The Birth of Shri Krishna

In the darkness of Kansa's prison, at midnight on Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami, the Supreme Lord appeared as the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva.

At the end of the Dvapara Yuga, the earth was weighed down by the cruelty of demonic kings. One of them was Kansa of Mathura, who had imprisoned his own father, King Ugrasena, and seized the throne. When Kansa's cousin Devaki was married to Vasudeva, Kansa himself drove their chariot out of affection. Suddenly a voice rang out from the sky: "Foolish one, the eighth child of the very sister you are driving will be your death."

Kansa drew his sword to kill Devaki on the spot. Vasudeva calmed him with wise words and promised to hand over every child Devaki bore. Kansa threw the couple into prison, and one by one he killed their first six sons. The seventh pregnancy was secretly transferred by the Lord's divine power, Yogamaya, to the womb of Rohini in Gokul, and that child became Balarama.

Then the most auspicious hour arrived. It was the eighth day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada, under the Rohini star, at midnight. The sky became clear, the rivers flowed calmly, and the gods showered flowers in joy. In the prison cell the Lord appeared in his four-armed form, holding the conch, discus, mace and lotus, with the Shrivatsa mark and the Kaustubha jewel on his chest, dressed in shining yellow silk.

Devaki and Vasudeva folded their hands and offered prayers. The Lord reminded them that in earlier lives they had performed long austerities and asked for God himself as their son, and that this boon was now fulfilled. Fearing Kansa, Mother Devaki begged him to hide his divine form. So, before their eyes, the Lord became an ordinary newborn baby.

To this day, devotees fast on Janmashtami, stay awake singing bhajans until midnight, and celebrate the birth of Bal Gopal. The story reminds us that when the night of adharma is darkest, the Lord appears to protect those who love him.

Source

Shrimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10, ch. 1–3

Place

Mathura

Lesson

When the darkness of adharma is deepest, the Lord surely appears to protect his devotees.