Sages & Others
Kamsa
कंस
Tyrant of Mathura
Who was Kamsa?
Kamsa (कंस): Tyrant of Mathura, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The usurper king of Mathura who imprisoned his sister Devaki and slew her children after a prophecy foretold his death by her eighth son.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | कंस |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Tyrant of Mathura |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | tyrannical, fearful, cruel |
| Featured in | 10 stories |
About Kamsa
The usurper king of Mathura who imprisoned his sister Devaki and slew her children after a prophecy foretold his death by her eighth son. Krishna fulfilled the prophecy in his wrestling arena.
In Their Words
Let no eighth child of Devaki draw breath in my kingdom.
Kamsa
Traits
- tyrannical
- fearful
- cruel
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Kamsa
9 further tales on this site name Kamsa, in canonical reading order.
- The Divine ChildThe Divine descends whenever dharma declines and adharma rises. Krishna's childhood miracles remind us that God...
- The Divine ChildKrishna's life is the Mahabharata's answer to the question: What does God look like when God walks among us? The answer...
- The Demons of VrindavanThe Hunt That Failed
- The Slaying of KamsaThe Prophecy Fulfilled
- How a Charioteer Came to Know GodThe blind king asks why the sight was given to a suta
- Arjuna's Message to the KurusSanjaya recites the message in open court, and names every man who will die
- The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have been
- Devaki and the Six Who Came BeforeA mother's arms filled for one evening
- Mathura, Cradle of KrishnaThe city of the prison and the festival
Places in Kamsa's Story
Drawn from the stories Kamsa appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.