Shloka 28
श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः
सर्वस्वभूतो देवानाम् आसीन् मृत्युः पुरा स ते तद् एतत् संप्रधार्याशु क्रियतां हितम् आत्मनः
sarvasvabhūto devānām āsīn mṛtyuḥ purā sa te tad etat saṃpradhāryāśu kriyatāṃ hitam ātmanaḥ
In former times, Death—who had become, as it were, the very all-in-all of the gods—stood before you. Therefore, reflect well upon this at once, and swiftly do what is truly for your own welfare.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s descent and the events surrounding his birth amid Kaṃsa’s persecution.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To remove the tyrant Kaṃsa and relieve the earth and the Yādavas from his oppression, enabling dharma to flourish.
Leela: Dharma-upadesa
Dharma Restored: Moral counsel: turning toward self-welfare through right action rather than cruelty.
Concept: Recognize the peril of adharma and act swiftly for true welfare (hita), which lies in abandoning cruelty and aligning with righteousness.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Pause before harmful impulses; choose actions that protect others and reduce karmic harm—seek counsel, cultivate restraint, and correct course early.
Vishishtadvaita: ‘Hita’ is not mere worldly advantage but alignment with the Lord’s moral order; welfare is achieved by conforming the self to dharma under divine sovereignty.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
FAQs
It emphasizes that even the devas are subject to cosmic law and impermanence; Death functions as an instrument of universal order rather than a merely human fear.
By urging immediate, careful reflection (saṃpradhārya) and swift pursuit of hita—what truly benefits the self—he frames dharma and spiritual resolve as urgent in a transient cosmos.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework implies that Mṛtyu and all cosmic functions operate under Vishnu’s supreme governance, reinforcing Vishnu as the ultimate ground of order and reality.