Krishna - The Dark Lord of Dwaraka

Surasena and Mathura were the two kingdoms where most of

the Yadavas lived. (The Yadavas were the descendants of
Yadu, the son of Yayati)
It was the times when Sura was the king of Surasena.
Mathura was ruled by Ugrasena. Ugrasena had a brother
Devaka. Kamsa was the son of Ugrasena and Devaki was the
daughter of Devaka.
Kamsa, the crown prince of Mathura had no sisters of his own
and because of this he loved his cousin sister like his own
sister.
Vasudeva, the king of Mathura had six wives whom he loved
dearly Pauravi, Rohini, Bhadra, Madira, Rochana and Ila. It
was proposed that Devaki the princess of Mathura should also
be married to Vasudeva. Both Vasudeva and Devaki agreed
gladly and the marriage was performed with great pomp and
show.
Kamsa looked at his radiant sister and decided that Devaki
would be very happy as the wife of Vasudeva and himself
drove the couple in the chariot around the kingdom....
A loud voice cracked through the skies as Kamsa brought the
chariot to a sudden skidding halt. 'YOU FOOL!' The voice
jeered at him. 'What are you so happy about? Why are you so
happy about the marriage of Devaki with Vasudeva? Do you
not realize the consequences of this marriage? The eighth
child born to Vasudeva and Devaki would be reason of your
death!'
A sudden hush fell over the crowd as the voice stopped just as
suddenly as it had started.
Everyone watched the crown prince.....A choleric rage spread
through the face of Kamsa. With a snarl he threw down the
reins of the chariot and stormed towards Devaki. Forgotten
was the fact that he loved this woman as his own sister.
Forgotten was the fact that he himself had approved of the
marriage with his whole heart...All that mattered to Kamsa
now was that Devaki had to cease to exist. Only if she
died....Kamsa could live...
Devaki tried to calm down her brother but knew that he was
beyond reason. Kamsa pulled out his sword and was about to
attack a defenceless person, when Vasudeva interfered.
'KAMSA! The minute a person is born, his death is also
written!' Vasudeva said retraining Kamsa with great difficulty.
'If the voice from the heaven speaks the truth then, Devaki's
son may the instrument of your death.....Death is not
something to be feared! It is natural!'
Kamsa did not even listen to a single word that Vasudeva
said. He continued forward with his sword.
'DEVAKI IS NOT YOUR ENEMY!' Vasudeva shouted
desperately. Kamsa stopped as he looked at Vasudeva. 'Your
enemy is Devaki's son! Spare her life and...' Vasudeva
swallowed as he realized that he was about to make a
dangerous promise and also knew that he had no other choice
if he had to save Devaki's life. '...I will give you all her
children as soon as they are born!' Vasudeva said slowly,
looking straight at Kamsa, praying....really praying that
Kamsa listened to reason.
Kamsa looked at Devaki and then at Vasudeva and lowered
his sword. 'I....I....Make sure you keep up your promise!
Because if not....' Kamsa looked dangerously as he shoved the
sword angrily inside the scabbard and huffed away from there,
without completing the sentence.
The procession was cut short very quick as Vasudeva and
Devaki went to the palace set aside for them...
*********

The first son of Devaki was named Kirtiman (The first son
has also been named as Smara in some other part of the
Purana). Devaki watched in horror as Vasudeva took the new
born baby with him.
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' Devaki shrieked trying to stop
Vasudeva.
'Keeping my promise!' Vasudeva said feeling very angry with
himself as he took the baby with him. He went to Kamsa's
palace and offered the child to him.
Kamsa looked at Vasudeva and then at the child with a look
of wonder in his face. He smiled. 'I do not know what to say! I
knew you were a man of your word! And I am pleased! But
the voice said that Devaki's eighth child was going to kill me!
This is your first child! I see no harm in letting him be alive!
Take him back!' Kamsa said quietly.
Vasudeva looked shocked and was about to happily take the
child back when...
'Narayana! Narayana!' Both the men turned to see Sage
Narada standing inside the palace with his trademark
tamboora.
Vasudeva bowed to the sage first. Kamsa was irked.
Everything about the sage irked him. Right from the look, to
the tamboora....Kamsa realized that the name uttered by the
sage was what made him angry most...Reluctantly he bowed
to the sage.
Narada looked at the baby and then looked at Vasudeva.
'Please leave the child here, Prince Vasudeva! I wish to talk to
Kamsa, privately!'
Flustered Kamsa led Sage Narada to the inner room. The sage
looked shrewdly at Kamsa. 'What were you about to do,
Kamsa?'
Kamsa frowned. 'What do you mean? I asked Vasudeva to
take back...'
'I know!' Narada said impatiently. 'Are you a fool?' Narada
thundered angrily as Kamsa watched perplexed. 'Do you even
understand what you were about to do?'
Kamsa looked blankly as Narada sighed. 'Of course! How can
I expect you to remember? I said 'Narayana's name....It
annoyed you, did it not?'
Kamsa again nodded his head having no clue as to what the
sage was going to say. 'Do you know who you were in your
last birth?' Sage Narada said softly. Kamsa felt a throbbing
headache as he mutely shook his head.
'You were born as Kalanemi, a great asura! And as Kalanemi
you were killed by Lord Vishnu in your previous life!' Kamsa
had a vision of huge asura, being killed....by a divine being.
Kamsa blinked as Sage Narada nodded his head. 'Lord Vishnu
is your enemy! And do you know that in this time, many
devas have been born among the Yadavas under the command
of Lord Vishnu! Right from Nanda, the cowherd head in
Gokula to any of the powerful Yadava from your clan They
were born for the destruction of evil, everywhere! And you
are just willing to let a child born among the Yadavas, to
live?' Narada demanded angrily.
'But...but the voice said....' Kamsa said feeling very foolish.
'The voice said Devaki's eighth child would kill you, I know!'
Narada cut in impatiently. Narada produced a lotus flower in
his hand. A lotus flower with eight petals. Narada rotated it
before Kamsa. 'Which is the first petal here, Kamsa? Which is
the eighth petal?'
Narada did not need to speak anymore. Kamsa furiously got
up realizing that he was about to make a folly in letting the
first child of Devaki live....All the Yadavas were his enemy,
all of them were loyal to Lord Vishnu....He should not let any
of them alive...Or they would kill him.
Kamsa stormed out of the room and much to the horror of
Vasudeva killed the first child.
Narada watched the entire scene with sad eyes as he went
out. The Sada Garbhas could not live on earth...Because that
was who the first child was. The first Sadha Garbha. An
ordinary mortal life was not meant for any of the Sadha
Garbhas. They were meant for salvation and a complete
release from the eternal circle of life....And they could attain it
only when Hiranyakasipu's curse was fulfilled. And for this
they had to be killed by their own father Kalanemi, who was
now born as Kamsa....
Sage Narada passed Vasudeva and Devaki's palace which was
filled with weeping and shrieking cries of Devaki as
Vasudeva was trying to console Devaki, on the loss of her
child....
Sage Narada smiled sadly. Neither Vasudeva nor Devaki
knew who they were either. Sage Kashyap was Vasudeva and
Devaki...had to face her punishment for what she had done to
Diti when she had been Aditi.....
Devaki lost six sons this way Smara, Udgita, Parishvanga,
Patanga, Kshudrabhit and Ghrini.
***********

Unfortunately Sage Narada's words proved dangerous for all
of the Yadavas. Kamsa now started hating all the Yadavas and
constantly harassed them. Kamsa even imprisoned his own
father Ugrasena and took over the entire kingdom. The
Yadavas fled the kingdom and settled in other kingdoms....