KRSNA:God at Birth

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By V.Krishnaraj

One of the cruel haters of Krishna was Kamsa, his maternal uncle.

Infant Krishna escapes Kamsa's tyranny

Vasudeva crossing River Yamuna Credit: exoticindia.com

Batik Painting On Cotton

Krishna's birth takes place in Mathura ruled by Yadava clan. King Vasudeva and

Devaki are his parents. Vasudeva, the son of Surasena marries Devaki, daughter

of Devaka. Following the wedding, Kamsa, the brother of Devaki, as the custom

dictates, serves as the charioteer and takes Vasudeva and Devaki to their

palace by a chariot. The chariot leads a dowry procession of hundreds of

elephants, thousands of horses, many chariots, many attendants and girl friends

of Devaki, a melee of well wishers, a throng of musicians, and a medley of

musical sounds. Out of the clear blue sky comes a thundering voice addressing

Kamsa, "O fool of fools, you don't even know that the eighth child of your

sister will kill you." Upon hearing the prophetic voice from the sky, demonic

Kamsa turns his head around and grabs Devaki's hair. Vasudeva comes to

Devaki's rescue immediately and tells Kamsa, "O Brother-in-law, there is no

need to kill her now; no one

knows that she will bear sons. You are safe from your sister and I will give you

all the sons, if any are born in the future." Kamsa, knowing the honesty and

integrity of Vasudeva, drives them to their palace. In course of time Devaki

gives birth to eight male infants and one girl. Vasudeva, keeping his promise,

brings the first born son to Kamsa. Knowing that the first born is not going to

be his killer, he asks Vasudeva to take the child back. But Narada Muni informs

Kamsa that there is an imminent birth of gods in the family of Vasudeva and

Nanda and that he should not trust any one. Kamsa assuming that the gods must

have already been born in the Yadava families, puts his sister and Vasudeva in

jail. Devaki gives birth to sons, one every year; Kamsa kills them all

including the first son whom he let go earlier. He is afraid that any one of

them could be an incarnation of Vishnu. Narada gives Kamsa a history of his

past life. Kamsa comes to know that in his previous

birth he was demon Kalanemi, killed by Vishnu. He, thus becomes the enemy of

Yadu family and worries about Krishna killing him in this life. Kamsa usurps

the kingdoms of Yadu, Bhjoja and Andhaka dynasties and makes pact of friendship

with other demonic kings.

When Devaki is pregnant with her seventh child, it is Vyuha, emanation or

expansion of Krishna, Ananta or Sesa in her womb. Got to BG Chapter 12 Devotion

to learn more about Vyuhas. Devaki and Vasudeva worry about the fate of the 7th

child in the deathly hands of Kamsa. Krishna commands his Yogamaya to transfer

the embryo from Devaki's womb to that of Rohini (another wife of Vasudeva),

who is visiting Nanda and Yasoda. This transfer is performed by Yogamaya while

Devaki and Rohini are in Yoganidra (Yogic sleep). Krishna says that he is

personally going to appear in the womb of Devaki.

Yogamaya (Yoga maaya) the power of God in the creation of the world personified as deity.

Yoganidra. Vishnu's sleep personified as goddess and said to be a form of Durga.

Krishna also commands Yogamaya to enter the womb of Nanda and Yasoda in

Vrindavana as their daughter, who will be worshipped as Durga, Bhadrakali,

Vaishnavi, Narayani... Thus Krishna and Yogamaya appear as brother and sister

in different wombs. The power of the Lord is always female and the wielder of

power is male.

The transfer of the embryo is by extraction (Sankarshana) from Devaki and

implantation in Rohini. Because of extraction, the male child (7th) was called

Sankarshana, who is so strong both spiritually and physically that he is

called Balarama. Sankarshana = Balarama. This is the first and most likely the

last case of embryo transfer from one womb to another.

Krishna enters the womb of Devaki with his full power without the necessity

of vital fluid for impregnation. (Consider the immaculate conception of Mary.)

Kamsa sees the radiant beauty of his pregnant sister staying in jail cell. He

worries about his fate and ponders on the question of killing his sister before

she gives birth to his killer. He does not kill his pregnant sister because it

would bring shame on him. His mind is fully occupied by the image of the killer

baby, the incarnation of Vishnu. Devaki goes into labor and delivers a dark blue

baby with auspicious features. Vasudeva and Devaki see the newborn baby having

four hands with conch shell, discus, club and a lotus flower; wearing the

necklace of Kaustubha stone, a diadem with Vaidurya stone, earrings and

bracelets; and bearing the mark of Srivatsa on his chest. He looks like a dark

cloud with a profusion of hair on his head. The parents wonder

how a child could be born with weapons, other accouterments, and four hands.

When they realize they are in presence of Vishnu himself, they offer their

obeisance and prayers. Krishna the infant speaks to the parents and tells them

they were previously his parents twice.

1. The age of Swayambhuva Manu. Parents Sutapa and Prisni; son Prisnigarbha.

2. The next millennium. Parents Kasyapa and Aditi; son Upendra, a dwarf also known as Vamana.

3. The present birth. Parents Vasudeva and Devaki; son Krishna.

Baby Krishna (not preverbal like other infants) continues to talk:

I am born with an unusual presentation so that you will believe me as the God

who chose you as my parents. You are afraid of Kamsa. I ask you to take me out

of here, leave me with Yasoda and bring her newborn female infant back to the

prison cell, so that Kamsa will think that you gave birth to a girl. After he

gives directions, the Lord turns into an ordinary two-handed infant without the

weapons and some accouterments. Yasoda's baby girl is a manifestation of

Yogamaya of the Lord. The power of yogamaya puts all the prison guards to

sleep, opens all the chained doors, and lights up a path in the darkness. The

night is dark, the clouds are black, the thunder and lightening are

frightening, the rain is coming down in buckets; Ananta Sesa spreads his hood

and covers Vasudeva and the newborn Krishna. Vasudeva comes to the banks of

Yamuna in roaring floods; the waters part (recede to knee depth or waist-high)

and Vasudeva bearing Krishna crosses

it with ease.

(Consider this: When Moses and Hebrew slaves in flight (600,000 men besides

women and children), pursued by Egyptian soldiers, came across the impassable

Sea of Reeds, God made the waters part and laid out in front of them a dry

seabed passable; Moses and Hebrews escaped followed by the Egyptian soldiers

treading the path in the seabed. When the last Hebrew was out on dry land, the

sea closed on the soldiers and drowned them. The difference between God of

Moses and Krishna is that Krishna's Yogamaya put all the soldiers to sleep.

Moses was born in Egypt; at that time in history, all Hebrew newborns were put

to death at the command of pharaoh. The mother of Moses hid him for three

months and later put him in a bulrush basket and floated him in the Nile.

Pharaoh's daughter accidentally found the infant amidst the reeds, took pity on

him and raised him as her own and fortuitously, the mother of Moses was the

infant's maid. There is a similarity here in the conditions Krishna and Moses

faced under a cruel ruler; of course Krishna is God and Moses was a go-between

between God and Israel. Krishna spoke his words directly to Arjuna, as God to

Moses. Krishna was flesh and blood on earth, while the God of Moses was a

voice, a pillar of clouds and fire. When Pharaoh refused to "let my people go"

out of Egypt, God dispatched ten plagues and other miseries to Egypt, including

death of Egyptian first-borns; the irony is that the first-born of the Pharaoh

also

died; such was God's wrath.)

He enters into the kingdom of Nanda; all are asleep; under the power of

Yogamaya, he switches the infants and comes back to the prison. All things are

back to their usual mode upon his return and he puts the girl on the laps of

Devaki. He puts the clamps back on his wrist and feet and no one would ever

know what happened.

Kamsa receives information on the birth of the baby to Devaki. Bristling

with fear, anger and horripilation, he proceeds to the prison cell. His sister

Devaki prayerfully begs him to spare the life of the girl who means no harm to

him. He grabs the girl and swings her with an intent to smash her on a stone.

The girl slips from his hands, ascends to the sky sporting eight arms as the

younger sister of Vishnu. She looks beautiful and splendidly dressed, though

she carries fierce weapons in her hands: a sheaf of arrows, bow, bell, club,

conch, lance and shield. The girl is actually Durga; the deities pay their

homage. The girl addresses Kamsa, "You, Great Fool, tried to kill me. How could

you even think of it? Your killer is already born somewhere else. Don't harm

your sister." Kamsa relents, shows remorse and releases his sister and brother

in law and goes to his palace. The erstwhile inmates return to their palace.

Kamsa goes to his counselors and tells them all that happened. They advise him

to taunt , torture and harass the sages and Brahmanas to get even with Vishnu,

who is the self-appointed designated killer of Kamsa. Taunting and torturing of

Vishnu's devotees are equivalent to like treatment of Vishnu. Krishna grows up

in the household of Nanda and Yasoda.

Kamsa tries to kill Krishna so many times. Krishna kills all his enemies,

demons and Kamsa as a child.

16.20: Fallen into the demonic wombs birth after birth, the foolish never reach

me, O Kaunteya, and after that go to the lowest state.

 

"Demonic wombs" is a reference to animal wombs; the demonic men take birth in

animal wombs, live and eat like animals and die like animals. The cycle goes on

for innumerable births.

16.21: Three kinds of hell, the destructive gates (dvâram) of atma (Jeevatma)

are lust, anger, and greed, and therefore one must give up these three.

Naraka is hell. Dvâram: literal meaning is aperture. In this context, dvâram

means gates. Atma here refers to the individual soul or self. Hell has three

gates namely lust, anger, and greed, and the vilest among men enter the city of

Hell through those gates.

16.22: Released from these three gates of darkness, O Kaunteya, this person

does what is good for his soul and therefore goes to the Supreme state.

Tama-dvârah: gates of darkness (lust, anger, and greed).

Krishna states that those who overcome lust, anger, and greed will reach the

Supreme state, which is the feet of Krishna.

http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/bg16.htmDo

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