Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.8.23

yathā hṛṣīkeśa khalena devakī

kaḿsena ruddhāticiraḿ śucārpitā

vimocitāhaḿ ca sahātmajā vibho

tvayaiva nāthena muhur vipad-gaṇāt

SYNONYMS

yathā — as it were; hṛṣīkeśa — the master of the senses; khalena — by the envious; devakī — Devakī (the mother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa); kaḿsena — by King Kaḿsa; ruddhā — imprisoned; ati-ciram — for a long time; śuca-arpitā — distressed; vimocitā — released; aham ca — also myself; saha-ātma-jā — along with my children; vibho — O great one; tvayā eva — by Your Lordship; nāthena — as the protector; muhuḥ — constantly; vipat-gaṇāt — from a series of dangers.

TRANSLATION

O Hṛṣīkeśa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devakī, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaḿsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.

PURPORT

Devakī, the mother of Kṛṣṇa and sister of King Kaḿsa, was put into prison along with her husband, Vasudeva, because the envious King was afraid of being killed by Devakī's eighth son (Kṛṣṇa). He killed all the sons of Devakī who were born before Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa escaped the danger of child-slaughter because He was transferred to the house of Nanda Mahārāja, Lord Kṛṣṇa's foster father. Kuntīdevī, along with her children, was also saved from a series of dangers. But Kuntīdevī was shown far more favor because Lord Kṛṣṇa did not save the other children of Devakī, whereas He saved the children of Kuntīdevī. This was done because Devakī's husband, Vasudeva, was living, whereas Kuntīdevī was a widow, and there was none to help her except Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa endows more favor to a devotee who is in greater dangers. Sometimes He puts His pure devotees in such dangers because in that condition of helplessness the devotee becomes more attached to the Lord. The more the attachment is there for the Lord, the more success is there for the devotee.