Chapter One
The Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa: Introduction
TEXT 33
śaṅkha-tūrya-mṛdaṅgāś ca
nedur dundubhayaḥ samam
prayāṇa-prakrame tāta
vara-vadhvoḥ sumaṅgalam
SYNONYMS
śaṅkha—conchshells; tūrya—bugles; mṛdaṅgāḥ—drums; ca—also; neduḥ—vibrated; dundubhayaḥ—kettledrums; samam—in concert; prayāṇa-prakrame—at the time of departure; tāta—O beloved son; vara-vadhvoḥ—of the bridegroom and the bride; su-maṅgalam—for the purpose of their auspicious departure.
TRANSLATION
O beloved son, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when the bride and bridegroom were ready to start, conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrums all vibrated in concert for their auspicious departure.
TEXT 34
pathi pragrahiṇaṁ kaṁsam
ābhāṣyāhāśarīra-vāk
asyās tvām aṣṭamo garbho
hantā yāṁ vahase ’budha
SYNONYMS
pathi—on the way; pragrahiṇam—who was managing the reins of the horses; kaṁsam—unto Kaṁsa; ābhāṣya—addressing; āha—said; a-śarīra-vāk—a voice coming from someone whose body was invisible; asyāḥ—of this girl (Devakī); tvām—you; aṣṭamaḥ—the eighth; garbhaḥ—pregnancy; hantā—killer; yām—her whom; vahase—you are carrying; abudha—you foolish rascal.
TRANSLATION
While Kaṁsa, controlling the reins of the horses, was driving the chariot along the way, an unembodied voice addressed him, “You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman you are carrying will kill you!”
PURPORT
The omen spoke of aṣṭamo garbhaḥ, referring to the eighth pregnancy, but did not clearly say whether the child was to be a son or a daughter. Even if Kaṁsa were to see that the eighth child of Devakī was a daughter, he should have no doubt that the eighth child was to kill him. According to the Viśva-kośa dictionary, the word garbha means “embryo” and also arbhaka, or “child.” Kaṁsa was affectionate toward his sister, and therefore he had become the chariot driver to carry her and his brother-in-law to their home. The demigods, however, did not want Kaṁsa to be affectionate toward Devakī, and therefore, from an unseen position, they encouraged Kaṁsa to offend her. Moreover, the six sons of Marīci had been cursed to take birth from the womb of Devakī, and upon being killed by Kaṁsa they would be delivered. When Devakī understood that Kaṁsa would be killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who would appear from her womb, she felt great joy. The word vahase is also significant because it indicates that the ominous vibration condemned Kaṁsa for acting just like a beast of burden by carrying his enemy’s mother.
TEXT 35
ity uktaḥ sa khalaḥ pāpo
bhojānāṁ kula-pāṁsanaḥ
bhaginīṁ hantum ārabdhaṁ
khaḍga-pāṇiḥ kace ’grahīt
SYNONYMS
iti uktaḥ—thus being addressed; saḥ—he (Kaṁsa); khalaḥ—envious; pāpaḥ—sinful; bhojānām—of the Bhoja dynasty; kula-pāṁsanaḥ—one who can degrade the reputation of his family; bhaginīm—unto his sister; hantum ārabdham—being inclined to kill; khaḍga-pāṇiḥ—taking a sword in his hand; kace—hair; agrahīt—took up.
TRANSLATION
Kaṁsa was a condemned personality in the Bhoja dynasty because he was envious and sinful. Therefore, upon hearing this omen from the sky, he caught hold of his sister’s hair with his left hand and took up his sword with his right hand to sever her head from her body.
PURPORT
Kaṁsa was driving the chariot and controlling the reins with his left hand, but as soon as he heard the omen that his sister’s eighth child would kill him, he gave up the reins, caught hold of his sister’s hair, and with his right hand took up a sword to kill her. Before, he had been so affectionate that he was acting as his sister’s chariot driver, but as soon as he heard that his self-interest or his life was at risk, he forgot all affection for her and immediately became a great enemy. This is the nature of demons. No one should trust a demon, despite any amount of affection. Aside from this, a king, a politician or a woman cannot be trusted, since they can do anything abominable for their personal interest. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita therefore says, viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ strīṣu rāja-kuleṣu ca.
TEXT 36
taṁ jugupsita-karmāṇaṁ
nṛśaṁsaṁ nirapatrapam
vasudevo mahā-bhāga
uvāca parisāntvayan
SYNONYMS
tam—unto him (Kaṁsa); jugupsita-karmāṇam—who was ready to commit such an offensive act; nṛśaṁsam—very cruel; nirapatrapam—shameless; vasudevaḥ—Vasudeva; mahā-bhāgaḥ—the greatly fortunate father of Vāsudeva; uvāca—said; parisāntvayan—pacifying.
TRANSLATION
Wanting to pacify Kaṁsa, who was so cruel and envious that he was shamelessly ready to kill his sister, the great soul Vasudeva, who was to be the father of Kṛṣṇa, spoke to him in the following words.
PURPORT
Vasudeva, who was to be the father of Kṛṣṇa, is described here as mahā-bhāga, a very upright and sober personality, because although Kaṁsa was ready to kill Vasudeva’s wife, Vasudeva remained sober and unagitated. In a peaceful attitude, Vasudeva began to address Kaṁsa by putting forward reasonable arguments. Vasudeva was a great personality because he knew how to pacify a cruel person and how to forgive even the bitterest enemy. One who is fortunate is never caught, even by tigers or snakes.
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