Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 7
The Killing of Ariṣṭāsura and Kaṁsa’s Plot to Summon Kṛṣṇa
गोपालै: पशुभिर्मन्द त्रासितै: किमसत्तम । मयि शास्तरि दुष्टानां त्वद्विधानां दुरात्मनाम् ॥ ७ ॥
gopālaiḥ paśubhir manda trāsitaiḥ kim asattama mayi śāstari duṣṭānāṁ tvad-vidhānāṁ durātmanām
You fool! What do you think you’re doing, you wicked rascal, frightening the cowherd community and their animals when I am here just to punish corrupt miscreants like you!
FAQs
This verse shows that the wicked become irrationally afraid even of the Lord’s simple devotees (cowherd boys and cattle), because their conscience and destiny press them toward punishment.
Akrura confronted Kamsa’s panic and arrogance, warning him that divine justice is inevitable and that men of Kamsa’s nature are destined to be chastised.
Don’t be driven by paranoid fear born from wrongdoing—choose dharma, and remember that truth and accountability eventually overtake deception and cruelty.