The Tale of Kamsa: The Evil King of Mathura

Part 1: The Rise of Kamsa

Long ago, in the prosperous kingdom of Mathura, there ruled a powerful and ruthless king named Kamsa. He was the son of Ugrasena, the rightful king of Mathura, but Kamsa, driven by ambition and greed, usurped the throne, imprisoning his own father. Kamsa’s reign was marked by tyranny and fear, as he sought to expand his power and eliminate anyone who opposed him. The people of Mathura lived in constant terror under his rule.

Despite his cruelty, Kamsa had a soft spot for his beloved sister, Devaki, whom he treated with love and care. He arranged her marriage to Vasudeva, a noble prince of the Yadu dynasty. However, on the day of their wedding, Kamsa’s fate took a drastic turn.

As Kamsa was driving Devaki and Vasudeva in a chariot after their wedding, a divine voice from the heavens thundered through the sky, foretelling Kamsa’s doom. The voice prophesied that the eighth child born to Devaki would be his downfall and would end his reign of terror.

This prophecy struck terror into Kamsa’s heart. He immediately drew his sword, intending to kill his sister on the spot to prevent the prophecy from coming true. However, Vasudeva, pleading for Devaki’s life, assured Kamsa that he would hand over every child they had, so Kamsa could personally kill them. Reluctantly, Kamsa agreed to spare Devaki’s life but imprisoned both her and Vasudeva in a dungeon, waiting for the birth of their children.

Part 2: Kamsa’s Ruthless Attempt to Avoid His Fate

Kamsa’s fear of the prophecy consumed him. Each time Devaki gave birth to a child, Kamsa would visit the dungeon and brutally kill the newborn, believing he was eliminating the threat to his life. He mercilessly killed six of Devaki’s children, believing with each one that he was averting his fate.

As time passed, Kamsa grew more paranoid. He expanded his cruelty beyond his own family, launching campaigns to kill any child born during the time of the prophecy. He sent his demons and soldiers throughout the kingdom, ordering the slaughter of infants and the spreading of terror across the land. His sole focus was on preventing the birth of the child destined to kill him.

Despite his reign of terror, Kamsa could not escape his destiny.

Part 3: The Birth of Krishna and His Escape

When Devaki became pregnant with her seventh child, a miracle occurred. Through divine intervention, the unborn child was mysteriously transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s other wife, and was born as Balarama. Thus, Kamsa remained unaware that this child had escaped his grasp.

Soon after, Devaki conceived her eighth child, the very child the prophecy had foretold. On a stormy night, as Kamsa’s guards slept, Lord Vishnu himself took birth as Krishna, the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Krishna was no ordinary child; he was an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, sent to restore justice and end Kamsa’s tyranny.

To protect the newborn from Kamsa, Vasudeva was guided by divine forces to carry baby Krishna across the turbulent Yamuna River to Gokul, where he was safely placed in the care of Nanda and Yashoda, a simple cowherd couple. Meanwhile, Vasudeva brought back a baby girl born to Nanda and Yashoda, placing her in the cell beside Devaki.

When Kamsa learned of the birth, he rushed to the dungeon to kill the child. However, when he lifted the baby girl, she slipped from his hands and miraculously ascended into the sky, transforming into the goddess Yogmaya. She warned Kamsa that the child destined to kill him had already been born and was far beyond his reach. The prophecy would come true, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it.

Part 4: Kamsa’s Continued Terror and Krishna’s Childhood

Despite this warning, Kamsa’s fear only deepened. He dispatched countless demons to search for and kill Krishna, who was now growing up as a young boy in Gokul. Kamsa sent powerful demons like Putana, who tried to poison Krishna, and Trinavarta, who tried to kill him by creating a deadly whirlwind. However, each time, young Krishna, through his divine powers, easily defeated these enemies.

As Krishna grew older, his playful yet miraculous feats became well-known. His charm and courage endeared him to the people of Gokul, while his strength and wisdom amazed them. Meanwhile, Kamsa grew increasingly desperate, knowing that his end was drawing near.

Part 5: The Death of Kamsa

When Krishna reached adulthood, the time came for him to fulfill the prophecy. Kamsa, having learned that Krishna was indeed the child destined to kill him, devised a final plan to bring Krishna to Mathura. He invited Krishna and his brother Balarama to participate in a grand wrestling match, planning to have them killed by his strongest wrestlers. Confident that his plan would succeed, Kamsa prepared for the event.

Krishna and Balarama, however, accepted the invitation, knowing that the time had come to end Kamsa’s tyranny. Upon arriving in Mathura, they easily overpowered Kamsa’s wrestlers. Kamsa, realizing that he could not avoid his fate, attempted to flee, but Krishna leaped into the stands, grabbed him by the hair, and dragged him to the ground.

In a final act of divine justice, Krishna struck Kamsa down, killing him and fulfilling the prophecy. With Kamsa’s death, the people of Mathura were finally freed from his reign of terror, and justice was restored to the kingdom.

Consequence: The Fulfillment of Prophecy

Despite all of Kamsa’s ruthless efforts to prevent the prophecy, he could not escape his fate. His attempts to control destiny by killing innocent children, including his own nephews, only led him deeper into paranoia and fear. In the end, the prophecy came true, and Kamsa was killed by the very child he had sought to destroy—Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Moral: The Inevitability of Divine Justice

Kamsa’s tale highlights the timeless truth that no one can escape divine justice. No matter how powerful or tyrannical one may be, the consequences of evil deeds will always catch up. Kamsa’s attempts to outwit fate and avoid his destiny through cruelty and violence only brought him closer to his inevitable end.

The moral of Kamsa’s story is that those who commit wrongs, driven by fear, greed, or malice, will ultimately face justice, no matter how they try to avoid it. Krishna’s defeat of Kamsa represents the triumph of good over evil, and a reminder that the divine law always prevails.