Shloka 15
युवयोर् घातिता गर्भा वृथैवैते मयाधुना को ऽप्य् अन्य एव नाशाय बालो मम समुद्गतः
yuvayor ghātitā garbhā vṛthaivaite mayādhunā ko 'py anya eva nāśāya bālo mama samudgataḥ
“The pregnancies of you both that I had destroyed—alas, I have ended them in vain; for to bring about my ruin, some other child, unknown to me, has now arisen.”
A threatened ruler/antagonist within the dynastic narrative (as relayed by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: To evade Kaṃsa’s slaughter of Devakī’s infants and ultimately bring about Kaṃsa’s destruction.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Vindication of the righteous and end of oppressive rule
Concept: Violence against the innocent, even when ‘strategic’, rebounds as inevitable ruin for the tyrant.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Reject harm justified by fear; cultivate courage and righteousness, trusting that adharma carries the seeds of its own collapse.
Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s protective will (anugraha) operates within history: the devotee-protecting avatāra arises despite hostile power, showing divine sovereignty within the world.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
The verse highlights that attempts to control outcomes through violence—such as destroying pregnancies—can still fail, because a destined child may arise through other means, underscoring the supremacy of daiva (fate) over brute force.
In the genealogical portions, Parāśara often conveys history through dramatic speeches by kings and rivals; this kind of line shows the inner logic of the narrative—power struggles cannot ultimately overturn the cosmic-moral order that preserves a destined lineage.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework implies that the rise of the destined child occurs within Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty—dharma and rightful continuity endure because the Supreme Reality supports cosmic order.