In Gokul, little Krishna grew up as the darling of Nanda and Yashoda. Kansa sent many demons such as Putana, Shakatasura and Trinavarta to kill him, but little Kanudo effortlessly freed them all.
Kanudo would steal butter from the homes of the gopis, so he came to be called "Makhanchor", the butter thief. Once he ate some mud, and when Yashoda made him open his mouth, she saw within that tiny mouth the whole universe: the sun and moon, mountains and oceans. Another time, tired of his mischief, Yashoda tied him to a wooden mortar with a rope, and so he came to be called "Damodar".
Later Nanda Baba moved everyone to Vrindavan. There, the venomous serpent Kaliya, who lived in a deep pool of the Yamuna, had poisoned the water. Shri Krishna leapt into the pool, danced upon his hoods and commanded him to leave the Yamuna.
Every year the people of Braj worshipped Indra. Shri Krishna persuaded them to worship Mount Govardhan instead, which nourished their cows and the land around them. Enraged, Indra sent torrential rain for seven days, and Shri Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan on his little finger to shelter all of Braj. Indra's pride was humbled, and Shri Krishna came to be called "Giridhari", the holder of the mountain.