After hearing their master’s statement, the envious asuras, who were enemies of the demigods and were not very expert in their dealings, advised Kaṁsa as follows.

TRANSLATION

One who does not understand the constitutional position of the body and the soul [ātmā] becomes too attached to the bodily concept of life. Consequently, because of attachment to the body and its by-products, he feels affected by union with and separation from his family, society and nation. As long as this continues, one continues his material life. [Otherwise, one is liberated.]

COMMENTARY

“Due to ignorance of their spiritual identity most people think they are the body, and thus perceive differences because of different bodies. Because of this (yatah) they think that they undergo change with birth and death (ātma-viparyayaḥ). Thus they feel happy when united with their sons, and experience suffering when separated from their sons. This is called saṁsṛti.”

 

|| 10.4.21 ||

tasmād bhadre sva-tanayān mayā vyāpāditān api

mānuśoca yataḥ sarvaḥ sva-kṛtaṁ vindate ’vaśaḥ

TRANSLATION

My dear sister Devakī, all good fortune unto you! Everyone suffers and enjoys the results of his own work under the control of providence. Therefore, although your sons have unfortunately been killed by me, please do not lament for them.

COMMENTARY

Kaṁsa continues, “The sons killed by me are sons from the external point of view due to bodily identification. Therefore do not grieve. I have only killed the bodies of your sons, so I should not be blamed. If you say, ‘I do not have such knowledge of the soul,’ then still you should not grieve. According to the view of the karma-vādīs (fruitive workers) taking shelter of ignorance, all souls are forced to experience the results of their actions, even though they do not desire it.

 

|| 10.4.22 ||

yāvad dhato ’smi hantāsmī-ty ātmānaṁ manyate ’sva-dṛk

tāvat tad-abhimāny ajño bādhya-bādhakatām iyāt

TRANSLATION

In the bodily conception of life, one remains in darkness, without self-realization, thinking, “I am being killed” or “I have killed my enemies.” As long as a foolish person thus considers the self to be the killer of the killed, he continues to be responsible for material obligations, and consequently he suffers the reactions of happiness and distress.

COMMENTARY

From the viewpoint of a jñāni, Kaṁsa tries to show that he is not the killer of her sons. “The ignorant see only the body and they do not see the soul (a sva dṛk). Since I do not identify with the body, I incur no sin nor get any bondage of karma for killing the children.”

 

|| 10.4.23 ||

kṣamadhvaṁ mama daurātmyaṁ sādhavo dīna-vatsalāḥ

ity uktvāśru-mukhaḥ pādau śyālaḥ svasror athāgrahīt

TRANSLATION

Kaṁsa begged, “My dear sister and brother-in-law, please be merciful to such a poor-hearted person as me, since both of you are saintly persons. Please excuse my atrocities.” Having said this, Kaṁsa fell at the feet of Vasudeva and Devakī, his eyes full of tears of regret.

COMMENTARY

“You may choose to continue grieving while blaming me for the death of your sons. But in reality I did not commit this sinful act consciously even though I am a wicked person. My atonement is only by your mercy.” Thus Kaṁsa says to Vasudeva and Devakī, “Please forgive me.”

śyālah: brother-in-law; the word indicates Kaṁsa. svasro: sister; is a dual form of the word which indicates the sister and her husband, Devakī and Vasudeva. Kaṁsa touched both of their feet.

 

|| 10.4.24 ||

mocayām āsa nigaḍād viśrabdhaḥ kanyakā-girā

devakīṁ vasudevaṁ ca darśayann ātma-sauhṛdam

TRANSLATION

Fully believing in the words of the goddess Durgā, Kaṁsa exhibited his familial affection for Devakī and Vasudeva by immediately releasing them from their iron shackles.

COMMENTARY

Fully believing in Durgā’s words, Kaṁsa showed his friendship by immediately releasing Vasudeva and Devakī from their iron shackles (nigaḍa).

 

|| 10.4.25 ||

bhrātuḥ samanutaptasya kṣānta-roṣā ca devakī

vyasṛjad vasudevaś ca prahasya tam uvāca ha

TRANSLATION

When Devakī saw her brother actually repentant while explaining ordained events, she was relieved of all anger. Similarly, Vasudeva was also free from anger. Smiling, he spoke to Kaṁsa as follows.

COMMENTARY

roṣā ca: anger; indicates lamentation as well as anger. Devakī forgave Kaṁsa for his offenses and gave up her anger.

 

|| 10.4.26 ||

evam etan mahā-bhāga yathā vadasi dehinām

ajñāna-prabhavāhaṁ-dhīḥ sva-pareti bhidā yataḥ

TRANSLATION

O great personality Kaṁsa, only by the influence of ignorance does one accept the material body and bodily ego. What you have said about this philosophy is correct. Persons in the bodily concept of life, lacking self-realization, differentiate in terms of “This is mine” and “This belongs to another.”

COMMENTARY

Because of (yataḥ) the spell of false identity, one thinks of objects as mine (sva para iti bhida). In this way one thinks in terms of duality.

 

|| 10.4.27 ||

śoka-harṣa-bhaya-dveṣa-lobha-moha-madānvitāḥ

mitho ghnantaṁ na paśyanti bhāvair bhāvaṁ pṛthag-dṛśaḥ

TRANSLATION

Persons with the vision of differentiation are imbued with the material qualities lamentation, jubilation, fear, envy, greed, illusion and madness. They are influenced by the immediate cause, which they are busy counteracting, because they have no knowledge of the remote, supreme cause, the Personality of Godhead.

COMMENTARY

Those with external material vision cannot see that the Supreme Lord arranges that some entities and forces, such as kings, tigers and disease are killing others such as men and cows.

 

|| 10.4.28 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

kaṁsa evaṁ prāsannābhyāṁ viśuddhaṁ pratibhāṣitaḥ

devakī-vasudevābhyām anujñāto ’viśad gṛham

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thus having been addressed in purity by Devakī and Vasudeva, who were very much appeased, Kaṁsa felt pleased, and with their permission he entered his home.

COMMENTARY

viśuddhaṁ: purity; Vasudeva and Devakī spoke very sincerely to Kaṁsa with pleasing words (viśuddhaṁ). Another reading of the word is visraddham. In that case, it means that they spoke in such a way to gain Kaṁsa’s trust.

 

|| 10.4.29 ||

tasyāṁ rātryāṁ vyatītāyāṁ kaṁsa āhūya mantriṇaḥ

tebhya ācaṣṭa tat sarvaṁ yad uktaṁ yoga-nidrayā

TRANSLATION

After that night passed, Kaṁsa summoned his ministers and informed them of all that had been spoken by Yogamāyā [who had revealed that He who was to slay Kaṁsa had already been born somewhere else].

 

|| 10.4.30 ||

ākarṇya bhartur gaditaṁ tam ūcur deva-śatravaḥ

devān prati kṛtāmarṣā daiteyā nāti-kovidāḥ

TRANSLATION