The Words of Kaṁsa - Tyranny, Philosophy, and Fear

This article presents a thematic survey of Kaṁsa's tyrannical rule, his hypocritical philosophy, and his desperate plots to kill Lord Kṛṣṇa. It organizes the verses found in the Vanisource category Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by Kaṁsa.

Kaṁsa is the personification of fear of God. Throughout the Tenth Canto, he is obsessed with Kṛṣṇa, constantly thinking of Him in a mood of enmity (pratikūla-bhāva). His speeches provide a chilling insight into the mind of an asura: someone who knows the supremacy of the Lord and the laws of karma, yet defies them to maintain his own flickering power. His interaction with Vasudeva and Devakī shows a rare moment of regret, but his subsequent plotting with Akrūra confirms his demoniac nature.

The Initial Threat and Reprieve

When the omen announces that Devakī's eighth son will kill him, Kaṁsa prepares to kill her. Vasudeva intervenes with diplomacy, and momentarily, Kaṁsa relents, showing a spark of trust in Vasudeva's word.

Spared for Now

Kaṁsa returns the firstborn son to Vasudeva, confident that the danger lies only with the eighth child.

  • "O Vasudeva, you may take back your child and go home. I have no fear of your first child. It is the eighth child of you and Devakī I am concerned with because that is the child by whom I am destined to be killed."

Fear of the Unborn Lord

As Devakī carries the eighth child, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, her effulgence illuminates the prison. Kaṁsa recognizes the presence of Viṣṇu and debates within himself whether to kill her immediately.

The Dilemma

Kaṁsa calculates that killing a pregnant woman, especially his own sister, would destroy his reputation and shorten his life. This rational deliberation saves Devakī.

  • "Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was within her womb, Devakī illuminated the entire atmosphere in the place where she was confined. Seeing her jubilant, pure and smiling, Kaṁsa thought, 'The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who is now within her, will kill me. Devakī has never before looked so brilliant and jubilant.'"
  • "Kaṁsa thought: What is my duty now? The Supreme Lord, who knows His purpose (paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8)), will not give up His prowess. Devakī is a woman, she is my sister, and moreover she is now pregnant. If I kill her, my reputation, opulence and duration of life will certainly be vanquished."
  • "A person who is very cruel is regarded as dead even while living, for while he is living or after his death, everyone condemns him. And after the death of a person in the bodily concept of life, he is undoubtedly transferred to the hell known as Andhatama."
  • "Kaṁsa immediately got up from bed, thinking, 'Here is Kāla, the supreme time factor, which has taken birth to kill me!' Thus overwhelmed, Kaṁsa, his hair scattered on his head, at once approached the place where the child had been born."

The Moment of Regret (Philosophical Hypocrisy)

After the Goddess Durgā (Yoga-māyā) warns Kaṁsa that his killer is already born elsewhere, Kaṁsa experiences a moment of profound regret. He releases Vasudeva and Devakī and speaks philosophy to console them for the children he murdered.

Confession of Sin

Kaṁsa admits his atrocities, comparing himself to a Rākṣasa and a killer of brāhmaṇas.

  • "Alas, my sister! Alas, my brother-in-law! I am indeed so sinful that exactly like a man-eater (Rākṣasa) who eats his own child, I have killed so many sons born of you."
  • "Being merciless and cruel, I have forsaken all my relatives and friends. Therefore, like a person who has killed a brāhmaṇa, I do not know to which planet I shall go, either after death or while breathing."
  • "Alas, not only human beings but sometimes even providence lies. And I am so sinful that I believed the omen of providence and killed so many of my sister's children."

Philosophy of the Soul

Surprisingly, Kaṁsa preaches about the distinction between the body and the soul to comfort the grieving parents. He argues that the soul is eternal and that separation is due to destiny.

  • "O great souls, your children have suffered their own misfortune. Therefore, please do not lament for them. All living entities are under the control of the Supreme, and they cannot always live together."
  • "In this world, we can see that pots, dolls and other products of the earth appear, break and then disappear, mixing with the earth. Similarly, the bodies of all conditioned living entities are annihilated, but the living entities, like the earth itself, are unchanging and never annihilated (na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20))."
  • "One who does not understand the constitutional position of the body and the soul (ātmā) becomes too attached to the bodily concept of life. Consequently, because of attachment to the body and its by-products, he feels affected by union with and separation from his family, society and nation. As long as this continues, one continues his material life. (Otherwise, one is liberated.)"
  • "My dear sister Devakī, all good fortune unto you. Everyone suffers and enjoys the results of his own work under the control of providence. Therefore, although your sons have unfortunately been killed by me, please do not lament for them."

The Bodily Concept

Kaṁsa explains that suffering arises from the false ego and the misconception of "I am the killer" or "I am killed."

  • "In the bodily conception of life, one remains in darkness, without self-realization, thinking, 'I am being killed' or 'I have killed my enemies.' As long as a foolish person thus considers the self to be the killer of the killed, he continues to be responsible for material obligations, and consequently he suffers the reactions of happiness and distress."

Begging Forgiveness

Kaṁsa falls at their feet, begging for mercy.

  • "Kaṁsa begged, 'My dear sister and brother-in-law, please be merciful to such a poor-hearted person as me, since both of you are saintly persons. Please excuse my atrocities.' Having said this, Kaṁsa fell at the feet of Vasudeva and Devakī, his eyes full of tears of regret."

The Plot to Kill Kṛṣṇa

Kaṁsa's repentance is short-lived. Upon hearing from Nārada Muni that Kṛṣṇa is living in Vraja, he returns to his demoniac nature. He organizes a systematic plan to eliminate the boys.

Dispatching Demons

Kaṁsa sends demons like Keśī and Ariṣṭāsura to Vraja.

  • "My dear King, clouds hovered about sharp-horned Ariṣṭāsura's hump, mistaking it for a mountain, and when the cowherd men and ladies caught sight of the demon, they were struck with terror. Indeed, the strident reverberation of his roar so frightened the pregnant cows and women that they lost their fetuses in miscarriages."
  • "After Nārada left, King Kaṁsa summoned Keśī and ordered him, 'Go kill Rāma and Kṛṣṇa.'"

Organizing the Wrestling Match

Kaṁsa plans a "bow sacrifice" and a wrestling match as a trap to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in Mathurā.

  • "My dear heroic Cāṇūra and Muṣṭika, please hear this. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, the sons of Ānakadundubhi (Vasudeva), are living in Nanda's cowherd village. It has been predicted that these two boys will be the cause of my death. When They are brought here, kill Them on the pretext of engaging Them in a wrestling match."
  • "Erect a wrestling ring with many surrounding viewing stands, and bring all the residents of the city and the outlying districts to see the open competition."
  • "You, elephant-keeper, my good man, should position the elephant Kuvalayāpīḍa at the entrance to the wrestling arena and have him kill my two enemies."
  • "Commence the bow sacrifice on the Caturdaśī day in accordance with the relevant Vedic injunctions. In ritual slaughter offer the appropriate kinds of animals to the magnanimous Lord Śiva."

Instructions to Akrūra

Kaṁsa summons Akrūra, the most charitable of the Yadus, to fetch Kṛṣṇa. He reveals his full plan: first kill the boys, then kill Vasudeva, Ugrasena, and all his enemies.

The Friendly Request

Kaṁsa flatters Akrūra, comparing his dependence on him to Indra's dependence on Viṣṇu.

  • "My dear Akrūra, most charitable one, please do me a friendly favor out of respect. Among the Bhojas and Vṛṣṇis, there is no one else as kind to us as you."
  • "Gentle Akrūra, you always carry out your duties soberly, and therefore I am depending on you, just as powerful Indra took shelter of Lord Viṣṇu to achieve his goals."
  • "Please go to Nanda's village, where the two sons of Ānakadundubhi are living, and without delay bring Them here on this chariot."

The Death Sentence

Kaṁsa bluntly states his intention to kill the boys using his elephant and wrestlers.

  • "The demigods, who are under the protection of Viṣṇu, have sent these two boys as my death. Bring Them here, and also have Nanda and the other cowherd men come with gifts of tribute."
  • "After you bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, I will have Them killed by my elephant, who is as powerful as death itself. And if by chance They escape from him, I will have Them killed by my wrestlers, who are as strong as lightning."

The Purge of Enemies

Kaṁsa outlines his plan to consolidate power by killing all opposition, including his own father.

  • "When these two have been killed, I will kill Vasudeva and all Their lamenting relatives—the Vṛṣṇis, Bhojas and Daśārhas."
  • "I will also kill my old father, Ugrasena, who is greedy for my kingdom, and I will kill his brother Devaka and all my other enemies as well."
  • "Then, my friend, this earth will be free of thorns."

Demoniac Alliances

Kaṁsa lists his powerful allies who will help him rule the earth.

  • "My elder relative Jarāsandha and my dear friend Dvivida are solid well-wishers of mine, as are Śambara, Naraka and Bāṇa. I will use them all to kill off those kings who are allied with the demigods, and then I will rule the earth."
  • "Now that you understand my intentions, please go at once and bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to watch the bow sacrifice and see the opulence of the Yadus' capital."

The Final Order (Death)

In the wrestling arena, after Kṛṣṇa kills the wrestlers, Kaṁsa loses all composure. Seeing his plans fail, he orders the immediate execution/banishment of the Yadus, which precipitates his own death at Kṛṣṇa's hands.

  • "(Kaṁsa said:) Drive the two wicked sons of Vasudeva out of the city! Confiscate the cowherds' property and arrest that fool Nanda!"
  • "Kill that most evil fool Vasudeva! And also kill my father, Ugrasena, along with his followers, who have all sided with our enemies!"

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

This article is a thematic compilation of the teachings presented in the Vaniquotes category Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by Kamsa. We invite you to visit the link to read the complete collection of verses presented in alphabetical order.

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