evaḿ vihāraiḥ kaumāraiḥ
kaumāraḿ jahatur vraje
nilāyanaiḥ setu-bandhair
markaṭotplavanādibhiḥ
evam -- thus; viharaih -- with pastimes; kaumaraih -- of boyhood; kaumaram -- the childhood age up to five years; jahatuh -- they passed; vraje -- in the land of Vrindavana; nilayanaih -- with sports of chasing about; setu-bandhaih -- with the building of bridges; markata-utplavana -- with the jumping around of monkeys; adibhih -- and so on.
In this way the boys spent their childhood in the land of Vrindavana playing hide-and-go-seek, building play bridges, jumping about like monkeys and engaging in many other such games.
According to Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the word nilayanaih refers to games such as hide-and-go-seek or cops and robbers. Sometimes the boys would jump around like the monkeys in Lord Ramacandra's army and then enact the building of the bridge to Sri Lanka by constructing play bridges in lakes or ponds. Sometimes the boys would imitate the pastime of churning the ocean of milk, and sometimes they would play catch with balls. We can find full pleasure in the spiritual world, with the simple condition that everything be performed in pure love of Godhead, Krishna consciousness.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Brahma's Prayers to Lord Krishna."
