Gokula’s Wonder, Kṛṣṇa’s Bhakta-vaśyatā, the Move to Vṛndāvana, and the Slaying of Vatsāsura and Bakāsura
अहो बतास्य बालस्य बहवो मृत्यवोऽभवन् । अप्यासीद् विप्रियं तेषां कृतं पूर्वं यतो भयम् ॥ ५५ ॥
aho batāsya bālasya bahavo mṛtyavo ’bhavan apy āsīd vipriyaṁ teṣāṁ kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ yato bhayam
Les vachers, dirigés par Nanda Mahārāja, commencèrent à contempler : Il est très étonnant que bien que ce garçon Kṛṣṇa ait maintes fois affronté de nombreuses causes de mort variées, par la grâce de la Personnalité Suprême de la Divinité, ce sont ces causes de peur qui ont été tuées, au lieu de Lui.
The cowherd men innocently thought, “Because our Kṛṣṇa is innocent, the causes of death that appeared before Him were themselves killed instead of Kṛṣṇa. This is the greatest grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
This verse marvels that “many deaths” came for the child Kṛṣṇa, yet He remained unharmed—highlighting His divine protection and the futility of hostile forces against the Lord.
The verse implies that those who try to harm Kṛṣṇa incur fear and downfall due to prior wrongdoing; their fear is presented as the karmic consequence of acting against the Lord.
When facing repeated threats or anxieties, cultivate remembrance of the Lord and steady devotion; the verse encourages trust that divine shelter outweighs fear and hostile circumstances.