Shloka 9
देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्
इत्य् आकर्ण्य समादाय खड्गं कंसो महाबलः देवकीं हन्तुम् आरब्धो वसुदेवो ऽब्रवीद् इदम्
ity ākarṇya samādāya khaḍgaṃ kaṃso mahābalaḥ devakīṃ hantum ārabdho vasudevo 'bravīd idam
Hearing this, the mighty Kaṃsa seized his sword and set about to kill Devakī; then Vasudeva spoke these words.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya); within the verse, Vasudeva is about to speak to Kamsa
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Bhagavān’s advent is safeguarded as the narrative turns: Kaṃsa’s attempt to kill Devakī triggers the protective chain culminating in Kṛṣṇa’s birth and Kaṃsa’s destruction.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Protection of the innocent and preservation of the avatāra’s descent
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
It marks the climax of Kamsa’s adharma—fear and power turning into immediate violence—setting the stage for divine intervention and the Krishna-avatara narrative.
By narratively pausing Kamsa’s action at the moment of attack and introducing Vasudeva’s speech, Parāśara frames dharmic reasoning as a counterforce to impulsive tyranny.
Even before Krishna’s manifest birth, the episode underscores Vishnu’s supreme governance: adharma accelerates its own downfall, while the Lord’s purpose protects the cosmic order through the avatara.