| The Story of Krishna Once upon a time there lived an evil, wicked, and ambitios king by the name of Kamsa in Mathura. He plundered the kingdom left and right and lawlessness prevailed in his state. On one of the days a heavenly prophesy form the sky came and echoed, "Kamsa! Your end is near! The eighth son of Devaki, your sister, will be the one responsible for your death." Kamsa was enraged beyond control and imprisoned Devaki, his sister and Vasudeva her husband. Then he killed every child of the couple as they were born. But just the midnight when the eighth child was botn, the skies roared and Lord Vishnu advised Vasudeva to take the child across the river Yamuna to the other side to the village of Gokul and exchange with the daughter of Yashoda in Gokul, who was born on the same day. Vasudeva accodtingly put the child in a basket, and as he went out the doors of the prison parted for him as if in a magic. The river parted into two to allow for Vasudeva to cross. Gasudeva then crossed into Gokul and exchanged his son with the daughter of Yashoda who was born the same day and came back. The baby uttered cries which awakened Kamsa, and then happily he went to the prison chamber and snatched the girl baby. As he lifted her in the air, the baby, who was an incarnation of the Devi herself, laughed in glee, "Kamsa, your real enemy is stil alive. the son of devaki is alive and well and will come to kill you, " and then disappeared. Kamsa was outraged beyond wits and started a killing spree of all boys at that age in his kingdom. It was a terror outbreak. As Krishna grew older he left the heavenly Gokul, and the pampered idyllic life alongside Gopis, to go and and kill Kamsa. He killed Kamsa and then settled down in Dwaraka along with his brother Balarama and learned the traditional arts of fighting including archery. He arbitrated in the fight between the Pandevas and Kauravas in Mahadbharata. |
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