Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Once, Kṛṣṇa was sleeping in a cradle under a cart while Mother Yaśodā busied herself with His birthday ceremony. Just then, an invisible demon who was sent by Kaṁsa entered that cart and began to press it down with the intention of crushing and killing Kṛṣṇa. The naughty baby Kṛṣṇa, however, made a joyous cry and, with a kick of His foot, easily killed that demon. The cart collapsed and the pots that were filled with milk, yoghurt, butter and other ingredients shattered to pieces. Hearing the baby’s cry, Mother Yaśodā rushed to the scene and became struck with wonder. When she saw that her Kṛṣṇa was safe, she called for the brāhmaṇas and donated many cows to them in charity. The brāhmaṇas bathed Kṛṣṇa using the urine and dung of a black cow and recited Vedic mantras for His protection. To this day, the memories of this pastime remain present at this place.
In his previous life, Śakaṭāsura was the son of the demon Hiraṇyākṣa. His name in that life was Utkaca and he was also a demon. Once, he trampled on and destroyed the lush, green trees and creepers in the sage Lomaśa’s hermitage. The sage, filled with anger, cursed him, saying, “Villain, may you become bodiless!” Hearing this, Utkaca fell at the lotus feet of the sage begging forgiveness. The sage said, “You will be liberated by the touch of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet during the reign of Vaivasvata Manu.” That same demon was concealed within the cart and tried to crush Kṛṣṇa, but by the touch of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, he became liberated. This pastime is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Tenth Canto, Chapter Seven).
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is where Krishna killed the demon Shakatasura, who by his mystic power, had entered into a large hand-cart with the intention of crushing baby Krishna to death. The word ‘shakata’ generally means a ‘bullock-cart’, but the Bhagavatam says it was a large hand-pulled cart and from descriptions found in the Gopala-champu it was of an enormous size almost like a chariot and very heavy. It was Krishna’s first birthday and the celebrations had just finished. As baby Krishna seemed to be getting very sleepy, mother Yashoda placed her baby on His back under a hand-cart for safety, while she attended to some of the guests. One of King Kamsa’s evil servants named Shakatasura had come there to kill Krishna and by his mystic power, he had entered the large and heavy hand-cart in order to make it collapse on top of baby Krishna and thus kill Him. Just at that moment, feeling hungry and impatient to drink His mother’s milk, Krishna suddenly kicked the cart and smashed it to pieces, and simultaneously killed the Shakatasura demon. In the Padyavali it says, ‘See the glory of that baby, Shri Krishna, who has bright red palms and feet and is decorated with beautiful gorocana tilaka. While lying on His back, He broke the chariot.’ On hearing the sound of the hand-cart being broken, mother Yashoda immediately came running to the spot along with all the Vrajavasis, and was extremely happy that her darling little baby was unharmed. The word ‘bhanjana-sthana’ means the ‘place of elimination’ where the Shakatasura demon was liberated. According to the Adi-Varaha Purana the Shakatasura demon was killed near Yashoda Mayi’s kitchen located in the vicinity of the Sapta-samudra Kupa.
