Episode 11 - The Birth of Shri Krishna

Recap

Kansa terrorizes Mathura, and is prophesied to be killed by the eighth son of his own sister. He imprisons them so that he can kill her children right when they’re born.

Divine birth

Meri aur yoon na dekho devaki, dekhna hai to uss brahma ki aur dekho. Jisne tumhari kokh ko meri aur uski ranbhoomi me badal diya hai.

Synopsis

Kansa kills six of Devaki’s children one by one. Her seventh child is miraculously transferred to the womb of Rohini (Vasudev’s second wife). Vasudev and Devaki get a divine intervention which guides Vasudev to leave the eighth child with his friend Nandraj in a nearby village. His shackles break off magically, the doors to his cell open and the guards fall unconscious.

Vasudev crosses the Yamuna river in a violent thunderstorm, and delivers the child to Nandraj. Nandraj in turn gives his own daughter to Vasudev, so that she can be killed in place of Krishna.

Discussion

Kansa is still ambigiously evil. On one hand he feels remorse for inprisoning his sister and his friend for no good reason. In the next moment he calls for the execution of a sage. The blood curdling screams of Devaki were too real. One by one six of her children are killed and see can do nothing to stop it. The “wall of blood” that Kansa has so mercilessly created is nothing but salt on her wounds. Unfortunately, the only consolation they have is that the eighth child will be the end of this.

The story of Balram’s birth is told in one of the dohas that are scattered throughout the series.

Ant-vant chhaha deep hai, saptam deep anant, do aanchal ke deep hai baldau balvant.

The six children (deep, or lamps) were meant to be blown out, but the seventh one is eternal. He is Baldau, or Balram. The elder brother of Krishna. Originally Balram’s birth has a prophecy in it as well, where the voice in the sky speaks of miraculous womb transfer from Devaki to Rohini. In the show it has been skipped, possibly due to timing issues.

When Krishna is born, guards fall. The music, the storm everything is just perfect. Even the Yamuna crossing scene is shot perfectly.

Other than that, due to this being the birth of a literal god, many magical things just seem to happen. Nandraj just seems to know of Krishna’s arrival. Doors just open, guards just fall, shackles just break. Moreover, this is just the start of miracles. Krishna leela has just started.

What I have noticed is that these few episodes have a lot less to think about. Hard moral decisions, grey areas between good and evil, they all come once Krishna has grown up. Maybe this has to with innocence of a child. I don’t know, but once we go back to Hastinapur this show will be back on track with its moments that make you question your own beliefs. Until then, let’s enjoy Krishna-Leela.

Notable dialogue:

Main kaun hota hoon kuch karne vala, jisne ye bediya kaati hai, vohi dwarpaal aur dwaar ko dekh lega.

To be continued