Nanda Gher Anand Bhayo, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki!

Once, mother Earth, was unable to bear the burden of sins committed by evil kings and rulers, prayed  to God to free her,save her and protect her from the cruel tortures of demons. God assured her  that He would soon be born on earth to annihilate tyrannical forces.

One such evil force was Kansa, the ruler of Mathura  and his people were utterly terrified of him. On the day Kansa's sister Devaki was married off to Vasudeva, an akashvani or voice from the sky was heard prophesying that Devaki's eightth son would be the destroyer of Kansa.

The frightened Kansa immediately unsheathed his sword to kill his sister but Vasudeva, husband of Devaki, intervened and requested  Kansa to spare his bride, and promised to hand over every new born child to him. Kansa relented but imprisoned both Devaki and her husband Vasudeva.

When Devaki gave birth to her first child, Kansa came to the prison and cruely killed the newborn. Devaki and Vasudev cried a lot. But heartless Kansa could not understand their pains. On the birth of each child Kansa came to the prison and killed them. In this way, he killed the six newborns of Devaki. Even before their eighth child was born, Devaki and Vasudeva started lamenting its fate and theirs. 

On the Shravan vad ashtami right at midnight, the prison was filled  with a divine light! A small blue compexioned baby with so much curly hair and contagious smile on face, appeared and started crawling in front of Devaki and Vasudev. Both of them embraced Him and started pampering Him in many ways. But simultaneously they thought of Kansa and started shivering with fear.

Then suddenly Lord Vishnu appeared before them and said, God Himself has come to rescue them and the people of Mathura. He asked Vasudeva to carry the Divine child to the home of his friend, the cowherd chief Nanda in Gokula, where Nanda's wife Yashoda had given birth to a daughter. He was to exchange his boy and bring Yashoda's baby daughter back to the prison. Lord Vishnu assured them that "nothing shall bar your path".

Now Vasudev and Devaki had to act according to this divine order.They could not spend enough time with their own divine child! Keeping  the divine instructions, in a small basket they spread a cloth and put the Baby gently into it. Vasudeva clasped the child to his bosom and started for Gokula, but found that his legs were in chains. He jerked his legs and was unfettered! The massive iron-barred doors got unlocked and opened up. The soldiers who were keeping a watch outside the prison went off into a  deep sleep!

 Outside the prison the scene was not that simple. That was a dark night with torrential rain. Lightings were sparking with deep thunders! Vasudev reached to the shore of river Yamuna. He prayed to Yamuna Devi. Yamuna came to know that His Lord has appeared and she gave a way in between the water, so that Vasudev could move ahead easily. But Yamunaji could not resist to touch the Lotus-feet of her Lord and the level of water  started coming up. It reached to the neck of Vasudev. Now Baby Krishna took out His one foot out of the basket. Yamuna touched the foot and got overwhelmed. Baby Krishna told Yamuna that with so much of water His father is facing problems . So decrease the water level. Yamuna started flowing on very low level. 

While crossing river Yamuna, Vasudeva held his Baby high over his head. The rain fell in torrents. Vasudev thought that “I am covered with basket and the basket is working as an umbrella, but what about my child? He is right under the sky and facing the straight strokes of rain. He saw that for his satisfaction a malty-mouthed snake was following him from behind and providing shelter over the Baby!

 When Vasudeva reached Gokula, he found the door of Nanda's home opened! He exchanged the Babies and hurried back to the prison of Kansa with the Baby girl. Vasudeva came back to Mathura and as he entered, the soldiers awoke themselves,the doors of the prison closed themselves, the iron chains locked his legs again!!

When Kansa came to know about the birth, he rushed inside the prison and tried to kill the Baby but this time it skipped from his hand and flew skywards. She was transformed into the Goddess Yogamaya, who told Kansa: "O foolish! What will you get by killing me? Your nemesis is already born somewhere else."

Early in the morning, all the people at Gokula rejoiced the birth of Nanda and Yashoda’s beautiful male child!

Nanda Gher Anand Bhayo, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki!!

Haathi Ghoda Paalakhi, Jay Kanaiya Laal Ki !!