In this episode of the Mahabharat, we explore the story of Yadu — the elder brother of Puru — whose descendants came to be known as the Yadavas, the noble clan into which Lord Krishna was born.
The Story of Yadu and the Beginning of the Yadava Clan.
So far, we have been following the story of King Yayati’s son, Puru, and his descendants. But Yayati had another son too — his eldest — named Yadu. Yadu was a brave and capable prince, but something happened that changed his destiny forever.
Once, King Yayati was cursed to lose his youth and grow old very suddenly. To escape this curse, he asked each of his sons to give him their youth in exchange for his old age. Most of them refused — but Puru, the youngest, agreed. Pleased with Puru’s sacrifice, Yayati made him the next king. But Yadu refused to give up his youth, and so, Yayati became very angry. He cursed Yadu, saying, “You and your descendants will never become kings in this line again.”
Because of this curse, Yadu could not rule as a king, even though he was the eldest and a strong leader. So, Yadu left the kingdom and travelled southwards. After a long journey, he reached the beautiful land near the present-day town of Mathura, which is now in Uttar Pradesh. This region was different — it was filled with many small tribes and groups of people. These people did not believe in having a single king to rule over them. Instead, they followed a council system, where elders and wise people from every clan would sit together and take decisions.
Yadu, even though he was royal by birth, accepted this way of life. He married into the Naga tribe, a powerful and respected community in that region. Since he was not allowed to become a king due to his father’s curse, Yadu joined the council of leaders. Over time, because of his wisdom, courage, and noble heart, he became the chief of the council. All the different tribes who respected and followed him came to be known together as the Yadavas, or the clan of Yadu.
This was how the great Yadava clan was born — not through kingship or war, but through wisdom, respect, and unity. And many generations later, it was in this Yadava clan that Lord Krishna would be born.
The Rise of Kamsa and the End of the Yadava Council
Many years passed after Yadu formed the Yadava clan. The people lived peacefully in the land near Mathura, guided by a wise council of elders and leaders. There were no kings. The Yadavas believed that a group of thoughtful elders could take better decisions together than just one man with a crown. This tradition continued for many generations.
Then, after a long time, a man named Vasudeva was born in the Yadava family. He was kind, wise, and respected by everyone. Vasudeva had two sisters — Preetha and Shrutadevi. Preetha was given in adoption to her uncle Kuntibhoja, who had no children of his own. Kuntibhoja loved this little girl so much that he began calling her by his own name — instead of Preetha, she came to be known as Kunti.
Later in life, Vasudeva married two noble women — Devaki and Rohini. Now, Devaki had a brother named Kamsa. Kamsa was a strong and fearless warrior, but there was a sad and shameful truth about his birth — he was born out of a rape. Even though the rules of the time said that a child belonged to the mother’s clan no matter how he was born, the Yadavas did not accept Kamsa as one of their own. They called him an illegitimate child, and they refused to give him any place in the respected council of elders.
This made Kamsa very angry. He was also a very rude, cruel, and arrogant man. People didn’t like his behavior. But still, he was a skilled fighter, and in time he became friends with a powerful and dangerous king from the east — Jarasandha, the mighty ruler of Magadha.
With Jarasandha’s support, Kamsa started gathering men, weapons, and power. Slowly, he built his own army. The peaceful Yadavas, who had never known such ambition or violence before, were shocked. Then, for the first time in the history of the Yadava clan, Kamsa did something that no one had ever dared to do — he dismissed the sacred council of elders, declared himself king, and placed a crown upon his head.
Thus, the land of the Yadavas — which had always been ruled by wisdom and unity — came under the cruel control of one arrogant man. The age of council and cooperation ended, and the age of fear and dictatorship began. The people were afraid, but because of Jarasandha's strong support, no one had the courage to stop Kamsa.
The Cruelty of Kamsa and the Secret of the Seventh Child.
Once Kamsa made himself the king of Mathura, no one could challenge his power. He ruled with great pride and cruelty. He didn’t care about what was right or wrong — he only wanted people to obey him. The people of Mathura suffered under his rule. They were afraid to speak, afraid to act, and afraid to even hope. But they couldn’t stop him, because behind him stood a mighty force — King Jarasandha of Magadha, one of the most feared warriors of that time.
In the middle of all this, something strange happened.
One day, Kamsa’s sister Devaki got married to a noble man — Vasudeva. During their wedding ceremony, a heavenly voice — an akashvani — suddenly echoed from the skies. It said,
“O Kamsa! The eighth child born to Devaki will be your death!”
Kamsa was shocked. He couldn’t believe his ears. At first, he drew his sword and wanted to kill Devaki then and there. But Vasudeva begged him with folded hands, “Please don’t harm your own sister. I promise — I will hand over every child born to us. You will not be in danger.”
Kamsa agreed — but with a wicked plan in mind. He threw Devaki and Vasudeva into a dark prison, and placed heavy guards around them. Then, as each child was born, he would pick up the newborn by its legs and smash it to the ground, killing it mercilessly. One child after another — six innocent babies were killed this way.
People in Mathura whispered in fear, but no one dared to question the king.
Then came the seventh child. By now, Devaki and Vasudeva were broken with pain. But something miraculous happened. Before Kamsa could come to kill this child, the divine powers of Lord Vishnu intervened.
That very night, the child inside Devaki’s womb was mysteriously transferred into the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s other wife, who was living safely in the nearby village of Gokula. No one saw anything, but the child disappeared from the prison, and Devaki’s womb became empty.
To protect Devaki, Vasudeva and his supporters replaced the seventh baby with a stillborn child, a baby who had died at birth. When Kamsa came and saw the lifeless baby, he felt no threat and left without asking questions.
That living seventh child, now growing in Rohini’s womb, would later be born as the mighty Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna.
The Birth of Krishna and the Miracle in the Night.
After the seventh child, Devaki became pregnant again. This was the eighth child — the very child that the divine voice had warned Kamsa about. As the day of birth came closer, the atmosphere became tense. The prison was guarded day and night. Kamsa had told the guards, “The moment the child is born, inform me immediately!”
But what Kamsa didn’t know was that this was no ordinary child. This was a divine child — a child born to destroy evil and bring back dharma, the path of truth.
On a dark and stormy night, Devaki gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. At that very moment, something mysterious happened. A gentle light filled the prison. All the guards fell into a deep magical sleep. Even the chains on Vasudeva’s hands fell off by themselves, and the prison doors slowly creaked open.
It was said that divine beings and siddhas who practiced great occult powers helped make this miracle happen, so that the child could be saved.
Vasudeva quickly picked up the newborn baby, wrapped him carefully in a cloth, and stepped out into the rain. The Yamuna river was overflowing, wild and deep. But Vasudeva walked bravely into the water, holding the baby high above his head in a basket. Just then, something even more miraculous happened — the river parted to make way for Vasudeva to walk across safely.
On the other side of the river was the village of Gokula, where Vasudeva’s friend Nanda lived. That very night, Nanda’s wife Yashoda had given birth to a baby girl. No one knew this baby girl was born through the grace of the goddess.
Vasudeva quietly entered their house, placed the baby boy beside Yashoda, and gently picked up the baby girl. Without waking anyone, he returned to the prison the same way. As soon as he came back, the doors closed, the chains returned, and the guards woke up — as if nothing had ever happened.
In the morning, Kamsa rushed into the prison. Devaki begged him, “Please don’t kill this baby. It’s only a girl. She cannot harm you. One day, she will get married and go away. Let her live.”
But Kamsa, filled with fear and cruelty, shouted, “No! Why take any chances?” He grabbed the tiny infant and threw her up in the air.
But the baby girl didn’t fall to the ground. Right before their eyes, she stopped in the air and took a divine form, glowing with power and strength. She said, “O Kamsa! The one who will kill you is already born. I am not the one you are looking for.”And with that, she vanished into the skies.
Kamsa was filled with terror. He couldn’t sleep or eat. In his madness, he ordered his soldiers:
“Go! Kill every baby in this land that is less than three months old!”
His men spread across the region, killing innocent babies, trying to find the one who was born to destroy him.
But Krishna, now safe in Gokula, was growing up happily in the care of Yashoda and Nanda. Nobody knew yet that this little child would one day bring an end to Kamsa’s cruelty, and guide the world back to truth and righteousness.
Meanwhile, in the Yadava family:
Devaki’s only surviving child was Krishna.
Rohini, the other wife of Vasudeva, had given birth to Balarama and later to Subhadra.
Among Vasudeva’s sisters, Shrutadevi was married to King Damagosha, and Preetha (Kunti) was married to King Pandu of the Kuru clan — the father of the Pandavas.
This is how the lives of the Yadavas and the Kurus slowly began to connect — a grand story was unfolding.
To Be Continued...
