Devanagari
श्रीशुक उवाच
अथैनमात्मजं वीक्ष्य महापुरुषलक्षणम् ।
देवकी तमुपाधावत् कंसाद् भीता सुविस्मिता ॥ २३ ॥
Verse text
śrī-śuka uvāca
athainam ātmajaṁ vīkṣya
mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇam
devakī tam upādhāvat
kaṁsād bhītā suvismitā
Synonyms
śrī
—
śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
;
atha
—
after this offering of prayers by Vasudeva
;
enam
—
this Kṛṣṇa
;
ātmajam
—
their son
;
vīkṣya
—
observing
;
mahā
—
puruṣa — lakṣaṇam — with all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu
;
devakī
—
Kṛṣṇa’s mother
;
tam
—
unto Him (Kṛṣṇa)
;
upādhāvat
—
offered prayers
;
kaṁsāt
—
of Kaṁsa
;
bhītā
—
being afraid
;
su
—
vismitā — and also being astonished by seeing such a wonderful child .
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, having seen that her child had all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Devakī, who was very much afraid of Kaṁsa and unusually astonished, began to offer prayers to the Lord.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thereafter, having seen that her child had all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Devakī, who was very much afraid of Kaṁsa and unusually astonished, began to offer prayers to the Lord.
KB 10.3.23
After this prayer of Vasudeva, Devakī, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, offered her prayers. She was very frightened because of her brother’s atrocities.
Purport
The word
suvismitā,
meaning “astonished,” is significant in this verse. Devakī and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed by Kaṁsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kaṁsa’s previous atrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that Kṛṣṇa would be killed. This is why the word
suvismitā
has been used. Similarly, we are also astounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by the
asuras
or will continue to advance without fear.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Seeing her husband’s fear, seeing that her newly born child did not withdraw his form, but was instead smiling, Devaki became astonished. "What shall I do? This child, identifying himself as God, has no fear of Kamsa." She became completely wonder struck. "In front of the supreme Lord, Kamsa is nothing. So why should we be afraid? What nonsense we are."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
After Vasudeva praised the Lord (atha), Devakī praised him. She gazed at him, who was long expected, as he manifested his divine form (enam). She gazed at the Lord, who had appeared from her womb. This produced feelings of possessiveness in her. “He has come from my womb.” Though his development in the womb was only an imitation, to hide that fact, her senses were covered by yoga-nidrā or the power of the Lord. Therefore she calls him her son. Out of fear of Kaṁsa, she then saw him as Svayam Bhagavān (mahā-puruṣam) but becoming surprised at that, she began praising him. Her fear shows the preponderance of seeing Kṛṣṇa as her son.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
After Vasudeva’s prayers, Devakī, seeing this eighth son born from her womb, spoke. Though he was not born, but just entered her womb already alive, thinking he was born is permissible because the Lord exhibits this semblance of birth out of great affection. Thus she says that he has been born from her womb. Following the ways of material birth, she gave birth, without seeing her son at first. Then she saw him, as described in this verse. Or she could not see her son at first because of fear generated by the Lord’s powers. Later, after Vasudeva had finished his prayers, she became calm and saw him.
She directly saw him as Nārāyaṇa (mahāpuruṣa) with four arms. She was surprised, and though fearful of Kaṁsa, offered prayers to her son. Or seeing her son, out of affection she had fear of Kaṁsa and astonishment that this was the Lord. Or she spoke to that son (tam) who appeared with a spiritual form (enam), whom she had long expected.