Text 197
devakī vasudevaś ca
vijñāya jagad-īśvarau
kṛta-saṁvandanau putrau
sasvajāte na śaṅkitau
devakī — Devakī; vasudevaḥ — Vasudeva; ca — and; vijñāya — understanding; jagat-īśvarau — the two Lords of the universe; kṛta-saṁvandanau — having paid obeisances; putrau — the two sons Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; sasvajāte — embraced; na — not; śaṅkitau — being frightened.
“ ‘When Devakī and Vasudeva understood that their two sons Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who had paid obeisances to them, were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they became fearful and did not embrace Them.’
This verse quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.44.51) describes what happened just after the killing of Kaṁsa by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Vasudeva and Devakī saw their son kill the powerful demon Kaṁsa, and after this they were immediately released from their shackles. Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa then offered respects to Devakī and Vasudeva. Both the father and the mother wanted to embrace their sons, but they understood that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they therefore hesitated to embrace Them. Their parental love for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma was therefore hampered and decreased by awe and reverence.