Character

Kamsa

कंसKaṃsa

verses
711
books
21
chapters
190
Slain by
Krishna

What the texts say

In the Bhagavata Purana, Kamsa is a powerful son of Ugrasena, king of the Yadus, who imprisoned his father and ruled the Shurasena lands himself. Bhagavatam 9.24.24, 10.1.69 The Vishnu Purana says he was once the asura Kalanemi, born again to oppose dharma. Vishnu Purana 5.1.23 In the Devi Bhagavatam, Kamsa is told that Devaki's eighth son will be his slayer. Devi Bhagavatam 4.20.64 The Bhagavata Purana also foresees King Kamsa dying at the hand of Krishna, the Lord. Bhagavatam 10.37.15 It adds that Kamsa, always troubled by the thought of the Lord killing him, saw Him before him and attained a form like His. Bhagavatam 10.44.39

Where to read

Every verse that names Kamsa, book by book.

  1. Bhagavatam

    220 verses · 37 chapters

    All 220 verses in the Bhagavatam
    • 10.4.2

      Woh guard log jaldi se gaye. Devaki ka baccha hua yeh bataya Kans ko. Kans ka intezaar tha ki kab yeh khabar aaye.

    • 10.1.10

      Krishna Vraja mein rahe aur Mathura bhi gaye. Wahan jaake unhone kya kiya? Unhone apne mama Kansa ko mar daala. Aisa karna kya sahi tha? Shastra mein toh aisa likha nahi hai.

    • 10.44.30

      Sab log khush the Krishna aur Balarama ke kaam dekh ke. Bas Kamsa akela tha jo nahi khush tha. Bade log aur sadhu bhi the. Woh bol uthe, 'Bahut accha! Bahut accha!'

  2. Devi Bhagavatam

    91 verses · 13 chapters

    All 91 verses in the Devi Bhagavatam
    • 4.23.1

      Jab Devaki ke chhote bete mar gaye the, Kamsa ne unhe maara tha. Aur jab seventh baccha gir gaya tha, Narada ne jo baat kahi thi uske hisab se yeh hua.

    • 4.21.1

      Ab yeh kahani hai ki Kamsa ne Devaki ka pehla beta kaise maara. Vyas kehte hain ki waqt guzra. Devaki jaise devi thi, Vasudeva ke saath thi. Dono ne shaadi ke sabse baat sahi ki. Phir Devaki ne ek bacche ko god liya.

    • 4.1.3

      Devata bhi uski puja karte the. Log usse Anakadundubhi ke naam se bulate the. Woh dharam ke pakka tha. Phir bhi Kamsa ne use jail mein kyun band kiya?

  3. Vishnu Purana

    78 verses · 14 chapters

    All 78 verses in the Vishnu Purana
    • 5.20.4

      Kubja boli, are tumhe kaise nahi pata? Kans ne mujhe yeh kaam diya hai. Main tel malish mein mahir hoon. Mera naam Naikavakra hai, sab jaante hain.

    • 5.1.6

      Kans khud un dono ka saarathi ban gaya aur us shaandaar rath ko chalaya. Bhoja vansh badhane wale ne Vasudev aur Devaki ki shaadi manaayi. Kans ko pata nahi tha ki yeh saari journey Vishnu ki plan mein thi.

    • 5.15.3

      Narad ne Kans ko sab kuch bataya. Ek-ek baat sahi order mein. Shuru se leke Yashoda aur Devaki ke bacche badalne tak. Kuch bhi chhoda nahi.

  4. Padma Purana

    74 verses · 17 chapters

    All 74 verses in the Padma Purana
    • 6.245.6

      Ugrasena ka beta Kansa tha. Woh bahut taakatwala aur bahadur tha. Us waqt saarthi ne unka accha ratha aage badhaya.

    • 4.13.12

      Pehle ki baat hai, dharti bohot dukhi thi. Kans jaise raja log usse satate the. Kans ka aadmi apna raj samajh ke bohot maarta tha.

    • 1.6.59

      Raja, ab in daitya ke baare mein suno. Kansa aur Shankha, Nala aur Vatapi. Ilvala aur Namuci bhi the. Khasrma aur Anjan bhi is list mein hain.

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Kamsa matters most.

  1. Yoga-māyā Appears as Durgā; Kaṁsa’s Repentance and the Demonic Policy of Persecuting Vaiṣṇavas

    Bhagavatam 10.4 · 36 verses

    Antagonist whose fear of fate produces violence, momentary…

  2. Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent (Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear)

    Bhagavatam 10.1 · 29 verses

    The fear-driven tyrant whose adharma intensifies the world’s…

  3. The Killing of Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, and Kaṁsa; Liberation and Restoration of Dharma in Mathurā

    Bhagavatam 10.44 · 16 verses

    Tyrant who weaponizes spectacle and state power

  4. The Lord’s Advent: Yoga-māyā’s Mission, Saṅkarṣaṇa’s Transfer, and the Demigods’ Prayers

    Bhagavatam 10.2 · 14 verses

    Embodies hostile absorption and political paranoia

  5. Kamsaṃ Prati Yogamāyāvākyam

    Devi Bhagavatam 4.23 · 24 verses

  6. The Killing of Ariṣṭāsura and Kaṁsa’s Plot to Summon Kṛṣṇa

    Bhagavatam 10.36 · 21 verses

    Tyrant whose fear-driven rāja-nīti escalates from suspicion to…

  7. The Description of the Killing of Devaki's First Son by Kamsa

    Devi Bhagavatam 4.21 · 20 verses

  8. Kṛṣṇa Slays Kuvalayāpīḍa and Enters Kaṁsa’s Wrestling Arena

    Bhagavatam 10.43 · 6 verses

    The anxious tyrant watching his own spectacle unravel

  9. The Slaying of Kaṁsa (and the Descent of Kṛṣṇa)

    Padma Purana 6.245 · 40 verses

    antagonist

  10. कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

    Vishnu Purana 5.20 · 20 verses

    प्रत्यक्षं न दृश्यते, किन्तु कुब्जायाः कर्म-प्रयोजनं तेन…

Key episodes

  1. The Birth of Krishna

    Bhagavatam 10.1-10.4

  2. Krishna Kills Kamsa

    Bhagavatam 10.43-10.44

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q2092267