तेनायं ते कुमारो वै देयः कंसाय सर्वथा । न मिथ्या वचनं मेऽस्ति लोकनिन्दाभिदूषितम्
Therefore, this son of yours must certainly be given to Kamsa; my word is never false, nor tainted by the blame of public censure.
अनित्येऽस्मिंस्तु संसारे धर्मसारे महात्मनाम् । दैवाधीनं हि सर्वेषां मरणं जननं तथा
In this impermanent world, the essence of righteousness is found in the great-souled; for birth and death for all are indeed subject to fate.
तस्माच्छोको न कर्तव्यो देहिना हि निरर्थकः । सत्यं यस्य गतं कान्ते वृथा तस्यैव जीवितम्
Therefore, grief should not be indulged by the embodied, for it is useless; truly, for one whose beloved is gone, life itself is in vain.
इहलोको गतो यस्मात्परलोकः कुतस्ततः । अतो देहि सुतं सुभ्रु कंसाय प्रददाम्यहम्
Since this world has been lost, how can there be a next world? Therefore, O lovely-browed one, give me the son, I shall hand him over to Kamsa.
सत्यसंस्तरणाद्देवि शुभमग्रे भविष्यति । कर्तव्यं सुकृतं पुम्भिः सुखे दुःखे सति प्रिये
O goddess, by upholding truth, good will come in the future; a man must do righteous deeds, whether in happiness or in sorrow, dear one.
(सत्यसंरक्षणाद्देवि शुभमेव भविष्यति) ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तवति कान्ते सा देवकी शोकसंयुता । ददौ पुत्रं प्रसूतं च वेपमाना मनस्विनी
(O goddess, by protecting truth, only good will result.) Vyasa said: When her beloved had spoken thus, Devaki, filled with sorrow, trembling, and steadfast in mind, gave her newborn son.
वसुदेवोऽपि धर्मात्मा आदाय स्वसुतं शिशुम् । जगाम कंससदनं मार्गे लोकैरभिष्टुतः
Vasudeva, righteous-souled, taking his own infant son, went to Kamsa's palace, praised by the people along the way.
लोका ऊचुः पश्यन्तु वसुदेवं भो लोका एवं मनस्विनम् । स्ववाक्यमनुरुध्यैव बालमादाय यात्यसौ
The people said: Let the people see Vasudeva, so resolute, who, keeping his word, is carrying his child.
मृत्यवे दातुकामोऽद्य सत्यवागनसूयकः । सफलं जीवितं चास्य धर्मं पश्यन्तु चाद्भुतम्
Desiring to give his son today to death, truthful and free from deceit; let them see his wondrous righteousness, and that his life is fulfilled.
यः पुत्रं याति कंसाय दातुं कालात्मनेऽपि हि । व्यास उवाच इति संस्तूयमानस्तु प्राप्तः कंसालयं नृप
He who goes to give his son even to Kamsa, the very embodiment of death—Vyasa said: Thus praised, he reached Kamsa's palace, O King.
ददावस्मै कुमारं तं जातमात्रममानुषम् । कंसोऽपि विस्मयं प्राप्तो दृष्ट्वा धैर्यं महात्मनः
He gave to him that just-born, extraordinary boy; and Kamsa, seeing the great one's courage, was filled with wonder.
गृहीत्वा बालकं प्राह स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः । धन्यस्त्वं शूरपुत्राद्य ज्ञातः पुत्रसमर्पणात्
Taking the child, Kamsa spoke these words with a smile: 'You are blessed today, son of Sura, known for offering your son.'
मम मृत्युर्न चायं वै गिरा प्रोक्तस्तु चाष्टमः । न हन्तव्यो मया कामं बालोऽयं यातु ते गहम्
'My death is not this one, for it was foretold to be the eighth; I need not kill this child—let him go home with you.'
अष्टमस्तु प्रदातव्यस्त्वया पुत्रो महामते । इत्युक्त्वा वसुदेवाय ददावाशु खलः शिशुम्
'But the eighth son must be given by you, O wise one.' Having said this to Vasudeva, the wicked one quickly returned the infant.
गच्छत्वयं गृहे बालः क्षेमं व्याहृतवान्नृपः । तमादाय तदा शौरिर्जगाम स्वगृहं मुदा
'Let this child go home and be safe,' the king declared. Then Sauri, taking him, joyfully returned to his own house.
कंसोऽपि सचिवानाह वृथा किं घातये शिशुम् । अष्टमाद्देवकीपुत्रान्मम मृत्युरुदाहृतः
Kamsa also said to his ministers, 'Why should I kill this child in vain? My death is said to come from Devaki's eighth son.'
अतः किं प्रथमं बालं हत्वा पापं करोम्यहम् । साधुसाध्विति तेऽप्युक्त्वा संस्थिता मन्त्रिसत्तमाः
Therefore, why should I commit sin by killing the child first? Even after you said 'good' or 'bad', the excellent ministers remained silent.
विसर्जितास्तु कंसेन जग्मुस्ते स्वगृहान्प्रति । गतेषु तेषु सम्प्राप्तो नारदो मुनिसत्तमः
Dismissed by Kamsa, they departed to their own homes. After they had gone, the eminent sage Narada arrived.
अभ्युत्थानार्घ्यपाद्यादि चकारोग्रसुतस्तदा । पप्रच्छ कुशलं राजा तत्रागमनकारणम्
The fierce son then performed the customary offerings of water for washing feet and hands. The king inquired about his welfare and the reason for his arrival.
नारदस्तं तदोवाच स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः । कंस कंस महाभाग गतोऽहं हेमपर्वतम्
Narada spoke to him, first with a smile: 'Kamsa, Kamsa, greatly fortunate one, I have gone to the golden mountain.'
तत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा मन्त्रं चक्रुः समाहिताः । देवक्यां वसुदेवस्य भार्यायां सुरसत्तमः
There, Brahma and the other gods, fully concentrated, held council. O best of gods, regarding Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva.
वधार्थं तव विष्णुश्च जन्म चात्र करिष्यति । तत्कथं न हतः पुत्रस्त्वया नीतिं विजानता
For your destruction, Vishnu will be born there. So how is it that the child was not killed by you, knowing the policy?
कंस उवाच अष्टमं च हनिष्येऽहं मृत्युं मे देवभाषितम् । नारद उवाच न जानासि नृपश्रेष्ठ राजनीतिं शुभाशुभा
Kamsa said: 'I will kill the eighth one; death has been foretold to me by the gods.' Narada said: 'You do not know, O best of kings, the royal policy regarding good and bad.'
मायाबलं च देवानां न त्वं वेत्सि वदामि किम् । रिपुरल्पोऽपि शूरेण नोपेक्ष्यः शुभमिच्छता
Nor do you know the power of the gods' illusion; what more can I say? Even a minor enemy should not be disregarded by one who desires good.
सम्मेलनक्रियायां तु सर्वे ते ह्यष्टमाः स्मृताः । मूर्खस्त्वमरिसन्त्यागः कृतोऽयं जानता त्वया
In the ritual of gathering, all those children are considered the eighth. You are foolish; abandoning enemies is not wise, yet you did so knowingly.
इत्युक्त्वाशु गतः श्रीमान्नारदो देवदर्शनः । गतेऽथ नारदे कंसः समाहूयाथ बालकम् । पाषाणे पोथयामास सुखं प्राप च मन्दधीः
Having said this, the illustrious Narada, seer of the gods, departed swiftly. After Narada had gone, Kamsa summoned the child and struck him against a stone, and the dull-minded one felt satisfied.
देवदानवानामंशावतरणवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच किं कृतं पातकं तेन बालकेन पितामह । यज्जातमात्रो निहतस्तथा तेन दुरात्मना
Description of the descent of the portions of gods and demons. Janamejaya said: What sin did that child commit, O grandfather, that he was killed immediately after birth by that wicked one?
नारदोऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठो ज्ञानवान्धर्मतत्परः । कथमेवंविधं पापं कृतवान्ब्रह्मवित्तमः
Even Narada, the foremost sage, wise and devoted to righteousness, how did he commit such a sin, O knower of Brahman?
कर्ता कारयिता पापे तुल्यपापौ स्मृतौ बुधैः । स कथं प्रेरयामास मुनिः कंसं खलं तदा
The doer and the instigator of sin are regarded as equally sinful by the wise. So how did the sage urge Kamsa, the wicked one, at that time?
संशयोऽयं महान्मेऽत्र ब्रूहि सर्वं सविस्तरम् । येन कर्मविपाकेन बालको निधनं गतः
This is a great doubt for me; tell me everything in detail, by what result of karma the child met his death.