The Story of Kansa ( part -2 continued from part-1)
(as collected from the Bhagavata Purana, Harivamsha, and allied Puranas by Lokanath Mishra)
From that day onward, Kansa kept a sharp watch on Devaki. In time, she conceived and gave birth to her first child. True to his word, Vasudeva took the infant to Kansa. Seeing his brother-in-law’s sincerity, Kansa thought: “It is not the first child, but the eighth who is destined to kill me.” And in a rare moment of mercy, he returned the newborn to Vasudeva and Devaki.
But soon, the sage Narada visited Kansa. Knowing that the demon-king’s downfall must come swiftly, Narada whispered: “O Kansa, do you not see? Vishnu himself will descend to destroy you. Do not be fooled—every child of Devaki may be that very one. Why take chances? Strike first, or you will be struck down.”
Thus provoked, Kansa’s heart hardened completely. He imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki in a heavily guarded dungeon and ordered that every child born to them be brought before him. One after another, as each child was born, Kansa seized the infant and killed it with his own hands.
Meanwhile, Vasudeva’s first wife, Rohini, lived outside the prison in the care of Nanda, chief of the cowherds in Gokula. Unknown to Kansa, the gods were preparing for the divine descent.
The Coming of Balarama
When Devaki conceived her seventh child, it was the partial expansion of Vishnu himself—Shesha, the eternal serpent. By divine arrangement, this child was miraculously transferred from Devaki’s womb to that of Rohini. Thus, he was born outside the prison as Balarama, elder brother of Krishna.
The Birth of Krishna
At last, the time came for the eighth child. That night, within the prison cell, Devaki gave birth to a radiant infant with a dark-blue complexion, eyes like lotus petals, and four arms bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus. Devaki and Vasudeva trembled with awe.
But the divine child spoke gently
“Mother, Father, do not be afraid. I am Narayana, born in this form to destroy Kansa and the burden of demons on earth. Take me at once to Gokula, to the house of Nanda and Yashoda. There, exchange me with the daughter just born to them. Fear not—the guards shall all be asleep, and the prison doors shall open of their own accord.”
As the divine light withdrew, the child assumed the form of a normal baby. Just as foretold, the prison guards fell into a deep slumber, and the doors of the cell swung open. Vasudeva lifted the infant into a basket and, on that stormy night, crossed the flooded Yamuna River. The waters parted to make way, and the great serpent Shesha rose from the depths, spreading his hoods above to shield the divine child from the rain.
At Nanda’s house, Yashoda had just given birth to a daughter—Yogamaya, the divine energy of the Lord. Placing Krishna beside Yashoda, Vasudeva carried Yogamaya back to the prison. The doors closed behind him, the guards awoke, and none knew what had passed.
Kansa and the Prophecy
When word reached Kansa that the eighth child had been born, he rushed to the cell, seized the infant, and raised it high to dash against the stone floor. But the baby slipped from his hands, rose into the air, and transformed into the goddess Durga, blazing with celestial weapons.
Laughing, she spoke:
“O fool, the one who shall kill you has already been born elsewhere. Do what you will—you cannot escape your fate.”
Then she vanished into the heavens.
From that moment, Kansa was consumed with dread. Fear haunted his sleep and poisoned his waking hours. He knew the prophecy was nearing fulfillment. He ordered his demon allies—Putana, Trinavarta, Shakatasura, Vatsasura, Bakasura, Aghasura, and many more—to scour the land and destroy all newborn children. Yet destiny was unshakable. In Gokula, Krishna grew safely under the loving care of Nanda and Yashoda, performing wondrous feats from his earliest days—slaying each of Kansa’s demons in turn.
The Beginning of the End
Years passed. Krishna and Balarama, grown into radiant youths, were invited to Mathura under the pretense of witnessing a great wrestling match arranged by Kansa himself. But in truth, the demon-king had laid his final trap.
There, in the crowded arena, Krishna slew Kansa’s champion wrestlers—Chanura and Mushtika—while Balarama struck down others. Then, before all the people of Mathura, Krishna leapt upon the royal platform, seized Kansa by the hair, and hurled him to the ground. With his divine strength, he ended the tyrant’s life.
Thus the prophecy was fulfilled: the eighth son of Devaki brought about the downfall of Kansa, liberating Mathura from the tyranny of demons and restoring peace to the Yadava kingdom.
📖 Sources of Collection:
This narrative draws from the Bhagavata Purana (Book 10), the Harivamsha (Vishnu Parva), and references in the Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata. Different texts give varying details (such as the names of Kansa’s allies, Devaki’s family line, or Vasudeva’s marriages), but the central flow remains consistent.
⸻( to be continued)
The Story of Kansa ( part-1)