Vasudeva agreed and took his child back home, but because Kaṁsa had no character and no self-control, Vasudeva knew that he could not rely on Kaṁsa’s word.

COMMENTARY

vimṛśya: contemplating; After carefully considering the options by using his intelligence to its full capacity to determine the correct path, Vasudeva began to praise the most sinful (pāpaṁ) Kaṁsa.

 

||10.1.53||

prāsanna-vadanāmbhojo nṛśaṁsaṁ nirapatrapam

manasā dūyamānena vihasann idam abravīt

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva’s mind was full of anxiety because his wife was facing danger, but in order to please the cruel, shameless and sinful Kaṁsa, he externally smiled and spoke to him as follows.

COMMENTARY

vihasann: smiling externally; Vasudeva smiled externally to show Kaṁsa that he was internally satisfied, but factually he was suffering internally.

 

||10.1.54||

śrī-vasudeva uvāca

na hy asyās te bhayaṁ saumya yad vai sāhāśarīra-vāk

putrān samarpayiṣye ’syā yatas te bhayam utthitam

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva said: O best of the sober, you have nothing to fear from your sister Devakī because of what you have heard from the unseen omen. The cause of death will be her sons. Therefore I promise that when she gives birth to the sons from whom your fear has arisen, I shall deliver them all unto your hands.

COMMENTARY

āśarīr-vāk: unembodied voice; “According to the message heard in the sky, you need not fear Devakī, but her eighth child. Don’t worry; I will give you all eight children. Then you can kill the eighth child, whom you fear, or if you wish you can kill all eight.”

 

||10.1.55||

śrī-śuka uvāca

svasur vadhān nivavṛte kaṁsas tad-vākya-sāra-vit

vasudevo ’pi taṁ prītaḥ praśasya prāviśad gṛham

TRANSLATION

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Kaṁsa agreed to the logical arguments of Vasudeva, and, having full faith in Vasudeva’s words, he refrained from killing his sister. Vasudeva, being pleased with Kaṁsa, pacified him further and entered his own house.

COMMENTARY

sāra-vit: essence of truth; Kaṁsa understood that Vasudeva was not lying.

praśasya: pacify; Vasudeva praised Kaṁsa by saying that his good character would spread throughout the universe.

 

||10.1.56||

atha kāla upāvṛtte devakī sarva-devatā

putrān prasuṣuve cāṣṭau kanyāṁ caivānuvatsaram

TRANSLATION

Each year thereafter, in due course of time, Devakī, the mother of God and all the demigods, gave birth to a child. Thus she bore eight sons, one after another, and a daughter named Subhadrā.

COMMENTARY

sarva devatā: all demigods; Devakī is described as sarva-devata, the mother of all the demigods, because she is worshipable as the mother of the Lord. kanyāṁ: daughter; Subhadrā is the daughter. Every year for eight years a son was born. The reason is given in verse fifty-eight.

 

||10.1.57||

kīrtimantaṁ prathamajaṁ kaṁsāyānakadundubhiḥ

arpayām āsa kṛcchreṇa so ’nṛtād ativihvalaḥ

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva was very much disturbed by fear of becoming a liar by breaking his promise. Thus with great pain he delivered his first-born son, named Kīrtimān, into the hands of Kaṁsa.

COMMENTARY

prathamajaṁ: first-born baby; It was the custom to name the child on the day of his birth. Thus on that day the first child was named Kīrtiman.

 

||10.1.58||

kiṁ duḥsahaṁ nu sādhūnāṁ viduṣāṁ kim apekṣitam

kim akāryaṁ kadaryāṇāṁ dustyajaṁ kiṁ dhṛtātmanām

TRANSLATION

What is painful for saintly persons who strictly adhere to the truth? How could there not be independence for pure devotees who know the Supreme Lord as the substance? What deeds are forbidden for persons of the lowest character? And what cannot be given up for the sake of Lord Kṛṣṇa by those who have fully surrendered at His lotus feet?

COMMENTARY

sādhūnām: saint; A question arises, “How can I, who am afraid to tell a lie (sādhu), tolerate the murder of my own son before my eyes?” Vasudeva gives the answer in this verse. Is it not intolerable for the sādhu? How could Vasudeva offer all the children, even without Kaṁsa ordering, instead of offering just the eighth child to Kaṁsa?

 

It is not reasonable that a householder be indifferent to his children. The next phrase therefore replies. Vasudeva is not ignorant like the normal person in the material world. For a person with knowledge, devotion and detachment like Vasudeva, is this to be expected? On the other hand, can Kaṁsa kill his child when he brings that child to him? Is there no mercy in his heart?

 

In answer to this Vasudeva said what can a wicked person not do?

 

In order to avoid fault, should Vasudeva give up householder dharma and not produce any children? Vasudeva answers: “He, who desires to see the Lord in the form of his son, holds the Lord in his heart (dhṛta-ātmanām), and remains in household life to bear a son. He should have affection for no other son. Let the eighth child be born quickly. Let me willingly offer up the other children year after year, and take responsibility for their death, out of eagerness to see the Lord.”

 

||10.1.59||

dṛṣṭvā samatvaṁ tac chaureḥ satye caiva vyavasthitim

kaṁsas tuṣṭa-manā rājan prahasann idam abravīt

TRANSLATION

My dear King Parīkṣit, when Kaṁsa saw that Vasudeva, being situated in truthfulness, was completely equipoised in giving him the child, he was very happy. Therefore, with a smiling face, he spoke as follows.

COMMENTARY

samatvaṁ: equipoised; Vasudeva was completely calm because he had no attachment to the son.

 

||10.1.60||

pratiyātu kumāro ’yaṁ na hy asmād asti me bhayam

aṣṭamād yuvayor garbhān mṛtyur me vihitaḥ kila

TRANSLATION

O Vasudeva, you may take back your child and go home. I have no fear of your first child. It is the eighth child of you and Devakī I am concerned with because that is the child by whom I am destined to be killed.

 

||10.1.61||

tatheti sutam ādāya yayāv ānakadundubhiḥ

nābhyanandata tad-vākyam asato ’vijitātmanaḥ

TRANSLATION

||10.1.62-63||

nandādyā ye vraje gopā yāś cāmīṣāṁ ca yoṣitaḥ

vṛṣṇayo vasudevādyā devaky-ādyā yadu-striyaḥ

sarve vai devatā-prāyā ubhayor api bhārata

jñātayo bandhu-suhṛdo ye ca kaṁsam anuvratāḥ