SB 10.1.58

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Tenth Canto - Chapter 1: The Advent of Lord Kṛṣṇa: Introduction

SB 10.1.57 - SB 10.1.59

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 58

kiṁ duḥsahaṁ nu sādhūnāṁ

viduṣāṁ kim apekṣitam

kim akāryaṁ kadaryāṇāṁ

dustyajaṁ kiṁ dhṛtātmanām

SYNONYMS

kim — what is; duḥsaham — painful; nu — indeed; sādhūnām — for saintly persons; viduṣām — of learned persons; kim apekṣitam — what is dependence; kim akāryam — what is forbidden work; kadaryāṇām — of persons in the lowest grade; dustyajam — very difficult to give up; kim — what is; dhṛta-ātmanām — of persons who are self-realized.

TRANSLATION

What is painful for saintly persons who strictly adhere to the truth? How could there not be independence for pure devotees who know the Supreme Lord as the substance? What deeds are forbidden for persons of the lowest character? And what cannot be given up for the sake of Lord Kṛṣṇa by those who have fully surrendered at His lotus feet?

PURPORT

Since the eighth son of Devakī was to kill Kaṁsa, one might ask what the need was for Vasudeva to deliver the first-born child. The answer is that Vasudeva had promised Kaṁsa that he would deliver all the children born of Devakī. Kaṁsa, being an asura, did not believe that the eighth child would kill him; he took it for granted that he might be killed by any of the children of Devakī. Vasudeva, therefore, to save Devakī, promised to give Kaṁsa every child, whether male or female. From another point of view, Vasudeva and Devakī were very pleased when they understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, would come as their eighth son. Vasudeva, a pure devotee of the Lord, was eager to see Kṛṣṇa appear as his child from the eighth pregnancy of Devakī. Therefore he wanted to deliver all the children quickly so that the eighth turn would come and Kṛṣṇa would appear. He begot one child every year so that Kṛṣṇa's turn to appear would come as soon as possible.

SB 10.1.57 - SB 10.1.59