Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.1.37

śrī-vasudeva uvāca

ślāghanīya-guṇaḥ śūrair

bhavān bhoja-yaśaskaraḥ

sa kathaḿ bhaginīḿ hanyāt

striyam udvāha-parvaṇi

SYNONYMS

śrī-vasudevaḥ uvāca — the great personality Vasudeva said; ślāghanīya-guṇaḥ — a person who possesses praiseworthy qualities; śūraiḥ — by great heroes; bhavān — your good self; bhoja-yaśaḥ-karaḥ — a brilliant star in the Bhoja dynasty; saḥ — one such as your good self; katham — how; bhaginīm — your sister; hanyāt — can kill; striyam — especially a woman; udvāha-parvaṇi — at the time of the marriage ceremony.

TRANSLATION

Vasudeva said: My dear brother-in-law Kaḿsa, you are the pride of your family, the Bhoja dynasty, and great heroes praise your qualities. How could such a qualified person as you kill a woman, your own sister, especially on the occasion of her marriage?

PURPORT

According to Vedic principles, a brāhmaṇa, an old man, a woman, a child or a cow cannot be killed under any circumstances. Vasudeva stressed that Devakī was not only a woman but a member of Kaḿsa s family. Because she was now married to Vasudeva, she was para-strī, another man's wife, and if such a woman were killed, not only would Kaḿsa be implicated in sinful activities, but his reputation as king of the Bhoja dynasty would be damaged. Thus Vasudeva tried in many ways to convince Kaḿsa in order to stop him from killing Devakī.

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