After his well received series based on The Ramayana, Ashok K. Banker has brought out his first book in a series of eight on the legend of Krishna.
The story begins as Ugrasena, the aging king of Mathura, is dethroned and put in captivity by his evil son Kamsa. As Kamsa’s reign of oppression overtakes the kingdom of the Yadavas, he is informed of a powerful prophecy by the saptarishi Narada. The prophecy predicts that Kamsa will die at the hands of his sister’s eighth son. Enraged but terrified, Kamsa incarcerates his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva, and awaits the birth of their eighth child.
Beset by paranoia, he starts murdering Devaki’s children as soon as they are born. After the sixth child, Devaki seems to have suffered a miscarriage. But the unborn child is secretly transferred to the womb of Rohini, the first wife of Vasudeva. Eventually, Devaki becomes pregnant for the eighth time. On the night of the birth of the eighth child, Vasudeva is assisted by divine forces in carrying the child to a safe haven in the town nearby, Gokul. The eighth born of Devaki is Krishna, the destined slayer of Kamsa, and he survives.
Beginning with the fateful birth of Krishna, the book follows his incredible tale as he grows up under the protection of his foster parents in Gokul. As the story unfolds, Krishna must confront one demon after another sent by Kamsa to take his life, and eventually leave his homestead to face the evil king himself. The book, following the ancient Hindu tradition of writing, is divided into two Kaands or parts, each containing several short sub-parts. It is followed by seven more books in the series, the next being Dance of Govinda.