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| VISHNU APPEARING BEFORE
DEVAKI AND VASUDEVA |
As it happened, on the day of Krishna's birth rains poured
heavily, storms lashed the streets and there was constant thunder and lightning.
At this time Vishnu appeared in a vision to Vasudeva and said he was coming and
should be taken far away to escape the killers hired by Kansa. Miraculously the prison doors opened
and the guards at the gate fell asleep. Vasudeva carried the newly born Krishna
across the river Yamuna to the other bank.
In the other town this child too was also brought to the house of Vasudeva's
friend Nanda. He and together with his wife Yashoda welcomed the child in their
own household. At the same time to hoodwink Kansa another
child was brought back by Vasudeva to the prison. Kansa did not spare the substitute child, though it
was a girl and not a boy. But to his amazement when he was going to dash the
child to its death, it took the form of a divine god and said to Kansa, "O
wicked king, the divine child who is your death has already descended to this
earth and is safe and sound". So saying the divine goddess vanished.
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| GOPALA - THE COWHERD -
ANOTHER NAME FOR KRISHNA |
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THE DIVINE CHILD - KRISHNA -
RAISED AMONG THE SIMPLE VILLAGE FOLK |
The legend says that when the news of the birth of a son to Nanda and Yashoda
spread in the town of Gokula a stream of people reached their house. Singing
and dancing welcomed the arrival of the new child. Mother Yashoda crooned over
her son. When Nanda got the child's horoscope cast, the learned Brahmins declared
that the child was destined to do great deeds and he would destroy so many demons.
Thus starts the fascinating tale of the infancy days of
Lord Krishna - the stories
that describe his baby pranks, his capacity for mischief, the immense
affection of his foster-mother, Yashoda, the endless love of the cowgirls for
this child and also of his supernatural powers at this age.
Time after time Krishna protects
the cowherds from harm and defeats the forces of evil. In this way Krishna continues
his early life, the life of a god born amidst the simple village folk.
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| BALARAMA AND KRISHNA |
A sage was called to give names to the two children of Vasudeva, brought from
Mathura to Gokul one nurtured by Rohini, the first wife of Vasudeva and the other
fostered by Yashoda, the wife of Nanda. This sage gave two
children the names of Balarama and Krishna. Balarama was also given six other names but the sage
declared that Krishna, being born in Vasudeva's house, was to be called Vasudeva
though his names were numberless as he was the incarnation of God and had been
born to remove the ills of the world. The other child too
was a part of Vishnu and was the incarnation of Shesh Nag. Thus they learnt about the true character
of both the children but preferred to remain silent and continued treating Krishna
as their son.
The first demon challenging the life of Krishna is named
Putna. She was a demon
who killed small children by feeding them her breast's milk. This demon assumed
the form of a beautiful girl and came to Yashoda's house. Enchanted by her fake
beauty Yashoda allowed Putna to hold the baby and then to suckle him. Krishna
fastened his tiny mouth to her breast and started sucking her very life out with
the milk. Putna tried to push the child away but to no avail. This way the demon
met her end and Yashoda found the child safe and sound sucking her breast. At
the time of her death Putna regained her ugly shape of demon. The
second attack on Krishna came from another demon, Saktasur (a demon in the form of a wooden
cart). Child Krishna kicked this demon also and killed him.
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