Devanagari
व्रजौकसां स्वतोकेषु स्नेहवल्ल्याब्दमन्वहम् ।
शनैर्नि:सीम ववृधे यथा कृष्णे त्वपूर्ववत् ॥ २६ ॥
Verse text
vrajaukasāṁ sva-tokeṣu
sneha-vally ābdam anvaham
śanair niḥsīma vavṛdhe
yathā kṛṣṇe tv apūrvavat
Synonyms
vraja
—
okasām — of all the inhabitants of Vraja, Vṛndāvana
;
sva
—
tokeṣu — for their own sons
;
sneha
—
vallī — the creeper of affection
;
ā
—
abdam — for one year
;
anu
—
aham — every day
;
śanaiḥ
—
gradually
;
niḥsīma
—
without limit
;
vavṛdhe
—
increased
;
yathā kṛṣṇe
—
exactly accepting Kṛṣṇa as their son
;
tu
—
indeed
;
apūrva
—
vat — as it had not been previously .
Translation
Although the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, the cowherd men and cowherd women, previously had more affection for Kṛṣṇa than for their own children, now, for one year, their affection for their own sons continuously increased, for Kṛṣṇa had now become their sons. There was no limit to the increment of their affection for their sons, who were now Kṛṣṇa. Every day they found new inspiration for loving their children as much as they loved Kṛṣṇa.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Although the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi, the cowherd men and cowherd women, previously had more affection for Kṛṣṇa than for their own children, now, for one year, their affection for their own sons continuously increased, for Kṛṣṇa had now become their sons. There was no limit to the increment of their affection for their sons, who were now Kṛṣṇa. Every day they found new inspiration for loving their children as much as they loved Kṛṣṇa.
KB 10.13.26
Although the cows and elder gopīs of Vṛndāvana had greater affection for Kṛṣṇa than for their own offspring, after this incident their affection for their offspring increased unlimitedly, exactly as it did for Kṛṣṇa. For one year continuously, Kṛṣṇa Himself expanded as the calves and cowherd boys and was present in the pasturing ground.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Though the love for Krsna as son of Yasoda and the love for Krsna as the cowherd boys were essentially the same, additional affection for Krsna the son of Yasoda also appeared at this time. For one year the affection of the mothers for their sons (Krsna) grew like a creeper. Previously the mothers had more affection for Krsna than their own sons. Now, they had that same affection for their sons. But now (tu), though that affection was equal, the affection for Yasoda Krsna became every increasingly fresh (apurvavat). Here, the word Krsna should be understood to be repeated again, though it is mentioned only once. Why did the love for him increase even more? Because Krsna is the amsi, the original possessor of all saktis and beauty, and his expansions as the cowherd boys are amsa in relation to beauty and other qualities. So the sentence would read as follows. "As much as they had love for Krsna previously (yatha Krsne vavrdhe), their love for their sons increased to that degree (sva tokesu vavrdhe), but love for him personally now increased even more (krsne tu apurvavat vavrdhe). Or the sentence can be read : As much as their love for their sons increased (yatha sva tokesu vavrdhe), so their love for Krsna increased even more (krsne tu apurvavat vavrdhe). In this interpretation the word Krsna does not need repetition.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The extraordinary affection of the mothers for Kṛṣṇa in person is shown. Their affection increased for their sons. This means that their affection for those whom they thought were their sons increased. The creeper of affection gradually grew by taking care of those sons daily, since those sons were actually Kṛṣṇa. Their affection for their sons who were Kṛṣṇa increased just as their affection for Kṛṣṇa in person increased but their affection for Kṛṣṇa in person increased to most remarkable degree. Or yathā can mean yathāvat (rightly). Affection for their sons who were Kṛṣṇa increased, and affection for things like the lunch parcels and sticks which were also Kṛṣṇa rightly increased, but affection for Kṛṣṇa in person increased to astonishing degree. Previously it was said that Kṛṣṇa assumed the forms of the boys with exact form, dress, and even their character. Thus those forms did not exhibit the characteristics of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore his original form still had more attraction for them. This became the cause of the parents’ increased prema for Kṛṣṇa. The increase of affection for the original form of Kṛṣṇa was not because of his assuming the qualities of the boys. Thus, that extraordinary prema for him could not be prevented.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
The affection of the parents for their children increased for a year. The creeper of affection (sneha-vallī) constantly (śanaiḥ) increased. By that constant increase, which was mutual between Kṛṣṇa and the parents, indicated by the word sva, they were not aware that those sons were the Lord. There was step by step increase of affection. Or it happened gradually, day by day (anvaham) so that no one would notice and begin wondering about the strangeness. Their affection for Kṛṣṇa also increased, unexcelled by previous states, in ever new ways, or incomparably (apūrvavat). Or it increases as if astonishing, since it was not really astonishing. They naturally had great affection for Kṛṣṇa. The affection increased without limit (niḥsīma). It increased daily (anvaham). By the continual increase, the excellence of the bliss of prema over the bliss Brahman is indicated. This is the Vaiṣṇava concludtion. It is explained in Bhāgavatāmṛta.