Reading Notes: The Birth of Krishna

-Kansa was the king of Mathura and was also a tyrant
-Though he was an evil man he did love his sister, Devaki and one of his nobles/friend, Vasudeva
-Kansa arranged a marriage of the two
-After the marriage as he was driving the couple Kansa was told that the couple's 8th child would slay him
-Quickly he turned back around and took them back to Mathura
-At Mathura he imprisoned the couple and killed every child that they had
-They had 7 children
-The night that the 8th child was to come the Jumna river rose and flooded
-The couple knew and were fearful that when their 8th child Krishna was born he would be taken and killed the next day by Kansa
-At midnight Krishna was born
-As Devaki held Krishna she noticed a light in the dungeon as well as 4 arms coming from Krishna
-In one arm he held a battle trumpet, in another he held his sudarshana chakra, in another he held kaumodakim, and in another he held a lotus with a stem
-These were all the signs of Vishnu so the began to say the salutations of Narayana
-After they completed the salutations Krishna once again appeared to them as their own child, one of flesh
-They heard voices, they were told to take him to Nanda's house to exchange the baby that was just born there
-Doing as they were told Vasudeva went to the prison gate with Krishna and the gate opened
-The guards who watched the dungeon were asleep so he made his way out
-He followed a jackal to the river, there jackal showed him where to cross the raging river
-The jackal is said to be Durga who is queen of heaven and mother of the universe
-Vadudeva arrived Gokool village where Nanda lived and entered a house where he saw the newborn he was supposed to switch with his own
-The next day the whole village rejoiced when they released that the girl they had found was actually a boy
-The day of celebration is still known as Nanda's Feast and before there is always rain
-The next day Kansa went down to the dungeon to find the boy was actually a girl
-Kansa grabbed the baby by the foot but she slipped and arose as a goddess instead
-She told him that the one who would kill him was actually safe and in Gokool
-Kansa then plotted to kill Krishna before he could kill him

  

                             Vasudeva crossing Jumna with baby Krishna: Wikimedia


Source: Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita (1907)