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Kamsa behaved more and more as a tyrant and wasparticularly
vicious to the other wives of Vasudeva. The wives
fled and hid in the various villages in the outskirts of
Mathura.
Rohini who was the sister of Yashoda, fled and stayed atGokula
with Yashoda and her husband Nanda, who was the
chief of the cowherds there.
The Brahma Vairvatha Purana has a very interesting story inthis
connection.
In the times of old, when Kashyap had married the
thirteendaughters of Daksha, he would spend equal times with all
his
wives and keep them happy. At one such time, when he waswith
Kadru, the mother of all the Nagas, the eldest sister Aditi
was impatiently waiting for Kashyap to come home. WhenAditi
realized that Kashyap was delayed because he was at
Kadru's house, Aditi cursed Kadru to be born as a human.It is
said that it was because of the curse that Kadru was born
as Rohini, one of the wives of Vasudeva.(TheHarivamsagives
another account for the incarnation of
Rohini. The story says that Sage Kashyap stole Varuna's cow
with the help of two of his wivesAditi and Surabhi.
Because of this they were cursed to be born as cowherds.
SageKashyap was born as Vasudeva, Aditi was born as Devaki and
Surabhi was born as Rohini.)Nanda and Yashoda who were the chief
of the cowherds in
the village of Gokula have a very interesting story behind
them.
The eldest Vasu of the heavens was Drona and his wife wasthe
pious Dhara. Together the two of them performed penance
for many many years. The only reason they performed thepenance
was to see Lord Narayana with their own eyes. After
long years of penance they heard the glorious voice of the
Lord. 'Not only would you see the Lord, you would bring him
up, in your next lives!'
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It is said that Drona and Dharma were born as Nanda andYashoda
for this very reason.
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After the death of her first six sons, Devaki was now
carryingher seventh child.Lord Vishnu in the heavens, knew that now
that the six
Sadha-Garbhas were released from their bondage, the nextchild of
Devaki could not be allowed be to be killed.
He smiled as he called for Maya, the Goddess of Illusion.
'Theseventh child of Devaki is Aadi Sesha! Devaki is in prison
and she cannot bring up her seventh child! You may have
totransfer the womb to another mother!'
Goddess Maya understood as she came to earth. Using herpowers,
she transferred the child in Devaki's womb to a safe
place....far away.Devaki was shocked when she felt something
different.
Something had changed. As Devaki realized what it was, she
broke out weeping.
In the village of Gokula, Rohini was astonished, because she
was suddenly looking radiant. She felt an intense power
within her and slowly realized that a child was growing in
herwomb....
After the birth of the six children of Devaki, Kamsa was
keeping a close watch on her. He was shocked when he sawthat the
seventh child was no longer in Devaki's womb. Now
Kamsa was even more worried. Was the child which wasgoing to be
born now, the seventh child or the eighth
child?He wondered.Fuming Kamsa decided that Devaki and Vasudeva
had to be
under constant vigil and put them in prison.
