# SB 10.4.14 ## Text > tayābhihitam ākarṇya > kaṁsaḥ parama-vismitaḥ > devakīṁ vasudevaṁ ca > vimucya praśrito 'bravīt ## Synonyms *tayā*—by the goddess Durgā; *abhihitam*—the words spoken; *ākarṇya*—by hearing; *kaṁsaḥ*—Kaṁsa; *parama*-*vismitaḥ*—was struck with wonder; *devakīm*—unto Devakī; *vasudevam* *ca*—and Vasudeva; *vimucya*—releasing immediately; *praśritaḥ*—with great humility; *abravīt*—spoke as follows. ## Translation **After hearing the words of the goddess Durgā, Kaṁsa was struck with wonder. Thus he approached his sister Devakī and brother-in-law Vasudeva, released them immediately from their shackles, and very humbly spoke as follows.** ## Purport Kaṁsa was astonished because the goddess Durgā had become the daughter of Devakī. Since Devakī was a human being, how could the goddess Durgā become her daughter? This was one cause of his astonishment. Also, how is it that the eighth child of Devakī was a female? This also astonished him. *Asuras* are generally devotees of mother Durgā, Śakti, or of demigods, especially Lord Śiva. The appearance of Durgā in her original eight-armed feature, holding various weapons, immediately changed Kaṁsa's mind about Devakī's being an ordinary human. Devakī must have had some transcendental qualities; otherwise why would the goddess Durgā have taken birth from her womb? Under the circumstances, Kaṁsa, struck with wonder, wanted to compensate for his atrocities against his sister Devakī.