276
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 10, Ch. 4]
villages within Kamsa's kingdom should be killed. Although the demigods always feared Kamsa, they should not be treated leniently; since they were enemies, Kamsa should try his best to uproot their existence. The demoniac ministers further advised that Kamsa and the demons continue their enmity toward Viṣṇu because Viṣṇu is the original person among all the demigods. The  brāhmaṇas , the cows, the  Vedas , austerity, truthfulness, control of the senses and mind, faithfulness and mercy are among the different parts of the body of Viṣṇu, who is the origin of all the demigods, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Therefore, the ministers advised, the demigods, the saintly persons, the cows and the  brāhmaṇas  should be systematically persecuted. Strongly advised in this way by his friends, the demoniac ministers, Kamsa approved of their instructions and considered it beneficial to be envious of the  brāhmaṇas . Following Kamsa's orders, therefore, the demons began committing their atrocities all over Vrajabhūmi.
TEXT 1
श्रीशुक्र उवाच
बहिरन्तःपुरद्वारः सर्वाः पूर्ववदावृताः । ततो बालध्वनिं श्रुत्वा गृहपालाः समुत्थिताः ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca bahir-antaḥ-pura-dvāraḥ sarvāḥ pūrvavad āvṛtāḥ tato bāla-dhvaniṁ śrutvā gṛha-pālāḥ samutthitāḥ
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said;  bahiḥ-antaḥ-pura-dvāraḥ —the doors inside and outside the house;  sarvāḥ —all;  pūrvavat —like before;  āvṛtāḥ —closed;  tataḥ —thereafter;  bāla-dhvaniṁ —the crying of the newborn child;  śrutvā —hearing;  gṛha-pālāḥ —all the inhabitants of the house, especially the doormen;  samutthitāḥ —awakened.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King Parikṣit, the doors inside and outside the house closed as before. Thereafter, the in-