Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Yadu Lineage

Devanagari script

भीतो ऽहं देव कंसस्य ततस्त्वेतद्ब्रवीमि ते मम पुत्रा हतास्तेन ज्येष्ठास्ते भीमविक्रमाः //

Transliteration

bhīto 'haṃ deva kaṃsasya tatastvetadbravīmi te mama putrā hatāstena jyeṣṭhāste bhīmavikramāḥ //

Translation

O lord, I am afraid of Kaṃsa; therefore I tell you this: my sons—my elder sons, of dreadful valor—have been slain by him.

Word by Word

• bhītaḥ: afraid

• aham: I

• deva: O lord / O divine one

• kaṃsasya: of Kaṃsa

• tataḥ: therefore / hence

• tu: indeed

• etat: this

• bravīmi: I say / I tell

• te: to you

• mama: my

• putrāḥ: sons

• hatāḥ: slain

• tena: by him

• jyeṣṭhāḥ: elder / eldest

• te: they

• bhīma-vikramāḥ: of terrible (fearsome) prowess

Speaker

• Devakī (speaking in fear, addressing her lord—contextually Vasudeva or a revered protector figure)

Entities Mentioned

• Kaṃsa
• Devakī
• Putrāḥ (sons)

Tags

• Krishna-Katha
• Kaṃsa
• Fear
• Dynasties
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not address Pralaya; it belongs to a narrative passage emphasizing fear, tyranny, and the killing of offspring by Kaṃsa.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By portraying Kaṃsa’s violence against innocents, the verse implicitly condemns adharmic kingship and highlights the householder’s vulnerability under unjust rule—supporting the Purana’s broader ethical contrast between protection (rājadharma) and tyranny.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is purely narrative, centered on fear and the loss of children.