यथा हृषीकेश खलेन देवकी कंसेन रुद्धातिचिरं शुचार्पिता विमोचिताहं च सहात्मजा विभो त्वयैव नाथेन मुहुर्विपद्गणात्
yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī kaṁsena ruddhāticiraṁ śucārpitā vimocitāhaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipadgaṇāt
Synonyms
yathā—as it were; hṛṣīkeśa—the master of the senses; khalena—by the envious; devakī—Devakī (the mother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa); kaṁsena—by King Kaṁsa; ruddhā—imprisoned; aticiram—for a long time; śucārpitā—distressed; vimocitā—released; aham ca—also myself; sahātmajā—along with my children; vibho—O great one; tvayā eva—by Your Lordship; nāthena—as the protector; muhuḥ—constantly; vipadgaṇāt—series of dangers..
Translation
O Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaṁsa, and myself and my children from a series of constant dangers.
Purport
Devakī, the mother of Kṛṣṇa and sister of King Kaṁsa, was put into prison along with her husband Vasudeva because the envious King was afraid of being killed by the eighth son (Kṛṣṇa) of Devakī. He therefore killed all the sons of Devakī who were born before Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa escaped the danger of child-slaughter because He was transferred to the house of Nanda Mahārāja, Lord Kṛṣṇa's foster father. Kuntīdevī was also saved from a series of dangers along with her children. But Kuntīdevī was shown more favor because Lord Kṛṣṇa did not save the other children of Devakī, whereas He saved the children of Kuntīdevī. This was done because Devakī's husband, Vasudeva, was living, but Kuntīdevī was a widow, and there was none to help her except Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa endows more favor to a devotee who is in greater dangers. Sometimes He puts His pure devotees in such dangers because in that condition of helplessness the devotee becomes more attached to the Lord. The more the attachment is there for the Lord, the more success is there for the devotee.