Shloka 23
देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्
कालनेमिर् हतो यो ऽसौ विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना उग्रसेनसुतः कंसः संभूतः स महासुरः
kālanemir hato yo 'sau viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā ugrasenasutaḥ kaṃsaḥ saṃbhūtaḥ sa mahāsuraḥ
He who was once Kālanemi—slain by Viṣṇu, the all-prevailing Lord—was born again as Kaṁsa, the son of Ugrasena, that mighty asura.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Identity of the present asuric antagonist and karmic continuity across births
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He manifests to destroy the reborn hostile power of Kālanemi as Kaṁsa and thereby relieve the earth of oppressive asuric rule.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Just governance and safety of the Yādava realm and the wider earth
Concept: Hostile tendencies toward dharma can persist through rebirth, but the Lord’s overruling power ultimately subdues them.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Recognize recurring harmful patterns as needing conscious reform; take refuge in the Lord and cultivate dharmic habits to break cycles of hostility.
Vishishtadvaita: Divine sovereignty (niyantṛtva) governs karmic continuity and ensures dharma’s eventual restoration through avatāra.
Vamsha: Chandra
Key Kings: Ugrasena, Kaṃsa
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
It shows the continuity of asuric resistance across time: an old enemy of Viṣṇu reappears in a new form, setting the stage for the Lord’s avatāra work of restoring dharma.
Parāśara identifies Kaṁsa not merely as a political tyrant but as a “mahāsura,” a recurring asuric force—Kālanemi returned—whose destiny is already framed by Viṣṇu’s prior victory.
Viṣṇu is presented as the supreme, all-powerful ruler of cosmic order: even when adharma re-emerges through rebirth, it remains within the Lord’s sovereignty and is ultimately overcome.