Shloka 34
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
पथि प्रग्रहिणं कंसमाभाष्याहाशरीरवाक् । अस्यास्त्वामष्टमो गर्भो हन्ता यां वहसेऽबुध ॥ ३४ ॥
pathi pragrahiṇaṁ kaṁsam ābhāṣyāhāśarīra-vāk asyās tvām aṣṭamo garbho hantā yāṁ vahase ’budha
Semasa Kamsa memegang tali kekang kuda dan memandu kereta kuda di sepanjang jalan, satu suara ghaib menegurnya, 'Wahai si bodoh, anak kelapan wanita yang kamu bawa ini akan membunuhmu!'
The omen spoke of aṣṭamo garbhaḥ, referring to the eighth pregnancy, but did not clearly say whether the child was to be a son or a daughter. Even if Kaṁsa were to see that the eighth child of Devakī was a daughter, he should have no doubt that the eighth child was to kill him. According to the Viśva-kośa dictionary, the word garbha means “embryo” and also arbhaka, or “child.” Kaṁsa was affectionate toward his sister, and therefore he had become the chariot driver to carry her and his brother-in-law to their home. The demigods, however, did not want Kaṁsa to be affectionate toward Devakī, and therefore, from an unseen position, they encouraged Kaṁsa to offend her. Moreover, the six sons of Marīci had been cursed to take birth from the womb of Devakī, and upon being killed by Kaṁsa they would be delivered. When Devakī understood that Kaṁsa would be killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who would appear from her womb, she felt great joy. The word vahase is also significant because it indicates that the ominous vibration condemned Kaṁsa for acting just like a beast of burden by carrying his enemy’s mother.
FAQs
This verse states that a bodiless divine voice warned Kaṁsa that Devakī’s eighth child would become his killer, revealing the certainty of divine arrangement behind Krishna’s advent.
Because Kaṁsa was forcibly taking Devakī, the unseen voice intervened to declare the destined outcome—his death by her eighth child—intensifying the narrative of Kaṁsa’s fear and the unfolding of Krishna-līlā.
It reminds us that arrogance and violence blind one to consequences; living with humility and dharma is wiser than trying to control others through fear or force.