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The myth of Kamsa is told in a series of nested myths that are an excellent study of karma as a process over many lifetimes. But its primary location is within the Krishna myth cycle, where Kamsa plays a role in Krishna’s nativity and his first great battle with evil (though in previous lives Krishna had already fought bat­tles with demons of all sorts before the one with Kamsa). Kamsa’s karmic chain began at the beginning of a new cosmic creation. Kamsa was a rebirth of Kalanemi, a son of … Continue reading →

Kamadhenu was born of Kasyapa and his wife Krodhavasa. Kamadhenu (desire- fulfilling milk cow) gave milk to the devas (gods), at any time and in any quan­tity they wanted. She was also known as Surabhi (the fragrant) and Nandini (delight). The family of cattle came from Kamadhenu. (Another source stated that Surabhi was the calf of Kamadhenu.) In the Mahabharata Surabhi worshipped Brahma for a thousand years and was blessed with divinity: she became a goddess and received her own world, Goloka (the celestial heaven of cows). Some late myths … Continue reading →

Kalmashapada (one with polluted feet) was the name given a great king who had been turned into a man-eating rakshasa (night-wandering demon). Before the curse, he was Mitrasaha, king of Ayodhya, who lived in happiness with his beau­tiful queen Madayanti. There are three versions of how he was cursed. The first version began on a hunt when King Mitrasaha killed a tiger cub that was really a rakshasa. The demon’s brother took revenge by taking the shape of a brahmin named Vasishtha and going to Mitrasaha’s palace to perform an … Continue reading →

Kalki is the form that Vishnu will assume at the end of this cosmic age, the Kali Yuga. As Kalki, Vishnu will appear in a human form riding on a white horse. He will bring a fiery end to the world, reward the virtuous, and punish the wicked. With his advent, evil will disappear, and the Krita Yuga (also known as the Satya Yuga, the age of truth) will begin again.

In the Krishna myth cycle Kaliya was a great serpent, born of the progenitor Kasyapa by his wife Kadru, mother of the serpent kingdom. Kaliya lived in the Kalindi River (also called the Yamuna) and was well known because of his asso­ciation with Krishna. Kaliya had a thousand hoods (although some texts say only five). One late version added that Kaliya was reborn as the asura (demon) Kalanemi. While other Nagas (serpents) had made an arrangement not to be eaten by Garuda, the sun eagle, Kaliya and his clan were … Continue reading →

The story of Kalipriya is brief but nonetheless important. It represents the point of view of the devotional groups and the abundant grace (prasada) that they promised. Kalipriya was absolved of her sins and received the merit (punya) to offset all her bad karma simply by performing a month-long fast (kartika vrata). The Padma Purana did not say that she achieved liberation (moksha) but stated that she gained a rebirth in heaven (svarga), the hope of devotionalists (bhaktas), who longed to be with their supreme lord.

Kalindi was the daughter of Surya, the sun god. She was blessed to become a sacred river, also known as the Yamuna. It flowed from the Kalinda mountain and entered the Ganga at Prayaga, a very sacred confluence. At the birth of Krishna, his father Vasudeva had to switch the infants of his two wives. He had to cross a flooding Kalindi River. The goddess of the river miraculously helped him cross back and forth with the babies. There is a strange story in the Bhagavata (Skandha Ten) about Balabhadra … Continue reading →

Kali (strife) was the personification of evil (adharma), as well as the worst throw in a game of Indian dice. He could also be called the god of sin and of bad luck. Kali was born as the fifteenth of sixteen sons of Kasyapa and his wife Muni. In an encounter with King Parikshit, Kali was cursed to be confined to five places on earth: gambling, drinking, woman, murder, and gold. According to the Bhagavata Purana Kali is the ruling power in the Kali Yuga—the present age.KALI Kali, Hindu goddess … Continue reading →

Kalavati worshipped the sage Durvasa and was given the powerful five-syllable mantra (pancakshara mantra) in praise of Siva (sivayah namah). By its use Kala- vati became a saint. Kalavati married King Daharha of Mathura. When he approached her, he noticed that he became overheated. Kalavati told him that, because of the mantra, sinners would feel hot if they touched her. The king consented to go with Kalavati to the brahmin Garga. The king bathed in the Kalindi River, and his sins flew away as tiny birds. When they next embraced, … Continue reading →