I 382 KAMSA I

to this city after his marriage. Once the King Dasarna Madhu had a son named Lavana. Lavana was a very came near this and sent a BrJihtnana. place messenger wicked demon always ill-treating the devas. Satrughna, to In olden a son Kampilya. days, King named - of Dasaratha, killed him and lived there establishing

datta used to rule over this . a city. (M.B. Udyoga Parva) beautiful kingdom there. He named that place See under the word 'Brahmadatta'. . After the death of Satrughna two of his sons I. Son of of KAMSA , King Mathura, and an ruled that country. Then when the dynasty be- incarnation of an called Kalaiiemi. extinct came the city of Mathura came into the possess- in Visnu : 1) Genealogy. Descending order from Biahniu- ion of the Yadu dynasty. It was ruled then by a very Atri - Candra - Budha-Pururavas-Ayus-Nahusa-Yayati- brave and valiant ruler named SQrasena. Yadu-Sahasrajit-Satajit-Hehaya-Dharma-Kunti (Kuni) - father of Sii Krsna was the son of Suraseiia. After the death of Bhadrasena-Dhanaka-Krtavlra-Kartavlryarjuna-Madhu- Surascna another King of the Yfidava dynasty, Vrsni - - Yudhajit Sini-Satyaka-Satyaki (Yuyudhana)- Ugrasena, became the ruler of the place, Vasudeva - Yaya-Kuni Anamitra-Pr-:ni-Citraratha Kukura-Vahni- accepting cow-rearing as his profession. Karhsa became - Dun- Viloma-Kapotaroman (Kapotaloman)-Tumburu King keeping Ugrasena as a prisoner. (Skandha 4, dubhi-Daridra-Vasu-Nahuka-Ahuka-Ugrasena-Kariisa. Bhagavata). 2) Karhsa, an incarnation of Kdlanemi. In the svayam- 5) V sudeva and are imprisoned. Vasudeva married bhuvamanvantara Marici had a wife named Crna and Devaki daughter of Ugrasena and sister of Kaihsa. they had six and sons. One mighty powerful day they Kariisa pleased with his sister presented her with a ridiculed Brahma saying 'A father who has married his charjpt. Kaihsa, Vasudeva and Devaki ascended the own married his own daughter' (Brahma Sarasvati, chariot and Kaihsa himself drove the chariot. Then . Brahma became and cursed daughter) angry them to from an unknown source above came a voice which be born as demons on earth. All the six sons were, said "Oh King, know thou this and from this moment therefore, born as sons of a demon called on chalk out thy plans for the future. The eighth son of earth. In their next birth were born as sons of they your sister will kill you for certain. You will be no Hiranyakasipu. led a life and at They pious pleased match against him." (Chapter 1. Bhagavata 10th this Brahma asked them what boon they wanted and Skandha). they demanded that they should not be killed by any- Hearing this voice from heaven Kamsa got furious and body. Their father, Hiranyakasipu, did not like his dragging his sister by the hair raised his sword to kill sons getting a boon behind his back and so he cursed her. Vasudeva then pleaded weeping not to kill Devaki. his sons "May you all six go to (nether-world) Only the eighth child of Devaki was going to kill him. and sleep there for a long time under the name of Vasudeva would hand over all the children to him as Sadarbhakas. The sons for begged relief and Hiranya- soon as they were born. Such arguments pacified Kaihsa kasipu said that they would after for a sleeping long and he left off Devaki without her. time be born to Devaki, wife of Vasudeva, as their hurting Devaki delivered a son. He under the name children and that Kalanemi, their father in their pre- grew up of Kirtiman and one visited vious birth would then be born as Karhsa and kill the day Kariisa and told him that he was the incarnation of an Asura named children of Devaki by striking their heads on the Kalanemi and the son who would be ground. born to Devaki to kill him was Accordingly Kalanemi was born as Kariisa and he Narayana. Kariisa, blind with fury, killed Kirtiman by striking him on the earth and im- killed the six children of Devaki by striking them on the prisoned both Devaki and Vasudeva. ground. (Skandha 4, Devi Bhagavata) . Man-hunt Kamsa. The 10th Skandha of Bhagavata states "killing Kala- 6) of Pralamba, CanQra, Trnavarta, nemi born as Karhsa" when it refers to the killing of Mustika, Arisfaka, Kesi, Dhenuka, Agha, Vivida and Kariisa. Putana were born in the Asura family as servants of Karhsa. He sent them to 3) Another story regarding the birth of Karhsa. Kariisa different sides of the country to torment the was not actually the son of Ugrasena. It was Narada . Many Yadavas left the place. Even Kariisa 's father who revealed to Karhsa the story of his birth. It is as Ugrasena, a great devotee of Visnu follows. was teased. Once when the wife of was in her menses she In the meantime Ugrasena Devaki delivered six sons including went to the with her a Kirtiman and all garden companions. Then of them were killed by Karhsa by named Dramila disguised as Ugrasena smashing their heads against the ground below. The went to her but she knew the trick and cursed him seventh foetus of Devaki was aborted. (Instructed by that he would go to hell. But Dramila committed rape Mahavisnu, MayadevI invoked the seventh foetus of on her and then left the place making her pregnant. Devaki and transferred it to the womb of RohinI When the child was born Ugrasena's wife greatly hated another wife of Vasudeva. The child thus born to RohinI the child got of an evil deed and cursed it saying that was Sankarsana or Balabhadrarama. Mahavisnu then the child would be killed a of the entered the by member family womb of Devaki instructing Mayadevi to of Ugrasena. Thus Kamsa was the son born to the wife enter that ofYasoda, wife of Nandagopa of Ambadi at of the Dramila. It was the time. Sri Ugrasena by Gandharva, because same Krsna was then born in (he figure Kamsa was aware of it that he behaved to of Visnu. very badly The watchmen were sleeping. Following Ugrasena and Krsna. (10th Skandha, Bhagavata). directions from the new-born child Vasudeva took the How Karhsa In olden 4) got Mathurapuri. times there child to Gokula and leaving the child there brought was a famous place called Madhuvana in the back the child of Yasoda and p'aced it near Devaki. river-base of Kalindi. The place got the name of Madhu- When the watchmen awoke and knew about the deli- vana because the demon Madhu was residing there. very of Devaki they immediately ran to Kariisa to tell