Vasudeva managed to smuggle the child out of prison and take him to Gokul.

(The Bhagawat Purana makes an extraordinarily beautiful composition of the trials and tribulations faced by Vasudeva while taking the child to Gokul.

First, Goddess Yoga Maya put the guards outside the prison to sleep, using her powers. It was said that she even got Vasudeva and Devaki out of their shackles.

Then Vasudeva put the child in a basket and carried him out.

It is said that Sesha, the thousand headed Snake of Vishnu covered the child to make sure that the child was not drenched in the torrential rains outside.

However, this was the least of the problems for Vasudeva. The rains were so torrential that Yamuna had broken the banks and the water from the river overflowed into the city.

However, when Vasudeva came to the Yamuna with the child, it is believed that the waters of the Yamuna made way for the child to pass through.)

When Vasudeva reached the other side, he went inside the town of Gokul to find Nanda's home in the place. The rain was making it difficult and most of the cowherds were asleep.

With great difficulty, finally, Vasudeva found Nanda's hut. There he kept his child in Yashoda's bed and took the new born girl baby lying there. He brought the child with him.

(The Bhagawat Purana does not mention about Nanda or Yashoda being awake during Vasudeva's quest. It remains to our imagination on whether this exchange of baby was carried out with or without the knowledge of parents of the girl child.

There can be two reasons for Vasudeva's actions – one he was letting his child be exchanged at the expense of another child because he genuinely believed that his own child was going to bring an end of Kamsa and believed his actions were necessary; or Vasudeva believed that Kamsa would not harm a girl child and hence took the girl child back to the prison.)

It is said that after Vasudeva brought the girl child back to the prison, the prison shackles came on again by the power of Goddess Yoga Maya.

A minute later the girl baby started crying shrilly in a loud voice.

The prison guards supposedly woke up and they did not even seem aware that they were asleep.

The guards heard the sound of the new born baby and ran to King Kamsa, who was anxiously awaiting the news of the birth of the child.

And once Kamsa heard the news of the birth of the child, he was filled with a strange fear and thrill – at the same time. He knew that this child was his Death.

Looking disheveled and almost mad with hatred, he barged towards the prison gates.

*********

The first thing which Kamsa saw was a sobbing Devaki who almost threw herself at his feet. "Please! Let the girl go!" She begged her brother. "She is so little. Please! You have killed six of my children. Give me this little girl as a present. Please!"

Kamsa blinked. Girl?

But then Kamsa's numbness was gone. It did not matter to him whether the child was a girl or a boy. He was going to kill it, no matter what.

Angrily, he snatched the baby from the wailing Devaki.

Kamsa was in for a shocked surprise when he saw the baby slip from his hands.

Devaki screamed.

That was when the baby vanished and its place stood a fierce and beautiful Goddess with bright dazzling light emanating from her – a Goddess as terrible as she was enchanting.

"FOOL!" She screamed at Kamsa as almost the entire world shuddered with her screams. "WHAT WAS THE POINT OF TRYING TO KILL ME? OR ANY OF THE OTHER CHILDREN?"

Kamsa stared blankly unable to process what he was hearing as he stared at the Goddess.

"The child who is going to kill you has already been born and he is far away from you."

Saying this the Goddess vanished.

(The Bhagawat Purana does not mention what happens to this child. But it is generally presumed that this child is Subhadra, the sister of Krishna. Subhadra plays a very important role in the Mahabharatha as she is wife of Arjuna, the Pandava.)

But what is very interesting in Krishna's story is what happened after the disappearance of the Goddess.

It is said that on hearing the words of the Goddess, Kamsa genuinely grieved his own actions. He was so heartbroken that he profusely apologized to Devaki and Vasudeva and removed their shackles.

And he spoke words of great wisdom and with so much sincerity that Devaki and Vasudeva actually accepted his apology!

Kamsa then went back to his palace.

(The Bhagawat Purana does not mention whether he released Devaki and Vasudeva .)

Unfortunately for Kamsa, he had surrounded himself with far too many evil minded people. It is said that the little goodness which had crept into him did not even survive the time it took for him to reach his palace.

His minions talked with Kamsa and completely changed his mind. They told Kamsa that the eighth child of Devaki was going to kill him and that this child was going to be helped in this task by the other children of the Yadus.

Kamsa's aides convinced him that he had to kill all the children born within the the past ten days and if he did that he could still conquer his fate.