Shloka 33
The Killing of Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, and Kaṁsa; Liberation and Restoration of Dharma in Mathurā
वसुदेवस्तु दुर्मेधा हन्यतामाश्वसत्तम: । उग्रसेन: पिता चापि सानुग: परपक्षग: ॥ ३३ ॥
vasudevas tu durmedhā hanyatām āśv asattamaḥ ugrasenaḥ pitā cāpi sānugaḥ para-pakṣa-gaḥ
वसुदेवस्तु दुर्मेधा हन्यतामाश्वसत्तम: । उग्रसेन: पिता चापि सानुग: परपक्षग: ॥ ३३ ॥
FAQs
This verse shows Kaṁsa’s extreme adharma—he commands immediate killing of Vasudeva and even his own father Ugrasena, revealing how fear and envy drive a tyrant to violence against family and innocents.
Kaṁsa views any sympathy for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma—or any resistance to his rule—as betrayal; thus he labels Ugrasena and his supporters as aligned with his enemies.
It warns that unchecked anger, paranoia, and attachment to power can make a person unjust even toward loved ones; cultivating dharma, humility, and devotion protects the heart from such downfall.