Shloka 11
श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः
अद्यैव देव कंसो ऽयं कुरुते मम यातनाम् अवतीर्णम् इति ज्ञात्वा त्वम् अस्मिन् मम मन्दिरे
adyaiva deva kaṃso 'yaṃ kurute mama yātanām avatīrṇam iti jñātvā tvam asmin mama mandire
O Lord—this very day Kamsa will inflict torment upon me, once he learns that You have descended and are here within my sanctuary.
Uncertain from the isolated verse (likely a fearful devotee/parental figure addressing the Lord in the Krishna narrative; commonly aligned with Devaki’s apprehension about Kamsa upon Krishna’s birth)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To descend in secrecy and then remove Kaṃsa’s tyranny that oppresses the righteous and threatens the divine birth.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Safety of the avatāra and protection of devotees against tyrannical persecution.
Concept: Tyranny reacts violently to the advent of dharma, so divine action often proceeds under protective concealment.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When pursuing dharmic aims amid hostility, combine faith with prudent strategy and protection of the vulnerable.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s compassionate immanence is shown by entering the devotee’s ‘mandira’ (sanctuary) while guiding events for their protection.
Vishnu Form: Vasudeva
Bhakti Type: Vatsalya
FAQs
Kamsa embodies adharma-driven sovereignty; his violence intensifies the need for Vishnu’s avatara, highlighting that divine order ultimately overrules oppressive power.
The verse treats the descent (avatīrṇam) as a real, knowable event whose recognition changes history—once the tyrant knows the Lord has appeared, conflict with adharma becomes inevitable.
Vishnu’s presence is portrayed as the decisive refuge and the supreme reality entering time: even when devotees fear immediate harm, the avatara signals the restoration of dharma and protection of the righteous.