Shloka 55
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
श्रीशुक उवाच स्वसुर्वधान्निववृते कंसस्तद्वाक्यसारवित् । वसुदेवोऽपि तं प्रीत: प्रशस्य प्राविशद् गृहम् ॥ ५५ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca svasur vadhān nivavṛte kaṁsas tad-vākya-sāra-vit vasudevo ’pi taṁ prītaḥ praśasya prāviśad gṛham
Śrī Śukadeva meneruskan: Kaṁsa memahami inti hujah Vasudeva dan menaruh kepercayaan teguh pada kata-katanya, lalu menahan diri daripada membunuh saudarinya. Vasudeva juga berkenan kepada Kaṁsa, memujinya sambil menenangkannya lagi, kemudian masuk ke rumahnya sendiri.
Although Kaṁsa was a sinful demon, he believed that Vasudeva would never deviate from his word. The character of a pure devotee like Vasudeva is such that even so great a demon as Kaṁsa firmly believed in his words and was satisfied. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ ( Bhāg. 5.18.12 ). All good attributes are present in a devotee, so much so that even Kaṁsa believed in Vasudeva’s words without a doubt.
FAQs
Because he grasped the essence of Devakī’s words and refrained from the immediate sin of killing his sister, even though his fear of the prophecy remained.
Vasudeva, relieved that Devakī was spared, spoke in a way that pacified Kaṁsa—praising his restraint—so the danger would not flare up again at that moment.
Even in tense situations, recognizing the “essence” of wise counsel and choosing restraint can prevent immediate harm; calm, respectful speech can de-escalate conflict.