The boys were very naughty (aticalau). They wanted to play with the horned creatures (srngi) like bulls, creatures with sharp teeth (damstri) like dogs , fire, knives and birds (dvija) and the mothers could not perform house hold duties because they had to stop them. Then their minds became disturbed (anavasatha). This is a sancari bhava which nourished vatsalya rasa.

When the boys became stronger with age, the mothers became agitated with prema because of the boys’ fickle actions. The mothers had to prevent them from grabbling horns, fire, teeth etc. Or they had to prevent the boys engaged in playing with horns, fire teeth etc. But they could not prevent them. By the rule īdūded divcamanaṁ pragṛhyam (Pāṇini 1.1.11), there should be no sandhi in the dual form of the verb śekate, though in this verse it changes to śekata by poetic license. Why could they not control the boys? They boys were most fickle. They wanted to touch horns of bulls, teeth of dogs or monkeys, knives (in some versions snakes or ahi since it was possible to keep knives away from them), and birds such as peacocks. They could prevent their sons from touching these things, but others could not, since they could not beat them. Since it was necessary for the mothers to prevent them, as they were overwhelmed with affection, they did this by keeping the boys by their sides and using words. But then they were not able to do duties in the house to which they were attached from the birth of Kṛṣṇa, since they took that house as Kṛṣṇa’s. Thus their minds became very unsettled. When the people of Vraja became unsettled, that unsettled state as the sañcāri-bhava called cāpala, nourished the sthāyi-bhāva called vātsalya and became superior to samādhi. The highest stage of happiness in the house became manifested. Later Brahmā will say, comparing them to materialists, yad-dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte: the homes, wealth, friends, dear relations, bodies, children and very lives and hearts of the people of Vraja are all dedicated only to you. (SB 10.14.35) The people of Vraja were never absorbed in material consciousness. Nāvindan bhava-vedanām: Nanda Mahārāja and others could not even perceive material tribulations. (SB 10.11.58) Yaśodā’s bhāva is praised: nemaṁ viriñco na bhavo a śrīr apy aṅga-saṁśrayā prasādaṁ lebhire gopī yat tat prāpa vimuktidāt Neither Brahmā, nor Śiva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who is always the better half of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Lord, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by mother Yaśodā. SB 10.9.20 From all these verses it is clear that their bhāva was most exalted. Vaiśampāyana also describes their attraction to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma: tavānyonyaṁ gatau bālau bālyād evaikatāṅgatau eka-mūrti-dharau kāntau bala-candrākra-varcasau eka-nirmāṇa-nirmuktāv eka-śayāsanāśanau eka-veśa-dharāv ekaṁ puṣyamāṇau śiśu-vratam eka-kāryāntara-gatāv eka-dehau dvidhā-krṭau eka-caryau mahavīryav ekasya śiśutāṁ gatau eka-pramāṇau lokānāṁ deva-vṛttau ca mānuṣau krtśnasya jagato gopau samvṛttau gopa-dārakau anonya vyati-ṣaktābhiḥ krīḍābhir atiśobhitau anyonya-kiraṇa-grastau candra-sūryāvivāmbare visarpantau tu sarvatra sarpa-bhoga-bhujav ubhau rejatuḥ paṅka-digḍhaṅgau dṛptau kalabhakāv iva kvacid basma-pradigdhāṅgau karīṣa prokṣitau kvacit tau tatra paridhāvetāṁ kumārāv iva pāvakī kvacij jānubhir udghrṣṭaiḥ sarpamāṇau virejatuḥ krīḍantau vatsa-śālāsu śakṛd digdhāṅga-mūrdhajau śuśubhāte śriyā juṣṭāv ānanda-jananau pituḥ janaṁ ca viprakūrvāṇau prahasantau kvacit kvacit tau tatra kautuhalinau mūrdhaja-vyākulekṣaṇau rejatuṣ candra-vadanau dārakau sukumārakau The two boys from infancy were like one body, shining like a small moon and sun. They slept together, ate together, dressed together, and nourished their infant emotions together. They engaged in the same activities, like one body in two forms. They were absorbed as one child in carrying out heroic feats. They were the same height, and acted like humans with divine qualities. Protecting the world, they were disguise as two cowherd boys. They appeared beautiful in their pastimes which were entwined together. They both shone effulgently like the moon and sun in the sky. They wandered about in a crooked manner everywhere with snake-like arms. Covered with mud, they shone like two proud elephant calves. Sometimes they were smeared with ashes and sometimes with cow dung. The young boys, bright as fire, would run about and sometimes they would crawl about on their knees. They would play in the calf pen, covered in cow dung up to the head. Endowed with all beauty they gave joy to their parents. Sometimes they would insult others and laugh. They were filled with mirth and their hair was disheveled. With moon-like faces the two young boys shone with splendor.