Shloka 4
The Lord’s Advent: Yoga-māyā’s Mission, Saṅkarṣaṇa’s Transfer, and the Demigods’ Prayers
एके तमनुरुन्धाना ज्ञातय: पर्युपासते । हतेषु षट्सु बालेषु देवक्या औग्रसेनिना ॥ ४ ॥ सप्तमो वैष्णवं धाम यमनन्तं प्रचक्षते । गर्भो बभूव देवक्या हर्षशोकविवर्धन: ॥ ५ ॥
eke tam anurundhānā jñātayaḥ paryupāsate hateṣu ṣaṭsu bāleṣu devakyā augraseninā
Some relatives followed Kaṁsa’s ways and entered his service. After Kaṁsa, son of Ugrasena, slew Devakī’s six sons, a plenary portion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered Devakī’s womb as the seventh child—praised by great sages as Ananta (Śeṣa), the Vaiṣṇava abode—thus increasing both her joy and her sorrow.
Some of the chief devotees, such as Akrūra, stayed with Kaṁsa to satisfy him. This they did for various purposes. They all expected the Supreme Personality of Godhead to appear as the eighth child as soon as Devakī’s other children were killed by Kaṁsa, and they were eagerly awaiting His appearance. By remaining in Kaṁsa’s association, they would be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead take birth and display His childhood pastimes, and Akrūra would later go to Vṛndāvana to bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Mathurā. The word paryupāsate is significant because it indicates that some devotees wanted to stay near Kaṁsa in order to see all these pastimes of the Lord. The six children killed by Kaṁsa had formerly been sons of Marīci, but because of having been cursed by a brāhmaṇa, they were obliged to take birth as grandsons of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Kaṁsa had taken birth as Kālanemi, and now he was obliged to kill his own sons. This was a mystery. As soon as the sons of Devakī were killed, they would return to their original place. The devotees wanted to see this also. Generally speaking, no one kills his own nephews, but Kaṁsa was so cruel that he did so without hesitation. Ananta, Saṅkarṣaṇa, belongs to the second catur-vyūha, or quadruple expansion. This is the opinion of experienced commentators.
FAQs
Because he feared the prophecy that Devakī’s child would be his death, Kamsa committed extreme adharma by killing her infants, showing how fear and ego can lead to cruelty and downfall.
Some of Kamsa’s own relatives (jñātayaḥ) attempted to check him and plead with him, but his tyranny overpowered their influence.
Unchecked fear and obsession can make a person harm even the innocent; the verse warns to seek dharma-guided counsel before destructive actions become irreversible.