At midnight on the eight day of the second fortnight of Shravana, Krishna is born in prison to slay Kansa and fulfill the prophecy.
The birthday of Krishna is a momentous day in the Hindu. It falls on the 8th day of the second fortnight in the month of Shravana, which this year falls on the 4th of September according to the western calendar.
The story of the birth of Krishna is very interesting. Kansa was a cruel ruler. After the wedding of his cousin sister Devaki to Vasudev there was a prophecy that Devaki’s eighth child would slay Kansa. Kansa wanted to kill Devaki immediately. However he was persuaded to spare Devaki’s life on the condition that he would kill each child as soon as it was born. Thus Kansa killed the first six sons of Devaki.
Vasudev’s first wife Rohini was staying in Gokul with Nand, the chief of a cowherd clan. Devaki conceived for the seventh time but apparently had a miscarriage. In reality the child was miraculously transferred to Rohini’s womb.
Then Devaki conceived for the eighth time. At the same time Nand’s wife, Yashoda also conceived. The Supreme God had entered Devaki’s womb to be born as Krishna. Yoga Maya, the Goddess of Illusion, had entered Yashoda’s womb. Both Devaki and Yashoda delivered prematurely. The newborn Krishna revealed his secret to Vasudev. By divine magic Kansa’s guards fell asleep and the prison doors opened. Vasudev took Krishna to Nand’s home and exchanged him with Yashoda’s baby girl.
Kansa was surprised to see a girl as the eighth child. As he was about to kill her, the girl slipped out of Kansa’s hand and flew upwards where she revealed her true form. She informed Kansa that his killer had already been born and was elsewhere and then vanished.
