Devanagari
कंसस्तु धनुषो भङ्गं रक्षिणां स्वबलस्य च
वधं निशम्य गोविन्दरामविक्रीडितं परम् ॥ २६ ॥
दीर्घप्रजागरो भीतो दुर्निमित्तानि दुर्मति:
बहून्यचष्टोभयथा मृत्योर्दौत्यकराणि च ॥ २७ ॥
Verse text
kaṁsas tu dhanuṣo bhaṅgaṁ
rakṣiṇāṁ sva-balasya ca
vadhaṁ niśamya govinda-
rāma-vikrīḍitaṁ param
dīrgha-prajāgaro bhīto
durnimittāni durmatiḥ
bahūny acaṣṭobhayathā
mṛtyor dautya-karāṇi ca
Synonyms
kaṁsaḥ
—
King Kaṁsa
;
tu
—
but
;
dhanuṣaḥ
—
of the bow
;
bhaṅgam
—
the breaking
;
rakṣiṇām
—
of the guards
;
sva
—
his
;
balasya
—
of the army
;
ca
—
and
;
vadham
—
the killing
;
niśamya
—
hearing of
;
govinda
—
rāma — of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
;
vikrīḍitam
—
the playing
;
param
—
merely
;
dīrgha
—
for a long time
;
prajāgaraḥ
—
remaining awake
;
bhītaḥ
—
afraid
;
durnimittāni
—
bad omens
;
durmatiḥ
—
the wicked-minded
;
bahūni
—
many
;
acaṣṭa
—
saw
;
ubhayathā
—
in both states (sleep and wakefulness)
;
mṛtyoḥ
—
of death
;
dautya
—
karāṇi — the messengers
;
ca
—
and .
Translation
Wicked King Kaṁsa, on the other hand, was terrified, having heard how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had broken the bow and killed his guards and soldiers, all simply as a game. He remained awake for a long time, and both while awake and while dreaming he saw many bad omens, messengers of death.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Wicked King Kaṁsa, on the other hand, was terrified, having heard how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had broken the bow and killed his guards and soldiers, all simply as a game. He remained awake for a long time, and both while awake and while dreaming he saw many bad omens, messengers of death.
KB 10.42.26-27
On the other side, when Kaṁsa came to understand about the breaking of his wonderful bow and the killing of the caretakers and soldiers by Kṛṣṇa, he could partially realize the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He could realize that the eighth son of Devakī had appeared and that now his death was imminent. Thinking of his imminent death, he was restless the entire night. He began to have many inauspicious visions, and he could understand that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who had approached the precincts of the city, were his messengers of death. Kaṁsa saw various kinds of inauspicious signs while both awake and dreaming.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Hearing that the killing of the guards and troops was nothing but play for Krsna and Balarama, while waking and sleeping, Kamsa saw many signs like messengers of impending death.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Kaṁsa on the other hand heard that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had broken the bow and killed his soldiers as play, not as a fight. Frightened, he saw bad omens. He was evil-minded (durmatiḥ) since he did not stop offending the Lord and his devotees. This was the cause of everything. He saw many bad omens causing the destruction of his kingdom. The omens acted as messengers of death, and indicated his death.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Kṛṣṇa was the king of Gokula, having lifted Govardhana (govindaḥ). Balarāma had given enjoyment to the cowherd boys by killing Pralamba (rāma). They were very strong. Hearing how they had broken the bow as play only (vi-krīḍatam param) Kaṁsa became frightened. He saw many bad omens.
He could not sleep at all or at least for a long time, without closing his eyes (prajāgaraḥ). Ever since hearing from Nārada he had sleepless nights. Or only on that night he could not sleep at all. Even at this time however, he never stopped thinking of how to harass the devotees (durmatiḥ). This was the cause of all his problems. He saw omens, messengers of death. The word ca indicates other things also: this means he would also end material existence, since he would attain liberation.