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Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.1.62-63
vrishnayo vasudevādyā
jñātayo bandhu-suhrido
SYNONYMS
nanda-ādyāh — beginning from Nanda Mahārāja; ye — all of which persons; vraje — in Vrindāvana; gopāh — the cowherd men; yāh — which; ca — and; amīshām — of all those (inhabitants of Vrindāvana); ca — as well as; yoshitah — the women; vrishnayah — members of the Vrishni family; vasudeva-ādyāh — headed by Vasudeva; devakī-ādyāh — headed by Devakī; yadu-striyah — all the women of the Yadu dynasty; sarve — all of them; vai — indeed; devatā-prāyāh — were inhabitants of heaven; ubhayoh — of both Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva; api — indeed; bhārata — O Mahārāja Parīkshit; jñātayah — the relatives; bandhu — friends; suhridah — well-wishers; ye — all of whom; ca — and; kamsam anuvratāh — even though apparently followers of Kamsa.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of Vrindāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja and including his associate cowherd men and their wives, were none but denizens of the heavenly planets, O Mahārāja Parīkshit, best of the descendants of Bharata, and so too were the descendants of the Vrishni dynasty, headed by Vasudeva, and Devakī and the other women of the dynasty of Yadu. The friends, relatives and well-wishers of both Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva and even those who externally appeared to be followers of Kamsa were all demigods.
PURPORT
As previously discussed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, informed Lord Brahmā that Lord Krishna would personally descend to mitigate the suffering on the earth. The Lord ordered all the denizens of the heavenly planets to take birth in different families of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties and in Vrindāvana. Now this verse informs us that all the family and friends of the Yadu dynasty, the Vrishni dynasty, Nanda Mahārāja and the gopas descended from the heavenly planets to see the pastimes of the Lord. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8), the Lord's pastimes consist of paritrānāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca dushkritām — saving the devotees and killing the demons. To demonstrate these activities, the Lord called for devotees from different parts of the universe.
There are many devotees who are elevated to the higher planetary systems.
yoga-bhrashto 'bhijāyate
"The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy." (Bg. 6.41) Some devotees, having failed to complete the process of devotional service, are promoted to the heavenly planets, to which the pious are elevated, and after enjoying there they may be directly promoted to the place where the Lord's pastimes are going on. When Lord Krishna was to appear, the denizens of the heavenly planets were invited to see the pastimes of the Lord, and thus it is stated here that the members of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties and the inhabitants of Vrindāvana were demigods or almost as good as demigods. Even those who externally helped the activities of Kamsa belonged to the higher planetary systems. The imprisonment and release of Vasudeva and the killing of various demons were all manifestations of the pastimes of the Lord, and because the devotees would be pleased to see these activities personally, they were all invited to take birth as friends and relatives of these families. As confirmed in the prayers of Kuntī (Bhāg. 1.8.19), nato nātya-dharo yathā. The Lord was to play the part of a demon-killer, and a friend, son and brother to His devotees, and thus these devotees were all summoned.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari