Devaki, the mother of Lord Krishna
“Vasudev’s son is the divine, the slayer of Kamsa and Chanura. Devaki’s supreme joy, I bow to Krishna, the guru of the world.”
Devaki, the mother of Lord Krishna, was the daughter of Devaka and the niece of King Shurasena of the Mathura kingdom. She was wedded to Vasudeva, the king of the Yadu dynasty, in a grand ceremony. Kamsa, Devaki’s cousin who held great affection for her, took it upon himself to drive the newlyweds to their home.
However, their joyous journey was interrupted by a prophetic voice from the heavens. It announced that Devaki’s eighth child would be the cause of Kamsa’s downfall. Enraged and fearful, Kamsa attempted to kill Devaki on the spot.
Vasudeva, in his wisdom and love for Devaki, intervened. He assured Kamsa that he would personally hand over every child born to him. He appealed to Kamsa’s sense of honour, arguing that it was unbecoming of a brave warrior like Kamsa to harm a defenceless woman, especially out of fear.
Moved by Vasudeva’s words and trusting his integrity, Kamsa decided against killing Devaki. Instead, he imprisoned the couple, thus setting the stage for the divine events that were to follow.
Vasudeva sutam devam
Kamsa chaanura mardhanam |
Devaki paramaanandam,
Krishnam vande jagadgurum ||
Kamsa Killing Newborn Child
As soon as Devaki gives birth to a child, Vasudeva, according to his given word, takes the newborn child and gives it to Kamsa. Pleased with Vasudeva’s truthfulness, Kamsa says that he is in danger of Devaki’s eighth child, so he does not want to kill this first child. After Devarshi Narada’s visit, Kamsa changes his mind.
From then on, Kamsa starts killing every newborn child of Devaki and Vasudeva along with their first child. In this way, six children were killed by Kamsa.
Vishnu Maya changes the devaki’s womb to Rohini, who is another wife of Vasudeva and lives near Nanda in Gokul. As a result, Balaram is born to Rohini. Because he was born due to the contraction of the womb, Balaram is also called ‘Sankarshan’.
8th Child- Sri Krishna
Sri Krishna was born to Devaki as her eighth child at midnight on Krishna Paksha of Shravan month on the day of Rohini Nakshatra on Ashtami Tithi. When he was born, he showed his parents his divine form. Devaki and Vasudeva praised him and asked him to hide his divine form so that Kamsa wouldn’t recognize him as a threat.
Following divine command, Vasudeva carried his newborn son, Lord Krishna, to Nanda’s house in Gokul. In Krishna’s place, he brought back Yogamaya, Yashoda’s daughter, to Kamsa. Upon seeing Kamsa ready to kill the baby girl, Devaki pleaded pitifully. She reminded Kamsa that she was his niece and that the prophecy had foretold danger from a nephew, not a niece. Despite having already killed six of her children, Kamsa showed no mercy and attempted to kill Yogamaya.
However, Yogamaya miraculously escaped from Kamsa’s clutches. Ascending to the sky, she declared that Kamsa’s nemesis, Krishna, had already been born and was safe in Gokul. After revealing this truth, she vanished.
Devaki was left in awe, contemplating the divine illusion that had unfolded before her eyes. This event marked a significant moment in the narrative, highlighting the divine play of Lord Krishna and the unshakeable faith of his devotees.
In the era of Swayambhu Manvantara, there was a devoted couple, Sutapu and Prishni. They were none other than Vasudeva and Devaki in their previous lives. Their devotion to Lord Vishnu was so profound that they performed penance for twelve years, constantly remembering Him.
Moved by their devotion, Lord Vishnu offered to grant them a boon. Instead of asking for salvation, the ultimate goal of life, they asked for a son like Him. As there is no one like the Lord Himself, He had to incarnate as their son, not once, but three times on earth.
Births
- The first time, He was born as Prishni Garbha to Prishni.
- The second time, when the couple were reborn as Aditi and Kashyap, Lord Vishnu took the form of Vamana.
- Finally, in their third birth as Devaki and Vasudeva, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Sri Krishna.
In each of these births, the Lord fulfilled His promise to the pious couple.
3rd Incarnation
In His third incarnation as Krishna, He not only showed them His divine form at birth but also assured them that they would love Him as a son, remember Him as the Supreme Being, and ultimately attain salvation.
This divine tale is a testament to the Lord’s boundless love for His devotees and His willingness to go to great lengths to fulfil their wishes. It serves as a reminder to all of us to remain steadfast in our devotion, for the Lord is always listening and ready to bless us in ways beyond our comprehension.
In the epoch of Dwapara Yuga, Lord Vishnu found immense joy in being known as the son of Devaki. This divine mother-son bond is celebrated in numerous stotras and verses of devotional literature. The Vishnu Sahasranama, a revered text composed by Bhishma, contains many verses that affirm this relationship.
One such verse reads as follows:
“Chandonustup tatha devo Bhagavan Devaki sutah, Devaki Nandan srashteti shaktih Devaki Nandan srashta kshitishah pap nashanah.”
This verse extols Lord Vishnu as Devaki’s son, the creator of the universe, and the destroyer of sins.
The Bhagavat Purana also begins with a verse that highlights Devaki’s divine role: “Adau Devaki Devi Garbha Jananam.” This verse signifies the commencement of Devaki’s divine journey as the mother of Lord Vishnu.
Final Word
Devaki is indeed the most blessed woman in creation, for she had the extraordinary fortune of giving birth to Lord Vishnu three times. Her status as the divine mother makes her perpetually blessed and venerable.
This narrative serves as a testament to Devaki’s unparalleled devotion and the profound bond she shares with Lord Vishnu.
