Question: How old was Krishna when He left Vrndavan?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Krishna Left Vrndavan at 11 year of age, although it is commonly said that he left when he was 12.
Interesting:
Jiva Goswami’s Vaisnava Tosani, 10.45.3
In the midst of a super-detailed presentation on the chronology of Krishna’s Vraja-lila, Jiva Goswami asserts that Krishna was not 12 when leaving Vraja, but he was 11.
One of the primary references to support this is SB 3.2.26
“He killed Arista on the full moon of the Caitra month when he was eleven. He killed Kesi on the twelfth lunar day of gauna Phalguna. On the fourteenth day he killed Kamsa. He was not actually twelve years old at that time, but eleven as mentioned in SB 3.2.26.”
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Slightly differing from JG’s statement above, a tiny portion of Srila Jiva Goswami’s commentary on 10.45.3 reads:
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It is sometimes seen that a young prince during pauganda age may show symptoms of the kaisora age with his quick bodily growth. Therefore what to speak of Krsna attaining kaisora symptoms during pauganda age?
Therefore in the case of Krsna, the ages are established according to the following norm following the Vaisnava Tosani, Bhaktirasamrta sindhu and Ananda vrndavana campu.
At the age of three years and four months, Krsna displayed the qualities of a five year old. During this kaumara age, Krsna stayed in Mahavana.
From that time till the age of six years and eight months, during his pauganda age, he stayed in Vrndavana.
From six years and eight months until his tenth year he experienced kaisora age while living in Nandisvara.
In the seventh month of the tenth year during the month of Caitra on the krsna trayodasi he went to Mathura and on the caturdasi he killed Kamsa. Therefore the tenth year was the end of his kaisora age, but thereafter he remained at the same age.
That is illustrated by the following statement: ‘When the kaisora age Pradyumna entered the apartments of Krsna, he appeared the same as Krsna and the women hid themselves out of shame.’ (SB 10.55.28). There are also similar statements in the agamas.
Thus on the day of killing Kamsa, Krsna had both passed the kaisora age and not passed it. By this explanation there is harmony between Krsna’s statement in this verse [SB 10.45.3] – that his kaisora age passed – and the statement of the women of Mathura that he was in his kaisora age.”
