Slokam 9

Sr Krishna’s father Vasudeva has two wives -Rohini and Devaki

Rohini is described as the daughter of king Bahlika. She is married to the Yadava prince Vasudeva.^[3]

Vasudeva also married Devaki, the princess of Mathura. The couple was imprisoned by Devaki's brother Kansa, soon after their marriage as a divine prophesy predicted Kansa's death by Devaki's eighth son.

While Vasudeva is imprisoned, Rohini lives at the house of his cousin Nanda in Vraja. While all previous sons of Devaki are slain, the seventh embryo is transferred to Rohini's womb. Rohini gives birth to Balarama.^[3]

Extract from Wikipedia

Krishna, the eighth child of Devaki, was exchanged with the girl child of Nanda and Yashoda in secrecy. Yashoda (foster-mother of Krishna) and Rohini play an important nurturing Krishna and Balarama in their childhood.^[3]

After Vasudeva is freed by Krishna and Balarama, Rohini gives birth to a daughter Subhadra, the avatar of goddess Yogmaya.^[4]

In the epic Mahabharata, after the death of Vasudeva after the Yadava massacre, Rohini cremates herself on Vasudeva's pyre along with his other wives Devaki, Bhadra and Madira.^[5]

Nandagopa,  the foster father of the Paramathma’s wife is Yashoda..  Yashoda gives birth to Yogamaya,  and Rohini becomes pregnant with Balarama by the Maya of the Paramathma, who switches him from Devaki to Rohini.

Yoga Maya, born to Yashodai and Nandagopa. She is called Yoganidhra,  and is an incarnate of goddess Durga.

“Yoga nidra is like meditation, but yet it’s not,” says yoga therapist and yoga program manager, Judi Bar. “There are overlaps, but there also are key differences. With yoga nidra, you are lying down and the goal is to move into a deep state of conscious awareness sleep, which is a deeper state of relaxation with awareness. This state involves moving from consciousness while awake to dreaming and then to not-dreaming while remaining awake — going past the unconscious to the conscious.” Bar says that this practice is guided like some meditation practices, but it’s very structured.

“With meditation, you’re sitting and in a waking state of consciousness while focusing the mind and allowing thoughts to come and go. Meditation makes it possible for us to get to the theta state — the state we go through to get to the delta state, which is the place of the deepest sleep cycle. The delta state is a deep healing state. That’s where we’re trying to get through yoga nidra. In this state, the body and mind rest and the consciousness is awake.”

Yogamaya, by her powers,  causes everyone in the village to go into a state of slumber (Yoganidhra),  so no one is aware that a girl child is born to Yashoda.

The power of yogamaya is exercised to ensure that people, including Rohini and Nandagopa do not recall the birth of Yogamaya.  They only know that Rohini is pregnant with Balarama.  

Balarama is transpositioned to the womb of Rohini.

Yogamaya was born to Rohini to replace Balarama as the seventh child that was to die at the hands of Kamsa.  This has an inner meaning that needs to be appreciated.  Yoga Maya,  as the name indicates, is essentially the power of self control that is acquired through tyagam and sacrifice. Kamsa, who represents self interest and selfishness,  attempts to destroy self control that is acquired through selflessness.  This battle is raging within us 24/7 365 days a year.  Getting Yoga Maya to win this battle is the key to invoking the Paramathma within us. 

The Paramathma induces Vasudeva to carry Him out of the Jail. 

The Paramathma escapes through the power of Maya,  by opening the locked doors of the Jail.  The lifeless doors fastened by locks and chains opens under the control of the will of the Paramathma.

The guards are put into a state of deep slumber.

The jail of Kamsa is the jail of Ahankara in our minds. We have put in place a number of locks and fastened the doors with chains such as the ego, the false identity, desire and attachment.  The Paramathma within us can,  through the power of His maya easily break these locks and release us from our asuric nature.

Without the Paramathma’s guidance, support and help, there is no possibility of us breaking the locks and chains binding the many doors of ahankara within us.