Krishn's Brothers

Divine Voice Declares Kans' Death
Krishn was the 8th child of His parents - Vasudev and Devakee. Devakee was a very dear cousin sister of Kans, the son of Raajaa Ugrasen and Vasudev was his very dear friend, so he thought to strengthen this relation by marrying Devakee to Vasudev. He loved Devakee so much so that when Devakee was going from his palace to Vasudev's house, he himself drove her wedding chariot to her in-law's palace. As he was going, an Aakaashvaanee (Divine voice) said - "O Kans, you are taking which Devakee with so much love to her in-law's house, the same Devakee's 8th child will kill you."

All heard this Divine voice. Kans got stunned hearing this. He just stopped the chariot then and there, took out his sword and got ready to kill his dear sister. Devakee requested him in several ways not to kill her, but he did not listen to her. Then Vasudev Jee tried to console Kans but he was not listening to him too. Vasudev  then cleverly told him that he should not kill his dear sister, because (1) first of all, she was his younger sister, (2) secondly, she was his very dear sister, (3) thirdly, she was a woman and it does not suit a Kshatriya to kill a woman, (4) fourthly, she was just married, it was not good to kill a newly married girl, and (5) fifthly, who is not yet born why he should be scared of him from now?."

Still Kans was not ready to spare Devakee's life. Then Vasudev played his last trick with a heavy heart - "Let her live. As soon as we will have a child, we will hand it over to you. Do whatever you like with him or her, but for now you please spare her life and let us go." At this Kans spared Devakee's life and imprisoned both Vasudev and Devakee.

Children of Vasudev and Devakee
Vasudev and Devakee had 6 sons in the prison and with a very heart they gave all their sons to Kans and Kans killed them mercilessly by hitting them on the walls of the prison. As the 8th number of the child was coming nearer, Kans was getting impatient and he had increased security at prison. Devakee got pregnant 7th time, but Bhagvaan pulled her 7th fetus from her womb and kept it in Rohinee's, Vasudev's senior wife, womb. This child was the incarnation of Shesh Naag - Balaraam Jee. When Bhagvaan had pulled the fetus, everybody including Devakee got surprised that where the baby was gone. Kans also got confused but could not do anything.

Now after some time Devakee got pregnant 8th time and Bhagavaan Himself appeared in the prison. He instructed Vasudev to take Him to his friend Nand Raaya in Gokul and bring his newborn daughter to Mathuraa and give her to Kans. Vasudev Jee did the same. Kans killed that girl also by hitting her on a stone, but she did not die, rather she flew in the sky saying - "O Kans, Your killer has already been born. Nothing will happen by killing me." Hearing this Kans tried his best to kill Krishn but could not kill Him. Later Kans himself invited Krishn to Mahuraa and there He killed Kans.

Who Were Those 6 Brothers of Krishn?
This story comes in Bhaagvat Puraan, 10/u22, that who were these 6 brothers who were killed by Kans like this?

After killing Kans, freeing His parents Vasudev and Devakee and grandfather Ugrasen from the prison, Vasudev sent Krishn and Balaraam to Saandeepan Muni to get educated. There they finished their education and paid their Guru Dakshinaa by bringing back their only dead son back to life. When Devakee heard this she recollected her 6 sons whom she handed over to her brother Kans just after their birth and Kans killed them immediately mercilessly. She did not see even their faces properly. So one day she requested Krishn that she wanted to see her those 6 sons. Krishn explained her - "Mother, No one is of nobody in this world. Whatever has happened, has happened, forget it." But Devakee's desire to see them was so intense that she could not understand anything. She just insisted to see her sons once.

Krishn and Balaraam Bring Their Brothers Back
So Krishn and Balaraaam went to Sutal Lok with the help of Yog Maayaa. You might be remembering that Vaaman Bhagavaan had sent Raajaa Bali to Sutal Lok when Bali could not provide the 3rd foot space to Vaaman Bhagvaan. So he was living there when Krishn and Balaraam reached there. Raajaa Bali welcomed them. Krishn said to him - "In Swaayambhoo Manvantar (the 1st Manvantar, the present Manvantar is the 7th one) Prajaapati's wife Oornaa gave birth to 6 sons who were Devtaa. Once they laughed at Brahmaa Jee when Brahmaa Jee got ready to have physical relationship with his daughter Saraswatee. At that time Brahmaa Jee cursed them to be born as Hiranyakashyap's sons and to be killed by their father, so they were born to the grandson of Hiranyakashyap, Kaalnemi. Then Yog Maayaa kept them in Devakee's womb. They were killed by Kans, who was the incarnation of Kaalnemi, immediately according to Brahmaa's curse. Now mother Devakee wants to see them and they are with you. We want to take them with us and after that they will be free from the curse and will go to their Lok. Their names are Smar, Udgeet, Parishwang, Patang, Kshudramrit, and Ghrini. They will get good Gati by my grace."

So the King Bali handed over those children to Krishn and they all came back to Devakee with them. She got very happy to see them. She kissed them, hugged them breastfed them. As soon as they drank Devakee's milk, they recognized everybody, so they greeted all of them and then they went to their Lok. Devakee was very surprised to see all this that her dead sons came there and went away so soon. She kept quiet considering it Krishn's Leelaa. This blog site gives their names like this - Keertimaan, Bhadrasen, Rijju, Samarth, Sameeshaa, and Aheeshwar.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com