BRS 3.4.57

Devakī had to wipe His face because of His tears of joy at meeting Nanda and Yaśodā. Taking the occasion of the eclipse of the sun (mihira-graha), Kṛṣṇa became anxious (utsukatayā) to go there because Yaśodā and Nanda would also go there. Thus, the longing was not to go to Kurukṣetra for the eclipse, but to see them. Why did the prema of Nanda and Yaśodā increase to the extreme? The heightened prema in Nanda and Yaśodā appeared because of explanations from others about Kṛṣṇa which ran contrary to that prema. [Note: The definition of prema is that it does not reduce at all, even in trying circumstances.] Those contrary explanations simply caused their prema to increase. What were those contrary explanations? Before the killing of Kaṁsa, Nanda and Yaśodā had not heard the real truth about Kṛṣṇa. After the killing of Kaṁsa, however, this was revealed to them. The Yādavas said that they were the kinsmen and parents of Kṛṣṇa, explaining about the message from the sky given to Kaṁsa that the eighth child of Devakī would kill him (and thus He was removed from Mathurā and separated from His parents). asyās tvām aṣṭamo garbho hantā yāṁ vahase ’budha “You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman you are carrying will kill you!” SB 10.1.34 If they were to reveal that they had exchanged Yaśodā’s child for Kṛṣṇa, it would show some selfish injustice on their part. Therefore, they concealed that fact. According to Hari-vaṁśa, which explains about the exchange, they also had to conceal the fact that Nārada had secretly disclosed the facts to Kaṁsa. [Note: Nārada tells Kaṁsa the story of the exchange of children SB 10.36.] This was the extent of explanation about Kṛṣṇa that Nanda and Yaśodā had heard from the Yadus. They thus explained that Kaṁsa had been given warnings when driving Devakī after her wedding, and that Kaṁsa later heard Devī speak from the sky: kiṁ mayā hatayā manda jātaḥ khalu tavānta-kṛt yatra kva vā pūrva-śatrur mā hiṁsīḥ kṛpaṇān vṛthā O Kaṁsa, you fool, what will be the use of killing me? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has been your enemy from the very beginning and who will certainly kill you, has already taken His birth somewhere else. Therefore, do not unnecessarily kill other children. SB 10.4.12 Kaṁsa also understood the sin he was committing: daivam apy anṛtaṁ vakti na martyā eva kevalam yad-viśrambhād ahaṁ pāpaḥ svasur nihatavāṣ chiśūn Alas, not only human beings but sometimes even providence lies. And I am so sinful that I believed the omen of providence and killed so many of my sister’s children. SB 10.4.17 If there had been some alternative, Vasudeva, who had no intention to deceive and was acting as an unmotivated friend, would not have spoken to Nanda as follows (with deception) shortly after Kṛṣṇa arrived in Gokula: diṣṭyā bhrātaḥ pravayasa idānīm aprajasya te prajāśāyā nivṛttasya prajā yat samapadyata My dear brother Nanda Mahārāja, at an advanced age you had no son at all and were hopeless of having one. Therefore, that you now have a son is a sign of great fortune. SB 10.5.23 However, Garga had previously revealed as the real situation: prāgayaṁ vasudevasya kvacij jātas tavātmajaḥ vāsudeva iti śrīmān abhijṣāḥ sampracakṣate For many reasons, this beautiful son of Yours sometimes appeared previously as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are learned sometimes call this child Vāsudeva. SB 10.8.14 After the killing of Kaṁsa, this same knowledge was then revealed by the Yadus to Nanda and Yaśodā. So then, after the killing of Kaṁsa, and considering how to fulfill their past and present goals, the Yadus now spoke only of their own lineage with Kṛṣṇa. Well, let that be. However, if persons suitable for a certain child take that child as their own, and act as the parents of the child, they certainly experience the happiness of being the parents. What then to speak of Nanda and Yaśodā, who by their love for Kṛṣṇa, were actually non-different from Vasudeva and Devakī! [Note: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma pacify Nanda in Mathurā with such words in SB 10.45.22] Thinking about this, Kṛṣṇa himself (taking Nanda and Yaśodā as His real parents) had said: yāta yūyaṁ vrajaṁn tāta vayaṁ ca sneha-duḥkhitān jṣātīn vo draṣṭum eṣyāmo vidhāya suhṛdāṁ sukham Now you should all return to Vraja, dear Father. We shall come to see you, Our dear relatives who suffer in separation from Us, as soon as We have given some happiness to your well-wishing friends. SB 10.45.23 The meaning here is “We should do activities to give happiness to Vasudeva and your friends similar to the generous actions you performed in giving us happiness.” Kṛṣṇa then spoke His true feelings (indicating His real parents) to Uddhava in private. gacchoddhava vrajaṁ saumya pitror nau prītim āvaha gopīnāṁ mad-viyogādhiṁ mat-sandeśair vimocaya Dear gentle Uddhava, go to Vraja and give pleasure to Our parents. And also, relieve the gopīs, suffering in separation from Me, by giving them My message. SB 10.46.3 At Kurukṣetra, Devakī said to Yaśodā: etāv adṛṣṭa-pitarau yuvayoḥ sma pitroḥ samprīṇanābhyudaya-poṣaṇa-pālanāni prāpyoṣatur bhavati pakṣma ha yadvad akṣṇor nyastāv akutra ca bhayau na satāṁ paraḥ svaḥ Before these two boys had ever seen Their real parents, you acted as Their parents and gave Them all affectionate care, training, nourishment and protection. They were never afraid, good lady, because you protected Them just as eyelids protect the eyes. Indeed, saintly persons like you never discriminate between outsiders and their own kin. SB 10.82.38 But though Devakī said this, it should be understood that Yaśodā did not pay any attention to this statement, because of her feelings for her son whom she was meeting after such a long time. This is indicated by the fact that, after Devakī made that statement, Yaśodā did not give any reply. (Thus the whole disclosure only made Nanda and Yaśodā’s love for Kṛṣṇa stronger.)