The Business Of The Demons Is To Nullify God

“While Vasudeva was carrying his son Krishna in the falling rain, Lord Shesha in the shape of a serpent spread His hood over the head of Vasudeva so that he would not be hampered by the rainfall. Vasudeva came onto the bank of the Yamuna and saw that the water of the Yamuna was roaring with waves and that the whole span was full of foam. Still, in that furious feature, the river gave passage to Vasudeva to cross, just as the great Indian Ocean gave a path to Lord Rama when He was bridging over the gulf.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 3)

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“Ain’t no one gonna come save you now. Pray to the heavens all you want. Say it loud and clear. Scream it, for all I care. Won’t do you no good. There isn’t anyone on the other end. They hung up while you were on hold. They didn’t want to take this issue. Too hard for them to handle.

“Actually, I’m just messing with you. There was never anyone there to begin with. God is a myth. A figment of the imagination. A way for less intelligent people to try to explain what they can’t understand. If there really was somebody out there, witnessing everything, wouldn’t they step in and answer your prayers?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that the business of the demons is to nullify God. They are relentless in this pursuit. They don’t let up. A defeat is not a cause for shame. An honest person reacts differently to a setback. They reassess the situation. They consider what they might have done wrong. They vow to change course in the future.

The demon, described as asura in Sanskrit, will not let go of their idea. Case in point Kamsa. He heard directly from Narada Muni that there was a previous birth. In that existence, Kamsa was known as Kalanemi. The Supreme Lord Vishnu had killed him.

Though he should have, Kamsa did not take this as evidence of the existence of the Almighty. He was living in fear of potential death at the hands of the eighth child of his sister, Devaki. Kamsa knew that the same Vishnu would arrive, but he thought he could nullify destiny.

His justification was that appearance takes place through birth, janma. Every person starts out as an infant, and in that state they are completely helpless. Kamsa would thereby take advantage of Vishnu’s position of dependency to pounce. Something like striking while the enemy is in a compromised position.

Such a fool was the leader of Mathura that he did not realize that for Vishnu to be Almighty, He would have to retain full potency in every state of being. No matter the visual He displayed for everyone else, He would stay in the superior position.

The infant child did eventually arrive. For all of Kamsa’s planning, he was not awake when the events went down. Everyone in charge of protecting the jail cell, for keeping an eye out for any funny business, was asleep.

The birth father, Vasudeva, escaped and took baby Krishna with him. It was indeed Vishnu, as Bhagavan showed moments prior. Vishnu’s trusted assistant, Anantadeva, was also there. Vasudeva reached a crossroads at the banks of the Yamuna River. How was he to make it to Gokula, the place to which Krishna asked to be transported?

As asuras are trying to nullify God, the suras are always supporting Him. As a reward for this devotion, Vishnu enables them to reach new heights of ability and accomplishment. Amazingly, Vasudeva crossed the river, holding Krishna above him. He completed the mission as assigned, and Kamsa’s vigilance proved for naught.

The nullification attempt is a silly one since every person is destined to meet with God; at least in the awe-inspiring and devouring form known as kala. This has two meanings which are essentially identical. Kala is time, and kala is also death. Death is just another moment in time, but a more striking and noteworthy one.

Kamsa had the great fortune of meeting kala in the form of the fist of Shri Krishna, who exacted revenge for the terror inflicted on the saintly people of the world for too long. Just as Kalanemi before, Kamsa would have to wait for another time to try again at eliminating God. For his brothers and sisters in spirit that attempt continues to this day, but the same son of Vasudeva works His magic and protects the saintly people devoted to Him.

In Closing:

Since on sinful life bent,
Many a nullification attempt.

Kamsa trying wide awake,
With numerous precautions to take.

But at moment asleep at the wheel,
Vasudeva with new son to steal.

And destiny never to deny,
No matter how much to try.