prāg akalpāc ca kuśalaṁ
bhrātar vo nācarāma hi
adhunā śrī-madāndhākṣā
na paśyāmaḥ puraḥ sataḥ
prāk - previously; akalpāt - because of incapacity; ca - and; kuśalam - welfare; bhrātaḥ - O brother; vaḥ - your; na ācarāma - we did not carry out; hi - indeed; adhunā - now; śrī - with opulence; mada - due to the intoxication; andha - blinded; akṣāḥ - whose eyes; na paśyāmaḥ - we fail to see; puraḥ - in front; sataḥ - present.
While living under the tyranny of Kaṁsa, Vasudeva was unable to do anything to help Nanda and his subjects defend themselves against the many demons sent from Mathurā to kill Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.