अन्तर्हितेन केनापि शत्रुणा तव चास्य वा । उदितेति कुतो न स्याद्वागनर्थकरी विभो
"By some hidden enemy of yours or hers, or when it arises, how can a voice not be meaningless, O lord?"
यशसस्ते विघाताय वसुदेवगृहस्य च । अरिणा रचिता वाणी गुणमायाविदा नृप
"It would bring ruin to your reputation and to Vasudeva's house; such words may have been spoken by an enemy, O king, skilled in the power of illusion."
बिभेषि वीरस्त्वं भूत्वा भूतभाषितभाषया । यशोमूलविघातार्थमुपायस्त्वरिणा कृतः
You, though a hero, are afraid, speaking as if possessed by spirits; this was a hasty scheme devised to destroy the root of your fame.
पितृष्वसा न हन्तव्या विवाहसमये पुनः । भवितव्यं महाराज भवेच्च कथमन्यथा
One must not kill one's paternal aunt at the time of marriage; O great king, this is how it should be—how could it be otherwise?
एवं तैर्बोध्यमानोऽसौ निवृत्तो नाभवद्यदा । तदा तं वसुदेवोऽपि नीतिज्ञः प्रत्यभाषत
Though thus instructed by them, he did not desist; then Vasudeva, wise in policy, addressed him.
कंस सत्यं ब्रवीम्यद्य सत्याधारं जगत्त्रयम् । दास्यामि देवकीपुत्रानुत्पन्नांस्तव सर्वशः
Kamsa, I speak the truth today—truth upholds the three worlds; I will give you all the children of Devaki, not yet born.
जातं जातं सुतं तुभ्यं न दास्यामि यदि प्रभो । कुम्भीपाके तदा घोरे पतन्तु मम पूर्वजाः
If, O lord, I do not give you each child as it is born, then may my ancestors fall into the dreadful hell called Kumbhipaka.
श्रुत्वाथ वचनं सत्यं पौरवा ये पुरःस्थिताः । ऊचुस्ते त्वरिताः कंसं साधु साधु पुनः पुनः
Hearing these truthful words, the Pauravas who stood before spoke quickly to Kamsa, 'Well done, well done,' again and again.
न मिथ्या भाषते क्वापि वसुदेवो महामनाः । केशं मुञ्च महाभाग स्त्रीहत्या पातकं तथा
Vasudeva, great of mind, never speaks falsely anywhere; O fortunate one, release Keshini and avoid the sin of killing a woman.
व्यास उवाच एवं प्रबोधितः कंसो यदुवृद्धैर्महात्मभिः । क्रोधं त्यक्त्वा स्थितस्तत्र सत्यवाक्यानुमोदितः
Vyasa said: Thus instructed by the noble elders of the Yadus, Kamsa, abandoning his anger, remained there, agreeing to their truthful words.
ततो दुन्दुभयो नेदुर्वादित्राणि च सस्वनुः । जयशब्दस्तु सर्वेषामुत्पन्नस्तत्र संसदि
Then drums resounded and musical instruments played; cries of victory arose among all those assembled there.
प्रसाद्य कंसं प्रतिमोच्य देवकीं महायशाः शूरसुतस्तदानीम् । जगाम गेहं स्वजनानुवृत्तो नवोढया वीतभयस्तरस्वी
Having appeased Kamsa and released Devaki, the illustrious son of Shura then went home, accompanied by his people and his newly-wedded wife, fearless and swift.
कंसेन देवकीप्रथमपुत्रवधवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच अथ काले तु सम्प्राप्ते देवकी देवरूपिणी । गर्भं दधार विधिवद्वसुदेवेन सङ्गता
The killing of Devaki's firstborn by Kamsa—Vyasa said: Then, when the time had come, Devaki, divine in form, united with Vasudeva according to the rites, conceived.
पूर्णेऽथ दशमे मासे सुषुवे सुतमुत्तमम् । रूपावयवसम्पन्नं देवकी प्रथमं यदा
When the tenth month was complete, Devaki gave birth to an excellent son, endowed with beauty and perfect limbs, her first child.
तदाऽऽह वसुदेवस्तां सत्यवाक्यानुमोदितः । भावित्वाच्च महाभागो देवकीं देवमातरम्
Then Vasudeva, having reflected and assented to truthful words, addressed Devaki, the blessed mother of the gods.
वरोरु समयं मे त्वं जानासि स्वसुतार्पणे । मोचिता त्वं महाभागे शपथेन मया तदा
O fair-waisted one, you know the agreement I made to give our children; O blessed one, at that time I freed you by my oath.
इमं पुत्रं सुकेशान्ते दास्यामि भ्रातृसूनवे । (खले कंसे विनाशार्थं दैवे किं वा करिष्यसि ।)
I will give this son, with beautiful hair, to your brother's son; (What can you do against fate, or for the destruction of the wicked Kamsa?)
सर्वेषां किल जीवानां कालपाशानुवर्तिनाम् । भोक्तव्यं स्वकृतं कर्म शुभ वा यदि वाशुभम्
For all living beings, bound by the noose of time, must experience the results of their own actions, whether good or bad.
प्रारब्धं सर्वथैवात्र जीवस्य विधिनिर्मितम् । देवक्युवाच स्वामिन् पूर्वं कृतं कर्म भोक्तव्यं सर्वथा नृभिः
Indeed, what has been set in motion for a living being is always ordained by fate. Devaki said: O lord, everyone must experience the karma they have previously performed.
तीर्थैस्तपोभिर्दानैर्वा किं न याति क्षयं हि तत् । लिखितो धर्मशास्त्रेषु प्रायश्चित्तविधिर्नृप
Why does it not perish through pilgrimages, austerities, or gifts? For, O king, the method of atonement is prescribed in the scriptures.
पूर्वार्जितानां पापानां विनाशाय महात्मभिः । ब्रह्महा हेमहारी च सुरापो गुरुतल्पगः
For the destruction of sins committed in previous lives, the great souls have prescribed that even a slayer of a Brahmin, a gold thief, a drinker of liquor, or one who violates the teacher's bed—
द्वादशाब्दव्रते चीर्णे शुद्धिं याति यतस्ततः । मन्वादिभिर्यथोद्दिष्टं प्रायश्चित्तं विधानतः
—after observing a twelve-year vow, attains purification; and thus, as prescribed by Manu and others, one should perform the expiatory rites according to rule.
तथा कृत्वा नरः पापान्मुच्यते वा न वानघ । विगीतवचनास्ते किं मुनयस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः
But even after doing so, is a person truly freed from sin or not, O sinless one? What do those sages, knowers of truth, declare about this?
याज्ञवल्क्यादयः सर्वे धर्मशास्त्रप्रवर्तकाः । भवितव्यं भवत्येव यद्येवं निश्चयः प्रभो
All the promulgators of the Dharmaśāstra, such as Yājñavalkya and others, have declared that what must happen will indeed happen, if such is the determination, O Lord.
आयुर्वेदः स मिथ्यैव मन्त्रवादास्तथाखिलाः । उद्यमस्तु वृथा सर्वमेवं चेद्दैवनिर्मितम्
If everything is determined by fate, then Ayurveda is false, all incantations are likewise false, and every effort is in vain.
भवितव्यं भवत्येव प्रवृत्तिस्तु निरर्थिका । अग्निष्टोमादिकं व्यर्थं नियतं स्वर्गसाधनम्
If what must happen will certainly happen, then all activity is meaningless; even Agniṣṭoma and other rites, which are said to surely lead to heaven, are pointless.
यदा तदा प्रमाणं हि वृथैव परिभाषितम् । वितथे तत्प्रमाणे तु धर्मोच्छेदः कुतो न हि
If that is so, then scriptural authority is rendered useless, and all discussion is in vain; and if that authority is false, why would there not be a collapse of righteousness?
उद्यमे च कृते सिद्धिः प्रत्यक्षेणैव साध्यते । तस्मादत्र प्रकर्तव्यः प्रपञ्चश्चित्तकल्पितः
But when effort is made, success is directly achieved; therefore, in this matter, one should act, for the world is shaped by the mind.
यथायं बालकः क्षेमं प्राप्नोति मम पुत्रकः । मिथ्या यदि प्रकर्तव्यं वचनं शुभमिच्छता
Just as someone wishing well for a child says, 'May this boy, my son, attain safety,' even if the statement is untrue, it should be made by one desiring good.
न तत्र दूषणं किञ्चित्पवदन्ति मनीषिणः । वसुदेव उवाच निशामय महाभागे सत्यमेतद् ब्रवीमि ते
The wise say there is no fault in this; Vasudeva said: Listen, O greatly fortunate one, I speak this truth to you.