Kamsa the tyrannical king of Mathura had imprisoned his father Ugrasena, his half-sister Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva.
It had been prophesied that Devaki's eighth child would kill Kamsa. Kamsa had already killed seven children born to her. He was anxiously waiting to kill the eighth one as well and thus render the prophecy false.

It was time for the baby to be born. Mathura was reeling under an onslaught of thunder, lightening and torrential rains. Devaki and Vasudeva prayed fervently for a miracle that would save their new-born baby.

At the stroke of midnight, Krishna was born and miraculous happenings occurred in the prison! The guards fell into a deep slumber; Vasudeva was freed of his chains and the prison doors swung open!

Obeying the Heavenly voice that was heard in the sky, Vasudeva took the infant in his arms and walked out of the prison. He was to leave the baby with his friend Nanda in Gokul.

The Yamuna was in flood and there was not a boat in sight. In desperation he tried to walk across the raging waters. The river kept rising, but as soon as the water touched the foot of the divine baby, another miracle took place.
The river parted and Vasudeva could walk across to the other side with ease. Adi Sesha, Vishnu's snake, sheltered them with his hood from the heavy downpour.

On reaching his destination, he exchanged Krishna for Nanda's baby girl and returned to his prison cell. The guards then awoke, and rushed to inform Kamsa about the birth of the baby. Though taken aback that the child was a girl, Kamsa came prepared to slay her. But the child slipped out of his hands and rose to the heavens. A celestial voice then stated that the child born to kill Kamsa still lived.

Krishna enjoyed a happy childhood. Nanda and Yashoda loved him dearly. He was also very popular with the cowherds and Gopis of Gokul. He was constantly in trouble for his naughtiness like stealing butter, or breaking pots of buttermilk with his catapult.

The people soon realised that Krishna was no ordinary child. Kamsa sent various assassins to kill him. But Krishna got the better of them and destroyed them all. He even vanquished Kalinga, the gigantic snake that poisoned the waters of their river. His acts of valour were well known.

As a young man Krishna was much sought after by the Gopis who could not resist the divine music of his flute. But Radha was always his favourite.

Krishna fulfilled the divine prophecy by killing Kamsa. Krishna reinstated his grandfather Ugrasena as the King of Mathura.

Krishna was a great statesman and philosopher. His advice, given to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, is recorded in the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita is as relevant today as it was in those days. Thus, Krishna is worshipped as the giver of wisdom, deliverer from evil and an embodiment of the relationship between Bhakta and Bhagwan.

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