84 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1

TEXT 53
wal | aaa = eafacaadtg 431

prasanna-vadanambhojo
nrsamsam nirapatrapam

manasé diiyamdnena
vihasann idam abravit

prasanna-vadana-ambhojah—Vasudeva, who externally presented
himself as if very happy; nrsamsam—unto the most cruel; nirapa-
trapam—shameless Karnsa; manasd—with the mind; diyamdnena—
which was full of anxiety and sorrow; vihasan—smiling externally;
idam abravit—and spoke as follows.

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva’s mind was full of anxiety because his wife was facing
danger, but in order to please the cruel, shameless and sinful
Karnsa, he externally smiled and spoke to him as follows.

PURPORT

Sometimes one must act duplicitously in a dangerous position, as
Vasudeva did to save his wife. The material world is complicated, and to
execute one’s duties, one cannot avoid adopting such diplomacy.
Vasudeva did everything possible to save his wife for the sake of beget-
ting Krsna. This indicates that one may act duplicitously for the purpose
of saving Krsna and His interests. According to the arrangement already
foretold, Krsna was to appear through Vasudeva and Devaki to kill
Karnsa. Vasudeva, therefore, had to do everything to save the situation.
Although all the events were prearranged by Krsna, a devotee must try
his best to serve the purpose of Krsna. Krsna Himself is all-powerful, but
it is not that a devotee should therefore sit idly and leave everything to
Him. This instruction is also found in Bhagavad-gitd. Although Krsna

was doing everything for Arjuna, Arjuna never sat down idly as a non-
