In the previous episode, we had witnessed the significance and roles that Goddess “Yoga-Maya” played in the incarnation of Bhagawan Krishna and Bhagawan Balarama. As we had witnessed, Goddess Yoga-Maya was going to play an instrumental role in shifting Balarama from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini (Vasudeva’s another wife) who resided in Gokula at that time. With this, Goddess Yoga-Maya saved Balarama from the wrath of Kamsa (Balarama was officially the seventh son of Devaki-Vasudeva) and created an illusion that Devaki’s womb had some problems and hence the child died in the womb itself before being born. At the same time, she is also going to play a role in Bhagawan Krishna’s incarnation too – She herself is going to take birth as a girl child to Yashoda and Nandagopa at Gokula, and is going to play an instrumental role in deceiving Kamsa by maring the actual truth behind Bhagawan Krishna’s birth. Thus, the plans are all in place and all of them were waiting for the apt time to unleash their plans on Kamsa.
Thus, as time progressed, Devaki and Vasudeva started having one child after the other. Six such children were born, only for Kamsa to kill all of them mercilessly. There was an instruction from Kamsa to Vasudeva – To bring each new born baby immediately after it takes birth and Kamsa would destroy the new borns then and there in front of Vasudeva’s eyes! How treacherous can this be to a father to see the killing of his own babies right in front of him? Such were the trials and tribulations that Devaki and Vasudeva had to undergo, before obtaining Bhagawan Krishna as their son. Of course, Bhagawan would make us toil hard before giving us something great in hand as a gift, isn’t it? He would ensure that we undergo so much pain in our life if we’re ardent devotees! We’ve seen this in many people – Something that keeps happening even today. We might see some of our known people around, who might be ardent devotees, but would have to undergo so much trials and tribulations in their lives. We might immediately ask – Why is Bhagawan doing this? Doesn’t He have the compassion towards His devotees? Why should Bhagawan let devotees suffer before granting them “Moksha”? There are multiple ways of looking at this and we shall witness answers for this when the apt time comes.
For now, let us continue with the series of events that conspired at Mathura City. As the children take birth one after the other, Vasudeva takes each of them to Kamsa immediately after they’re born. All the six consecutive babies were dashed upon a stone by Kamsa and were killed on the spot. Amidst all what was happening, there was a small sub-event that conspired here. When Vasudeva was bringing the first child to Kamsa, he was having a small thought process running in his mind whether Kamsa would still spare this first child. He tries to negotiate with Kamsa thus, “Oh Kamsa! As per your instruction, I’ve brought this first child of ours to you. However, think for a moment – It is only the eighth child that is going to create problems for you, isn’t it? Then why kill the first child itself? Don’t you know that killing a newborn baby is a sin and one of the greatest crimes in this world? Hence, please leave this child and when the eighth child is born, I’ll volunteer to bring it to you for killing!”
Saying thus, Vasudeva was in tears and he literally begged Kamsa to leave the child alone. Seeing Vasudeva’s state of mind, Kamsa thought for a moment and he had a feeling that Vasudeva was right in his argument. It was only the eighth child that is going to be problematic, and why kill the first child itself? Hence, he gave back the first child in Vasudeva’s hands with a smile of acknowledgment. Vasudeva felt relieved that Kamsa had spared their first child somehow and thus, started walking back to the prison.
Now here is where the twist in the story lies 🙂 Sage Narada hurries into Kamsa’s palace from nowhere! He has been seeing all this from the sky as he was roaming around. Normally it is believed that Sage Narada would come and create some sort of a confusion in everyone, but that confusion would end up in some good thing. Similarly here too, Sage Narada sought to create confusion in Kamsa’s mind! As Kamsa was coming back thoughtfully, Sage Narada intercepted him in the middle. He speaks to Kamsa with a tone in which Kamsa’s fear increases manifold! Sage Narada says thus, “Oh Kamsa!! Till now I was under the impression that you’re a great and a studious king! But now I realized how big a fool you are!” Upon hearing this, Kamsa didn’t understand the head or tail of what Sage Narada is saying! He sought more explanation from Sage Narada, upon which Sage Narada replies, “I didn’t expect you to fall so cheaply into the trap that was laid by the Devas! Oh Kamsa! You had taken a vow to kill all the children born to Devaki and Vasudeva, isn’t it? Let me tell you the trap here – As all the eight children take birth one after the other, Vasudeva is planning to deceive you by pointing out the fourth or fifth child as the eighth child. For this, all the Devas including Indra are “partners in crime” and you’re falling right into their trap by not killing the first child!”
This thought made Kamsa shiver! He found a lot of sense in what Sage Narada was saying! Thus, he immediately rushes to Vasudeva and grabs away the first child, dashes it on the stone and kills it then and there! All of this happened within the split of a second and Vasudeva couldn’t make sense of what was happening! Father as he was, Vasudeva couldn’t tolerate seeing his baby dead in front of him! Thus, both Devaki and Vasudeva were subjected to tortures like this by Kamsa! So for today, let us join Devaki and Vasudeva in sharing their profound grief, and let us wait till the next episode to move forward with what happened next! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 