Kamsa

Kamsa
Mahabharata character
Krishna kills Kansa
Information
Family	Ugrasena (father) Padmavati (mother) Devaki (sister)
Spouse(s)	Asti & Prapti (Two daughters of Jarasandha)

In Hindu mythology, Kamsa (Sanskrit:कंस, Kansa), also spelt as Kansa, is the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. He is the brother of Devaki, the mother of the god Krishna—who slew Kamsa. Kamsa is described as human in early sources and a rakshasa (demon) in the Puranas. His royal house was called Bhoja and another of his names was Bhojapati.

Kamsa was born to King Ugrasena and Queen Padmavati. However, out of ambition and upon the advice of his personal confidante, Banasura, Kamsa decided to overthrow his father and install himself as the King of Mathura. Therefore, upon the guidance of another advisor, Chanur, Kamsa decided to marry Asti and Prapti, the daughters of Jarasandha, King of Magadha.

After a heavenly voice prophesied that Devaki's eighth son will slay him, he imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudeva and killed all their children; however the eighth son, Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu, was transported to Gokul, where he was raised in the care of Nanda, the head of cowherds. Kamsa sent a host of demons to kill the child Krishna, all of whom Krishna killed. Finally, Krishna arrived in Mathura and slew his uncle Kamsa.

In reality, Kamsa was not the biological son of Ugrasena. The Brhad Bhagavatamrta references the Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa (48–51) of the Padma Purana describing that after Padmavati's marriage with Ugrasena she stayed a short time in the house of her father, King Satyaketu. At that time a demonic messenger of Kuvera’s named Drumila (or Gobhila) became attracted to her. He saw Padmavati, as she was bathing. Overcome with lust, he came to her disguised as Ugrasena, and asked for sexual union with her. Thinking that her husband had returned from war, she agreed in mating. That night they became intimate. During coitus, excited Drumila lost his self-control and got into his actual demonic form. However, Padmavati was so attracted to him that she didn't protest about it. As a result of this illicit love making, Padmavati conceived. She feared that Ugrasena may disown her as she was impregnanted by a demonic semen. But Ugrasena accepted her and she gave birth to Drumil's son Kamsa. Later Padmavati gave birth to four sons of Ugrasena In fact, Kamsa in his previous birth was a demon called Kalanemi, who was slain by Lord Vishnu.

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