Shree Krishna Janma Leela: The Midnight Journey from Mathura to Gokul

The very name Krishna carries a meaning that captivates the heart and irresistibly draws the soul closer to Him. As explained in the verse karṣhati yogināṁ paramahaṁsānāṁ chetānsi iti kṛṣhṇaḥ (कर्षति योगिनां परमहंसानां चेतांसि इति कृष्णः), it means “He who irresistibly draws the minds of even the most steadfast yogis and realised saints.”  Such is His charm that even the greatest sages, absorbed in the bliss of the Brahman, feel their hearts pulled towards Him. Another cherished name, Chitchora, calls Him the divine thief — the One who steals the hearts (chit) of His devotees through His enchanting leelas, leaving them forever captivated in His love. 

Krishna is the all-attractive yet also the master of mischief and drama. Known as Tribhangilal, with His form gracefully bent in three places, He is lovingly addressed in Braj as Banko, a colloquial form of Banke from the famous Banke Bihari, the charming, playful enjoyer of Vrindavan. None of His leelas are straightforward; each carries a delightful twist, adding layers of sweetness to His charm.

This playful complexity can be seen right from the moment of His birth, a divine event set in motion by the rise of His adversary, Kans.

Kans was the son of King Ugrasen, who ruled the kingdom of Mathura. One day, while Ugrasen’s queen was walking through a forest, the shadow of a demon fell upon her. Soon after, she conceived a child. The queen was shocked and heartbroken by the mysterious incident.

Sage Narad appeared and warned Ugrasen that the child to be born would grow into a powerful and cruel demon. Alarmed by this, Ugrasen decided to abandon the newborn once it arrived. After Kans’s birth, the king placed the infant on a large leaf and let it float away in a river, hoping to rid the kingdom of future danger.

A nearby king, Shursen, son of Devmidha, was bathing in the river and saw the floating child. Unaware of the child’s dark origins, he felt compassion and took the baby home to raise as his own.

Shursen had a son named Vasudev. His brother, Parjanya, had five sons, including Nand, Upanand, and Sanand. 

As Kans grew up, Narad ji once again intervened. He revealed to Kans the truth of his birth and how his father had abandoned him. Narad catalysed the situation to fast-track the descent of  Shree Krishna. Enraged by this betrayal, Kans attacked Mathura, causing widespread destruction and terror. He overthrew Ugrasen, imprisoned him, and crowned himself king. Rejecting all Vedic rituals, he declared that all worship must be directed toward him.

Ugrasen’s brother had a daughter named Devaki, making Kans her cousin. Although Devaki feared him, Kans felt a paternal affection toward her and arranged her marriage to Vasudev.

After the wedding, Kans personally offered to escort the couple to their home. Just as the chariot rolled forward, a divine voice echoed from the sky, “O Kans, the eighth child born to Devaki and Vasudev will be your slayer!”

This warning shook Kans to the core. Though outwardly strong, Kans was inwardly weak and deeply insecure. In a fit of terror, he grabbed Devaki by the hair and was about to kill her. Vasudev intervened, pleading with him on moral grounds. He reasoned that the prophecy only mentioned the eighth child, not Devaki herself. He promised to hand over every child born to them.

Trusting Vasudev’s reputation for honesty, Kans spared their lives but imprisoned both Vasudev and Devaki.

When their first child was born, Vasudev honoured his promise and brought the infant to Kans. Initially moved by the innocence of the newborn, Kans allowed them to keep the child.

But Narad ji, determined to ensure God's descent, visited Kans and subtly influenced him. Using an eight-petaled flower, Narad made Kans count the petals from different sides, showing how the count could vary depending on the approach. This created doubt in Kans’s mind that any of the children could be the eighth. In a paranoid frenzy, Kans reversed his decision, reimprisoned Vasudev and Devaki, and killed their firstborn.

This tragic pattern continued with every child born to them.

When Devaki conceived her seventh child, a divine radiance began to emanate from her, signalling that this was no ordinary soul. Even the cruel Kans, always on edge, sensed the child’s extraordinary nature and feared that perhaps his slayer might arrive sooner than foretold. At that very moment, Shree Krishna willed His Yogamaya Shakti into action. 

In a divine act beyond mortal understanding, Yogamaya transferred the unborn child from Devaki’s womb to that of Rohini, Vasudev’s other queen, who resided safely in Gokul at Nanda Baba’s home. This divine child was none other than Balramji, the Sankarshan form of Krishna’s Chatur-vyuha swarup.

The name Sankarshan holds profound meaning: He who draws together, attracts, seizes, or even repels; He who holds the power to annihilate and to preserve; the irresistible force that grasps both the hearts of devotees and the forces of the universe. And here, His very name reflected His arrival drawn forth from Devaki and lovingly placed in Rohini’s womb so that the leelas of the Supreme Lord could unfold in their destined sweetness.

Then came the most-awaited moment: Devaki conceived her eighth child. Kans grew increasingly paranoid. He stopped eating and commanded his guards to watch the prison day and night. 

On the sacred night of Ashtami in the month of Bhadrapad, under the deep stillness of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksh), the cosmos held its breath. The stars shimmered with an unearthly glow, the Yamuna’s waters flowed in hushed reverence, and the prison walls of Mathura seemed to tremble in anticipation.

At the stroke of midnight, the divine moment arrived. In an instant, Devaki’s womb became empty and before her stood Shree Krishna, resplendent in His majestic four-armed form, adorned with the Shankha, Chakra, Gada, and Padma. His body glowed with the radiance of countless suns, yet cooled the heart like the soothing moonlight.

Overwhelmed, Devaki folded her hands, her eyes brimming with tears of awe and devotion. She knew this was not merely her child; this was the Supreme Being, the eternal refuge of all worlds, the father of her father’s father’s father. Her voice trembled as she offered prayers, then humbly pleaded: “O Eternal One, hide this divine form, so that I may cherish the simple joy of holding You as my son.”

The Lord, with a compassionate smile, agreed to Devaki’s request. In a moment, the magnificent four-armed form faded, and He became a tender, radiant infant. Yet, even in that tiny form, His divine presence filled the cell. Then, in a voice as soft as it was commanding, He instructed Vasudev:

Exactly as He spoke, the iron chains shattered, the guards sank into unshakable sleep, and the heavy prison doors swung wide. Lifting the divine child into a wicker basket, Vasudev placed it gently upon his head and stepped into the stormy night.

The sky thundered, rain poured in torrents, and lightning flashed like celestial drums announcing the arrival of the Supreme Brahman in a mortal form. Yet Vasudev walked on, his heart steady, protected by the unseen hand of Providence. When he reached the mighty Yamuna, her waters, wild and swollen, parted in reverence to let him pass. But halfway across, the river rose as if yearning for His touch. Understanding her devotion, the infant Krishna allowed His tiny feet to slip from the basket. The Yamuna, blessed by that touch, calmed her waves and let them pass in peace.

At Gokul, everyone was asleep. A baby girl had just been born to Yashoda. As per the divine plan, she had manifested at the same time Krishna had.

Vasudev placed Krishna next to Yashoda and gently took the baby girl back to Mathura. As he returned, the prison doors closed, and the guards awoke to announce the birth to Kans.

When Kans arrived, his eyes narrowed at the sight of a girl. He laughed mockingly at the prophecy, “This frail child will kill me?” he scoffed. Yet, fearing no risk, he snatched the infant from Vasudev’s hands and raised her high, intent on smashing her to the ground.

But before his cruel hands could harm her, the baby slipped free, transforming mid-air into the resplendent Goddess Durga, adorned with ten arms, each bearing a celestial weapon. Her voice thundered across the heavens:

In a flash of divine radiance, She vanished into the sky. Kans stood frozen, his arrogance shaken. For a fleeting moment, remorse filled his heart. He fell at the feet of Devaki and Vasudev, weeping and begging for forgiveness. But the shadow of his demonic nature soon returned, spurred on by the whispers of his wicked advisors, and once again, he cast them into the darkness of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, in Gokul, the villagers lived simple, contented lives. Nand Baba, their wise and gentle chieftain, once welcomed a group of Brahmins into his home with great warmth. Pleased by his hospitality, they blessed him, saying he would be graced with a son. Nand was taken aback and smiled, “At my age, how could that be?” But the Brahmins assured him, “Our blessing will surely come true.”

In due course, Yashoda conceived. On the sacred night of Ashtami, when the whole village had drifted into slumber, the divine plan of Shree Krishna unfolded. At the same midnight hour when He manifested before Devaki and Vasudev in Mathura, Maa Yashoda gave birth to a baby girl. By the Lord’s will, she lay unconscious, unaware of what was happening.

Vasudev entered quietly, placed the dark-skinned, lotus-eyed Krishna beside Yashoda, and carried the baby girl back to Mathura. When Yashoda awoke, her gaze fell upon the enchanting child in her arms. Overjoyed, she embraced Him, her heart brimming with the pure bliss of a mother’s love, never realising that she was holding the Supreme God Himself.

This, too, was part of Krishna’s grand design. Out of boundless compassion, He wished to give each devotee the unique joy their heart desired — to Nand and Yashoda, the sweetness of vātsalya (parental love); to His cowherd friends, the warmth of sakhya (friendship); to the gopis, the bliss of madhurya (divine love). For this, He hid His divinity from them, making them forget He was God — and even allowed Himself to forget — so that love, untainted by reverence, could blossom in its purest form.

The next morning, the entire village erupted in joy. Nand Baba, mesmerised by Krishna’s beauty, declared, “I offer my body, mind, and wealth to Him.” Gokul rejoiced with songs, sweets, and endless love, blissfully unaware that this charming child was destined to end Kans’s tyranny and restore Dharma to the world.

Happy Janmashtami !!!!