Shloka 138
Kroṣṭu–Yādava Lineages, the Syamantaka Jewel, Krishna’s Birth Context, and the Māyāmoha Account
भीतोहं देव कंसस्य ततस्त्वेतद्ब्रवीमि ते । मम पुत्रा हतास्तेन श्रेष्ठाः षड्भीमविक्रमाः
bhītohaṃ deva kaṃsasya tatastvetadbravīmi te | mama putrā hatāstena śreṣṭhāḥ ṣaḍbhīmavikramāḥ
Wahai Tuhan, aku takut kepada Kamsa; oleh itu aku memberitahu-Mu: enam puteraku yang gagah berani dan mulia telah dibunuh olehnya.
Unspecified (context needed to identify the named speaker addressing 'deva')
Concept: In fear and oppression, taking refuge in the Lord and speaking truthfully becomes the doorway to divine protection.
Application: When threatened, avoid despair; seek higher refuge, speak honestly, and act with dharma rather than retaliation.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a dim Mathurā prison-cell, Vasudeva speaks with trembling urgency, hands folded, eyes wet with grief as he confesses the slaughter of his six heroic sons. A concealed divine presence—Acyuta—radiates softly, turning the iron bars and stone walls into a stage for compassion amid terror.","primary_figures":["Vasudeva","Acyuta (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa in concealed divine form)","(implied) Kaṃsa’s shadow/presence"],"setting":"Mathurā prison interior with iron bars, stone floor, faint view of Yamunā night through a small window slit","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep indigo","iron gray","smoky amber","lotus pink","muted gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vasudeva in a prison cell offering folded hands to a subtly manifested Acyuta, gold leaf halo around the Lord even as His form is partially veiled; rich maroon and emerald accents, gem-studded ornaments on the divine figure, ornate borders contrasting with austere stone textures.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate prison chamber scene with delicate lines; Vasudeva’s sorrowful face rendered with refined emotion, cool indigo shadows, a faint divine aura near Acyuta, minimal architecture, lyrical realism with a tiny Yamunā glimpse beyond a window.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and expressive eyes; Vasudeva’s supplication before a softly radiant Acyuta, warm ochres and reds against dark stone, stylized prison bars, sacred aura patterns around the deity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic composition—central subtle Acyuta aura with lotus motifs emerging even in confinement, Vasudeva at the lower corner in devotion; intricate floral borders, deep blues and gold, narrative cartouches hinting at Kaṃsa’s tyranny."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant thunder","muffled footsteps","breath-like silence","faint flowing water (Yamunā)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भीतोहं = भीतः + अहम्; ततस्त्वेतद्ब्रवीमि = ततः + तु + एतत् + ब्रवीमि; हतास्तेन = हताः + तेन; षड्भीमविक्रमाः = षट् + भीमविक्रमाः (षट् before voiced consonant → षड्).
FAQs
Kaṃsa is the feared tyrant named here as the killer of the speaker’s six sons, functioning as the immediate cause of the speaker’s distress and confession.
The verse foregrounds fear and helplessness before violent power, and it frames truthful disclosure (“therefore I tell you this”) as a response to crisis.
By specifying that six sons—described as excellent and formidable—were still killed, the verse intensifies Kaṃsa’s threat and the gravity of the loss.