The Supreme Lord, the primordial cause of all creation, chooses to be born in Devaki’s womb, adopting the ways of human life. He appears in her womb just as the sun rises in the east, observes the Bhagavata Purana. This signifies that His birth is not bound by karma or any other compulsion as in the case of all other beings but takes place purely out of His own Will, Sri Akkarakani Sri Srinidhi Swami explained in a lecture.
Vasudeva and Devaki are wonderstruck at the effulgence of the child who appears with four arms holding the divine conch, discus, mace and lotus and intuitively realise that He is the Supreme One. Confirming the truth, the Lord traces the antecedents of Vasudeva and Devaki linked with His own. He reveals that He is now born for the third time to them and that they were His parents during two of His earlier incarnations as well — a unique privilege they had earned through penance.
During Swayambhuva Manvantara, they were known as Prisni and Prajapati Sutapa and had performed austerities with the aim of begetting a worthy progeny as commanded by Brahma. At the end of 12 years, the power of their penance had attained such spiritual heights that the Lord appeared before them in the very form of Narayana. Prisni then sought the boon of a son who would be equal in all respects to the Lord. Her request was granted albeit thrice. Since none could be an equal to Him, the Almighty Himself chose to be born as Prisnigarbha, the first time. Subsequently He was born as Vamana to Kashyapa Prajapati and Aditi and now as Krishna to Devaki and Vasudeva.
Vasudeva is given instructions for transferring the divine incarnation to Gokula and to bring Yogamaya from there to the prison. Vasudeva feels helpless, shackled as he is with massive chains and the imposing locks denying all exit from the prison cell.
The chains break, the fetters fall away and the cell doors open, symbolic of the freeing of the Jivatma from samsara which happens only with Lord’s Will. The Divine Sankalpa to incarnate from age to age for the protection of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked commences in the Dwapara Yuga.
