288 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4
tayabhihitam akarnya
kamsah parama-vismitah
devakim vasudevam ca
vimucya prasrito *bravit
taya—by the goddess Durgaé; abhihitam—the words spoken;
akarnya—by hearing; kamsah—Kamsa; parama-vismitah —was struck
with wonder; devakim—unto Devaki; vasudevam ca—and Vasudeva;
vimucya—releasing immediately; prasritah—with great humility;
abravit—spoke as follows.
TRANSLATION
After hearing the words of the goddess Durga, Karhsa was
struck with wonder. Thus he approached his sister Devaki and
brother-in-law Vasudeva, released them immediately from their
shackles, and very humbly spoke as follows.
PURPORT
Karnsa was astonished because the goddess Durga had become the
daughter of Devaki. Since Devaki was a human being, how could the
goddess Durga become her daughter? This was one cause of his astonish-
ment. Also, how is it that the eighth child of Devaki was a female? This
also astonished him. Asuras are generally devotees of mother Durga,
Sakti, or of demigods, especially Lord Siva. The appearance of Durga in
her original eight-armed feature, holding various weapons, immediately
changed Karhsa’s mind about Devaki’s being an ordinary human. Devaki
must have had some transcendental qualities; otherwise why would the
goddess Durga have taken birth from her womb? Under the circum-
stances, Karhsa, struck with wonder, wanted to compensate for his
atrocities against his sister Devaki.
TEXT 15
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