किमद्य तस्मिन् करणीयमाशु मेयदर्थतन्त्रो न विहन्ति विक्रमम् । स्त्रिया: स्वसुर्गुरुमत्या वधोऽयंयश: श्रियं हन्त्यनुकालमायु: ॥ २१ ॥
kim adya tasmin karaṇīyam āśu me yad artha-tantro na vihanti vikramam striyāḥ svasur gurumatyā vadho ’yaṁ yaśaḥ śriyaṁ hanty anukālam āyuḥ
- kim
- what
- adya
- now, immediately
- tasmin
- in this situation
- karaṇīyam
- is to be done
- āśu
- without delay
- me
- my duty
- yat
- because
- artha-tantraḥ
- the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always determined to protect the sādhus and kill the asādhus
- na
- does not
- vihanti
- give up
- vikramam
- His prowess
- striyāḥ
- of a woman
- svasuḥ
- of my sister
- guru-matyāḥ
- especially when she is pregnant
- vadhaḥ ayam
- the killing
- yaśaḥ
- fame
- śriyam
- opulence
- hanti
- will vanquish
- anukālam
- forever
- āyuḥ
- and the duration of life
Kaṁsa thought: What is my duty now? The Supreme Lord, who knows His purpose 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.