Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.1.59

drishtvā samatvam tac chaureh

satye caiva vyavasthitim

kamsas tushta-manā rājan

prahasann idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

drishtvā — by seeing; samatvam — being equipoised, undisturbed in distress or happiness; tat — that; śaureh — of Vasudeva; satye — in truthfulness; ca — indeed; eva — certainly; vyavasthitim — the firm situation; kamsah — Kamsa; tushta-manāh — being very satisfied (with Vasudeva's behavior in delivering the first child to keep his promise); rājan — O Mahārāja Parīkshit; prahasan — with a smiling face; idam — this; abravīt — said.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Parīkshit, when Kamsa saw that Vasudeva, being situated in truthfulness, was completely equipoised in giving him the child, he was very happy. Therefore, with a smiling face, he spoke as follows.

PURPORT

The word samatvam is very significant in this verse. Samatvam refers to one who is always equipoised, unaffected by either happiness or distress. Vasudeva was so steadily equipoised that he did not seem in the least agitated when delivering his first-born child into the hands of Kamsa to be killed. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.56) it is said, duhkheshv anudvigna-manāh sukheshu vigata-sprihah. In the material world, one should not be very eager to be happy, nor should one be very much disturbed by material distress. Lord Krishna advised Arjuna:

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya

śītoshna-sukha-duhkha-dāh

āgamāpāyino 'nityās

tāms titikshasva bhārata

"O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (Bg. 2.14) The self-realized soul is never disturbed by so-called distress or happiness, and this is especially true of an exalted devotee like Vasudeva, who showed this by his practical example. Vasudeva was not at all disturbed when delivering his first child to Kamsa to be killed.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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