The entire gathering was thrown into fear and confusion. Kansa's rage knew no bounds. The ground shook with his fury. 'Who dared speak such sacrilege?' he roared. But even in his anger Kansa recognised the voice of destiny, and he was afraid. 'Throw them into prison,' he thundered, pointing at Devaki and Vasudev. 'Let them be watched every minute of the day for the rest of their lives!' Kansa's demon soldiers surrounded Devaki and Vasudev and took them off to the deepest, most secure dungeon in Kansa's palace.

Devaki and Vasudev lived in the dungeon, watched night and day by Kansa's soldiers. Many years passed. Devaki gave birth to six sons, one after another. Kansa killed each child within minutes of its birth.

When Devaki was expecting her seventh child, Vasudev prayed long and hard to Vishnu. 'Save this child,' he prayed. 'Don't let Kansa kill all our sons!' Vishnu heard his prayers, and magically transferred the baby into the womb of Rohini, another wife of Vasudev. Soon Rohini gave birth to the baby, Devaki's seventh son. He was called Balaram, and brought up safely and in secret by Rohini among the villagers of Braj. Meanwhile, Devaki and Vasudev told Kansa that their seventh child had been born dead.

Very soon after, Devaki began expecting her eighth child, the one, it had been said, who would kill Kansa. Kansa doubled the guards on the prison, and waited anxiously for the birth of this child.

Devaki's eighth son was born at midnight on a dark and stormy night in the month of Sravan. The baby was as dark as the clouds that covered the sky that night. He was therefore called Krishna, which means 'dark' or 'black'.

Krishna's birth cont'd... 
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