The word Kanhaiya means the most beloved son. This is one of the most fitting titles to address Krishna since the story of how Krishna mesmerized the whole of Vrindavan and Gokul as a tiny child is unparalleled in mythology. Bhagavata Purana is replete with a lot of stories that describe the several feats Krishna accomplished even as a tiny child of fewer than eight years of age. The several miracles, heroic killing of the demons, liberating heavenly beings from their curses, stealing butter from the households of Vrindavan, playing on the banks of river Yamuna, grazing cows on the hills of Govardhan, dancing on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya, lifting the hill of Govardhan, spreading the seeds of divine love in the hearts of the Gopis and many more come to surface bringing back the memories of Krishnavatar, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Due to his intimate connection with every soul in Gokul and Vrindavan, Krishna was so popular and was the member of every household in the village and its surroundings. Therefore people of Gokul and Vrindavan took immense delight in calling Krishna, Kanhaiya or the darling child of every family. Though Krishna stayed in Gokul only for eight years, the impressions he left in the minds of the people there lasted for a lifetime in the hearts of their hearts. The sweet little darling child was much more than their dear kid in being their Redeemer and Elevator to journey them through the ocean of births and deaths.
