Shloka 55
Gokula’s Wonder, Kṛṣṇa’s Bhakta-vaśyatā, the Move to Vṛndāvana, and the Slaying of Vatsāsura and Bakāsura
अहो बतास्य बालस्य बहवो मृत्यवोऽभवन् । अप्यासीद् विप्रियं तेषां कृतं पूर्वं यतो भयम् ॥ ५५ ॥
aho batāsya bālasya bahavo mṛtyavo ’bhavan apy āsīd vipriyaṁ teṣāṁ kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ yato bhayam
The cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, began to contemplate: It is very astonishing that although this boy Kṛṣṇa has many times faced many varied causes of death, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead it was these causes of fear that were killed, instead of Him.
The cowherd men innocently thought, “Because our Kṛṣṇa is innocent, the causes of death that appeared before Him were themselves killed instead of Kṛṣṇa. This is the greatest grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
FAQs
This verse marvels that “many deaths” came for the child Kṛṣṇa, yet He remained unharmed—highlighting His divine protection and the futility of hostile forces against the Lord.
The verse implies that those who try to harm Kṛṣṇa incur fear and downfall due to prior wrongdoing; their fear is presented as the karmic consequence of acting against the Lord.
When facing repeated threats or anxieties, cultivate remembrance of the Lord and steady devotion; the verse encourages trust that divine shelter outweighs fear and hostile circumstances.