Today alongwith all Brajabashis Nandababa performs worship of Goddess Durga in the Ambika temple. This worship is being done so that Krishna-Balaram stays healthy and happy. “sarva deve pujibe na haibe tatpar, sarbatra magi laibe krishna bhakti bar”. I will respect and worship all deva-devis but why, so that they are kind and merciful towards Govinda and Govinda stays happy and blissful.  All hymns and prays to mother Durga.

            After that as they were taking rest, one ajagara snake starts to swallow Nanda Maharaj but by the touch of the lotus feet of Krishna the snake was rescued.

            The snake says in my previous life I was a well know Vidyadhara by the name Sudarshana. Seeing some homely sages of the lineage of Angira rishi I ridiculed them and hence by their curse received the birth of a snake, but today by the touch of the feet of the spiritual master of the three worlds I am delivered.

            Kamsa has only one thought in his mind – how to kill Krishna-Balarama. To capture them he dispatches Shankhasura, Aritasura  and Kesi from time to time and all of them are duly delivered in the hands of the Lord means they achieves liberation from their sinful life.

            Meanwhile a thought and anxiety aroused in the mind of Lord’s dear person Devarshi Narada because he sees that God is busy with various pastimes and He is not at all in a hurry in delivering Kamsa. So he straightaway goes to Mathura and arrives at the palace of Kamsa. Naradji is well familiar there and Kamsa becomes very happy seeing him – because Narada is a shrewd politician, he had unopposed entry everywhere and so from him many secret news could be obtained which nobody else can provide.

            Kamsa after paying obeisance says, after a long time what has brought you here rishibar – tell me what the news is.

            Narada says, rajan have you forgotten that your greatest enemy; Sri Krishna-Balaram is now eleven years old and gradually they are attaining their full youth. You are sending asura one after another and all of them are being killed in their hands, when will you yourself confront with them?

            Naradji says, Kamsa Lord Shivji had gifted you a bow named Haradhanuk, organize a great Haradhanuk yajna, invite the great heroes from all the four sides, send invitation to the pleasant and unpleasant ones, also invite Sri Krishna-Balarama, King Nanda and other Brajabashis and show your kindness towards them.

            Akrura is Krishna-Balarama’s uncle; send him to Vrindavana to fulfill the job of bringing Krishna-Balarama to Mathura. When the two brothers come to see the fair at Mathura, with some excuse deceive them and kill them, there is no other way other than this.

            Kamsa says, rishibar if your blessings remains than this job will be surely done, you be rest assured.

            Naradji says, king I wish to see your success and saying this Naradji comes straight to Vrindavana, at the time when Krishna and Balarama were returning from cow-grazing.

            Naradji pays obeisance at Their feet and worships Them. The Lord says, rishibar it is a great mercy that you have given darshan, tell us what the news is.

            Narada says, Bhagavan please tell when are going to rescue Kamsa, when will you kill this sinful person?

            Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, Devarshi who am I to kill or save somebody, as the jiva performs his activities so he enjoy or suffers accordingly. But it is confirmed that the container of sinful activities of Kamsa is filled and it will break very soon. Narada says, Prabhu no more delay, now I wish to see the destruction of Kamsa.

            The Lord says, Naradji and what have to told there to Kamsa, here you are telling about him and there you have told about Me isn’t it and you have given the same date to both of us.

            Saint Narada says, Prabhu You know everything about Me, my nature is not unknown to You, I only do those activities which creates welfare to the citizens.  

            Meanwhile Kamsa calls Akrura on that night; Akrura is a thoughtful and a great devotee of the Lord.

            Kamsa says, see Akruraji I never conceal anything -

            asate tav ihanena rathenanaya ma ciram (10/36/30)

            Akrurji you go to Nandabraja and there two sons of Basudevji Sri Krishna-Balaram, you bring them here to Mathura.

            Akrurji thinks, in the mind of this wicked Kamsa why did this wish arise to bring Krishna-Balarama at Mathura and so he asks, Maharaj what will you do by bringing Krishna-Balarama here? Kamsa says, Akrurji you know very well what the celestial voice had announced during the marriage ceremony of Devaki “Kamsa – the eighth son in the womb of Devaki will be your death” and this Krishna is the eighth son of Devaki, they will come here and witness the beauty of Mathura and during that time I will definitely kill them.

            yujyate harsa-sokabhyam tathapy ajnam karomi te (10/36/39)

            Rajan you have thought very nice, but just by thinking it will not do, you have to do it by your deeds.

            This is the greatest error of a human being that he thinks many things but unable to fulfill them, whatever you may think but only that will happen which the Lord wishes. There is not a single moment of reliability in this life but people go on making great programmes.

            Here the programme of Kamsa is also huge so he is a candidate for Akrura’s help. Akrura thinks that not obeying the order of Kamsa means death, so it is better to do what he wishes. Son of Sfalaka, Akura mahasay keeps on thinking about God for the whole night.

            kim vathapy arhate dattam yad draksyamy adya kesavam (10/38/3)

            What virtuous activity I have done, what severe tapasya had I undergone or what kind of charity did I gave that today I will have the darshan of Kesava.

            Akrurji feels very happy because it a very scarce opportunity for him that today he will have the darshan of Govinda. Merely for the jivas it is a very rare opportunity to have darshan of Sri Krishna.

            For the darshan of Krishna how much austerities the great sages undergoes, yet they could not easily attain it and that Lord of all universes, that hero, that son of Nanda-Yasoda  beloved of all gopis that Govinda, today I will had His darshan, I will fall down in His feet, He will address me “tat” (holy personage) and will keep His boon giving hands upon my head – I will be blessed, all my task will be fulfilled and the inauspiciousness of birth after birth will be destroyed.

            After observing the vow of Falguni Sukla Ekadashi, on the early morning of Dwadashi, Akrurji starts his journey towards Braja.   

            He absorbs in such a way in the thoughts of Krishna-Balaram that his samadhi (trance) take place. As a result his horse also forgets moving and the journey which is only of two-three hours, it took ten hours for him to reach there. At the border from where Vrindavana starts, Akrurji gets down there from his chariot, Balkrishnaji and Balaramaji were returning after grazing the cows, seeing Akrura both the brothers feels very happy, Akrurji falls flat on the ground and pays them obeisance again and again.

            Before the great thoughtful mahatma Akrura could bow down at the feet of Krishna, both the brother prostrates at his feet and says, Uncle what are you doing, you are our superiors, revered.

            The eyes of Akrura get filled with tears and in excessive emotional voice he says, lala (dear son) this behavior of Yours is very strange.

            Sri Krishna-Balarama alongwith Akrurji enters Nandabhavan and mother Yasoda give him a cordial reception. Akrurji completes his meal etc. and sits down besides King Nanda and mother Yasoda.

            In the meanwhile the news of Akrura’s arrival spreads allover Braja.

            Maharaj Nanda asks, dear Akrurji please tell us the reason of your arrival. Akrurji says, I have come to take Sri Krishna-Balarama, at Mathura a great dhanuk yajna (bow sacrifice) is being organized by Kamsa and people from the all the four sides are nowadays approaching there to witness that yajna. To see this great festival, King Kamsa your brother-in-law had sent you an invitation and also sent this heavenly chariot to take you there.

            As soon as mother Yasoda hears about the going of Krishna-Balarama she begins to weep and says, if anybody wants my life than I am ready to give it to him but I won’t allow Krishna to move away from in front of my eyes. Hearing this Maharaj Nanda consoles her and says, don’t worry, Krishna’s companions and also I will accompany them and within two or three days I will bring them back after causing them witness Mathura.

            In the eyes of Yasoda there is no sleep; thousands of gop-gopis are standing at the entrance of Nanda Maharaj.

            Nandababa alongwith friends of Sri Krishna and other cowherd men all boards a bullock cart. At the early morning when the main gate of the palace was opened, Gopala sees that lakhs and lakhs of gopis were standing and among them Kishoriji was also there, Akrura Maharaj is decorating the chariot and with Krishna-Balarama as the chariot proceeds, tears starts flowing from the eyes of the gopis. Folding their hands in front of Nanda Maharaj they says, we will not let Gopala to go away, how did you think that we will let you go and also how did you think that you will be able to leave us.to be continued