Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.4.2
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesFear Drives Kaṁsa Toward Cruelty
“Thereafter, all the watchmen very quickly approached King Kaṁsa, the ruler of the Bhoja dynasty, and submitted the news of the birth of Devakī’s child. Kaṁsa, who had awaited this news very anxiously, immediately took action.”
What the purport teaches
- The watchmen quickly reported the birth of Devakī’s child to Kaṁsa, ruler of the Bhoja dynasty.
- Kaṁsa was anxiously waiting because of the prophecy that Devakī’s eighth child would kill him.
- He was awake and ready to act. On hearing the news, he immediately moved to kill the child.
Try this today
When anxiety arises today, pause before speaking or acting in a way that could hurt someone.
Ask yourself
Does fear ever make me ready to harm rather than pause?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.