Stories From The Bhagawatham - Krishna Avatar - The Beginning Of The End

 

The palace resonated with the sounds of a newborn baby. The guards outside the cell ran to Kamsa and informed him that Devaki had given birth to another baby.

Kamsa was lying on his bed but wasn’t asleep. He and sleep had parted ways long ago. Ever since he had come to know about Devaki’s eighth pregnancy, he had lost his peace. The radiance surrounding Devaki during this pregnancy left him no doubts that this infant was the prophesied one, the one that could bring his downfall.

The moment he heard the news, he rushed out of his bed, grabbing his sword with him, and ran to the prison.

Devaki looked at him in terror, for this time, Kamsa looked like the lord of the death, having a terrible look on his face. She fell at his feet.

“Brother, this is a girl! Spare her life! I gave you each and every one of my sons, and you killed them all. What will this baby do? I was once dear to you, brother, and in the name of that love that you had for me, I beg of you to spare this child.”

Devaki’s plea went unheard. The fear of death had turned Kamsa into a beast and he snatched the child roughly from his sister’s arms.

However, that was no ordinary child! Vishnumaya, the goddess of the illusory world, slipped from his grip and flew into the sky. And there, she turned into her real form, that of the Devi with weapons of destructions in each of her eight hands. She addressed Kamsa, “Fool! You tried to kill me? Your enemy, the lord, the one destined to kill you has already been born! Stop killing innocent people for no reason!” Devi vanished, leaving everyone in darkness.

A change came over Kamsa, a deep sense of remorse for all his actions. He folded his palms to Vasudeva and Devaki, dreading what fate awaited him after his death. He left the prison cell, a changed man.

But that didn’t last long. In the presence of pious people like Vasudeva and Devaki, and with the words of Devi, he had understood the terrible wrongs he had committed. But once he left their presence and returned to his place, the clouds of doubt started gathering again in his mind. He called his ministers and discussed with them, the warning of the Devi.

“It is obvious that the child has been hidden in some place away from Mathura.” His ministers said to him. “We should destroy the roots of our enemies who are the Devas. Let us kill all the rishis and devotees of Narayana. That will hurt him the most. He alone cannot do anything to you, and none of the Devas are equal to you in strength and prowess.”

The noose around Kamsa’s neck tightened as he gleefully took in the ill advice of his ministers and dispatched Asuras to capture and kill everyone who claimed to be a devotee of Narayana. The Asuras set off happily, not knowing the destruction that awaited them!