Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.4.9
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesYoga-māyā Escapes Kaṁsa’s Grasp
“The child, Yoga-māyā-devī, the younger sister of Lord Viṣṇu, slipped upward from Kaṁsa’s hands and appeared in the sky as Devī, the goddess Durgā, with eight arms, completely equipped with weapons.”
What the purport teaches
- The child slipped upward from Kaṁsa’s hands instead of falling against the stone. She appeared in the sky as Durgā, with eight arms equipped with weapons.
- The purport identifies her as Yoga-māyā, the younger sister of Lord Viṣṇu.
- The description “younger sister” is significant. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, must have taken birth from Yaśodā simultaneously with His birth from Devakī.
Try this today
Reread the translation today, noting the change from a child in Kaṁsa’s hands to the armed goddess in the sky.
Ask yourself
How does Yoga-māyā’s escape reveal the limits of Kaṁsa’s power?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.