Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
evaá¹ durmantribhiḥ kaá¹saḥ
saha sammantrya durmatiḥ
brahma-hiá¹sÄá¹ hitaá¹ mene
kÄla-pÄÅ›Ävá¹›to 'suraḥ
Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; evam - in this way; durmantribhiḥ - his bad ministers; kaá¹saḥ - King Kaá¹sa; saha - along with; sammantrya - after considering very elaborately; durmatiḥ - without good intelligence; brahma-hiá¹sÄm - persecution of the brÄhmaṇas; hitam - as the best way; mene - accepted; kÄla-pÄÅ›a-Ävá¹›taḥ - being bound by the rules and regulations of YamarÄja; asuraḥ - because he was a demon.
Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« continued: Thus, having considered the instructions of his bad ministers, Kaá¹sa, who was bound by the laws of YamarÄja and devoid of good intelligence because he was a demon, decided to persecute the saintly persons, the brÄhmaṇas, as the only way to achieve his own good fortune.
ÅšrÄ«la Locana dÄsa ṬhÄkura has sung, Äpana karama, bhuñjÄye Å›amana, kahaye locana dÄsa. Instead of taking good instructions from the sages and the Å›Ästras, godless nondevotees act whimsically, according to their own plans. Actually, however, no one has his own plans because everyone is bound by the laws of nature and must act according to his tendency in material, conditional life. Therefore one must change one’s own decision and follow the decision of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Then one is rescued from punishment by YamarÄja. Kaá¹sa was not uneducated. It appears from his talks with Vasudeva and DevakÄ« that he knew all about the laws of nature. But because of his association with bad ministers, he could not make a clear decision about his welfare. Therefore the Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Madhya 22.54) says:
‘sÄdhu-saá¹…ga,’ ‘sÄdhu-saá¹…ga’ — sarva-Å›Ästre kaya
lava-mÄtra sÄdhu-saá¹…ge sarva-siddhi haya
If one desires his real welfare, he must associate with devotees and saintly persons and in this way rectify the material condition of his life.
