Lord Krishna was born in Mathura on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha in the Bhadrapada month. Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in the Yadava clan. Mathura was then ruled by Maharaj Kansa (Devaki’s brother) who was infamous for his greed and unfair rule.
Before Krishna was born, a prophecy said that Kansa’s tyranny is coming to an end and that the eighth child born to Devaki and Vasudeva would kill him. A fumed Kansa then imprisoned both Devaki and Vasudeva. Kansa went on to kill off their first six children after Devaki conceived in the confines of prison.
Before the birth of seventh child, Lord Vishnu ordered Goddess Mahamaya to place the foetus in the womb of Rohini. On the day the eighth child (Krishna) was born, the whole kingdom went into a deep slumber. Before Kansa could kill the newborn, a divine voice directed Krishna’s father Vasudeva to exchange Him with Nand and Yashoda’s newly born daughter.
Vasudeva unchained himself, quickly picked up his child, put him in a basket and headed to house of Nandraja, the head of Gopa tribe. As the guards were asleep, Vasudeva secretly carried Krishna out of the prison with the basket upon his head.
But the Yamuna River he was crossing that night was stormy and not in its usual calm state. As water level reached his shoulders, suddenly Lord Vishnu’s Shesh Naag – the multi-headed snake appeared, lifted him and helped him carry Krishna safely across the river By now, Vasudeva had realized that his child was a divine gift to this mankind.
At Nand’s house, Vasudeva switched the babies and returned to the prison with the exchanged baby girl. Just when he put her next to Devaki, the baby gave a loud cry and immediately the guards informed Kansa that Devaki’s eight child was born. Kansa arrived and tried to harm the child but he was surprised with what happened next.
The baby took the form of Goddess Durga and said to Kansa - the eighth child who is going to end his terror reign has already arrived in his kingdom and will fulfill the prophecy. The child Krishna was raised by Yashoda in Vrindavan and went on to kill his uncle, Kansa.