Shloka 66
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
ऋषेर्विनिर्गमे कंसो यदून् मत्वा सुरानिति । देवक्या गर्भसम्भूतं विष्णुं च स्ववधं प्रति ॥ ६५ ॥ देवकीं वसुदेवं च निगृह्य निगडैर्गृहे । जातं जातमहन् पुत्रं तयोरजनशङ्कया ॥ ६६ ॥
ṛṣer vinirgame kaṁso yadūn matvā surān iti devakyā garbha-sambhūtaṁ viṣṇuṁ ca sva-vadhaṁ prati
Après le départ du grand sage Nārada, Kaṁsa pensa que tous les membres de la dynastie Yadu étaient des demi-dieux et que n'importe lequel des enfants nés du ventre de Devakī pourrait être Viṣṇu. Craignant sa mort, Kaṁsa arrêta Vasudeva et Devakī et les enchaîna avec des fers. Soupçonnant chaque enfant d'être Viṣṇu, Kaṁsa les tua l'un après l'autre à cause de la prophétie selon laquelle Viṣṇu le tuerait.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his notes on this verse, has mentioned how Nārada Muni gave Kaṁsa this information. This incident is described in the Hari-vaṁśa. Nārada Muni went to see Kaṁsa by providence, and Kaṁsa received him very well. Nārada, therefore, informed him that any one of the sons of Devakī might be Viṣṇu. Because Viṣṇu was to kill him, Kaṁsa should not spare any of Devakī’s children, Nārada Muni advised. Nārada’s intention was that Kaṁsa, by killing the children, would increase his sinful activities so that Kṛṣṇa would soon appear to kill him. Upon receiving the instructions of Nārada Muni, Kaṁsa killed all the children of Devakī one after another.
FAQs
Because Nārada’s message intensified Kaṁsa’s fear, leading him to conclude that Viṣṇu would manifest through Devakī’s pregnancy and become the instrument of his death.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Fear and suspicion distort perception and drive harmful actions; devotion and trust in dharma protect one from destructive choices.