The truthful Vâsudeva presented his first son Kirtimat to Kansa. The king admired the firmness of his brother-in-law and smilingly said: — "Take back this child. I have no fear from him. From your eighth born my death is ordained." "So let it be" exclaimed Vâsudeva, and he took back his son. But he had very little faith in the words of Kansa. Kansa learned from Nârada that Nanda, Vâsudeva and others of their dan, their wives and even the clansmen of Kansa, his friends and relatives, were partial incarnations of the Devas. He further learned from the Rishi that preparations were being made for the lolling of the Daityas, whose power menaced the Earth. When the Rishi left Kansa, he took all the members of the Yadu clan for Devas and every child of Devaki for Vishnu that was to kill him. He now confined Vâsudeva and Devaki in his own house and put them in fetters. He put to death every son that was born to them. He knew himself to be Kâlanemi who had been, in another birth, killed by Vishnu. He fell out with the Yadus, deposed his own father Ugra Sena and became himself the King. With the alliance of the Mâgadhas (people of Magadha or ancient Bihar) and with the help of Pralamba, Baka, Chânûra, Trinâvarta, Agha, Mushtika, Arishta, Dvivid, Pûtanâ, Kesi, Dhenuka, Vâna, Bhouma and other Asuras, Kansa tormented the Yadus. They fled away to the kingdoms of Kuru, Pânchâla, Kekaya, Sâlva, Vidarbha, Nishadha, Videha, and Kausala. Some only remained behind and they followed the behests of Kansa. Six sons of Devaki were killed, one by one, by Kansa. The seventh, the abode of Vishnu, whom they call Ananta, appeared in the womb of Devaki, causing both joy and grief to his parents. Vishnu, the Âtmâ of all beings, knew the sufferings of His own followers, the Yadus, at the hands of Kansa. He summoned Yoga Mâyâ and commanded her as follows. "Go forth, blessed Devi! to Vraja, which is adorned by Gopas and Gos (_Go_ is ordinarily a cow. _Gopa_, go and pa is a preserver of cow, a cowherd. Vraja or Go-kula was the chief town of Nan da, the king of the Gopas). Rohini, wife of Vâsudeva, dwells in Gokula the kingdom of Nanda. Other wives of Vâsudeva lie hidden at other places, for fear of Kansa. The child in the womb of Devaki is my Sesha named abode. Draw it out and place it in the womb of Rohini. I shall myself become the son of Devaki as a part of myself. Thou shalt be born of Yasodâ, the wife of Nanda. Men shall worship thee as the giver of all desires and boons, with incense, presents and sacrifices. They shall give thee names and make places for thee on the Earth. Durgâ, Bhadrakali, Vijayâ, Vaishnavi, Kamadâ, Chandikâ, Krishnâ, Madhavi, Kanyakâ, Mâyâ, Nârâyani, Ísâni, Sâradâ and Ambikâ — these shall be thy names. For thy _drawing out (Sankarshana)_ the child shall be called Sankarshana, He shall be called Râma, from his attractiveness (_ramana_) and Bala from his uncommon strength (_bala_)."