Then Devaki became pregnant with Krishna. It is clearly explained that this conception was pure and spiritual and not by the normal means of conception of a child between a man and a woman. She was radiant, and even Kamsa noticed. His fear increased, while Devaki’s joy increased.
When Krishna was born, He at first appeared with four arms like Vishnu, and with fully grown hair, silken clothes, and crown and jewels. This was so that Vasudeva and Devaki would know without doubt that the Supreme Personality of Godhead had been born to them. They had prayed and performed many austerities in previous lifetimes for this blessing, and always they had prayed to the Vishnu form of the Lord. Now they could see that their prayers had been answered. They offered their Lord prayers in a worshipful attitude.
Then He turned Himself into an ordinary newborn child, that is, one with two arms and not formally dressed or decorated. As Krishna, He could let His parents love Him as their little child.
But not for long. Their parental affection caused them to feel fear for His safety, since Kamsa had killed so many other babies. In the night, before Kamsa could learn of the child’s birth, the prison doors mysteriously opened. The guards were asleep.
Vasudeva carried baby Krishna out into the night, where the flooding Yamuna River gave him safe passage, and he took the baby to the village of Vrindavan. There he left Krishna in the bed of Yashoda, who was sleeping deeply in exhaustion after just giving birth to a baby girl. Vasudeva took the girl baby back with him, and in the morning he presented Kamsa with a girl baby instead of the feared son.
Kamsa was so evil, however, that he tried to kill this girl baby as well, but she slipped out from his arms and rose up into the sky, where she revealed herself as the goddess Durga, with ten arms holding ten weapons. She scolded Kamsa, and, to make him leave Devaki alone after this, she told him that the child who would kill him was already born somewhere in the world.
Meanwhile, Krishna and Balarama began Their lives as children of Nanda and Yashoda in the village of Vrindavan. There are many stories to tell of Their adventures there. Then, as youths, They went into the city and Krishna did indeed kill Kamsa. There are many stories to tell of Their pastimes after that as well…
