Religious Articles
PRELUDE TO THE INCARNATION OF SRI KRISHNA By: Lakshmi Swaminathan Source: Narayaniyam	Return to Articles Index
During the battle between gods and demons, many of the latter were killed by Lord Vishnu, but he did not attain Moksha (liberation from birth and death) because their sins were too numerous to be exhausted by incurring death a t the hands of the Lord. They were born again in the world, most of then as kings and rulers. As their misdeeds continued, the earth was oppressed by the burden of their sins and she along with other gods approached Brahma to find relief. Brahma thought that the only God who could save all from misdeeds was Lord Vishnu and took the goddess earth and other divinities to Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu. All of them stationed themselves near the milky ocean and meditated. Brahma heard the voice of Lord Vishnu in his heart. The Lord said “I know how the earth and the divine beings suffer by the evil acts of the kings and rulers. I am going to be born in the clan of Yadus, with all my powers and glories (as a Purnavatara). May the gods and divine maidens be born in the family of Vrsnis, for serving me.” Brahma conveyed this message of Lord Vishnu to the earth and other gods. They were thrilled and relieved. In the meantime, in the famous city of Mathurã, Vasudeva, the son of Sura married the daughter of Dwaka. At the end of the marriage rites, kamsa, the brothers of Devaki (bride) drove the newlywed. In a chariot to honor them. He beard at that time a voice from the sky stating that the eighth son born of Devaki and Vasudeva would bring an end to his life. At once, he drew his sword and grabbed Devakis’s hair in an attempt to chop off her head. Vasudeva pleaded with him to let her go and promised to surrender to Kamsa all their children as soon as they were born. Since Kamsa wanted no child of Devaki to escape, he placed both her and Vasudeva in prison. The first six children of Devaki met with death soon after they were born, at the hands of Kamsa. When Devaki was pregnant for the seventh time Ãdisesa (the serpent) entered her womb, but Mãyã, the power of God, took the fetus to Rohini in Gokula, to be brought up as Balarãma. Then Lord Vishnu took his place in the womb of Devaki as her eighth child. Birth of Sri Krishna It was the advent of the rainy season, when the Lord decided to come into the world. The sky was filled with dark clouds. It look as if the bluish radiance of the Lord started spreading all around even before He came out of the womb. When all the regions were cooled down by the rain, and when the people were experiencing an inexplicable bliss, Sri Krishna was born. It was the eighth day of the dark half in the month of Šrãvana. Though the form of the Lord was that of a child, it had all the divine majesties of Lord Vishnu. With a complexion blue like rain-clouds, the child was decorated with a shining diadem, bracelets, shoulder-ornaments and necklaces. He was holding a conch and discus, a lotus and a mace on his four hands. Goddess Lakshmi, seated on His chest directed her glances all around the prison, shattering thereby, the miseries and misfortunes associated with the place. Devaki and Vasudeva were filled with extreme bliss and sang praises of the Lord. At the request of Devaki, the Lord assumed the form of a human infant and prompted Vasudeva to carry him to Gokula where He should be exchanged for Nanda's daughter. At almost the same time, in the home of the cowherds (Gokula), yoganidrã was born, and the whole population in the region was put to deep sleep. By the power of that Mãyã, the doors of the prison opened by themselves and allowed Vasudeva to get out. He had to cross the river Yamma the waters in which seemed to touch the sky. When Vasudeva started walking through it, the water reached only up to his ankles. The serpent Ãdisesa protected him from rain with his hoods, bearing brilliant gems that illuminated the path he had to walk through. Vasudeva entered the house of the cowherd chief. The doors there too were open and the inhabitants were asleep. Vasudeva placed Sri Krishna in the bed and took from there, the female infant (Yoganidrã or Maya) and came back to the prison in Malthura. Kamsa’s servants were awakened by the cries of the child and they informed Kamsa of the birth of a girl to Devaki. Though he was slightly confused at this news, as he did not expect a girl to bring a end to his life, he concluded that it must again be the Mãyã of Lord Vishnu and pulled the child out of the hands of Devaki. He was going to dash the child on a rocky slab as he did with all the previous children of Devaki. Freeing herself from the clutches of Kamsa , yogamãya rose up in the sky shining, and transformed herself into a goddess with eight arms wielding divine weapons. She told Kamsa that she was not the one he should be afraid of, as his destroyer was being brought up in some other place. She departed then and manifested herself in many holy places as Durgã. Kamsa was extremely frightened at the words of Mahãmãya and sent his allies like Dhenuka, Baka, Pãtanã and others through out the region to kill all the children they came across. In the meantime, there was a great celebration in the home of the cowherd chief. When Sri Krishna announced his arrival by crying loudly and kicking his legs. Yasoda, the cow herder - considered herself, the most fortunate on looking at the most attractive blue infant near her. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita: “Whenever there is a decrease of righteousness, and increase of unrighteousness, I cause myself to be born in the world”
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