Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb 13
that Krsna has come to execute the mission of the demigods. And even if
I immediately kill Devaki, His mission cannot be frustrated.” Kamsa knew
very well that no one can frustrate the purpose of Visnu. Any intelligent
man can understand that the laws of God cannot be violated. His purpose
will be served in spite of all impediments offered by the demons. Kamsa
thought: “If I kill Devaki at the present moment, Visnu will enforce His
supreme will more vehemently. To kill Devaki just now would be a most
abominable act. No one desires to kill his reputation, even in an awkward
situation; if I kill Devaki now, my reputation will be spoiled. Devaki is a
woman, and@ she is under my shelter; she is pregnant, and if I kill her,
immediately all my reputation, the result of pious activities and duration
of life, will be finished.”

He also further deliberated: “A person who is too cruel, even in this
lifetime is as good as dead. No one likes a cruel person during his lifetime,
and after his death, people curse him. On account of his self-identification
with the body, he must be degraded and pushed into the darkest region of
hell.” Kammsa thus meditated on all the pros and cons of killing Devaki at
that time.

Kamsa finally decided not to kill Devaki right away but to wait for the
inevitable future. But his mind became absorbed in animosity against the
Personality of Godhead. He patiently waited for the deliverance of the
child, expecting to kill Him, as he had done previously with the other
babies of Devaki. Thus being merged in the ocean of animosity against the
Personality of Godhead, he began to think of Krsna and Visnu while
sitting, while sleeping, while walking, while eating, while working—in all
the situations of his life. His mind became so much absorbed with the
thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that indirectly he could
see only Krsna or Visnu around him. Unfortunately, although his mind
was so absorbed in the thought of Visnu, he is not recognized as a devotee
because he was thinking of Krsna as an enemy. The state of mind of a great
devotee is also to be always absorbed in Krsna, but a devotee thinks of
Him favorably, not unfavorably. To think of Krsna favorably is Krsna
consciousness, but to think of Krsna unfavorably is not Krsna conscious-
ness.

At this time Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, accompanied by great sages
like Narada and followed by many other demigods, invisibly appeared in
the house of Kamsa. They began to pray for the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in select prayers which are very pleasing to the devotees and
which award fulfillment of their desires. The first words they spoke
acclaimed that the Lord is true to His vow. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita,
