Krishna and Kamsa

Seeing his most powerful wrestlers destroyed, Kamsa commanded the trumpets to stop blowing and shouted at his attendants to drive Krishna an...

Seeing his most powerful wrestlers destroyed, Kamsa commanded the trumpets to stop blowing and shouted at his attendants to drive Krishna and Balarama out of his kingdom. He told them to snatch all the wealth of the cowherds to imprison Nanda, and to kill Vasudeva.

While Kamsa was shouting in that state of frenzy caused by fear, Krishna sprang from the ground to the high dais. Kamsa also got up from the throne with a shield and a sword in hand, ready to fight. However, Krishna swiftly caught Kamsa and threw him on the floor. Krishna then stood triumphantly over Kamsa, killed and dragged him across the arena before the eyes of amazed onlookers. The spirit of Kamsa 8212; who had thought of little else other than killing Krishna for so many years 8212; left his body and became one with Krishna. His eight brothers, who rushed to take revenge, were also killed.

In the arena we see the drama of the final destruction of ignorance 8212; avidya. Ignorance has been towering over the spirit, overpowering it, keeping it in a state of bondage. But when the spirit at last rises to a great height and all the obstacles have been destroyed, the power of that spirit topples down ignorance and, along with it, the entire world of matter 8212; never to rise again. That is enlightenment.

At the time of death, the spirit of Kamsa attained union with Krishna. It often amazes students of scriptures that the most terrible demons attain union when they are destroyed by divine incarnations. The fact was, Kamsa, like other demons in the scriptures, had sustained one-pointed concentration on Krishna, though due to dvesha extreme animosity.

Examples of demons attaining liberation by constantly thinking of God are provided to encourage you to think of God. If animosity towards Krishna can give the highest results, how much joyous it would be if you accomplished the same goal through pure love and devotion.

Demoniac development in a personality is like an electrical short circuit. Demoniac qualities, such as hatred, pride and egoism, are like a short circuit of divine energy within you. The moment that short circuit is corrected by divine grave, energy flows as it was intended to flow.

After Kamsa8217;s death, his eight younger brothers rushed to fight Krishna and Balarama. They represent the eight fetters 8212; hatred, cowardice, fear, doubt, speaking about the faults of others, pride of family, pride of culture, and pride of caste. When the soul is freed from these eight fetters, it attains its true spiritual potential and becomes one with the Divine Self.

Extracted from 8216;Tattvaloka8217; magazine, June 2005