Now the time was ready for Hari (Krishna) to come to be born and dwell
upon earth.
His sweet will it was to be as a man and show man the beauty of Love. It
was then that Devaki again conceived and a mother unto the eighth child
would be.
But lo! fear now to her was unknown and glory shone around her like the
sun filling the darkened dungeon with light, for the Lord of all Light
in her mind did come, and Him as a child to the world she would bring.
She, who the mother many times of sorrow was, now the mother of joy had
become.
O blessed art thou, wife Devaki, that the sweet will of the Lord of all
Love and All Life was centred on thee when he willed as a child among
men to come! And thou, poor mother, whose heart was made to bleed for
the bearing of sons, henceforth an ocean of love shalt become, for
throbs not under thy heart the pulse of Him who, love-touched,
love-filled, and love-made, pervades all lives and all that ever will
live?
And in that hour barren women, as a gracious boon of the Lord's coming
into Devaki's womb, conceived to their own overjoyful surprise.
And when Kangsa beheld the glory of her who was his sister, he knew that
Hari, He who would quench his life, was within her.
But when he sought to strike her low, the glow of the light that came
from her overawed him quite and the steel refused to reach her flesh;
and many gaolers were sent unto her by the king to slay, but when they
looked upon her glory, lo! their hearts were quickened with love, and
holy they became, and, dropping their weapons, fled from her side and in
meditation and prayer sought the light that showed them their darkness.
And the seers and sages and gods and pundits and angels that see, with
illumined eyes of the spirit, the things that were and are and the
things that still will come, beheld the light that glorified the mother
even though distance and mortar hid her from fleshly view, for the eyes
that are quickened by spirit cognize not the sight of the senses.
And, prostrating low, salutations they gave to the Lord of the Universe
that became child in the mother:
"O Thou, the Eye of the Universe that sees all, the all-hearing Ear, the
Heart that draweth unto itself all that sprang from Thee!
"Thou, the Seed and Soul that hath in its centre the roots of all space
and all that space containeth!
"Thou, the Source of all Love, the Existence of all Life, the Dispenser
of all Light, the Mystery of all Wisdom, who, self-created, chose not to
dwell alone, but willed creation to be and from whose breath all living
creatures sprang!
"O Thou, who suffered darkness to be, that beauty of light may be known!
Thou, who by Thy own sweet will dost thrust Thy own children forth a
little but to draw them unto Thy heart again to heighten Thy pleasure
and theirs!
"We, Thy blinded children, illumined, were made to see the light of Thy
coming to earth. Thou, the Mystery and yet the Revelation of all things
art!
"Thou, that which hideth from man all things that he accounteth not to
Thy sweet will and revealeth all unto him who sifteth each act to Thy
source!
"Thou, who attunest the ear to the sound of all harmony and keepest Thy
Worlds and All Life in motion!
"Thou, who art the Immensity of All Things! We know that even as a man
Thou art come in our midst.
"O Thou the Source of all Energy that is, Thou the Vibrations of all joy
that thrilleth through all Life!
"Thou Maker of all, who by Thy coming dost lift us even unto Thyself,
again who by Thy coming will show the vileness of Self which unlike Thee
is, and how sin doth darken where virtue is!
"Thy power, O King of all Kingdoms, is boundless. Oh! why are we blessed
with the truth of Thy coming, we the blinded whom Thou hast chosen to
honor?"
Thus spoke the sages, the pundits and seers, the gods and Brahmā, the
Creator Himself, whom the Lord of Love had blessed with the power to
know of His coming.