Shloka 22
The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā
अयं त्वसभ्यस्तव जन्म नौ गृहे श्रुत्वाग्रजांस्ते न्यवधीत् सुरेश्वर । स तेऽवतारं पुरुषै: समर्पितं श्रुत्वाधुनैवाभिसरत्युदायुध: ॥ २२ ॥
ayaṁ tv asabhyas tava janma nau gṛhe śrutvāgrajāṁs te nyavadhīt sureśvara sa te ’vatāraṁ puruṣaiḥ samarpitaṁ śrutvādhunaivābhisaraty udāyudhaḥ
O my Lord, Lord of the demigods, after hearing the prophecy that You would take birth in our home and kill him, this uncivilized Kaṁsa killed so many of Your elder brothers. As soon as he hears from his lieutenants that You have appeared, he will immediately come with weapons to kill You.
Kaṁsa has here been described as asabhya, meaning “uncivilized” or “most heinous,” because he killed the many children of his sister. When he heard the prophecy that he would be killed by her eighth son, this uncivilized man, Kaṁsa, was immediately ready to kill his innocent sister on the occasion of her marriage. An uncivilized man can do anything for the satisfaction of his senses. He can kill children, he can kill cows, he can kill brāhmaṇas, he can kill old men; he has no mercy for anyone. According to the Vedic civilization, cows, women, children, old men and brāhmaṇas should be excused if they are at fault. But asuras, uncivilized men, do not care about that. At the present moment, the killing of cows and the killing of children is going on unrestrictedly, and therefore this civilization is not at all human, and those who are conducting this condemned civilization are uncivilized asuras.
FAQs
This verse states that Kaṁsa, having heard of Kṛṣṇa’s birth in Devakī’s home and having already killed the elder sons, immediately rushes there with weapons, informed by his agents about the Lord’s descent.
Devakī warns Vasudeva of the urgent danger: Kaṁsa has learned of the divine birth and is approaching at once, prompting the need for immediate protective action in the narrative.
Even amid danger and oppression, the devotee remembers the Lord’s supremacy and acts responsibly—combining faith in God’s protection with timely, intelligent action.