The Story of the Secret Birth
Janmashtami | Mythological origin of the festival
This story is part of the new series which seeks to retell the mythological origins of certain festivals celebrated in India. While there has been a strong attempt to ensure there is some grounding by citing ancient literature, creative liberty has been taken in the narrative only to dramatize the events and add psychological depths to the characters. This may (or may not) infuse new meaning to the festival itself. The views are of my own expressed without the intention of hurting anyone’s belief. You can also read the retelling of the festival Onam (The Story of Three Paces), Durga Puja (The Story of Mahishāsurmardini). Diwali (The Story of Return), Mahashivratri (The Story of Halahal), Holika Dahan (The Story of Burning), Holi (The Story of Colours) and Rakshabandhan (The Story of Tied Cloth)
OVERVIEW
Janmashtami is one of the famous festivals across India that celebrates the birth and life of Krishna, one of the most influential and endearing deities in Hinduism.
While there are many memorable stories of Krishna’s childhood as mentioned in scriptures like Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Gita Govinda, none are more fondly remembered on this day than the one around his birth.
STORY
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Vasudev couldn’t believe his eyes.
It was not just his iron chains that were unshackled, there was no lock on the prison gate, and all the guards on duty were lying on the floor along the corridor, snoring. All doors to the outside were open.
Could this be Lord Vishnu’s doing? He wondered. Was this what God meant when he said that nothing will stop Vasudev from what is required?
But this was not the right moment to question. Vasudev knew there wasn’t any time to waste. He quickly went over to Devaki, who was clutching a small bundle close tightly. Had there not been any slight movement inside it, it would have been impossible to realize that there was a baby. Vasudev held his newborn son in his hand, praying not to disturb him. But the child was quiet almost as if knowing that his life was at stake.
“Where are you going to take him, my lord?” Devaki said in a hurt voice, still holding on to her child. Vasudev could only imagine what she must be feeling. The idea of parting a son just after birth from a mother was the cruelest kind of punishment. But given what had happened to their other kids, this was the only way.
“I am going to take him to Nand baba who lives in Gokul.”
“You are really considering it? Are you really going to switch our son with your brother’s newborn daughter?”
Vasudev felt quiet for a moment. “You heard Lord Vishnu too, dear Devaki. Just now, when he appeared before both of us. He was very clear about taking Krishna there and bringing her back in his place.”
“But my brother Kansa will kill her. Like he did all my seven babies. He won’t stop. Not until he kills all of them. He will come after my baby — “
“What choice do we have? There must be a reason why Lord Vishnu would ask us to do this. Besides, now isn’t the time to debate. Kansa knows that you were going to have a child. As his prisoners, we won’t be able to hide that from him.”
Devaki sobbed and let go of the baby. She knows this was the only way.
“You are right, my lord. You must go, Krishna must be saved at all cost.”
Hearing this, Vasudev quickly put him in a basket that he found near the cell gate. Making sure that Krishna was nicely tucked in with some warm clothes, Vasudev took one last look at his newborn baby. For a moment, all the fear completed drained out of his body, seeing his son comfortably sleeping with a smile. It was almost as if this child was ready for what comes next….
Snapping back to reality, Vasudev lifted the basket on his head before moving along the corridor, careful enough not to step on or wake up any guards from their mysterious stupor.
Despite the heavy rains and pitch-black darkness outside, Vasudev started his journey until he reached the banks of Yamuna. At a distance, he could see the village of Gokul.
With no boat in sight and the fear of Kansa’s men catching him, he knew what he had to do.
Slowly, he stepped into the river and started wading through the stream. As his legs struggled to find the river bed, he raised the basket with his son way over his head, which now was the only part of the body above the water level.
But something was wrong. The water level started rising, and waves of Yamuna river was getting more turbulent, almost as if the Yamuna was trying to reach for his child.
Being entirely submerged, he wasn’t sure how long he could keep up. It didn’t matter if he was going to drown, he had to make sure that his infant son survives.
Just when it felt it was his last breath, the waves just stopped, and the water level kept going down until it became waist-deep. The turbulence had gone to a minimum.
Vasudev noticed that Krishna’s leg was sticking out of the basket, comparatively drenched by the water. Having seen enough unexplained phenomenon through the night, he knew it was too much of a coincidence to consider that his son had anything to the sudden change of the river’s temperament.
Adding on the strangeness, He then realized that the rainwater drops weren’t falling on him. From the reflection of the moonlight on the simmering water, he noticed a hooded silhouette casting a shadow from behind him.
Vasudev was scared, but he didn’t look behind. Whatever it was, it was acting as a shield against the torrential rain. He kept going on until he made it to the other side of the Yamuna. The figure behind disappeared as soon as he stepped onto the land.
Upon reaching Nand baba’s house, he went inside as their door was also kept open. His brother and his wife Yashoda were sleeping at one end, and there was a small cot on the other side. He quickly went there to find a newborn baby girl peacefully sleeping in it.
Not wanting to wake anyone up, he put Krishna in the cot before picking the other child and placing her in the basket. He thought of looking at his son one last time, but knowing that would only make this harder, he hurriedly left from there with a heavy heart.
When he got back to the Mathura prison, he was relieved to see that the doors were still open and all guards still sleeping. He went back to his cell and quickly locked the gate. Devaki was sitting there fully awake, noticeably having been crying for a while.
Upon seeing Vasudev with the child, she was almost overjoyed for a brief second before remembering what was about to happen.
Almost as if on cue, the baby started crying loudly. Despite’s the couple’s best efforts in calming her down, the noise seems to have broken the trance that was keeping the guards drowsy, and soon some of them came to find out what was causing it.
“Alert King Kansa! There is a new child! Quickly!”
The alarming message must have reached almost instantaneously because, within moments, Kansa arrived.
Before Vasudev could stop her, Devaki got up putting herself between Kansa and the child.
“No! Brother, you can’t! She is just a child. She doesn’t deserve — “
As if utterly immune to her pleading and pain, Kansa shoved her to the side and grabbed the child by the legs.
“And so, this is the eight child who is prophesied to kill me. Too bad it never will get to live long enough to even say it’s first words.”
Saying this, Kansa flung the child headfirst towards the prison wall.
But instead of the colliding, the baby just remained suspended in mid-air. Before Kansa and the couple could even realize what was happening, a flash of light emanated from her filling the room. Instead of a child, there was an adult female figure dressed up in a golden sari with weapons in her eight hands. A booming laughter sound filled the air.
“Hah! YOU are going to kill me, Kansa? Why bother? I am not the one you are after. The one who is destined to vanquish you is already born and safe. Your end is near.”
Saying this, the figure vanished, leaving Kansa trembling and confused.
Vasudev looked at Devaki. If there was any doubt before, he now knew that their son Krishna wasn’t an ordinary child but divinity himself.
He only wished someday he could meet him and know about all his adventures. Perhaps that day, he would tell his son the story around his birth — a tale to remembered for ages.
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