Story of Janmashtami: Janmashtami celebrates Lord Krishna’s birth, who was born to Devaki and Vasudev. His divine arrival marked the end of Kansa’s tyranny and spread love and joy. Discover the tale of Krishna’s birth on Krishna Janmashtami, including how he was carried from the jail where he was born, over a raging river, and to Yashodha.
Sadhguru: A complicated web is made up of Krishna human qualities, his life’s mission, the frailty of being a human being leading such an active existence, and the divine element. To view him only as this or that is incorrect. If you were to focus only on one area of his life, you would see a completely distorted picture of him. He is so complex that it would be an extreme injustice to not at least touch the surface of all of him.
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The Place Where Krishna Was Born
Geographically, he was born in Mathura, which is now in the state of Uttar Pradesh. There was a well-known Yadava chief by the name of Ugrasena. Ugrasena was growing older, and his very aspirational son Kamsa, who had no compunction about gaining authority, could not wait for his father to pass away. He assumed command and put his own father in jail. Additionally, he allied himself with Jarasandha, an utterly brutal Eastern ruler. The goal of Jarasandha’s dreams was to rule the entire planet. By sheer violent force, he was rapidly increasing his influence. Kamsa sided with him since, at the moment, that was the only path to power.
Why Kamsa Wanted To Kill Krishna
Kamsa’s sister Devaki married Vasudeva, another Yadava chief. An astral voice prophesied shortly after the wedding, as Kamsa drove the wedded couple in his chariot. This voice shouted from the skies, “Oh Kamsa, you are so happy to be driving your sister after her wedding. The seventh kid born to this sister of yours will kill you. That will be the end for you.”
Kamsa immediately became violent. “Is her eighth child going to kill me? I’m going to kill her right now. Let us see how she will have her eighth kid.” He took out his sword and immediately desired to behead his own sister. Vasudeva, the groom, pleaded Kamsa: “Please spare her life. How do you do this? She is your sister, and we are recently married. “How can you slaughter her right here?” “Her seventh child is about to kill me. I will not let anything like that happen.” So Vasudeva proposed a pact: “I will give you all of our newborn children.” You are capable of killing them. But please, spare my wife right now.”
However, Kamsa, who was extremely concerned about his life and security, placed his sister and brother-in-law under house arrest, ensuring that they were continuously observed. The first child was born, and the guards informed Kamsa. When he arrived, Devaki and Vasudeva sobbed and implored, “It is only the eighth kid that will kill you. Spare this one. Kamsa replied, “I don’t want to take any chances.” He took up the boy, grabbed him by the knees, and bashed him on a rock. This continued. Every time a kid was born, the parents implored Kamsa in various ways, but he refused to spare any of them. Six newborn children were killed in this manner.
How Balarama Reached Gokul
Devaki and Vasudeva were extremely frustrated by Kamsa’s methods. The subjects in the kingdom were terrified of Kamsa. Over time, they became upset with the king’s incredibly terrible actions, continually at war with someone and then murdering these children. Dissension was slowly spreading across the palace. So, when the seventh child arrived, Vasudeva managed to smuggle it out and replace it with a stillborn infant discovered elsewhere. This infant was transported across the Yamuna River to Gokula where it was given to Rohini, Vasudeva’s other wife.
The child’s name was Balarama. As he grew older, he resembled a giant, and there are several stories of his power and achievements.
Vasudev Taking Krishna to Gokul
When the eighth child was due, Kamsa became quite nervous. They’d been under house arrest for days, but now he’s bound Vasudeva and imprisoned Devaki. The infant was born on the eighth day of the dark half of the month, while it was pouring rain and thunder. Kamsa would not let anyone into the prison since something could happen. He appointed his trusty helper, a lady named Puthana who was linked to him, as midwife. She was meant to watch. The intention was that once the child was born, she would give it to Kamsa, who would kill it.
Labor pains would come and go. Puthana waited and waited. It did not happen. She went out throughout the night to visit her house for a few minutes before returning. However, as she reached home, a torrential downpour began, flooding the streets. In this situation, Puthana was unable to return to prison.
That was when the child was born, and a miracle occurred. The prison doors unlocked themselves, all the guards fell asleep, and the shackles broke. Vasudeva immediately saw that this was a heavenly intervention. He took up the youngster and walked to the Yamuna River, seemingly guided by intuition. Despite the fact that the entire area was flooded, he was surprised to see that the ford that bridged the river was still visible and he could go across it. He crossed and entered the home of Nanda and his wife Yashodha. Yashodha had just had a female kid. She had experienced a terrible labor and was unconscious. Vasudeva switched the girl infant with Krishna, took her, and returned to the prison.
What Happened to Yashoda’s Daughter?
The girl child sobbed. The guards went to report to Kamsa. By then, Puthana had returned. Kamsa approached and noticed that it was a girl. He thought something was odd, so he asked Puthana, “Are you sure?” Were you present when the child was born? Puthana, fearful for her life, stated, “I was here. I witnessed it with my own eyes. This child was born to Devaki.” To add credibility, she stated, “This child was born right here in front of my eyes.” Devaki and Vasudeva begged: “Look, it’s just a girl. This chick can’t kill you. If it had been a boy, he would have killed you. But this is a girl. “Spare this girl.” But Kamsa replied, “No, I don’t want to take any chances.” So, once again, he grabbed the child by the legs and wanted to slam her to the ground. As he was about to execute this, this child slipped from his grasp, flew out the window, laughed at him, and said, “Your slayer is elsewhere.”
Kamsa became suspicious. He grilled everyone present. The guards had fallen asleep, and Puthana had gone out. Nobody wanted to admit anything since they all treasured their heads. When you approach situations based on threat, you may believe you have an advantage. “If you don’t do this, you’re dead” – to ensure that things go as planned. However, this eventually becomes a major issue. People understand that if things don’t go as planned, it will cost them their lives. So they’ll set up a full make-believe scenario all around you. When you run things out of fear, this is the outcome you will confront.
Meanwhile, Krishna was assigned to the community of Gokula. Despite being the son of a chief, he was raised in a typical cow-herding hamlet. There were numerous miracles and experiences that occurred around him throughout that period of his life.
