One day, thousands of years ago,
in Vaikuntha, the realm of Vishnu,
the Lord was resting on Adishesha.
As he looked down, he saw that
forces of evil overwhelmed Bhoomidevi;
the innocent suffered, wickedness prevailed.
The Lord of the Universe, in all His mercy
decided that enough was enough;
it was time to incarnate again.
For flesh and blood, he chose Devaki –
the sister of a tyrant called Kamsa
and her husband, the gentle Vasudeva.
Kamsa already wise to the fact that
Devaki’s eighth offspring will cause his end,
imprisoned the couple and challenged destiny.
Over the years were born six children,
each mercilessly killed by their uncle;
the hapless parents were mute witnesses.
The seventh child was whisked away,
and entrusted to Vasudeva’s second wife;
he was Balarama, an incarnation
of Adishesha himself.
It was the eighth night of the waning moon,
the month was Shravan, the star Rohini;
the skies thundered and showered forth
torrents of rain, welcoming baby Krishna.
Vasudeva’s shackles broke free,
the gates of his prison opened,
he carried the baby-laden basket,
across the swollen Yamuna.
In the dead of night he reached Gokul,
Nanda’s house, the destination;
Yashoda, Nanda’s wife was
resting after child-birth.
Vasudeva having exchanged the babies,
hurried back with Nanda’s baby girl.
The infant’s cry alerted Kamsa’s guards,
he stomped angrily to the prison but,
before he could smash the child,
lo behold! she escaped, warning Kamsa
that his killer was safe elsewhere.
Thus did Lord Vishnu, like in every Yuga,
assume an avatar, this time , as Krishna,
to uphold good, to destroy evil,
to protect the virtuous, to establish dharma.
Poet: Pratibha Shenoy (Bangalore)
