Janmashtami marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna according to the Hindu calendar. However, the day is not only birthday of Lord Krishna, but it can be accepted as the birthday of Goddess Durga. The festival falls on the eight day of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the Hindu month of Shravan.
As per the legend Lord Krishna was born to Devaki, daughter of King of Mathura Ugrasena in the prison cell. The princess’ evil brother Kansa, the then king, was keeping Devaki and her husband Vasudeva locked in the prison because of a prophecy which had stated that the eighth son of Devaki would kill Kansa. To safeguard his life, he went on to mercilessly kill all the six children that Devaki had borne.
However, the seventh child who was informed to be miscarried was mystically transferred to the womb of princess Rohini in Vrindavan who grew up to become Balram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. During the birth of Krishna, Vasudeva was guided by the lord to carry the newborn to Vrindavan to the house of Nanda and Yasoda and returned with their girl child born on the same day. He wanted to present her to King Kansa in the hope that he wouldn’t harm her because the prophecy had said that the eighth ‘son’ would be the one to kill him, and not eighth daughter or eighth issue. But the merciless Kansa held the child and tried to throw her against a rock when she rose to the air taking the form of Goddess Durga. She fiercely laughed and threatened Kansa that his death is sure and got vanished in the space.Maharishi Markendeya gives a detailed account of the ‘pradurbhav’ (emergence) of Goddess Durga in the holy text ‘Durga Saptashati’.
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