devakī vasudevaś ca
vijñÄya jagad-Ä«Å›varau
ká¹›ta-saá¹vandanau putrau
sasvajÄte na Å›aá¹…kitau
devakÄ« - DevakÄ«; vasudevaḥ - Vasudeva; ca - and; vijñÄya - understanding; jagat-Ä«Å›varau - the two Lords of the universe; ká¹›ta-saá¹vandanau - having paid obeisances; putrau - the two sons Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma; sasvajÄte - embraced; na - not; Å›aá¹…kitau - being frightened.
“ ‘When DevakÄ« and Vasudeva understood that their two sons Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma, who had paid obeisances to them, were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they became fearful and did not embrace Them.’
This verse quoted from ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (10.44.51) describes what happened just after the killing of Kaá¹sa by Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma. Vasudeva and DevakÄ« saw their son kill the powerful demon Kaá¹sa, and after this they were immediately released from their shackles. BalarÄma and Kṛṣṇa then offered respects to DevakÄ« and Vasudeva. Both the father and the mother wanted to embrace their sons, but they understood that Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they therefore hesitated to embrace Them. Their parental love for Kṛṣṇa and BalarÄma was therefore hampered and decreased by awe and reverence.
