Garg Samhita-Kamsa's wickedness and birth of Balarama

Vasudeva could not flee with Devaki from his palace, as the cautious Kamsa had deployed 10,000 soldiers around it.

As time passed, Devaki gave birth to her first child, who was named Kirtiman. As promised, Vasudeva offered his first son to Kamsa. Pleased with Vasudeva's honesty, Kamsa returned the infant, saying he had no enmity with the firstborn but would definitely kill the eighth child. Thus, King Vasudeva went home with his son, but he did not trust the words of the wicked Kamsa.

Then, provoked by Sage Narada—who instilled doubt in Kamsa’s mind regarding the ambiguity of the eighth child—Kamsa killed Devaki’s first son by smashing him against a stone and chained both Vasudeva and Devaki.

When King Ugrasena tried to stop Kamsa from committing such wicked deeds against his own kin, Kamsa killed most of Ugrasena's soldiers, chained Ugrasena, imprisoned him along with his friends. He seized the throne, and began ruling the kingdom. Kamsa killed all of six sons of Devaki and Vasudeva. 

When the appropriate time came, Yogamaya transferred Devaki's seventh fetus to Vraja and placed it into the womb of Rohini, King Vasudeva’s another wife. To everyone's surprise, Rohini gave birth to a very beautiful and strong child just five days after conception. This boy was considered the incarnation of Sheshnag.

Nanda performed all the child’s birth ceremonies with great joy and gave a million cows in charity to the Brahmins.The child was named Balarama. 

When Sage Vedavyasa arrived with Sage Narada and other demigods, Nanda respectfully received them and inquired about the child—how it was possible for a child to be born after only five days in the womb. Sage Vedavyasa revealed the divine truth and sang the glories of Sheshnag. He then offered his obeisance to the incarnation of Sheshnag and departed for the banks of the Saraswati River.

Author's views

Helpless Before Destiny – A Reflection

I often reflect on how helpless a human can feel before destiny. Vasudeva was a great king, and Devaki a princess from an affluent kingdom—yet they could not save their own children from being killed by Kamsa. Their palace was not a place of joy, but a prison filled with fear and loss. What could be more painful than watching your newborns taken away, one after another, by a tyrant driven by fear?

And yet, it wasn't just Kamsa’s cruelty—it was the divine plan unfolding. It was that whisper of prophecy, that one celestial voice that planted fear in Kamsa’s heart. From that single seed of doubt, he began to descend deeper and deeper into darkness. Was it his own nature? Or was he simply a tool in the hands of the divine, unknowingly playing a part in a much greater cosmic story?

One moment in this tale has always left me in awe—the mysterious transfer of Devaki’s fetus to Rohini’s womb. Science today allows us to do incredible things, but was such a phenomenon really possible in those ancient times? Or was it something beyond science—a miracle of divine intervention?

Stories like these from our scriptures are not just about the divine and kings. They quietly remind us that human control has its limits. No matter how powerful or privileged one may be, there comes a moment when one must surrender—to destiny, to time, or to the will of the divine.

And so I keep wondering… how much is in our hands, and how much is already written? What do you think?