Devanagari
एवं व्रजौकसां प्रीतिं यच्छन्तौ बालचेष्टितै: ।
कलवाक्यै: स्वकालेन वत्सपालौ बभूवतु: ॥ ३७ ॥
Verse text
evaṁ vrajaukasāṁ prītiṁ
yacchantau bāla-ceṣṭitaiḥ
kala-vākyaiḥ sva-kālena
vatsa-pālau babhūvatuḥ
Synonyms
evam
—
in this way
;
vraja
—
okasām — to all the inhabitants of Vraja
;
prītim
—
pleasure
;
yacchantau
—
giving
;
bāla
—
ceṣṭitaiḥ — by the activities and pastimes of childhood
;
kala
—
vākyaiḥ — and by very sweet broken language
;
sva
—
kālena — in due course of time
;
vatsa
—
pālau — to take care of the calves
;
babhūvatuḥ
—
were grown up .
Translation
In this way, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, acting like small boys and talking in half-broken language, gave transcendental pleasure to all the inhabitants of Vraja. In due course of time, They became old enough to take care of the calves.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In this way, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, acting like small boys and talking in half-broken language, gave transcendental pleasure to all the inhabitants of Vraja. In due course of time, They became old enough to take care of the calves.
KB 10.11.37
As They grew up They began talking with Their parents and others in childish language, and thus They gave great pleasure to all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana.
Soon Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had grown sufficiently to be given charge of the calves. Cowherd boys, from the very beginning of their childhood, are trained to take care of the cows, and their first responsibility is to take care of the little calves.
Purport
As soon as Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were a little grown up, They were meant for taking care of the calves. Although born of a very well-to-do family, They still had to take care of the calves. This was the system of education. Those who were not born in
brāhmaṇa
families were not meant for academic education. The
brāhmaṇas
were trained in a literary, academic education, the
kṣatriyas
were trained to take care of the state, and the
vaiśyas
learned how to cultivate the land and take care of the cows and calves. There was no need to waste time going to school to be falsely educated and later increase the numbers of the unemployed. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma taught us by Their personal behavior. Kṛṣṇa took care of the cows and played His flute, and Balarāma took care of agricultural activities with a plow in His hand.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
At the suitable time (three years) (sva kalena), they began to herd the calves.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The sequence of events in Mahāvana, according to age is as follows: killing Pūtanā, breaking the cart, name giving ceremony, crawling, walking, killing Tṛnāvarta, first showing of the universal form, dancing for the gopīs, buying fruit, pulling the calves’ tails, eating dirt, second showing of the universal form, stealing yogurt, being bound to the mortar, Yaśodā calling the boys for lunch and entering Vṛndāvana. Now the pastimes in Vṛndāvana begin. They pleased the people of Vraja by their childhood actions and charming speech as previously (evam). Another version has kala-vākyau, with the same meaning. In the same kaumāra period (sva-kālena) they began herding the calves. The two ended their kaumāra period at the end of four years, though normally it ends after five years for it is said:
kālenālpena rājarṣe rāmaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca gokule
aghṛṣṭa-jānubhiḥ padbhir vicakramatur añjasā
O sage among kings! Within a very short time both Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa began to walk very easily in Gokula on their legs, without the need to crawl. SB 10.8.26
In Vṛndāvana they continued their kaumāra period for one and a half years, since the stealing of the calves by Brahmā took place within this period as well. Later in this chapter it is said evaṁ vihāraiḥ kaumāraiḥ kaumāraṁ jahatur vraje: in this way Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma passed their kaumāra in Vraja by engaging in activities of childish play. (SB 10.11.59) Tataś ca paugaṇḍa-vayaḥ-śrītau vraje
babhūvatus tau paśu-pāla-sammatau: when Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa attained the age of paugaṇḍa while living in Vṛndāvana, the cowherd men allowed them to take up the task of tending the cows. (SB 10.15.1) However, Hari-vamśa says concerning their playing in Mahāvana:
evaṁ tau bālyam utīrṇau krṣṇa-saṅkārṣaṇāv ubhau
tasmin eva vraja-sthāne saptavarṣau babhūvatuḥ
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma passed through their kaumāra period and stayed at Mahāvana till the age of seven.
“Age of seven” should be understood to mean that they acted like a seven year old. As with other contradictions, some people explain that this description is from a different kalpa.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
After coming to Vṛndāvana (evam) or in this way (evam), the two boys gave bliss to all the inhabitants of Vraja by their attractive, astonishing, natural activities and by their sweet words. Though they could speak previously, when Kṛṣṇa ate dirt, now in Vṛndāvana their speech was particularly sweet, with various topics. When they attained four years (sva-kaḷena) they began to herd the calves.
They stayed in Mahāvana for three years. In the fourth year, they came to Vṛndāvana. After spending a short time doing bālya-lilā they began herding the calves.
evaṁ tau bālyam utīrṇau krṣṇa-saṅkārṣaṇāv ubhau
tasmin eva vraja-sthāne saptavarṣau babhūvatuḥ
Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma passed through their kaumāra period and stayed at Mahāvana till the age of seven. Hari-vaṁśa
This statement is from another kalpa and should be rejected since it contradicts many statements elsewhere.