In days of old, the seven noble daughters of Devaka were given in marriage to Vasudeva—among them Vṛṣadevī, Upadevā, Devarakṣitā, Śrīdevā, Śāntidevā, Sahadevā, and the illustrious Devakī. Of these sisters, Devakī shone above all, renowned for her virtue and noble character. Meanwhile, Ugrasena, king of the Yadavas, had nine sons, the eldest of whom was Kaṃsa. The descendants of Ugrasena—his sons and grandsons—multiplied into the hundreds and thousands, filling the land with their lineage. Devakī, the radiant daughter of Devaka, became the wife of the wise Vasudeva, and her devotion was such that even the gods honored her. Alongside her, Rohiṇī, greatly fortunate, was also wedded to Anakadundubhi (another name for Vasudeva). Pauravī, the daughter of Bāhlika, too, was revered by the gods. It was Rohiṇī who gave birth to Rāma, the mighty one who wields the plough, famed for his strength. Yet, out of fear of Kaṃsa’s cruelty, Rohiṇī concealed herself and her radiant son. After Rāma’s birth, and when six sons had already been slain by Kaṃsa’s hand, Vasudeva, wise and steadfast, begot Hari—Kṛṣṇa himself—within Devakī. This Hari is the Supreme Self, the god of gods, Janārdana. Alongside him, the blessed Halāyudha, Ananta, shining like silver, also descended. Janārdana Vāsudeva, honoring a human form and fulfilling the ancient curse of Bhṛgu, was born to Devakī. At the same time, Yoganidrā, emerging from the body of Umā and known as Kauśikī, by the will of the god of gods, became the daughter of Yaśodā. She is Prakṛti herself, directly worshipped by all the gods. Thus, the blessed Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Person and bestower of the fruits of dharma and liberation, took birth. A maiden, wide-eyed and four-armed, bearing the mark of Śrīvatsa upon her chest, was taken up by Vasudeva to protect his own son from Kaṃsa’s wrath. Janārdana, bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, was entrusted by Vasudeva to Yaśodā. Giving the divine child to Nandagopa, Vasudeva said, “Let him be protected,” thus entrusting Viṣṇu, the protector of the worlds, who had assumed a mortal form by his own will. By the grace of Śiva, the Supreme Lord of immeasurable brilliance, Rāma was also bestowed with divine blessings. For the purpose of relieving the burden of the earth, the preceptor of the world descended, and so all auspiciousness came to the Yādavas. The embryo of Devakī was destined to remove afflictions, and it was foretold that Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena and Ānakadundubhi’s wife, would face his doom. When a well-marked girl was born, an announcement was made: “This is the eighth embryo of Devakī, O Kaṃsa of good vows.” It was said she was death itself, as the ancient tradition proclaims. Kaṃsa, leaping in fear and rage, sought to kill her. But the eight-armed goddess spoke, her voice deep as thunderclouds: “Protect your own body; your death has already arrived. While you seek to guard yourself, O deceiver Kaṃsa, what evil have you done, that your destroyer has now been born?” Out of fear, Kaṃsa attempted to kill the eighth child of Devakī, but destiny decreed that her eighth son would be his end. Kaṃsa’s efforts to substitute the child were futile, for by the power of Hari and the goddess, he was rendered inert. In time, Kaṃsa was slain by Kṛṣṇa, whose actions remain pure, and many others—slayers of gods and Brāhmaṇas—were also destroyed by him. Kṛṣṇa’s sons, headed by Pradyumna, and many others, famed for their prowess in battle, were born to him. All these sons resembled Kṛṣṇa, but among them, Cārudeṣṇa and others stood out for their distinction. Especially powerful were the sons of Rukmiṇī, for Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand one hundred wives, though Rukmiṇī was his beloved and eldest. With her, Kṛṣṇa, pure in his deeds, dwelt for twelve years. Desiring sons, Kṛṣṇa worshipped Hara (Śiva), sustaining himself on air alone for twelve years. Thus were born Cārudeṣṇa, Sucāru, Cāruveṣa, and Yaśodhara. Cāruśravā, Cāruyaśas, Pradyumna, and Sāmba too came into being, granted by the grace of the trident-bearing Lord. Beholding these heroic sons and the sons of Rukmiṇī, Jāmbavatī, another wife of wise Kṛṣṇa, spoke: “O lotus-eyed one, graciously grant me a son, virtuous and esteemed by the lord of gods.” Hearing her words, Hari, the Lord of the universe, faultless and steadfast in austerity, undertook penance. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, journeyed to the hermitage of the sage Vyāghrapāda. There, seeing the sage Aṅgiras, Janārdana bowed and, by his command, attained the divine Pāśupata yoga. With hair and beard removed, anointed with ghee, girded with a muñja grass belt, Kṛṣṇa, the subduer of foes, undertook severe austerity. With arms raised, unsupported, standing on tiptoe, subsisting on fruits, water, and air, Adhokṣaja practiced for three seasons. Pleased by his austerity, Rudra granted Kṛṣṇa many boons, including the son Sāmba, born to Jāmbavatī. Thus, Jāmbavatī, wife of Hari, rejoiced in incomparable joy, as Aditi did upon the birth of Āditya. Then, O eminent sages, by the curse of the wise Rudra, the thousand arms of Bāṇa were cut off by Kṛṣṇa, bringing the tale to its auspicious close.