Shloka 49
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
प्रदाय मृत्यवे पुत्रान् मोचये कृपणामिमाम् । सुता मे यदि जायेरन् मृत्युर्वा न म्रियेत चेत् ॥ ४९ ॥ विपर्ययो वा किं न स्याद् गतिर्धातुर्दुरत्यया । उपस्थितो निवर्तेत निवृत्त: पुनरापतेत् ॥ ५० ॥
pradāya mṛtyave putrān mocaye kṛpaṇām imām sutā me yadi jāyeran mṛtyur vā na mriyeta cet
Vasudeva reflected: By handing over my sons to Kaṁsa, who is like death embodied, I shall save the helpless Devakī. Perhaps my sons will not be born, or Kaṁsa may die first; or, by the inscrutable course of destiny, one of my sons may slay him. For now I will promise to deliver my sons so that this immediate threat subsides, and when in time Kaṁsa dies, I shall have nothing to fear.
Vasudeva wanted to save the life of Devakī by promising to deliver his sons to Kaṁsa. “In the future,” he thought, “Kaṁsa may die, or I may not beget any sons. Even if a son is born and I deliver him to Kaṁsa, Kaṁsa may die at his hands, for by providence anything could happen. It is very difficult to understand how things are managed by providence.” Thus Vasudeva decided that he would promise to deliver his sons to the hands of Kaṁsa in order to save Devakī from the imminent danger of death.
FAQs
Vasudeva is ready to surrender even his own sons, not out of cruelty, but to relieve Devaki’s immediate suffering—showing compassion joined with painful sacrifice.
He speaks to protect Devaki from being killed at once; by promising to hand over each child, he hopes to avert Kamsa’s violence and buy time.
It highlights choosing the least harmful option under pressure, acting with responsibility and empathy even when outcomes are uncertain.