Text 32]
The Birth of Lord Krṣṇa
249
Not wanting to be ridiculed for having given birth to Viṣṇu, Devakī wanted Krṣṇa, with two hands, and therefore she requested the Lord to change His form.
TEXT 32
श्रीभगवानुवाच
त्वमेव पूर्वसर्गेऽभूः पृथिव्यः स्वायम्भुवे सति ।
तदायं सुतपा नाम प्रजापतिरकल्मषः ॥३२॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca tvam eva pūrva-sarge 'bhūḥ pṛśniḥ svāyambhuve sati tadāyam sutapā nāma prajāpatir akalmaṣaḥ
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said to Devakī; tvam—you; eva—indeed; pūrva-sarge—in a previous millennium; abhūḥ—became; pṛśniḥ—by the name Pṛśni; svāyambhuve—the millennium of Svāyambhuva Manu; sati—O supremely chaste; tadā—at that time; ayam—Vasudeva; sutapā—Sutapā; nāma—by the name; prajāpatiḥ—a Prajāpati; akalmaṣaḥ—a spotlessly pious person.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead replied: My dear mother, best of the chaste, in your previous birth, in the Svāyambhuva millennium, you were known as Pṛśni, and Vasudeva, who was the most pious Prajāpati, was named Sutapā.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead made it clear that Devakī had not become His mother only now; rather, she had been His mother previously also. Krṣṇa is eternal, and His selection of a father and mother from among His devotees takes place eternally. Previously also, Devakī had been the Lord's mother and Vasudeva the Lord's father, and they were named Pṛśni and Sutapā. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He accepts His eternal father and mother, and they accept