Kansa

Kansa or Kamsa was the emperor of Mathura. He was the son of King Ugrasena and Padmavati.

Kansa deceitfully removed his father Ugrasena from the thrown and declared himself as the king of Mathura. Later he married the two daughters of Jarasandha, King of Magadha. Jarasandha was the friend of his advisor Banasur. The two wives of Kansa were Asti and Prapti.

The Bhagavata Purana states that, Kansa was not the biological son of Ugrasena. The story says that once a devil was flying through the city of Mathura and he saw Padmavati who was the beautiful queen of King Ugrasena. The demon was enticed by the attractiveness of Padmavati. The demon disguises himself in the form of Ugrasena. He seduced Padmavati and united with her which result the birth of Kansa. This fact was unknown to Kansa.

A divine prophesy said that Kansa would be killed by the eighth son of Devaki, his sister. The eighth son born to Devaki will be Lord Krishna. By then Devaki married Vasudeva, Kansa`s friend. Immediately after their marriage Kansa imprisoned both Devaki and Vasudeva. They were allowed to live only under the condition that all their children would be handed over to him as soon as they were born. The first six babies born to Devaki and Vasudeva were killed ruthless by Kansa.

The seventh child born to Devaki and Vasudeva was Balarama, who was saved from Kansa by magically transferring him to the womb of Rohini, another wife of Vasudeva. When the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva, Lord Krishna was born he was saved from Kansa and raised by a cowherd couple, Nanda and Yashoda. Kansa or Kamsa was eventually killed by Lord Krishna.

Kansa attempted to destroy Krishna as soon as he was born but failed. After that he decided to kill all the worshippers of Vishnu, young and old. He commanded his warriors to search for all young children throughout the country, and to slay every male child. Kansa afterwards employed demons to find and kill Krishna, and sent Akrura to bring him to Mathura. There was a severe contest in which Krishna slew the powerful demon Chanura, and afterwards killed king Kansa himself.

The episode of death of Kansa, the king of Magadha, marks the victory of good over evil. Lord Krishna visited Mathura with Balarama in the company of Akrura who had been sent to Vraja by Kansa because Kansa wanted to kill both Keshava and Balarama. The king had planned that he would kill both his enemies by inviting them in a trial of strength. The two powerful demons of Kansa were Chanura and Mushtika with whom Krishna and Balarama were to fight.

The legend states that the highly powerful Lord Krishna was engaged in combat with Chanura. The demon Mushtika who was well-versed in wrestling started fighting with Balarama. Mutually entwining and pushing and falling and beating each other with fist`s, arms and elbows and pressing each other with their faces, inter-facing their arms, kicking with-their feet, pressing with their whole weight upon another, fought Hari and Chanura. And at the time of this national festival Lord Krishna and Chanura had a dreadful encounter. Chanura was gradually losing his original vigour and the wreath. Upon his head trembled the world-comprehending Krishna. Seeing Chanura losing and Krishna, gaining strength Kansa, worked up with ire and had ordered the music to cease. And as soon as music was stopped by Kansa countless celestial bugles were sounded in the welkin.

Thereupon sporting for a long time with Chanura, Krishna, and the slayer of Madhu, at last lifted him up and whirled him with the intention of slaying him. Having whirled Chanura round a hundred times until his breath had expended in the sky, the lord dashed the body of Chanura on the ground. As soon as it felt it was sundered into a hundred pieces and the earth was strewn with a hundred pools of gory mire. While this happened, the powerful Baladeva was engaged with the demon Mushtik. Striking him on the head with his fists and on the breast with his knees, he stretched firm on the ground, and pummelled him there till he was dead Again, Krishna encountered the royal bruiser Tomalaka, and felled him to the earth with a blow of his left hand.

Seeing such an incident in front of his eyes Kansa ordered that Krishna should be seized and chained and the two cow boys should be driven away from the kingdom. Kansa had also ordered that all the cattle of the cowherds of Gokula should be taken away from them. Upon hearing these orders, Madhava laughed at Kansa, and springing up to the place where he was seated, took hold of him by the hair of his head, and struck him to the ground. Then casting Kansa down upon the earth, Krishna threw himself upon him. Crushed by the weight of the upholder of the universe, Kansa gave up. Krishna then threw the dead body, by the hair of the head, into the centre of the arena.

Witnessing Kansa is that condition, his brother Sumalin came to his succour; but he was encountered, and easily killed, by Balabhadra. As soon as Kansa died a jubilation began in Mathura because the lord of the universe had been successful in slaying the mighty evil king Kansa without much difficulty.