Who was Kans

Who was Kans? Most people know him as the son of Raajaa Ugrasen of Bhoj Vansh, the King of Mathuraa, but in reality he was not his son. How did it happen; and whose son he was; it is a long story.

When Ugrasen was ruling from Mathuraa region, another king named Satyaketu was ruling from Vidarbh Desh. he had a beautiful daughter named Padmaavatee. Satyaketu married Padmaavatee to Ugrasen and Ugrasen soon drowned in her love. He did not take even food without her. After a while Satyaketu remembered his daughter and wanted to see her, so he sent a message of his desire to Ugrasen. Although Ugrasen did not want to send Padmaavatee at all but he had to send her seeing the love of a father. So Padmaavatee came to her father's house and became the daughter of her father again like before.

Padmaavatee in Her Father's House
She started living in her father's house like before. She used to play with her friends and wander in gardens around. One day Padmaa went to a mountain with her friends for fun. There was a beautiful forest in the foothills of that mountain, and in that forest was a pond also named Sarvatobhadra. Padmaa got very happy to see it. She entered the pond and started playing in its waters.

At the same time a Daitya servant of Kuber Gobhil was going somewhere through sky way. He saw Padmaavatee playing in the pond. He was very powerful, so he knew that she was the daughter of the King Satyaketu, and the wife of the King Ugrasen; but at the same time she was a Pativrataa woman too. It was very difficult to have her. But he found a way.

Padmaavatee and Gobhil Daitya
He assumed the form the King Ugrasen and started singing sitting under a tree. Padmavatee got curious to know who was singing the song, so she came out of the water and proceeded towards the tree under which Gobhil was singing. he looked like Ugrasen. She got surprised and thought, "how and when my husband had come here leaving his kingdom? Even he did not inform me?" Seeing her Gobhil spoke - "Come Dear, I cannot live without you, come here."

Padmaavatee felt very embarrassed but since he was her husband, she could not say anything and went near him. He took her by hand and took her in a nearby lonely place. As he made love with her, she doubted him that he was Ugrasen, because Ugrasen had a certain mark on his body which she did not see. She put on her clothes and asked him angrily - "You are not Ugrasen, tell me clearly, who are you? Your form is like a Daanav. You are cruel." and she started weeping.

As she got ready to curse him, that Gobhil said - "O Pativrataa Woman, All Raakshas run away from Pativrataa women, Vishnu and Braahman's curse. First you tell me my fault, then only you may curse me." Padmaavatee said - "I am a Pativrataa woman and you destroyed my Dharm, that is why i want to curse you." Gobhil said - "Just listen to me, I tell you your Dharm, I know Ved and Shaastra. Whoever woman serves her husband by her mind, speech and action, only she is Pativrataa woman. No Pativrataa woman leaves her husband alone even if he is sick or sinner. I can't see you Pativrataa by action (Karm). If you are wandering here in this forest like this, you are not a Pativrataa woman. You are 400 Kos away from your husband, where is your Paativrat Dharm? Don't you feel shame? Show me your Tej, show me your power."

Padmaavatee said to him - "My father has called me with love, what is sin in it? I have not come here abandoning my husband." Gobhil said - "When you came to your father's house, you felt free from your Paativrat feeling, that is why you could not recognize me. Continuous thinking about husband is Gyaan and since you lost your Gyaan, you could not recognize me."

Padmaavatee sat on the ground with heavy heart and felt very sad. Gobhil further spoke - "You will have a son who will trouble the three Lok." and went away. Padmaavatee broke into tears. Hearing her crying her fiends came there and asked her what had happened and where the King had gone. Padmaavatee told them everything. Her friends told everything to her father. Satyaketu got very sad hearing this. He immediately sent her back to Mathuraa. Ugrasen got very happy to see Padmaavatee. He repetitively said to her - "I cannot live without you, where did you go? You are very dear to me."

Kans is Born
The child grew gradually inside Padmaavatee. She bore him for 10 long years, and then only Kans was born. She did not breastfed him. She employed a Raakshasee, Pootanaa, to feed him, and that is why she was his nurse and Kans regarded her as his mother. Mahaabhaarat says that he was the incarnation of Kaalnemi Daitya. This is the story of Kans' birth.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com