Demons from Krishna Book and ISKCON

Kamsa, the child abuser who torments Devaki and Vasudev (Krishna's parents), was known as Devaki's brother, but that was just a simple way of describing the relationship. Actually, her grandfather, King Devaka, was the brother of Ugrasena. Ugrasena's wife had Kamsa because she was raped. Kamsa grew up in the court of Ugrasena, Devaki's great uncle, which makes Kamsa her second cousin once removed. Therefore, it was not exactly a case of a brother killing his sister's children, but more of an uncle from the extended family persecuting a young woman in the family. (This also happened in ISKCON, where Kamsas persecuted women throughout their extended family.)

Ultimately, Devaki's only surviving son, Krishna, killed Kamsa. Then Balarama killed all of Kamsa's brothers. There is a metaphor here for ISKCON - a strong clue about the fate of child abusers.

Another profound tale for abuse victims is the story of Aghasura, the snake demon*. Although the story is meant to be taken literally, like a dream, it also offers metaphors and is thus true on many levels. On one level the snake could represent sodomy. Krishna protected the boys by killing Aghasura, but like many victims, the boys were unable to tell their story to anyone. That was because right after Agahsura died, Lord Brahma kidnapped the cowherd boys (the boys remain unconscious in a cave for one year while Brahma turns his back for one second*). Thus the evidence of the snake's dead body decomposes while the boys were held in captivity. In ISKCON's case, certain leaders of the organization took part in the abuse and in the conspiracy of silence. People who were supposed to be in charge, instead looked the other way. Perpetrators threaten their victims to keep them from speaking out. These dynamics were seen in ISKCON as the young people began to realize what was done to them. This process began in 1990 and continued through the 90s.

The death of Putana (the demon who disguised herself as a nurse tried to poison baby Krishna*) reveals the proper way to expose child abusers. Putana's dead body changed back into an ugly witch and fell down dead across the Vrindavana landscape to the horizon. Everyone knew what had happened and they rushed to protect the child Krishna. Then they chopped up the witch's body and burned it. The ugly corpse is a metaphor for the perpetrator's crimes. When someone commits an act of violence against a child, whether emotional, physical or sexual, the way to topple that abuser is to expose them. Explain to the child that what the perpetrator did was wrong, then do everything possible to help the child heal. In the case of sexual abuse, explain to the child that sex is a confusing subject for people of all ages, especially inexperienced children. Briefly explain that adults who love each other give and receive pleasure through touching. Tell them that they will learn more about it when they're teenagers and invite them to ask any questions they may have. It's good to get professional counseling for child victims of abuse as soon as possible after the abuse incident. ISKCON could have had a favorable outcome for their children, if only ISKCON leaders had been willing to acknowledge the crimes sooner and do more to help the victims.

Demise of the Dynasties and Death of Krishna

The Pandavas lived in grief due to separation from their relatives. After six years, Yudhistira saw his mother in a dream and they all went to the forest to see her. They took Vyasa, a sage and grandfather in the family, with them. Gandhari and Kunti told Vyasa they wanted to see their dead relatives. Vyasa advised them to dip into the Ganges, which they did, and when they came out they saw Karna, Duryodhana and all the others standing on the bank of the river. Even the blind king Dhritarastra saw the vision. After the Pandavas returned to Hastinapura, two days later a forest fire killed Dhritarastra, Kunti and Gandhari.

Yudhistira had become king after the Great War, but reigned for only a few years before the family crowned Pariksit, Arjuna's son, as king. The Pandavas and Droupadi left their material engagements to prepare for the end of life (maha-prasthana). They departed for the Himalayas mountains where heaven is, walking in a line with Yudhistira first, then the other brothers, Droupadi, and finally Yudhistira's dog. As they climbed the mountains, first Droupadi died, then each of the brothers died, until finally Yudhistira reached the gates of heaven, followed only by the dog. Lord Indra was there to meet him. When Yudhistira realized that his brothers and wife were dead, he didn't want to go into heaven alone, but Indra said the others were already there waiting for him there, thus Yudhistira and the dog entered heaven with Lord Indra.

Along with the curse of Gandhari, another curse befell Krishna's dynasty that contributed to its annihilation. Once some of Krishna's sons were playing around and they dressed Samba as a pregnant woman, and brought him before some visiting sages Visvamitra, Kanva and Narada Muni. In jest they asked the sages to predict what kind of child Samba would give birth to. Insulted, the sages said he would give birth to an iron rod that would become the instrument to fulfill the prophecy of their dynasty's demise. Fearful and repentant, the boys asked Krishna what to do, but Krishna acknowledged the curse and said it was meant to be. When Samba delivered an iron rod the next day, the Yadavas (Krishna's sons) filed it into powder and threw it into the sea. Krishna enforced a prohibition on liquor in Dvaraka, hoping to avoid what was destined to come. Still evil omens began: rats multiplied and attacked humans in their sleep, sheep howled like jackals, asses were born from cows, and cats from mules. Krishna's Sudarshan-chakra weapon disappeared into the sky.

Eventually the powder from the iron rod washed up on the shore and grew into arrow-like grass. The Yadavas became drunk and used the rods to kill each other. Even Krishna beat people out of anger. In this fratricidal war all the descendents of Krishna killed each other. Krishna sent His messenger Daruka to Hastinapura to inform Arjuna of the demise of the Yadava race, then consoled the women in the palace. He told his wives that Arjuna would take care of them and left for the forest. Krishna's brother Balarama sat down under a tree and his life air came out of his mouth like a white serpent and entered the sea. Krishna roamed the forest for some time, then sat down to meditate. When a hunter named Jara came by, he mistook Krishna for a deer and shot an arrow into His foot. Krishna died at once and his spirit rose into heaven. Arjuna cremated Krishna and several of His principle queens died in the funeral pyre after Him. Arjuna left for Hastinapura with the remaining wives, but on the way, forest dwellers attacked and the women dove into the Satasvati River and died to escape.

Philosophers and scholars of the time knew that the death of Krishna marked the beginning of Kali-yuga, the present age of degradation. Thus, to preserve this heritage and the stories of Krishna for future generations, they held a convention in the Forest of Naimasharanya. The sages discussed all these stories and Vyasa, one of the sages present, later wrote everything down in what is now the Srimad-Bhagavatam.