6 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

never cares for any good instruction. He is just like a determined thief:
one can give him moral instruction, but it will not be effective. Similarly,
those who are demoniac or atheistic by nature can hardly assimilate any
good instruction, however authorized it may be. That is the difference
between demigod and demon. Those who can accept good instruction and
try to live their lives in that way are called demigods, and those who are
unable to take such good instruction are called demons. Failing in his
attempt to pacify Kamsa, Vasudeva wondered how he would protect his
wife Devaki. When there is imminent danger, an intelligent person should
try to avoid the dangerous position as far as possible. But if, in spite of
endeavoring by all intelligence, one fails to avoid the dangerous position,
there is no fault on his part. One should try his best to execute his duties,
but if the attempt fails, he is not at fault.

Vasudeva thought of his wife as follows: “For the present let me save
the life of Devaki, then later on, if there are children, I shall see how to
save them.” He further thought, “If in the future I get a child who can kill
Kamsa—just as Kamsa is thinking—then both Devaki and the child will be
saved because the law of Providence is inconceivable. But now, some way
or other, let me save the life of Devaki.”’

There is no certainty how a living entity contacts a certain type of
body, just as there is no certainty how the blazing fire comes in contact
with a certain type of wood in the forest. When there is a forest fire, it is
experienced that the blazing fire sometimes leaps over one tree and catches
another by the influence of the wind. Similarly, aliving entity may be very
careful and fearful in the matter of executing his duties, but it is still very
difficult for him to know what type of body he is going to get in the next
life. Maharaja Bharata was very faithfully executing the duties of self-
realization, but by chance he contacted temporary affection for a deer,
and he had to accept his next life in the body of a deer.

Vasudeva, after deliberating on how to save his wife, began to speak to
Kamsa with great respect, although Karmsa was the most sinful man. Some-
times it happens that a most virtuous person like Vasudeva has to flatter a
person like Karhsa, a most vicious person. That is the way of all diplomatic
transactions. Although Vasudeva was deeply aggrieved, he presented him-
self outwardly as cheerful. He addressed the shameless Karnsa in that way
because he was so atrocious. Vasudeva said to Kamsa, “My dear brother-
in-law, please consider that you have no danger from your sister. You are
awaiting some danger because you have heard a prophetic voice in the sky.
But the danger is to come from the sons of your sister, who are not present
now. And who knows? There may or may not be sons in the future.
