Canto 10: The Summum BonumChapter 36: The Slaying of Arista, the Bull Demon

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.36.19

nivārito nāradena

tat-sutau mṛtyum ātmanaḥ

jñātvā loha-mayaiḥ pāśair

babandha saha bhāryayā

SYNONYMS

nivāritaḥ — checked; nāradena — by Nārada; tat-sutau — his two sons; mṛtyum — death; ātmanaḥ — his own; jñātvā — understanding; loha-mayaiḥmade of iron; pāśaiḥ — with shackles; babandhahe bound up (Vasudeva); saha — together with; bhāryayā — his wife.

TRANSLATION

But Nārada restrained Kaḿsa by reminding him that it was the two sons of Vasudeva who would cause his death. Kaḿsa then had Vasudeva and his wife shackled in iron chains.

PURPORT

Kaḿsa realized that there was no use in killing Vasudeva, since it was Vasudeva's sons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who were to kill him. According to the ācāryas, Nārada also advised Kaḿsa that if he killed Vasudeva the two young boys might flee and that it was therefore better not to kill him. Rather, Nārada recommended, Kaḿsa should bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Kaḿsa's capital city, Mathurā.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that Nārada did not act inimically toward the great devotees Vasudeva and Devakī when he revealed this information to Kaḿsa. In fact, as explained in the Eleventh Canto, Vasudeva was grateful to Nārada because he was arranging for Kaḿsa's death at Kṛṣṇa's hands, and further arranging for Kṛṣṇa to come and live in Mathurā, where His loving father could associate with Him.

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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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