Kamsa was warned that Devaki’s eighth child would kill him. Kamsa spared Devaki’s life, but killed every child born to her because of the threat to his life. He killed the first six sons born to her. When Devaki was carrying the seventh child, a miracle happened. Lord Narayana summoned Yogamaya and asked her to transfer Devaki’s four-month-old foetus to the womb of Rohini, another wife of Vasudeva. When this was accomplished, everyone thought that Devaki’s foetus had aborted. Now Kamsa, naturally, was in a state of confusion. The voice warning him had not spoken of such a situation. Should he count the aborted foetus as number seven? Or should he not? Kamsa did not know, and lost his peace of mind because of this.
This too was Krishna’s leela. The Lord makes sure that those who detest Him or detest His devotees lose their sleep and happiness, said V.S. Karunakarachariar in a discourse. The foetus transferred to Rohini’s womb was born at the appropriate time and was named Balarama. So the seventh child of Devaki was safe and sound. When Devaki became pregnant for the eighth time, Kamsa wondered if it would not be wise to kill her and be rid of the threat to his life once and for all. But he did not. Kamsa deciding to spare Devaki’s life was the Lord’s doing and was one of Krishna’s leelas. Devaki carried the eighth child full term and Krishna was born.
Vedanta Desika says that He was born in rishaba lagna, when five planets were in the most auspicious position. Appayya Dikshitar in his commentary on Vedanta Desika’s Yadavabhyudaya gives the astrological details. When Krishna was born, Chandra was in rishaba lagna, Mars was in Makara rasi, Mercury was in Kanya rasi, Jupiter was in Karkataka rasi and Saturn was in Tula rasi.
