11 - The boy who lived

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India', Narad Monei explores Krishna's life, focusing on his birth and early challenges. The narrative delves into the prophecy that led to Krishna's parents' imprisonment and the divine intervention that saved him. Listeners are promised intriguing parallels with Greek mythology and a sneak peek into upcoming episodes featuring Jatayu and a mystical mountain.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' is dedicated to exploring Indian myths, legends, and folk tales.
• 🗣️ The host, Narad Muni, is a mythological character with eternal life and omniscience, who traditionally travels with a vina, but now uses podcasting.
• 👶 The story of Krishna is divided into four phases: his parents' story, his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
• 🔪 Kamsa, a tyrant king, learns from a prophecy that his sister's eighth child will kill him, leading to a conflict with his sister's husband, Vasudev.
• 🤝 Vasudev negotiates with Kamsa to save his family, agreeing to hand over their eighth child to avoid immediate danger.
• 👼 The gods intervene by transferring Krishna from Devaki's womb to another wife of Vasudev, Rohini, to protect him from Kamsa.
• 🌊 Vasudev escapes with baby Krishna, crossing the Yamuna River during a time freeze, with the help of a divine umbrella provided by a five-headed snake, Kaliya.
• 🔄 Krishna is exchanged with Nanda and Yashoda's baby girl in Gokul, a village near Mathura, to ensure his safety.
• 🤷‍♂️ Kamsa fails to kill Krishna, mistakenly killing the exchanged baby girl who reveals herself as an avatar of the Goddess Yogamaya.
• 📚 The podcast notes the commonality of prophecies about death at the hands of a baby in myths worldwide, including in Harry Potter.
• 🦅 The character Jatayu, a vulture and nephew of Garuda, is introduced as a heroic figure who fights the antagonist of the Ramayana.

Q & A

Who is the host of the podcast 'Stories from India'?

The host of the podcast 'Stories from India' is Narad Muni, a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the significance of Krishna's life being divided into four phases?

Krishna's life is divided into four phases: his parents' story, his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This division helps to put a different perspective on his actions and understand the distinct stages of his life.

Why did Kamsa imprison Devaki and Vasudev?

Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudev because he heard a prophecy that the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudev would kill him. He wanted to prevent this from happening.

What was the prophecy that Kamsa heard about Devaki and Vasudev's eighth child?

The prophecy stated that the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudev would kill Kamsa, which led to him imprisoning the couple and attempting to kill their children.

How did the gods intervene to save Krishna from Kamsa?

The gods intervened by transferring Krishna from Devaki's womb to Rohini's, who was another wife of Vasudev and not in jail. This allowed Krishna to be born safely away from Kamsa's reach.

What was the role of the five-headed snake called Shesha in Krishna's life?

Shesha served as a divine umbrella for Krishna during his journey across the Yamuna River, protecting him from the rain.

How did Vasudev manage to cross the Yamuna River with the baby Krishna?

Vasudev managed to cross the Yamuna River by holding the baby Krishna above the water, even in deep parts of the river, with the help of Shesha, the divine snake.

What happened when Kamsa tried to kill the baby girl that Vasudev handed over to him?

When Kamsa tried to kill the baby girl, she slipped out of his hands and fell upwards, laughing at him and speaking in an adult human voice, revealing herself to be an avatar of the Goddess Yogamaya.

Why did Vasudev and Devaki have to be content with having children from the ninth child onwards?

Vasudev agreed to give all their children to Kamsa in exchange for their freedom, which meant they had to be content with having children from the ninth child onwards.

What is the significance of Jatayu in the story mentioned in the podcast?

Jatayu is a vulture and the nephew of Garuda. He is known for intervening in an abduction and fighting the abductor, who is a super villain in the Ramayana.