The Two Krsna’s | Appearance of Sri Krishna

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It began when Lord Balarama was transferred from the womb of Devaki to Mother Rohini and everyone thought that Mother Devaki had a miscarriage.  Lord Balaram’s appearance in the womb of Devaki was to make sure that the womb of Devaki was ready for the appearance of Lord Krsna. The six sons that appeared before Balarama represents lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion and madness. In order for Krsna to appear in one’s heart all these things have to be wiped out. Lord Balarama first appears in one’s heart to clean all these contaminations and make a beautiful throne for Krsna to reside in.

Then Vāsudeva Krsna made his arrangements to appear as the son of Mother Devaki and Vasudeva. Unlike the material childbirth, Lord Krsna first appeared in the mind of Vasudev and then entered into the mind of Devaki. And then finally from the mind of Devaki he entered within the womb of Devaki.  When Vāsudeva Krsna appeared within the womb of Devaki, she became radiant and showed all signs of pregnancy.

When all the Astrological and constellation of the stars were in auspiciousness Lord Vāsudeva Krsna appeared in his four handed form as the child of Devaki and Vasudeva.  Vasudeva saw the baby holding in his four hands conchshell, club, disc and lotus flower. He was decorated with the mark of Srivatsa, wearing a jewelled necklace of Kaustubha stone, dressed in yellow silk dhoti.  Vasudeva was struck with wonder as to how a newly born child took appearance with all these extraordinary features.

After Vasudeva and Devaki offered their profound prayers to the Lord, The Lord explained to them who they were.

In a time period of the Svayambhuva Manu (during Satya-yuga), Vasudeva was a Prajapati by the name of Sutapa and his wife was Prsni. Lord Brahma desired to increase the population and he requested them to generate offspring.

By practicing the yoga principles and severe austerities for 12,000 years of the demigod’s calculation they were absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  At that time The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna appeared before them, and they requested Him to be their son.   Lord Krsna had given them the benediction that he will appear as their child for three births. In due course of time Prsni became pregnant with Prsnigarbha.

Then in the next millennium Sutapa appeared as Kashyapa Muni and Prsni appeared as Aditi.  They became the parents of The Supreme Personality in His dwarf incarnation called Vamanadev. 

In the last birth, He appeared to them as Krsna, when they appeared as Vasudev and Devaki.

Krsna then told Vasudev and Devaki why he appeared in His four handed Visnu form.  In order to convince them that he was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he had to appear in this form, otherwise they would not have been convinced that He was the Supreme.  In this form Vāsudeva Krsna told Vasudeva to take Him to the house of Nanda Baba and replace him with the daughter that Mother Yasoda had just given birth too.

Then Vāsudeva Krsna assumed the form a normal born baby.

Elsewhere in Nandagram there lived a king by the name of Nanda Baba and his queen Mother Yashoda. Everyone in this land lived happily, but there was one problem. Their king Nanda BABA did not have a child.  They decided to cross the Yamuna to the eastern side to a place called Gokul.

One day a very mysterious old lady appeared in Vraja. She came with two little children. The residents of Vrndavan had immense respect for sadhus and sadvis so they asked her where she is from. She said that she is from Ujjain and she is the Mother of Sandipani Muni. Her name was Paurnamasi and with her was Her grandchildren, Madhumangal and Nandamuki. The residents of Vraja asked her what she desired. She replied that through astrological calculation she has seen that Nanda Baba and Mother Yashoda will give birth to a child and she wanted to be there for that auspicious occasion. All the Vrajabasis became overjoyed when they heard the news. Paurnamasi said that she will build a hut on the banks of the river Yamuna and stay there.

Paurnamasi then told Nanda Baba and Mother Yashoda to observe the fast of Ekadasi. Nanda Baba hearing that she was a very powerful Vaisnavi followed her instructions. So, Nanda Baba and Mother Yashoda followed Ekadasi very carefully.

Sometimes Nanda Baba while at home, out of the corner of his eyes he would see this beautiful darkish boy, just like a beautiful monsoon cloud running through the house. when he looked no one was there. At the same time Mother Yashoda while doing her household duties, used see this beautiful blackish boy darting through the house as well. When She looked, no one was there. They both would comment to each other that, they were having this vision of this beautiful Shyam boy with beautiful lotus petal eyes. They both concluded that this must be something very auspicious.

One night Nanda Baba was sleeping. They had completed a whole year of Ekadasi vow. In his dream he saw the same blackish boy, fresh like a monsoon cloud, with beautiful petal eyes and peacock on his head. This beautiful child appeared in His heart. Then From his heart the little boy passed to the heart of Mother Yashoda. As soon as the child was passed into the heart of Mother Yashoda, they both got up and were unable to talk. They were speechless. Their eyes grew big and looked at each other in amazement, filled with surprise. Still speechless they murmured to each other.

From that evening Mother Yashoda began manifesting all the symptoms of pregnancy. When the inhabitants of Vraja heard of this, they all became so happy. Mother Yashoda’s beauty grew everyday as she carried the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead within her womb.

There was a special house that was created where Mother Yashoda could give birth to her child. There was also an elderly Vrajabasi lady there to take care for Mother Yashoda. One night she went out to take rest. She was so tired from taking care of Mother Yashoda, she fell into a deep sleep all through the night.

Meanwhile Mother Yashoda waited for her nurse to come. She could not fall asleep and was tossing and turning in the bed. All of sudden at midnight the time of childbirth had arrived but there was no one to assist Mother Yashoda. Mother Yashoda was in so much anxiety. Her heart was beating and beating and at the stroke of midnight she gave birth. She was so much in anxiety that she fainted and did not notice that she had given birth to two children. From the womb appeared this beautiful baby girl and from her heart came the beautiful original Vrndavan Krsna.

In the middle of the night Vasudeva carried His little baby boy to Gokul. By the Divine arrangement of Yogamaya, all the soldiers that were guarding Vasudeva and Devaki fell into a deep sleep. All the chains that shackled them and all the doors opened on its own.  The weather turned into a severe thunderstorm. It was a dark night but when Vasudeva was carrying his child across, He could see perfectly clear due to the effulgence from Vāsudeva Krsna’s body. 

Vasudeva came to the banks of the Yamuna. The river was flowing in ecstasy knowing that her waters will touch the lotus feet of Sri Visnu.  Vasudeva stood at the bank of the western side unable to cross. Then he saw a jackal crossing the river and Vasudeva realized that the river was shallow and only up to his ankles. So Vasudeva, holding Little Krishna in his arms, followed the jackal across the Yamuna River. The river Yanuma then overflowed and took away the basket that little Krsna was in. Vasudeva became anxious that he lost his child. Yamuna devi after playing and having darshan of Vāsudeva Krsna, gave Him back to His father.

Vasudeva then crossed the river and came to the house of Nanda Baba. There he saw all the inhabitants fast asleep. He went into the maternity house. He saw Mother Yasoda asleep after her childbirth. It was dark so he did not notice that there were two children at the side of Mother Yasoda. He laid down his child and as he did that Vāsudeva Krsna merged into the body of Vrndavan-candra Shyamasundara Krsna. In this way the two Krsna became one.  Vasudeva then picked up the baby girl and returned to the jail house of King Kamsa.  There again he was shackled in chains and the doors closed.  

There is a question as why Devaki never got to see Krsna’s childhood pastimes.  The Answer to this question lies in the Ramayana.

In Treta-yuga, after Lord Rama had killed Ravana, rescued Sitadevi and returned to Ayodhya, his stepmother Kausalya had approached him. She begged Lord Rama for his forgiveness for all her evil deeds.  Lord Rama was so pleased with Mother Kausalya that he gave her a benediction, that in his next incarnation she can have him as his son, but will not be able to witness his childhood pastimes. Kausalya appeared as Devaki and Lord Rama appeared as Krsna. And as soon As Krsna was born, he left the lap of Devaki and went to Vrndavan.

In the morning the nurse suddenly woke up and noticed that she was not with Mother Yasoda. She quickly ran over to the maternity house. When she entered the house, she saw laying on the side of Mother Yasoda was a beautiful blackish boy. She cried with delight and Mother Yasoda woke up. The mother then finally saw the most beautiful petal eyes and a beautiful pinkish foot. She saw this exquisitely beautiful baby next to her.

Nanda Baba was milking the cows and the nurse came running to him. She could not speak, she just stood there with her mouth opened but everyone could understand that Mother Yasoda had giving birth. Everyone just ran to the maternity house.

Nanda Baba was so overjoyed all he could think was giving charity to the brahmanas. His elder brother told him not to worry just go see your child. Nanda Baba then went to the maternity house and saw Mother Rohini carrying The beautiful child, so sweet and so soft like black butter.

All the Vrajabasi came to the house and Nanda Baba went outside as he began giving charity to everyone. He gave so much charity that the people receiving the charity felt that they were unworthy of so much charity.

Everyone started dancing and singing.