Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.2662

c7.2662

2) Śrī Kṛṣṇa's former births. Owing to a curse of Varuṇa, Kaśyapaprajāpati was born on earth as Vasudeva and his (Kaśyapa) wives Aditi and Surasā as Devakī and Rohiṇī. (See under Kaśyapa and Aditi). Like this Śrī Kṛṣṇa also had previous births. Once a time from the heart of Brahmā was born the Prajāpati called Dharma, who was very truthful and wedded to righteous living according to the injunctions of the Vedas. He wedded the ten daughters of Dakṣaprajāpati, and four sons called Hari, Kṛṣṇa Nara and Nārāyaṇa were born to him. Hari and Kṛṣṇa turned out to be great Yogins, and Nara and Nārāyaṇa ascetics. Naranārāyaṇas performed penance to please Brahmā for a thousand years at Badarikāśrama in the valley of the Himālayas. Celestial women, whom Indra had deputed to break their penance, approached them and requested them to take them (celestial women) as their wives. Ascetic Nārāyaṇa who got angry at the celestial women's request was about to curse them when sage Nara intervened and pacified him. Then sage Nārāyaṇa told them thus :—"You must protect my Vrata (penance) in this life. In that case, in the next birth I shall satisfy your desire. In the 28th Dvāparayuga I will be incarnating on earth on behalf of the Devas. Then you also may be born as princesses. I shall incarnate as Kṛṣṇa in the Yadu dynasty and marry all of you. (Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha).