Kamsa’s Folly
One day, Kamsa thought, “This boy Krishna is killing all my friends. Every demon I send is immediately killed by Krishna. So now I will go and kill Krishna myself.”
With this thought, Kamsa set off for Vrndavana. As he journeyed from Mathura to Vrndavana, he passed through an area near a place called Badarikashrama. There, Kamsa encountered an old lady and some young cowherd girls.
Kamsa Meets Yogamaya
Kamsa asked the old lady, “Can you please tell me where the house of Nanda Maharaja is?”
The old lady replied, “Oh! You want to see the house of Nanda Maharaja? Come, I will show you.”
She then grabbed Kamsa by his hair. In those days, ksatriyas, much like the Sikhs today, kept long hair tied up in a knot above their heads, often covered by a turban as a form of protection. The old lady slapped Kamsa’s head, causing his turban to fly off, then grabbed him by the hair and dunked him in a pond.
The Transformation
When the old lady pulled Kamsa out of the water, he had transformed into an old woman. He could not stand straight, his body became wrinkled, and all the cowherd girls began to laugh at the transformation.
The old lady was actually Yogamaya, Purnamasi. She told the girls, “Now you try to engage him in some service. We have a newcomer here in Vrndavana, so you engage him in some service.”
Making Cow Dung Cakes
The cowherd girls wondered what an old lady could do. They decided that she could at least make cow dung cakes. These cakes are useful in Vrndavana, where there are many cows and plenty of cow dung. The dung is slapped against the wall to stick and dry, and then used for cooking.
However, this old lady was so useless that she could not even make cow dung cakes. She tried to lift the cow dung, but it scattered before it could stick to the wall. Initially, the girls laughed, but when the old lady failed to learn, they told her to leave, saying, “You are good for nothing.”
Ejected from Vrndavana
The gopis started harassing the old lady, accusing her of being a trespasser in Vrndavana. They insisted she was not fit to stay there. Distressed, the old lady, who was Kamsa in disguise, began to cry and begged Purnamasi, “Please let me go! I will never come back.”
Purnamasi grabbed her by the hair again, dunked her in the water, and Kamsa regained his original form. She told him, “Now go.”
Moral of the Story
Kamsa ran for his life and vowed never to return to Vrndavana. This story illustrates that unless one is qualified, they cannot enter into Vrndavana. To enter Vrndavana, one must have complete faith in Krishna and his associates, who can grant entrance into the Land of Krishna. Vrndavana is truly the land of faith.
Source of the Story
This story was narrated by Bhakti Charu Swami during a seminar on Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
PS: I humbly request all the devotees to please forward and share these moral/instructive stories they hear so that everyone can benefit.
