Shloka 14
Citraketu’s Detachment, Nārada’s Mantra, and the Darśana of Anantadeva
बालघ्न्यो व्रीडितास्तत्र बालहत्याहतप्रभा: । बालहत्याव्रतं चेरुर्ब्राह्मणैर्यन्निरूपितम् । यमुनायां महाराज स्मरन्त्यो द्विजभाषितम् ॥ १४ ॥
bāla-ghnyo vrīḍitās tatra bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāḥ bāla-hatyā-vrataṁ cerur brāhmaṇair yan nirūpitam yamunāyāṁ mahārāja smarantyo dvija-bhāṣitam
ਬੱਚੇ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਰਾਣੀਆਂ ਸ਼ਰਮਿੰਦਾ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਚਮਕ ਫਿੱਕੀ ਪੈ ਗਈ। ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਯਮੁਨਾ ਦੇ ਕੰਢੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਸਚਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ।
In this verse the word bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāḥ is to be particularly noted. The practice of killing children has existed in human society for a long time — since time immemorial — but in the days of yore it was very rarely performed. At the present moment, however, in this Age of Kali, abortion — killing of the child within the womb — has become very common, and sometimes a child is even killed after birth. If a woman performs such an abominable act, she gradually loses all her bodily luster ( bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāḥ ). It is also to be noted that the ladies who had committed the sinful act of administering poison to the child were very much ashamed, and according to the directions of the brāhmaṇas, they had to undergo atonement for killing the child. Any woman who has ever performed such an infamously sinful act must atone for it, but no one now is doing that. Under the circumstances, the women responsible must suffer in this life and the next. Those who are sincere souls, after hearing this incident, should refrain from such child-killing and should atone for their sinful activities by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. If one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offenses, all of one’s sinful actions are surely atoned for immediately, but one should not commit such deeds again, for that is an offense.
FAQs
This verse states that those afflicted by the grave sin of bāla-hatyā undertook a specific vow of atonement as prescribed by qualified brāhmaṇas, emphasizing shame, purification, and obedience to scriptural guidance.
The Yamunā is presented as a sacred purifier; bathing there, along with remembrance of brāhmaṇical instruction, forms part of the prescribed expiatory practice to counteract sinful contamination.
When one commits wrongdoing, the Bhagavatam’s model is to accept responsibility, feel genuine remorse, seek guidance from authentic spiritual authorities, and follow a disciplined process of purification rather than rationalizing the act.