Who is Kamsa

Since childhood, I’ve wondered why Krishna himself had to incarnate to deal with Kamsa. Most stories don’t highlight how powerful Kamsa truly was—he was no less mighty than Ravana from the Ramayana.

Here is the detailed explanation how strong and mighty Kamsa was...

Sri Narada narrates that during the churning of the ocean, the demon Kalanemi fought Lord Vishnu and was slain. Later, Shukracharya revived him using his Sanjeevani knowledge. Determined to battle Vishnu again, Kalanemi performed severe penance on Mount Mandara, surviving on durva-grass juice. After a hundred celestial years, only his bones remained. Pleased, Brahma granted him a boon that he would not die at the hands of any demigods connected to Lord Vishnu.

Reborn as a demon from Queen Padmavati, wife of King Ugrasena, Kalanemi came to be known as Kamsa. From a young age, he exhibited immense strength and combative nature. Meanwhile, Jarasandha, king of Magadha, aimed to conquer the world and camped near the Yamuna. His powerful elephant, Kuvalayapida, escaped and ran toward Kamsa. Kamsa defeated it with incredible might, impressing Jarasandha, who then gave his daughters Asti and Prapti in marriage to Kamsa, along with the elephant Kuvalayapida and an enormous dowry of horses, elephants, chariots, and maidservants.

To be continued.... 

Lord consents to descend to earth and who are gopis

Sage Narada recounts a divine conversation between Sri Radha and Lord Kṛishna. When Krishna expresses His intent to descend to Earth to relieve its burden, Sri Radha overwhelmed with sorrow at the thought of separation, declares she cannot live without Him. She vows to leave her body if He departs alone. Touched by her devotion, Kṛishna promises to stay with her, remove Earth’s burden, and honor her word.

Sri Radha then expresses her heart’s attachment to Vrindavan, the Yamuna River, and Govardhana Hill, saying she cannot be happy without them. To comfort her, Krishna sends these sacred places to Earth along with a portion of His divine abode.

Later, when Lord Brahma asks about the gopis who will share in the divine rasa-Leela, Krishna explains that they are elevated souls: personified Vedas, great sages, women from sacred regions like Mithila, Kosala, and Ayodhya, Yajna- Sitas (when the divine was incarnated as Lord Rama), etc. All had received boons from Him in past ages to be born as gopis in His eternal realm of Vraja.

Yajna -Sitas: As King, Lord Rama needed a wife to perform yajnas (sacrificial rituals), but after Sita's exile, He refused to remarry. On the advice of His guru, Vasistha Muni, He created golden statues of Sita to serve as His consort during the rituals. When Rama prepared to leave the world, these golden statues requested to accompany Him, claiming they were His wives. Lord Rama explained that He could not accept more than one wife in that life but promised to accept them as His consorts in His next incarnation. True to His word, He later accepted them as the gopis when He incarnated as Lord Krishna.

Types of different incarnations of divine

When Sage Shaunak asks Sage Garga how the Divine descends into this world, Sage Garga responds by referring to a prior conversation between Sage Narada and King Bahulashwa. In that exchange, King Bahulashwa poses the same question to Sage Narada—how does the Divine take birth in the material world?

Sri Narada, referencing the Smriti-shastra, outlines six distinct types of divine incarnations of the Lord:

1. Ansh (Part) – Starting with Brahma, these incarnations oversee the Lord's divine missions in the world.

2. Anshansh (Part of a Part) – Beginning with Marichi, these forms assist in executing those divine missions.

3. Avesha (Possessed by the Lord) – Beginning with Parashurama, the Lord temporarily enters a soul (jiva) to fulfill specific divine tasks.

4. Kala (Full Part) – Includes figures like Kapila (sage and founder of Samkhya philosophy) and Kurma (the tortoise avatar in the churning of the ocean). These incarnations uphold and teach dharma.

5. Purna (Full Incarnations) – Includes powerful manifestations such as Narasimha, Rama, Hari of Svetadvipa, Vaikuntha (Chaturmukhi Vishnu), Yajna, and Nara-Narayana. These exhibit divine heroism and the full range of emotional expressions (nine rasas), including the Chatur-vyuha forms: Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.

6. Paripurna (Most Complete) – Shri Krishna is the fullest and original form, embodying all divine qualities and carrying out numerous missions simultaneously. He is regarded as the supreme, most complete incarnation of the Lord.

How text begins

The Garg Samhita, authored by Maharishi Garg, begins with a divine hymn, Govindstotram, using rich metaphorical language to glorify Shri Radha-Krishna, whose essence pervades the entire text. It opens with a dialogue between sage Saunaks and sage Garg followed by a conversation between Sage Narada and King Bahulashva, who elaborates on the supreme nature of Radha-Krishna.

Maharishi Garg touches upon the ancient concept of a multiverse, as mentioned in sacred scriptures. In the first chapter, Sage Shaunaka asks Sage Garg to speak about Radha-Krishna. Garg recounts Narada’s dialogue with King Bahulashva, where Narada reveals the divine nature of Shri Radha-Krishna.

The narrative shifts to a cosmic concern—Mother Earth, tortured by demonic forces, appeals to Lord Brahma, who first comforts her and then directs her to Lord Vishnu. Joined by Lord shiva and other demigods, they meet Lord Vishnu, who tells them to seek Shri Krishna, the Supreme Being beyond even the gods. Lord Brahma shows his ignorance about Lord Krishna, requests Lord Vishnu to show them the Lord of the Lord's Shri Krishna. 

Lord Vishnu then reveals the path in Karana Ocean, a divine spiritual path created by his Vamana avatar. Traveling this path, the gods leave their universe and see countless universes floating like kutaja fruits in the vast ocean. They pass the Viraja River, which marks the boundary between the material and spiritual worlds, and arrive at the gates of Goloka—Krishna’s eternal abode.

There, they meet Shatchandranana, a friend of Krishna. Shatchandranana asks the demigods to which universe they have come from? So that she shall tell Lord Krishana about their arrival?

The demigods  taken aback, say with little hesitation that they have not seen any other universes. They know only one universe and there is no other universe in their knowledge. 

She challenges their limited understanding by revealing the existence of countless universes, each with its own set of gods. Embarrassed, the gods fall silent. Lord Vishnu clarifies their origin as the universe where Prasnigarbha (Lord Vishnu as son of King Sutapa and his wife Prasni) descended and the universe which is broken by Lord Trivikrama's toenail. (another name of Lord Vishnu's Vaman Avatar.). 

The episode emphasizes the vastness of creation, the supremacy of Krishna, and the limitations of even the highest gods in understanding the complete cosmic reality.

Structure of Garg Samhita

Most Hindu spiritual texts adopt a conversational approach to storytelling, preserving their deep connection to oral traditions. The Garg Samhita follows this same method to reveal the divine glory of Shri Radha-Krishna.

This narrative style is a hallmark of Hindu scriptures—it invites curiosity, encourages questioning, and offers precise answers about divinity. Rather than demanding blind faith, it nurtures understanding, enabling a seeker to connect with the divine through reason and experience.

The Garg Samhita consists of 11 sections, each of which explores different stories and divine qualities of Shri Radha-Krishna. These sections highlight specific events in Krishna’s life and convey profound spiritual teachings, helping the common person find a personal path to the divine without any preconceived notions.