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----- bhagap245.html
THE TENTH SKANDHA.
THE BIRTH OF SRI KRISHNA.
SKANDHA X. CHAP. 1-3.
Said Suka: The goddess Earth, being oppressed by the heavy
load of tens of thousands of Daitya hosts, who were born as arro-
gant kings, sought the shelter of Brahma. She took the form of
a cow, and with tears running down her cheeks, piteously related
her grievances to the Lord of Creation. Brahma took Siva and the
Devas with him, and went over to the Ocean of milk (Kshira Samu-
dra), the abode of Vishnu. There he adored the Lord of Preser-
vation and heard the Divine voice, which he thus explained to the
Devas:
"Even before this, the Lord knew about the grievances of the
goddess of Earth. Go, take your births, as parts of yourselves, in
the clan of the Yadus. The Lord of Lords, by governing His
Kaia Sakti, shall appear on the Earth and relieve her pressure. The
Supreme Purusha Himself shall be born in the family of Vasudeva.
Let the Deva girls take their births for His gratification. The thou-
sand-mouthed, self-illumining Ananta, who is only a part of Vasu-
deva, shall be the elder-born, that he may do what pleases Hari.
Bhagavati, the May ?? of Vishnu, who keeps the whole world under
delusion, shall also incarnate in part, as desired by the Lord, for
doing His work."
Saying all this to the Devas, and giving words of consolation
to the goddess of Earth, Brahma went back to his own abode.
Sura Sena, the chief of the Yadus, ruled over the town of
Mathura. Hence it became the chief seat of the Yadu kings. It is
a sacred town, the constant seat of Hari.
Once upon a time, at Mathura. Vasudeva drove in his chariot
with his newly married wife Devaki. The marriage presents were
innumerable. Kansa, the son of Ugrasena, held the reins of the
horses himself, so eager was he to please his sister Devaki.
On the way, an incorporeal voice, addressing Kansa, said:
"O ignorant one! the eighth child of her whom thou art now
driving shall be thy slayer."
The cruel Kansa instantly took sword in hand and caught
Devaki by her hair.
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