The Story of Lord Krsna's Birth

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Chapter Seven

Sri Krsna-janma-kirtana

The Story of Lord Krsna's Birth

from Brahma-vaivarta Purana

 

1 Sri Narada said: O glorious one, please describe Lord Krsna's glorious

and sacred birth. This description frees the hearer from birth, death and

old-age.

2 Whose son was Vasudeva? Whose daughter was Devaki? Who were Vasudeva

and Devaki? Please describe their marriage.

3 Why did cruel Kamsa kill their six sons? On what day was Lord Krsna

born? I wish to hear this. Please describe it.

4 Sri Narayana Rsi said: Vasudeva was Kasyapa Muni in his previous birth,

and Devaki was Aditi, the mother of the demigods. As a result of their

previous deeds they attained Lord Krsna as their son.

5 Vasudeva was born from King Devamidha in the womb of Marisa. At the

moment of his birth jubilant demigods sounded anaka and dundubhi drums. For

this reason the elder saintly devotees gave Lord Krsna's father the name

Anakadundubhi.

6 Devaka, a king in the Yadu dynasty, was the son of King Ahuka. Devaka

has a son, Jnanasindhu, and a daughter, Devaki.

8 Carefully following the rules of scripture, Garga Muni, the guru of the

Yadu dynasty, performed the wedding ceremony of Vasudeva and Devaki.

9 There was a great reception for Vasudeva. At an auspicious moment King

Devaka gave Devaki in marriage to Vasudeva.

10 O Narada, King Devaka then gave a dowry of a thousand horses and golden

cups, a hundred beautiful and opulently decorated maidservants,...

11 ...many different kinds of gifts, many different kinds of jewels, many

diamonds, which are the king of jewels, and many jewel cups.

12-14 Then Vasudeva took his bride, who was splendid as a hundred moons,

decorated with splendid jewels, noble, glorious, able to enchant the three

worlds, the best of women, a treasury of beauty, a treasury of virtue, smiling

with crooked eyes, in full bloom of youth, and a perfect bride, placed her in

his chariot and began to depart. Kamsa, who was filled with joy on the

occasion of his sister's marriage, accompanied them.

15 As Kamsa approached the chariot, a disembodied voice spoke from the

sky. 16 The voice said: Why are you so happy, the king of kings? Hear these

truthful words meant for your welfare. Devaki's eight son will kill you.

17 Hearing this, powerful and sinful Kamsa, frightened by the oracle and

filled with anger, grasped a sword in his hand and was about to kill Devaki.

18 Seeing Kamsa about to kill Devaki, intelligent Vasudeva, who was

learned in the scriptures of ethics, spoke.

19 Sri Vasudeva said: You don't know how a king should act. Please hear

my auspicious words, which are perfectly appropriate, which are spoken by

scripture, and which bring fame and destroy sin.

20 O king, if her eighth son will be your death, and you kill her instead

of him, your reputation will be destroyed and you will go to hell.

21 If somehow he kills a ferocious beast that is attacking him, a wise man

gives in charity coins equal to one karsapana. In this way, at the moment of

his death, he is released from the sin of killing the beast.

22 In he kills an animal that is not attacking him, then, in order at the

time of his death to be released from the sin, a wise man should perform an

atonement a hundred times greater than the previous one. This is said by the

demigod Brahma.

23 If without provocation he kills a higher animal, such as a goat, then

the sin is a hundred times greater. Manu has said this.

24-26 If he kills a human being that is a mleccha, the sin is a hundred times

grater than killing a higher animal. If he kills a pious sudra, the sin is a

hundred times greater than killing a mleccha. If he kills a cow the sin is a

hundred times greater than killing a pious sudra. If he kills a brahmana the

sin is ten time greater than killing a cow.

27 By killing a woman one commits a sin equal to killing a brahmana. 28

O king, if one kills his own sister, who has taken shelter of him and deserves

to be protected by him, he commits a sin a hundred times greater than killing a

woman.

29 A person performs austerities, chants mantras, performs worship, sees

holy places, feeds brahmanas, and performs yajnas in order that he may go to

Svargaloka.

30 The saintly devotees see that this fearful material life is temporary

like a dream or like bubbles in water. Therefore they always follow the

principles of religion.

31 O saintly one, let your sister go. How many wise men are there? Ask

them what you should do.

32 Friend, I will give you my eighth son. Why must I have an eighth son?

33 Or I will give you all my children. O best of the wise, none of them

would be very dear to me.

34 O king of kings, let your sister go. She is like your own daughter.

You, yourself reared her, every day giving her delicious foods to eat.

35 Hearing Vasudeva's words, King Kamsa released his sister. Then

Vasudeva took his bride to their palace.

36 O Narada, in the course of time six sons were born. Vasudeva gave each

one to Kamsa, and Kamsa killed them all, one by one.

37 When Devaki was pregnant the seventh time, frightened Kamsa posted

guards at her door. Then goddess Yogamaya protected the unborn child, pulling

it out of Devaki's womb and placing it in Rohini's womb.

38 The guards said there was a miscarriage. Because the seventh child,

who was the Personality of Godhead Himself, was pulled (sankarsana) from the

womb, He was called Sankarsana.

39 Then Devaki became pregnant for an eight time. This time there was no

child in her womb. It was filled with air.

40 When the ninth month passed and the tenth came, Lord Krsna, the Supreme

Personality of Godhead who sees everything, glanced at Devaki's womb.

41 As a result of the Lord's glance, Devaki, who was naturally the most

beautiful of all women, suddenly became four times more beautiful.

42 Kamsa noticed that Devaki, her eyes and face blossoming with happiness,

filled the ten directions with her splendour like the goddess Yogamaya.

43 She was splendid like all the stars together. Kamsa, the king of

demons, gazed at her and became filled with wonder.

44 Kamsa said, "From this pregnancy will come the child that is the seed

of my death." Then he posted guards at the seven gates to guard Devaki and

Vasudeva with great care.

45 O Narada, when the tenth month came Devaki's pregnancy was complete.

Numb and stunned, she began to tremble.

46 When Devaki's womb was thus filled with air, Lord Krsna, the original

Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the lotus of her heart.

47 When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who maintains all the

universes entered her womb, Devaki became stunned and filled with pain as she

stayed in the confines of her palace.

48 Devaki became restless. One moment she would sit down, the next moment

she would stand up, the next moment she would pace back and forth, and the next

moment she would sleep.

49 Observing Devaki, and aware that the time of giving birth had come,

noble-hearted Vasudeva meditated on Lord Krsna.

50 In the beautiful palace lit with jewel lamps Vasudeva reverently placed

a sword, iron, water, fire,...

51 ...a person learned in chanting mantras, a learned brahmana, his

relatives and their frightened wives.

52 When two hours of night had passed the sky became filled with clouds

and lightning.

53 Great winds blew. The eight guards fell asleep. In their sleep they

became motionless and unconscious as if dead.

54 Then the demigods Brahma, Siva, and Yamaraja came and offered prayers

to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Devaki's womb.

55 The demigods said: You are the origin of the universes, but You have no

origin. You are limitless, immutable, effulgent, sinless, and supremely

exalted. You have no material qualities, for Your qualities are all spiritual.

You are beyond the three modes of material nature.

56 Out of love for them You show Your transcendental form to the devotees.

Your form is not material. You are independent. Your every desire is

automatically fulfilled. You are the master of all. You are everything. You

are the shelter of all transcendental qualities.

57 You are the origin of happiness and distress. You are the origin of

all. You put an end to the demons. You are perfect. You are the shelter of

everything. You are always fearless and free from any distress.

58 You are not material. You are not touched by matter. Your actions are

not material. Your desires are all fulfilled. You are self-satisfied. You

are eternal and free from any imperfection.

59 You are gentle, ferocious, difficult to please, unattainable, the

author of the Vedas, the Vedas, the Vedangas, the knower of the Vedas, and the

all-powerful Lord.

60 After speaking these words the demigods bowed down again and again.

Tears of joy in their eyes, they showered flowers on the Lord.

61 A person who rises early and chants these forty-two names attains firm

devotion for Lord Krsna. His desire to serve the Lord is fulfilled.

62 Sri Narayana Rsi said: After speaking these prayers, the demigods

returned to their own abode. Then a great rain suddenly fell and no one moved

about in Mathura City.

63 O sage, a terrible darkness covered the night. Seven muhurtas passed

and the eighth muhurta came.

Note: One muhurta equals forty-eight minutes.

64 Then, at the most auspicious moments, a moment even the Vedas cannot

properly glorify, a moment beyond all understanding, a moment when all

auspicious planets were visible on the horizon and no inauspicious planets

could be seen,...

65 ...a moment on the eighth tithi, O sage, when a half-moon had risen

with the star Rohini and the auspicious Jayanti-yoga was present,...

66 ...at that moment the sun and the other planets both auspicious and

inauspicious, gazed again and again at the horizon, became filled with awe,

left their regular places and met in the sign Pisces.

67 Staying there, all the planets became auspicious. In this way, by the

demigod Brahma's order, all the planets happily stayed in the eleventh house

for one muhurta.

68 Then the clouds rained, pleasantly cool winds blew, the earth became

happy, and the ten directions became filled with joy.

69 Filled with joy, the sages, manus, yaksas, gandharvas, kinnaras,

apsaras, demigods, and demigoddesses danced.

70 O Narada, the gandharva kings and the vidyadharis sang, the rivers

happily flowed and the fires happily blazed.

71 In Svargaloka there was beautiful music of dundubhi and anaka drums.

There was a great shower of parijata flowers.

72 The earth-goddess assumed the form of a human woman and visited

Devaki's maternity-room, there were loud sounds of conchshells and the sounds

of 'Victory!' and 'Hari!'

73 Then saintly Devaki fell to the ground and the air suddenly passed from

her belly.

74 Then Lord Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, left the

lotus-whorl of Devaki's heart and manifested His transcendental form before

her.

75-80 O sage, then Vasudeva and Devaki saw before them the supremely handsome

and charming Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had two arms, a flute in His

hand, glittering shark-earrings, a gentle smile, great mercy for His devotees,

ornaments of the kings of jewels, a form dark like a monsoon cloud, yellow

garments, limbs anointed with sandal, aguru, musk and kunkuma, an autumn moon

face, handsome bimba fruit lips, a peacock feather crown, a splendid

jewel-crown, a threefold bending form, and a forest garland, who had the mark

of Srivatsa on His chest, who was youthful, peaceful and handsome, and who was

the Lord of both Brahma and Siva.

81 His hands respectfully folded, his neck bent with devotion, tears in

his eyes and the hairs of his body erect, the Supreme Personality of Godhead's

father, Vasudeva, filled with wonder, and his wife Devaki by his side, offered

prayers to the Lord.

82-86 Sri Vasudeva said: O almighty one, how can I properly glorify You, who

are beyond the material senses, not manifest in the material world,

imperishable, beyond the modes of nature, all-powerful, not attainable by

meditation, the Supersoul present in everyone's heart, the supreme controller

whose every desire is at once fulfilled, the Lord who assumes any form at will,

the Supreme Spirit, untouched by matter, the seed of all existence, eternal,

bigger than the biggest, smaller than the smallest, the most subtle,

all-pervading, invisible, the witness present in all bodies, the Lord who has a

transcendental form with a host of transcendental qualities, the Lord who has

no material form, the material world, the master of the material world, beyond

the material world, the master of all, present in all forms, the death that

puts an end to all that is material, deathless, immutable, the resting place on

which all depends, depends on no one, and the supreme perfect one?

87 Lord Sesa is not able to glorify You properly. Goddess Sarasvati is

not able. Lord Siva is not able. Karttikeya is not able.

88 Lord Brahma, the author of the Vedas is not able to glorify You

properly. Ganesa is not able. The guru of the guru of the kings of the yogis

is not able.

89 The great sages, demigods, manus, and human beings cannot see You, even

in their dreams. How can they glorify You properly?

90 Even the personified Vedas cannot glorify You properly. How can the

scholars of this world glorify You? O Lord, please leave this present form and

now become a small boy.

91 A person who at sunrise, noon, and sunset recites these prayers of King

Vasudeva attains devotional service for the lotus feet of Lord Krsna.

92 He attains a noble and virtuous son devoted to serving Lord Krsna. He

quickly passes through all dangers. He is delivered from the fears of his

enemies.

93 Sri Narayana Rsi said: After hearing Vasudeva's words, handsome and

glorious Lord Krsna, overcome with feelings of kindness for His devotee, and

His face beaming with happiness, spoke to him.

94 Sri Krsna said: Because of your great austerities I have now become

your son. Please ask for a boon. Your future will be auspicious. Of this

there is no doubt.

95 Formerly you were the prajapati Sutapa, the best of ascetics. You and

your austere wife worshipped Me with great austerities.

96 When you saw Me you asked for the boon of having a son like Me. I gave

you the boon of having a son like Me.

97 After giving you that boon I thought, "In the whole world there is no

one like Me." For that reason I have now become your son.

98 By the power of your austerities you were the great sage Kasyapa and

your wife was chaste Aditi, the mother of the demigods.

99 You are Kasyapa, now appearing as My f father Vasudeva, Your wife is

Aditi, the mother of the demigods, who is now Devaki.

100 As a partial incarnation, I appeared as Vamana and became the son of

You and Aditi. Now, by the power of your austerities, I have appeared in My

original form.

101 Thinking of Me either as your son or as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, you will attain Me. O wise one, you will be liberated even in this

life.

102 O father, take me at once to Yasoda's home in Vraja. Leave Me there

and put Goddess Maya in My place.

103 After speaking these words, Lord Krsna assumed the form of a newborn

infant. Vasudeva gazed at his sleeping, dark, infant son, on the ground before

him.

104-5 Vasudeva said, "What happened when I looked at this child? Was I

bewildered by Lord Visnu's illusory potency? Did I, overcome with exhaustion,

see a dream in this maternity room?" Vasudeva and his wife gazed at the infant

in their lap. Then Vasudeva took the infant to Nanda's Gokula.

106 Vasudeva quickly went to Nanda's Vraja, entered the maternity room

there, and saw that Yasoda was asleep on her bed, Nanda was asleep, and

everyone in the house was also asleep.

107 He saw a gently smiling infant girl, naked and gazing at the housetop.

108 When he saw the infant girl, Vasudeva became filled with wonder. 109

Taking the girl with him, and leaving his son in her place, he quickly returned

to his wife's maternity room in Mathura.

110 There he placed the infant girl, who was the goddess Maha-maya. When

she saw the girl cry again and again, Devaki became afraid.

111 Crying, the infant girl awakened the guards, who quickly came and took

her away.

112 As they took the child to Kamsa, grieving Vasudeva and Devaki followed

them.

113 O great sage, when he saw the beautiful infant girl crying again and

again, Kamsa was not at all pleased. He did not feel any mercy for her.

114 Grabbing the infant, cruel Kamsa was about to throw her against the

stone and kill her, when Vasudeva and Devaki very respectfully addressed him.

115 They said: O Kamsa, O best of kings, O philosopher wise in the science

of morality, Please hear our beautiful, true, and righteous words.

116-7 O kinsman, you killed our six sons. You had no mercy on them. If you

kill our eighth child, who is a weak girl, how will your power and glory

triumph on the face of the earth? How can a weak girl attack and kill you in

battle?

118 After speaking these words Vasudeva and Devaki openly wept before

wicked Kamsa and his assembly.

119 After hearing their words, cruel Kamsa said to them, "Listen to my

words. Try to understand and I will explain.

120 Kamsa said: Destiny can kill a mountain with a blade of grass, a lion

or a tiger with a tiny worm, an elephant with a mosquito,...

121 ...a great warrior with a child, an enormous animal with tiny

creatures, a cat with a mouse, a snake with a frog,...

122 ...a father with his son, an eater with his food, water with fire, and

a fire with hay.

123 A single brahmana once drank the seven seas. In the seven worlds the

wonderful workings of destiny are beyond our understanding.

124 By destiny a girl will be able to kill me. Therefore, I will not kill

this girl. Here I will not think whether the time is right.

125 After speaking these words, Kamsa grabbed the infant girl and was about

to kill her, when Vasudeva spoke.

126 He said, "O King, you will kill this girl for no reason. O ocean of

kindness, please give her to me." O great sage, when he heard these words,

intelligent Kamsa became a little pacified.

127 Then a disembodied voice said, "Fool Kamsa, who is this girl you would

kill? You do not understand how destiny works.

128 "Your killer is somewhere else. In time He will reveal Himself."

Hearing the words of destiny, King Kamsa released the infant girl.

129 Taking the girl with them, Vasudeva and Devaki returned to their own

home. They pressed her to their heart and accepted her as their own daughter.

130 As if they had recovered their daughter from the grip of death, they

gave charity to the brahmanas. O brahmana, that girl, who was named Ekanamsa,

was a partial incarnation of Goddess Parvati. She was the exalted sister of

Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

131 At the time of Rukmini's marriage in Dvaraka, with great devotion

Vasudeva gave her in marriage to Durvasa Muni, who was a partial incarnation of

Lord Siva.

132 O sage, now I have told you everything of Lord Krsna's birth. This

narration brings happiness and piety. It rescues one from the world of birth,

old-age and death.