Krishna: Age in Each Lila

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das
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Did you ever wonder at what transcendental age Krishna performed His various pastimes in Vrindavana? Sri Jiva Goswami answers this question in his Srimad Bhagavatam tika (10.45.3), which lists the pastimes and Sri Krishna’s age at that time. All pastimes are described in the Tenth Canto. * mark means added by editor because not mentioned by Sri Jiva Goswami.

1. *Putana killed (6th Chapter) Krishna only six days old. (not in list)
2. Tṛṇāvarta killed (7th Chapter) – after a full year passed (varṣe pūrṇe).
3. Damodāra-līlā (Chapters 9-10) – in the beginning of the third year during Kārttika month (tṛtīya-varṣārambhe kārtike) (2 years and 2 months).
4. Move from Gokula to Vrindavana (Chapter 11) Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma and all the cowherds move to Vṛndāvana. This happened a few days after Damodāra-līlā (katicid-dinānte vṛndāvana-praveśaḥ) (2 years and 2 months).
5. Vatsa Charana Lila (Chapter 11.37) Kṛṣṇa began herding the calves 2-3 months after moving to Vṛndāvana (dvi-tra-māsānantaraṁ vatsa-cāraṇārambhaḥ) (2 years and 4-5 months).
6. Vatsāsura, Bakāsura and Vyomāsura killed (10.11.41-54) during that time (tatra vatsa-baka-vyoma-vadhaḥ) (2 years and 4-5 months).
7. Brahmā Vimohana Lila- Brahmaji stole the cowherd boys and calves (Chapters 12-14) in the autumn after the third year passed and the fourth year started, (tṛtīye pūrṇe caturthārambhe śaradi bāla-vatsa-haraṇaṁ) (little more than 3 years)
[Note: At this time Gopala actually entered paugaṇḍa age but it was manifested only after a year passed. (ref. 10.12.41] Paugaṇḍa age manifested (10.12.37) – in the beginning of the fifth year (paṣcamārambhe paugaṇḍa-prakāśaḥ) (little more than 4 years).
8. Go Charan Lila-- Krishna started herding the cows (10.15.1) on śukla-aṣṭamī of Kārtika month [Gopastami] (tatra kārtika-śuklāṣṭamyāṁ go-cāraṇārambhaḥ) (4 years, 2 months and 2 weeks).
9. Kāliya-damana-līlā (Chapters 16-17) – in the summer of the fifth year (paṣcamasya nidāghe kāliya-damanaṁ) (4 years and appr. 10 months).
[Note: Due to ecstasy, Sri Suka Muni described this līlā out of sequence by mentioning it after killing of Dhenukāsura.]
In His sixth year Gopala was immersed in herding the cows - (ṣaṣṭhe go-cāraṇa-kautuka-mātraṁ). Govinda entered kaiśora age in the beginning of the seventh year (saptamārambhe kaiśora-praveśaḥ) (little more than 6 years).
10. Dhenuka killed (15th Chapter) during the time and season when the tāla-fruits are ripe (tatraiva pakva-tālāvasare dhenuka-vadhaḥ). On that evening also the gopīs for the first time manifested their loving mood described in 10.15.43. (little more than 6 years).
11. Pralamba killed (18th Chapter) – in the summer of the seventh year (saptamasya nidāghe pralamba-vadhaḥ) (6 years and appr. 10 months).
12. Veṇu-gītā pastime (21st Chapter) – in the eighth year during Aśvina [Sept-Oct] month (aṣṭamasyāśvine veṇu-gītaṁ) (7 years and 1 month).
13. Govardhana Lila- Sri Krishna lifted Govardhana (24th Chapter) – in His eighth year on the first day of the waxing moon in Kārttika month (kārtīke govardhanoddharaṇaṁ) (7 years, 2 months and 7 days).
14. Indra Surabhi Govinda-abhiṣeka (27th Chapter) – in the beginning of Krishna’s eighth year, on śukla-ekādaśī of Kārtika month (aṣṭamārambhe eva kārtika-śuklaikādaśyāṁ govindābhiṣekaḥ) (7 years, 2 months and 17 days).
15. Journey to Varuṇa's planet (10.28.1-11) – on the following dvādaśī (dvādaśyāṁ ca varuṇa-loka-gamanaṁ) (7 years, 2 months and 18 days).
16. Brahma-hrada Lila- Sri Krishna’s Vrajavāsīs bathed in Brahma-hrada (10.28.16) – on Karttika purnima; (tat-pūrṇimāyāṁ brahma-hradāvagāhanaṁ) (7 years, 2 months and 21 days).
17. Vastra-haraṇa-līlā (22nd Chapter) – in the winter of Krishna’s eighth year (hemante vastra-haraṇaṁ) (7 years and apx. 3 months).
18. Yajna Patni Anugraha lila (23rd) Krishna shows mercy to the wives of the sacrificial brāhmaṇas (23rd Chapter) – in the summer of His eighth year (nidāghe yajṣa-patnī-prasādaḥ) (7 years and appr. 10 months).
[Note: In 10.24.1 tika, Sri Jiva Goswami says that these līlās are described out of chronological order because of Śukadeva Gosvāmī's lack of self-control due to his prema (prema-vaivaśyāt).
19. Rāsa-līlā (Chapters 29-33) – in the beginning of His ninth year, in the autumn season (navamasya śaradi rāsa-līlā) (8 years and 1.5 months).
20. Ambika-vana Gamana Lila—to observe the Shiva ratri festival (Phalguna Krishna chaturdasi) Nanda Baba and his clan travel to Ambikā-vana on chaturdasi (10.34.1-3 (śiva-rātri-caturdaśyām ambikā-vana-yātrā) (8 years, 6 months and 6 days).
21. Śaṅkhacūḍa killed (10.34.25-32) – in Phālguna [Purnima] month (phālgunyāṁ śaṅkhacūḍa-vadhaḥ) (appr. 8.5 years).
22. Ariṣṭāsura killed (10.36.1-15) - on the full moon of Caitra month (April) (ekādaśasya caitra-paurṇamāsyām ariṣṭa-vadhaḥ [and Radha-kunda formed]) (10 years, 7 months and 21 days).
23. Keśī killed (10.37.1-8) - on the twelfth day of the dark fortnight of Phālguna (dvādaśasya gauṇa-phālguna-dvādaśyāṁ keśi-vadhaḥ) (11 years, 6 months and 4 days).
24. * Krishna Mathura Gamana Lila- Uncle Akrura takes Krishna and Balarama to Mathura (39th Chapter “Viraha Gita”) on Phalguna Krishna trayodashi, (11 years, 6 months and 5 days).
25. Kaṁsa killed (44th Chapter) - on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phālguna month [2 days later] (tac caturdaśyāṁ kaṁsa-vadhaḥ) (11 years, 6 months and 6 days).
Adapted from Sri Advaita Dasji Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!