Advent of Lord Krsna 3

country known as Mathura (the district of Mathura) as well as the
district known as Siirasena. On account of the rule of King Sirasena,
Mathura became the capital city of all the kings of the Yadus. Mathura was
also made the capital of the kings of the Yadu dynasty because the Yadus
were a very pious family and knew that Mathura is the place where Lord
Sri Krsna lives eternally, just as He also lives in Dvaraka.

Once upon a time, Vasudeva, the son of Siirasena, just after marrying
Devaki, was going home on his chariot with his newly wedded wife. The
father of Devaki, known as Devaka, had contributed a sufficient dowery
because he was very affectionate toward his daughter. He had contributed
hundreds of chariots completely decorated with gold equipment. At that
time, Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena, in order to please his sister, Devaki, had
voluntarily taken the reins of the horses of Vasudeva’s chariot and was
driving. According to the custom of the Vedic civilization, when a girl is
married, the brother takes the sister and brother-in-law to their home.
Because the newly married girl may feel too much separation from her
father’s family, the brother goes with her until she reaches her father-in-
law’s house. The full dowery contributed by Devaka was as follows: 400
elephants fully decorated with golden garlands, 15,000 decorated horses,
and 1800 chariots. He also arranged for two hundred beautiful girls to
follow his daughter. The ksatriya system of marriage, still current in
India, dictates that when a ksatriya is married, a few dozen of the bride’s
young girl friends (in addition to the bride) go to the house of the king.
The followers of the queen are called maidservants, but actually they act
as friends of the queen. This practice is prevalent from time immemorial,
traceable at least to the time before the advent of Lord Krsna 5,000 years
ago. So Vasudeva brought home another two hundred beautiful girls along
with his wife.

While the bride and bridegroom were passing along on the chariot,
there were different kinds of musical instruments playing to indicate the
auspicious moment. There were conchshells, bugles, drums and kettle-
drums; combined together, they were vibrating a nice concert. The pro-
cession was passing very pleasingly, and Kamsa was driving the chariot,
when suddenly there was a miraculous sound vibrated from the sky which
especially announced to Kamsa: “Kamsa: you are such a fool. You are
driving the chariot of your sister and your brother-in-law, but you do not
know that the eighth child of this sister will kill you.”

Kamsa was the son of Ugrasena, of the Bhoja dynasty. It is said that
Karhsa was the most demonic of all the Bhoja dynasty kings. Immediately
after hearing the prophecy from the sky, he caught hold of Devak?’s hair
