Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2450

c9.2450

Hearing about the birth of Kaṃsa, Sudevā asked the she-hog to tell her about the circumstances which led to the illegal connections of Padmāvatī. The wife of the hog continued. "In days of old there was a king in Mathurāpurī named Ugrasena, who married Padmāvatī the daughter of king Satyaketu of Vidarbha. While the couple were living happily in Mathurāpurī Satyaketu wanted to see his daughter. He sent a messenger to Mathurāpurī and brought Padmāvatī to Vidarbha. She walked along the vicinity of the palace in which she was born, enjoying the beauty of the scenery. She walked on and arrived on the mountain called Puṣpavān, and sat on the bank of a lake. At that time a Gandharva named Godila (Dramila) came there. He fell in love with her. He took the shape of Ugrasena and came near her and talked with her. Thinking that her husband had come from Mathurā to see her she embraced him. After a while she understood that the visitor was not her husband. She began to curse him. The visitor admitted that he was Godila an attendant of Vaiśravaṇa. Godila went on his way. But she had become pregnant by that time. Her parents tried in various ways to destroy the child in her womb. One day the infant lying in her womb told her thus: "Mother! you do not know who I am. I am the rebirth of a powerful asura named Kālanemi. In ancient days Viṣṇu killed me in a battle between the gods and asuras. I have entered into your womb for revenge. Mother! you need not take the trouble to destroy me." Saying so, the infant stopped speaking. After ten years Padmāvatī gave birth to the mighty and strong Kaṃsa. He was killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa and he attained heaven."