“Kamsa was the son of Ugrasena, of the Bhoja dynasty. It is said that Kamsa was the most demonic of all the Bhoja dynasty kings. Immediately after hearing the prophecy from the sky, he caught hold of Devaki’s hair and was just about to kill her with his sword.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 1)

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1. I tried to kill my sister today

“What did you want me to do? Did you not hear what happened? A voice from the sky literally told me that my sister, through her future child, would be my demise. What would you have done? I had no choice in the matter. I would have carried through with the deed, but that crafty new husband of Devaki talked me out of it. I was pacified by his words. I took compassion on the couple, who were newly married. Give me some credit.”

2. I killed a baby today

“What did you want me to do? Allow the child to grow up, to become an adult? They would surely try to kill me. That is what the voice in the sky warned. Don’t give me that lecture about children being innocent and stuff. They really aren’t. Every villain you see in real life was once a supposedly innocent child. I was just doing the world a favor.”

3. I put my sister in prison today

“What did you want me to do? At least I could keep an eye on her. The voice from the sky said that it would be the eighth child born to Devaki. If she is in prison, I can keep a running tally on the number of children born. I need Vasudeva with her. If the husband is not there, how do you expect children to be born? Need I teach you the principles of science?”

4. I arrested my father today

“What did you want me to do? You heard what Narada said. The Yadu dynasty is against me. My father is with the other side. Poor decisions. It was his choice, after all. He cannot be allowed to rule over people, because he might try to align forces to have me overthrown.”

5. I sent a witch to kill newborn babies today

“What did you want me to do? You heard what happened. The dastardly eighth child somehow made it into this world and escaped my purview. Putana can help me. She is a powerful witch. Since we do not know exactly where this child is or to which house he went, Putana will go around killing all newborn children. I am so fortunate to have someone help me in this regard.”

…

This gives a glimpse into the wickedness of the historical character known as Kamsa, who provided one of the external causes for the descent into this world of Vishnu. The Supreme Personality of Godhead arrived as Shri Krishna, and since this identity with Divinity is eternal, since it is a form neither accepted, nor created, nor renounced, the appearance is known as an avatara.

अवजानन्ति मां मूढा
मानुषीं तनुम् आश्रितम्
परं भावम् अजानन्तो
मम भूत-महेश्वरम्

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

The behavior of Kamsa is particularly foolish because of the root cause. The intense desire to preserve life, for as long as possible, in spite of destiny literally announcing itself. Directly to him, from the sky.

In the post-mortem, in the aftermath of someone’s passing, there is the illusion that if only such and such behavior could have been avoided, then the outcome would have been different. If this decision were made instead of that, then everything would change.

The truth is that the same network of action and reaction, decision and consequence, takes place at an unbelievably large level, at every moment in the steady passage of time. The same decisions led to our birth. The same decisions cause the many changes, and so it is actually time which ignites the machine of change.

The voice from the sky merely announced the specifics in the arrival of time, known as kala in Sanskrit, in how it would deal the final blow to Kamsa. Only a fool would think they could perpetually thwart that destiny. Kamsa revealed his heinous character, what ultimately drove him inside, by going to extreme measures to try to nullify that destiny.

It was for such a character, bent on eliminating dharma, that Krishna appeared on the occasion since celebrated as Janmashtami. Kamsa could say he did all of those things, but devotees can also happily recall what Krishna can say He did one day: punch that character in the face and finally rid his negative influence from this world.

In Closing:

With wicked deeds filled,
Like baby today killed.

And sister in prison placed,
Hoping the dire threat erased.

But Kamsa destiny still found,
With one clenched-fist to pound.

From Devaki’s eighth child to see,
Savior of devotees is He.

Categories: the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion