The
Supreme Being in His form as Sri Krishna appeared on this planet 5,000
years ago and performed His pastimes for 125 years before returning to
His spiritual abode. The Vishnu Purana (Book Four, Chapter
Twenty-four) establishes that the age of Kali-yuga began when Lord
Krishna left this world in 3102 BC. There are many stories in the Vedic
literature which narrate how Krishna engages in loving activities with
His friends and relatives when He appears in this world, and how He
performs amazing feats which thrill and astonish everyone, both while on
this planet and in His spiritual abode. However, He brings His
spiritual domain and His numerous pure devotees with Him when He
descends into this world. Descriptions of the many activities and
pastimes which go on in the spiritual world are found in such texts as Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, Caitanya-caritamrta, and Sanatana Goswamis Brihat Bhagavatamritam,
and others, which explain the many levels and unlimited nature of the
spiritual realm. Indeed, the body of the Lord is described as full of
eternal bliss, truth, knowledge, the most dazzling splendour, and source
of all that exists.
It
is described that when the Lord appeared on this planet in the
nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, He advented Himself as Lord
Balarama and Lord Krishna in the family of Vrishni [the Yadu dynasty],
and by so doing He removed the burden of the world. (Bhag.1.3.23)
The story of Lord Krishnas birth is a unique narrative, as told in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
About 5,000 years ago when the earth was overburdened by the military
might of the demoniac who had taken the forms of rulers and kings, the
spirit of mother earth took the shape of a cow and approached Lord
Brahma to seek relief. Concerned with the situation on earth, Lord
Brahma, Lord Shiva and other demigods went to the shore of the ocean of
milk. Within that ocean is an island which is the residence of Lord
Vishnu. After mentally offering prayers to Lord Vishnu, Brahma could
understand the advice the Lord gave him. This was that He would soon
appear on the surface of the earth in order to mitigate the burden of
the demoniac kings. Therefore, the demigods and their wives should
appear in the Yadu dynasty in order to serve as servants of Lord Krishna
and increase the size of that dynasty.
Then
one day Vasudeva, Krishnas father, and his wife, Devaki, were riding
home from their wedding. Devakis brother, the demoniac King Kamsa, was
driving the chariot. Then a voice of warning came from the sky
announcing that Kamsa would be killed by Devakis eighth son. Kamsa was
immediately ready to kill his sister, but Vasudeva instructed him and
talked him out of the idea. Kamsa was still not satisfied, so Vasudeva
said he would bring all of the children to Kamsa as they were born. Then
Kamsa could kill them. As the children were born, at first Kamsa
decided not to kill them. But later Kamsa learned from the sage Narada
Muni that the demigods were appearing in the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties
and were conspiring to kill him. Kamsa then decided that all the
children in these families should be killed, and that Vasudev and Devaki
should be imprisoned in his jail in Mathura, and that their children
should not be spared. Narada Muni had also told Kamsa that in his
previous life he had been a demon named Kalanemi who was killed by Lord
Vishnu. Thus, Kamsa became especially infuriated and a dedicated enemy
of all the descendants of the Yadu dynasty.
Anantadeva
(Balarama) first appeared in the womb of Devaki as her seventh
pregnancy. It was Yogamaya, Krishnas internal potency, who made the
arrangement to transfer Anantadeva from the womb of Devaki to that of
Rohini, a wife of Nanda Maharaja in Gokul, from whom He appeared as
Balarama. Then, with the prayers and meditations of Vasudeva, Lord
Krishna appeared within his heart, and then within the heart of Devaki.
So Devakis eighth pregnancy was Krishna Himself. Thereafter, she became
increasingly effulgent, which drew the attention of Kamsa, who wanted to
kill Krishna. Thus, he became absorbed in thoughts of Krishna. Devaki
also drew the attention of the many demigods who came to offer prayers
to her and the Lord in her womb.
When the Lord appeared, He first exhibited His four-armed form to show
that He was the Supreme Lord. Vasudeva and Devaki were struck with
wonder and offered many prayers. Yet, fearing Kamsa, Devaki prayed that
Krishna withdraw His four-armed form and exhibit His two-armed form.
The Lord
also told them of how He had appeared two other times as their son in
the form of Prishnigarbha and Vamanadeva. This was the third time that
He was appearing as their son to fulfill their desires. That night,
during a rainstorm, Lord Krishna desired to leave the prison and be
taken to Gokul. By the arrangement of Yogamaya, the shackles and prison
doors were opened and Vasudeva was able to leave the prison and take
Krishna to Gokul, thus saving the child from the danger of Kamsa. At
this time, Yogamaya herself had taken birth from Mother Yashoda as a
baby girl. When Vasudeva arrived at Nanda Maharajas house, everyone was
in deep sleep. Thus, he was able to place Lord Krishna in the hands of
Yashoda, while taking her own newly born baby girl back with him. This
baby girl was actually Krishnas energy, Yogamaya. When he returned, he
placed the baby girl on Devakis bed, and prepared to accept his place in
the prison again by putting the shackles back on. Later, when Yashoda
awoke in Gokul, she could not remember whether she had given birth to a
male or female child, and easily accepted Lord Krishna as her own.
When
the baby girl, Yogamaya, began crying in the morning, it drew the
attention of the doorkeepers of the prison, who then notified King
Kamsa. Kamsa forcefully appeared in the prison to kill the child. Devaki
pleaded with him to save the baby. Instead, he grabbed the little girl
from her arms and tried to dash the baby against a rock. However, she
slipped from his hands and rose above his head, floating in the air
while exhibiting her true form as the eight-armed Durga. Durga told
Kamsa that the person for whom he was looking had already taken birth
elsewhere. Thus, Kamsa became filled with wonder that Devakis eighth
child appeared to be a female, and the enemy he feared had taken birth
elsewhere. Then he released Devaki and Vasudeva, being apologetic for
all that he had done. Yet, after conferring with his ministers, they
decided that they had best try to kill all the children that had been
born in the past ten days in the attempt to try to find and kill Kamsas
enemy, Krishna. Thus started the atrocities of Kamsa and his ministers,
which he would eventually pay for when Lord Krishna would kill him.
Meanwhile, Lord Krishna started His pastimes with His devotees in Gokul
and Vrindavana to display His unique characteristics, personality and
beauty.
In this way, as Sri Uddhava explained to Vidura, The Lord appeared in the mortal world by His external potency, yogamaya.
He came in His eternal form, which is just suitable for His pastimes.
These pastimes were wonderful for everyone, even for those proud of
their own opulence, including the Lord Himself in His form as the Lord
of Vaikuntha. Thus His [Sri Krishnas] transcendental body is the
ornament of all ornaments... The Personality of Godhead, the
all-compassionate controller of both the material and spiritual
creations, is unborn, but when there is friction between His peaceful
devotees and persons who are in the material modes of nature, He takes
His birth just like fire, accompanied by the mahat-tattva. (Bhag. 3.2.12, 15)
