The Devatas said to Mother Devaki, “Seeking our well-being, the Supreme Lord has decided to incarnate on Earth. Presently He is situated in your womb. It is purely His grace. Again and again we recollect His divine plays. Do not fear Kamsa, the king of Bhoja dynasty, who has invited his death.”

The celestial voice had clearly predicted that the eighth son of Devaki would kill him. What then was the need for Kamsa to kill the first seven sons born to Devaki? Could he not plan to kill only the eighth son? Had he shown mercy towards the seven infants and cared for his sister’s well-being, compassion in him would have intensified. Fearing his death, mercilessly he killed them all unmindful of the thought that he was their maternal uncle. He was a demon in human form.

Even animals at times desist from killing new-borns belonging to enemy species. Compassionately they nurture these new-born animals. Often such instances are telecast on TV. Recently they showed two lions which reared a new-born deer. Forgetting their hunger and thirst they attended to the deer. When another lion was about to attack the deer, these lions tried to safeguard it. What compassion these lions had! Kamsa did not have in him, even the iota of compassion the lion displayed. How could he heartlessly kill new-borns?

“O Mother, your son will undoubtedly protect the Yadavas”. Saying this, the Devatas who were led by Brahma and Shiva, prayed to Lord Srihari.

These Devatas had arrived out of their eagerness to meet the Lord who was still in the womb. Unlike us, Devatas do not need formal entry. They exist everywhere. They are in my heart as well as in yours. If the person is filled with devotion, all the Lords descend into him/her. They do not need to tear open the heart to enter within. Devatas are none other than partial aspects of the Supreme Lord. All the Devatas were now earnestly worshipping the Supreme Lord.

Eyes cannot see the original form of the Supreme Lord. Having glorified such Supreme Lord, the Devatas returned to their abode.

With this the second chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Tenth Canto Chapter Three

In this chapter, the birth of Lord Srikrishna is detailed.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “When the auspicious time for the incarnation of the Supreme Lord arrived, the universe reverberated with auspicious signs. All the stars beginning with Ashwini as well as all the planets, turned peaceful and calm. The birthless Supreme Lord was born when Rohini star constellation ruled the sky. Lord Brahma, who was born from the lotus-navel of Lord Srihari, is the presiding deity for this Rohini star.

At that auspicious moment, all the directions were peaceful without any impurities. All the universes were calm and peaceful. In the pure, clear sky, the stars twinkled. Signs of auspiciousness could be seen in the villages, towns, cities and dwellings of the cowherds. In fact, the entire earth was filled with auspiciousness.

The crystal-clear waters in the rivers began to flow smoothly and calmly instead of rushing at rapid speeds. All the ponds were filled with blooming lotuses that glowed divinely. The beauty of those lotus-filled ponds is beyond description. The forests were laden with bunches and bunches of flowers pertaining to all seasons”.

The beauty of the colourful flowering plants in the forests leaves us spellbound, isn’t it? Who fills the flowers with varied colours? Even the best artist fails to bring out the original beauty in his paintings.

“Birds and bees chirped melodiously and auspiciously. The cool breeze began to gently blow carrying lovely fragrances along with it. The holy fire in the homes of the Vedic Brahmins began to glow brightly without raising smoke”.

Narayana