Stages of Krishna’s Life

The first eleven years of Krishna’s pastimes were enacted in the Vrindavana area. Because of Their greatness, Krishna and Balarama passed through Their stages of kaumara (0-5 years), pauganda (6-10 years) and kaisora (11-15 years) much faster than ordinary children. The great teacher Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura clarifies this point:

“The three years and four months that Lord Krishna stayed in Mahavana were the equivalent of five years for an ordinary child, and thus in that period He completed His kaumara stage of childhood. The period from then to the age of six years and eight months, during which He lived in Vrindavana, constitutes His pauganda stage. And the period from the age of six years and eight months through His tenth year, during which time He lived in Nandisvara [Nandagram], constitutes His kaisora stage. Then, at the age of ten years and seven months, on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Caitra, He went to Mathura, and the next day He killed Kamsa. Thus He completed His kaisora period at age ten, and He eternally remains at that age. In other words, we should understand that from this point on the Lord remains forever a kisora.” (SB 10.45.3)