Shloka 21

Yoga-māyā Appears as Durgā; Kaṁsa’s Repentance and the Demonic Policy of Persecuting Vaiṣṇavas

Devanagari script

तस्माद् भद्रे स्वतनयान् मया व्यापादितानपि । मानुशोच यत: सर्व: स्वकृतं विन्दतेऽवश: ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

tasmād bhadre sva-tanayān mayā vyāpāditān api mānuśoca yataḥ sarvaḥ sva-kṛtaṁ vindate ’vaśaḥ

Translation

Therefore, blessed Devakī, do not lament for your sons, though they were slain by me; for everyone, under the rule of providence, must inevitably receive the results of his own deeds.

Synonyms

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान/हेतु (from that/therefore)

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• स्व-तनयान्: your own sons
• स्व-तनयान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वाः तनयाः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by me)

• व्यापादितान्: killed/caused to be slain
• व्यापादितान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आ-पद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘sons’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (prohibitive particle)

• अनुशोच: grieve (after)/lament
• अनुशोच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-शुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अनु

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (because)

• सर्वः: everyone
• सर्वः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st), एकवचन

• स्व-कृतम्: one’s own deed
• स्व-कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य कृतम्)

• विन्दते: finds/obtains
• विन्दते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अवशः: helplessly/inevitably
• अवशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘everyone’)

Purport

As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.54) :

Characters & Entities

• Kaṁsa
• Devakī

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about karma and suffering in Canto 10?

This verse states that beings inevitably experience the results of their own past actions (karma), and thus lamentation cannot change the karmic outcome.

Why did Kamsa say this to Devaki after killing her sons?

Kaṁsa tries to justify his cruelty by appealing to the principle of karma—claiming that Devakī’s sons met their fate due to their own deeds, not merely his violence.

Practical application of the Bhagavatam’s karma teaching in modern life?

Recognize responsibility for one’s actions and respond to loss with steadiness; rather than despair, focus on righteous conduct and devotion, which purify future outcomes.