been completed when they left." "That is true, if you take the normal method of counting the years. However chapter 8, verse.26 states that Krsna and Balarama in a very short time began to crawl about. It is sometimes seen that a young prince during pauganda age may show symptoms of the kaisora age with his quick bodily growth. Therefore what to speak of Krsna attaining kaisora symptoms during pauganda age? Therefore in the case of Krsna, the ages are established according to the following norm following the Vaisnava Tosani, Bhaktirasamrta sindhu and Ananda vrndavana campu. At the age of three years and four months, Krsna displayed the qualities of a five year old. During this kaumara age, Krsna stayed in Mahavana. From that time till the age of six years and eight months, during his pauganda age, he stayed in Vrndavana. From six years and eight months until his tenth year he experienced kaisora age while living in Nandisvara. In the seventh month of the tenth year during the month of Caitra on the krsna trayodasi he went to Mathura and on the caturdasi he killed Kamsa. Therefore the tenth year was the end of his kaisora age, but thereafter he remained at the same age. That is illustrated by the following statement: "When the kaisora age Pradyumna entered the apartments of Krsna, he appeared the same as Krsna and the women hid themselves out of shame." (SB10.55.28). There are also similar statements in the agamas. Thus on the day of killing Kamsa, Krsna had both passed the kaisora age and not passed it. By this explanation there is harmony between Krsna’s statement in this verse that kaisora age passed, and the statement of the women of Mathura that he was in his kaisora age.

He addresses his father first, since he is more prominent. He addresses him as father to arouse within him paternal affection since Vasudeva did not have strong affection, because he had knowledge of Kṛṣṇa as the Lord. In saying that they could not enjoy his kaiśora period, he means that they could not enjoy his full kaiśora period, but only part. He does not mean to say that he has now passed the kaiśora period since it is said kaiśorau nāpa yavanau: they attained kaiśora period, but did not enter yauvana period. They had just begun their kaiśora period. One should consider the order of their age. According to the people of Vraja he lifted Govardhana when he was seven years old. kva sapta-hāyano bālaḥ kva mahādri-vidhāraṇam tato no jāyate śaṅkā vraja-nātha tavātmaje On the one hand this boy is only seven years old, and on the other we see that he has lifted the great hill Govardhana. Therefore, O King of Vraja, a doubt about your son arises within us. SB 10.26.14 He held up the mountain on the third lunar day during the waxing moon of Kārtika month. He completed the seventh year on the eighth lunar day of gauṇa Bhādra month. Out of affection the people stated that he was seven years old, when actually he was seven years, two months and ten days old. Taking that date as a marker, one should calculate the age at which he performed the previous pastimes. One should also consider the following statement and the example of quick development seen in a prince: kālenālpena rājarṣe rāmaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca gokule aghṛṣṭa-jānubhiḥ padbhir vicakramatur añjasā O King Parīkṣit, within a very short time both Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa began to walk very easily in Gokula on their legs, by their own strength, without the need to crawl. SB 10.8.26 Therefore it was not impossible that Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana when a little over seven years old, since he was moreover, the Supreme Lord. He killed Tṛnāvarta when he was one year old. Dāmodara pastime took place when at the beginning of his third year, during Kārtika month. Some days after that, they went from Gokula to Vṛndāvana. After two or three months Kṛṣṇa began herding the calves. Whiling herding the calves he killed Vatsāsura, Bakāṣura and Vyomāsura. When the third year was complete and he entered his fourth year, in the autumn season Brahmā sole the calves and cowherd boys. He entered paugaṇḍa period at the time. However it is said: brahman kālāntara-kṛtaṁ tat-kālīnaṁ kathaṁ bhavet yat kaumāre hari-kṛtaṁ jaguḥ paugaṇḍake ’rbhakāḥ O great sage, how could things done in the past have been described as being done at the present? Kṛṣṇa performed this pastime of killing Aghāsura during his kaumāra age. How then, during his paugaṇḍa age, could the boys have described this incident as having happened recently? SB 10.12.41 Thus, because of the theft, there was delay in paugaṇḍa manifesting. Paugaṇḍa age appeared when Kṛṣṇa was five years old. He began herding the cows on the eighth lunar day of the waxing moon in Kārtika month. In the summer of the fifth year he subdued Kāliya. In his sixth year he had fun herding the cows. At the beginning of the seventh year he entered kaiśora period. At that time he killed Dhenuka on going to the forest of ripe tāla fruits. That evening, the gopīs showed first signs of love for him: pītvā mukunda-mukha-sāragham akṣi-bhṛṅgais tāpaṁ jahur viraha-jaṁ vraja-yoṣito ’hni tat sat-kṛtiṁ samadhigamya viveśa goṣṭhaṁ savrīḍa-hāsa-vinayaṁ yad apāṅga-mokṣam With their beelike eyes, the women of Vṛndāvana drank the honey of the beautiful face of Mukunda, and thus they gave up the distress they had felt during the day because of separation from Him. The young Vṛndāvana ladies cast sidelong glances at the Lord—glances filled with bashfulness, laughter and submission—and Kṛṣṇa, completely accepting these glances as a proper offering of respect, entered the cowherd village. SB 10.15.43 The pastimes of subduing Kāliya and killing Dhenuka are narrated out of order. In the summer of the seventh year Pralamba was killed. During the Āśvina month of his eighth year he played the flute. During Kārtika month he lifted Govardhana. This is when the inhabitants exclaimed that he was only seven years old. tato nanda-vrajam itaḥ pitrā kaṁsād vibibhyatā ekādaśa samās tatra gūḍhārciḥ sa-balo ’vasat His father, afraid of Kaṁsa, brought him to Vraja and for eleven years he lived there with Balarāma, like a covered flame. SB 3.2.26 At the beginning of his eighth year, on the eleventh day of Kārtika, waxing moon, he was bathed and given the name Govinda. On the twelfth day, he went to Varuṇa’s kingdom. On the full moon day he immersed the inhabitants in Brahma-hrada. During the winter season, he stole the gopīs’ clothing, since this is mentioned in Varāha Purāṇa. In the summer of his eighth year he gave mercy to the wives of the brāhmaṇas. In his ninth year he performed the rāsa dance. He went to Ambikā-vana during Śiva-rātri, on the fourteenth lunar day. He killed Śaṅkhacūḍa in Phālguna month. In his tenth year he performed pastimes as he pleased. He killed Ariṣṭa on the full moon of Caitrya month when he was eleven. He killed Keśī on the twelfth lunar day of gauṇa Phālguna. On the fourteenth day he killed Kaṁsa. He was not actually twelve years old at that time, but eleven as mentioned in SB 3.2.26. At the end of his ninth year he entered full kaiśora period. He does not age beyond this period. kṛṣṇaṁ matvā striyo hrītā nililyus tatra tatra ha The women of the palace thought Pradyumna was Kṛṣṇa. Thus the women became bashful and hid themselves here and there. SB 10.55.28 Though Pradyumna was young, he was similar to Kṛṣṇa.

He addresses his father first, since he is more prominent. He addresses him as father to arouse within him paternal affection since Vasudeva did not have strong affection, because he had knowledge of Kṛṣṇa as the Lord. In saying that they could not enjoy his kaiśora period, he means that they could not enjoy his full kaiśora period, but only the very end.