ekasmin - one; api - although; yāte - having passed; abde - year; prāṇa-īśam - the Lord of their lives; ca - and; antarā - without; ātmanaḥ - of themselves; kṛṣṇa - of Lord Kṛṣṇa; māyā - by the illusory potency; āhatāḥ - covered; rājan - O King; kṣaṇa-ardham - half a moment; menire - they thought; arbhakāḥ - the boys.

O King, although the boys had passed an entire year apart from the Lord of their very lives, they had been covered by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s illusory potency and thus considered that year merely half a moment.