Shloka 23
Nanda Mahārāja Celebrates Kṛṣṇa’s Birth; Vasudeva Warns of Danger
दिष्टया भ्रात: प्रवयस इदानीमप्रजस्य ते । प्रजाशाया निवृत्तस्य प्रजा यत् समपद्यत ॥ २३ ॥
diṣṭyā bhrātaḥ pravayasa idānīm aprajasya te prajāśāyā nivṛttasya prajā yat samapadyata
സഹോദരാ നന്ദ മഹാരാജാ! പ്രായം ചെന്നപ്പോൾ നിങ്ങൾക്ക് പുത്രനില്ലായിരുന്നു, സന്താനാശയും മങ്ങിയിരുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ഇപ്പോൾ പുത്രലാഭം മഹാസൗഭാഗ്യത്തിന്റെ അടയാളമാണ്।
At an advanced age one generally cannot beget a male child. If by chance one does beget a child at this age, the child is generally female. Thus Vasudeva indirectly asked Nanda Mahārāja whether he had actually begotten a male child or a female child. Vasudeva knew that Yaśodā had given birth to a female child, whom he had stolen and replaced with a male child. This was a great mystery, and Vasudeva wanted to determine whether this mystery was already known to Nanda Mahārāja. On inquiring, however, he was confident that the mystery of Kṛṣṇa’s birth and His being placed in the care of Yaśodā was still hidden. There was no danger, since Kaṁsa at least could not learn what had already happened.
FAQs
This verse highlights that by destiny and the Lord’s arrangement (diṣṭyā), even those who had abandoned hope can receive unexpected blessings—here, the blessing of offspring.
Rohini consoles and congratulates Devaki, noting that although Devaki had become aged and had given up hope of children, she has now attained the blessing of progeny by good fortune.
It encourages patience and faith: when results seem impossible, one can still remain steady in dharma and devotion, trusting that outcomes may change by higher arrangement.