SB 10.36.19 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.36.19

निवारितो नारदेन तत्सुतौ मृत्युमात्मन: । ज्ञात्वा लोहमयै: पाशैर्बबन्ध सह भार्यया ॥ १९ ॥

nivārito nāradena

[nivaarito naaradena]

tat-sutau mṛtyum ātmanaḥ

[tat-sutau mrityum aatmanah]

jñātvā loha-mayaiḥ pāśair

[jnaatvaa loha-mayaih paashair]

babandha saha bhāryayā

[babandha saha bhaaryayaa]

Word-for-word

nivāritaḥ — checked nāradena — by Nārada tat - sutau — his two sons mṛtyum — death ātmanaḥ — his own jñātvā — understanding loha - mayaiḥ — made of iron pāśaiḥ — with shackles babandha — he bound up (Vasudeva) saha — together with bhāryayā — his wife .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

nivārito nāradena

nivāritaḥ

checked

nāradena

by Nārada

tat-sutau mṛtyum ātmanaḥ

tat - sutau

his two sons

mṛtyum

death

ātmanaḥ

his own

jñātvā loha-mayaiḥ pāśair

jñātvā

understanding

loha - mayaiḥ

made of iron

pāśaiḥ

with shackles

babandha saha bhāryayā

babandha

he bound up (Vasudeva)

saha

together with

bhāryayā

his wife .

Important Words

nivāritaḥ — restrained, checked
Past participle of ni + √vṛ — to ward off. Nārada plays the protective hand. The same sage who lit demonic fires has lit only the right ones — Vasudeva's life is spared so the narrative can deliver Kṛṣṇa to Mathurā with both parents present.
mṛtyum — (as his) death
Mṛtyu — death personified. Nārada uses the exact word Kaṁsa has heard before, in the celestial prophecy of SB 10.1.34. Reminding him of the prophecy is what stops the sword.
loha - mayaiḥ — made of iron
Loha (iron) + maya (composed of). Kaṁsa returns Vasudeva and Devakī to the dungeon they had been released from. The chains are not symbolic; the Bhāgavatam wants the reader to feel the parents' pain through this re-imprisonment.
pāśaiḥ — with chains
Pāśa — fetter, noose, also the bond of the soul. The same word for Varuṇa's noose and for the bondage of saṁsāra. Vasudeva and Devakī's literal bondage is a figure for the soul's, until Bhagavān comes to break it.

But Nārada restrained Kaṁsa by reminding him that it was the two sons of Vasudeva who would cause his death. Kaṁsa then had Vasudeva and his wife shackled in iron chains.

Purport

Kaṁsa realized that there was no use in killing Vasudeva, since it was Vasudeva’s sons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who were to kill him. According to the ācāryas, Nārada also advised Kaṁsa that if he killed Vasudeva the two young boys might flee and that it was therefore better not to kill him. Rather, Nārada recommended, Kaṁsa should bring Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Kaṁsa’s capital city, Mathurā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that Nārada did not act inimically toward the great devotees Vasudeva and Devakī when he revealed this information to Kaṁsa. In fact, as explained in the Eleventh Canto, Vasudeva was grateful to Nārada because he was arranging for Kaṁsa’s death at Kṛṣṇa’s hands, and further arranging for Kṛṣṇa to come and live in Mathurā, where His loving father could associate with Him.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

But Nārada restrained Kaṁsa by reminding him that it was the two sons of Vasudeva who would cause his death. Kaṁsa then had Vasudeva and his wife shackled in iron chains.

Commentary

Narada prevented Kamsa from killing Vasudeva by giving the following advice. "If you kill Vasudeva, Krsna and Balarama will flee in terror. Do not reveal to Vasudeva that you want to kill Krsna and Balarama. If you tell him, he will tell his friend Nanda, who will flee with his sons. Therefore on some pretext imprison Vasudeva and Devaki, and bring Krsna and Balarama to Mathura." One should not think that in saying this, Narada was being unkind to Devaki and Vasudeva. Rather, this was a sign of affection. After Krsna and Balarama arrived in Mathura, on seeing their children they gave thanks to Narada. Thus there was no fault in Narada’s suggesting that they be imprisoned.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

“If you kill his father you should expect that he will go into hiding somewhere.” Nārada advised him that, by binding Devakī and Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma would come to Mathurā immediately to free them. He also bound Devakī in order to hasten Kṛṣṇa coming, or out of his evil nature.

Related values & verses

Related values

Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)

Personal Guidance

Nārada restrains Kaṁsa by reminding him only Vasudeva's sons will kill him; Kaṁsa then chains Vasudeva and Devakī. Even partial wisdom in the wicked produces only partial restraint — they still imprison those they cannot quite kill.

Reflection Questions

Where do you settle for 'imprisoning' a habit when Kṛṣṇa is offering to kill it?
What chains are you maintaining out of incomplete repentance?

Analogy

Nārada's hand on Kaṁsa's wrist is gentler than a guru's hand on a student's — and it works for the same reason: the truth Kaṁsa already half-knows surfaces just in time. The sword is sheathed, but the parents are chained, and the wheel turns one notch closer to Mathurā.

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Source: vedabase.io