Shloka 20
The Lord’s Advent: Yoga-māyā’s Mission, Saṅkarṣaṇa’s Transfer, and the Demigods’ Prayers
तां वीक्ष्य कंस: प्रभयाजितान्तरांविरोचयन्तीं भवनं शुचिस्मिताम् । आहैष मे प्राणहरो हरिर्गुहांध्रुवं श्रितो यन्न पुरेयमीदृशी ॥ २० ॥
tāṁ vīkṣya kaṁsaḥ prabhayājitāntarāṁ virocayantīṁ bhavanaṁ śuci-smitām āhaiṣa me prāṇa-haro harir guhāṁ dhruvaṁ śrito yan na pureyam īdṛśī
With the Supreme Lord within her womb, Devakī made her place of confinement shine with radiance. Seeing her joyful, pure, and gently smiling, Kaṁsa, struck within by fear, thought: “Surely Hari, Viṣṇu, has taken shelter in her womb; He will take my life, for Devakī has never before appeared so brilliant and jubilant.”
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7) :
FAQs
Because Devakī appeared unusually radiant and auspicious, Kaṁsa’s fear intensified and he concluded that the prophesied destroyer—Hari—had surely taken shelter in her womb.
It shows Kaṁsa’s inner defeat by fear: even before Krishna’s birth, he reads divine signs in Devakī’s splendor and becomes convinced of his impending doom.
It reminds us that wrongdoing breeds anxiety and suspicion, while purity and divine purpose naturally manifest as confidence and radiance—encouraging a life aligned with dharma and devotion.