“f Go
SY fe \-
2/ Prayers by the Demigods
for Lord Krsna in the Womb

King Kamsa not only occupied the kingdoms of the Yadu, Bhoja, and
Andhaka dynasties and the kingdom of Satasena, but he also made alli-
ances with all the other demoniac kings, as follows: the demon Pralamba,
demon Baka, demon Canira, demon Trnavarta, demon Aghasura, demon
Mustika, demon Arista, demon Dvivida, demon Pitana, demon Kesi and
demon Dhenuka. At that time, Jarasandha was the king of Magadha
province (known at present as Behar state). Thus by his diplomatic policy,
Kamsa consolidated the most powerful kingdom of his time, under the
protection of Jarasandha. He made further alliances with such kings as
Banasura and Bhaumasura, until he was the strongest. Then he began to
behave most inimically towards the Yadu dynasty into which Krsna was
to take His birth.

Being harassed by Kamsa, the kings of the Yadu, Bhoja and Andhaka

dynasties began to take shelter in different states such as the state of the
Kurus, the state of the Pajicalas and the states known as Kekaya, Salva,
Vidarbha, Nisadha, Videha and Kogala. Kamsa broke the solidarity of the
Yadu Kingdom, as well as the Bhoja and Andhaka. He made his position
the most solid within the vast tract of land known at that time as
Bharatavarsa.
‘ When Kamsa killed the six babies of Devaki and Vasudeva one after
another, many friends and relatives of Kamsa approached him and re-
quested him to discontinue these heinous activities. But all of them became
worshipers of Kamsa.

When Devaki became pregnant for the seventh time, a plenary expansion
of Krsna known as Ananta appeared within her womb. Devaki was over-
whelmed both with jubilation and lamentation. She was joyful, for she
could understand that Lord Visnu had taken shelter within her womb, but
at the same time she was sorry that as soon as her child would come out,

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