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Kans is well-known by the name of Krishn's Maamaa (Maternal uncle). According to Bhaagvat Puraan 9/15, in Vidarbh Vansh, there was a king named Aahuk who had two sons - Devak and Ugrasen. Devak had four sons and seven daughters. His sons were - Devavaan, Upadev, Sudev and Devavardhan and his daughters were - Dhritdevaa, Shaantidevaa, Updevaa, Shreedevaa, Devrakshitaa, Sahadevaa and Devakee. They were all married to Vasudev Jee.

Ugrasen had nine sons - Kans, Sunaamaa, Nyagrodh, Kank, Shanku, Suhoo, Raashtrapaal, Srishti, and Tushtimaan; and five daughters - Kansaa, Kansvatee, Kankaa, Shoorbhoo and Raashtrapaalikaa. They were all married to Vasudev Jee's younger brothers. Read How Kans was born.

Kans Gets Ready to Kill Devakee
As Vasudev Jee, Raajaa Shoorsen's son, was a very good friend of Kans also, so to strengthen his relations with him, Kans married his loving sister Devakee to him. Since Kans loved Devakee very much, he decided to drive her chariot himself to drop his sister and brother-in-law and friend Vasudev at their palace. When he was taking them to their house, an Aakaashvaanee (Divine voice) said - "O Kans, To whom you are taking yourself with so much love, her eighth child child will be your killer."

Hearing this Kans stopped his chariot, drew his sword and got ready to kill his loving sister Devakee. Vasudev was a very intelligent and truth-speaking person, everybody knew it. He consoled Kans - "It is not good to kill your loving sister like this. There are several reasons for this. First, she is a woman; second she is your loving sister; third, she is just married; fourth, her eighth child is not born just now, it will take some time. So on the basis of these points you should leave her for the time being and when she gives birth to her eighth child, I myself will give it to you." But Kans was not ready to listen to Vasudev. Then Vasudev Jee promised him to give him his all children as they were born, then only he spared Devakee.

Although Kans believed Vasudev, as he always spoke truth, still for his own safety sake he kept Vasudev and Devakee under supervision and asked his guards to inform him about the birth of any child that Devakee gave birth to. Bhaagvat Puraan, 10/p1 says that Kans knew that he was incarnation of Kaalnemi Daitya, that is why he was a great enemy of Yadu Vansh and that is why he put Dvakee and Vasudev in Jail ater hearing the Aakaash Vaanee of his killer.

Vasudev Hands Over His Children to Kans
So as Devakee gave birth to six sons, Kans was informed immediately and he without any hesitation killed all of them. According to Bhagavaan's plan her seventh child was pulled away from her womb and was kept in Vasudev's other wife Rohinee's womb. There he was born as Balaraam. Thus Devakee did not give birth to any seventh child and it always remained a mystery that her seventh child, which was seen by all of them, just disappeared without anyone noticing.

Now came the turn of the eighth child. As Bhagavaan was born to her, He told both Vasudev and Devakee the reason of His birth to them and asked Vasudev to take Him to Nand Gaanv to his friend Nand Jee and bring his newborn daughter to give it to Kans. Bhagavaan then turned into a baby and started crying. But by His grace, all guards slept at that time and the door of the prison also got opened itself. So Vasudev Jee took his child to Nand Jee and brought Nand's daughter to Mathuraa. As Vasudev entered the prison, the doors got closed and guards woke up. They informed Kans the birth of the eighth child.

Kans immediately came there and as usual he hit the girl on a stone to kill her, but surprisingly before touching the stone that girl flew in the sky and spoke - "O Kans, Why do you kill me? Your killer has already born." In fact as Kans took the daughter in his hands, he understood that something was fishy, how could a girl kill him, but then he decided to kill her also. And when he wanted to kill her she flew in the sky. The girl said from the sky - "O Kans, You will not get anything by killing me. Your killer has already been born." Now his doubt got confirmed that Vasudev had hidden his eighth child somewhere, but where, he could not know.

As it was not at all late, the third day he sent Pootanaa to kill all the children of Gokul under one year old, but unfortunately she herself was killed. After that a series of Raakshas were sent to Gokul to kill Devakee's eighth son but all were eventually killed. After that Kans heard that a child of 14 years lifted Govardhan Parvat on his left pinky finger and kept there for seven days and seven nights continuously. He thought, "I am sure this is that boy."

Kans was very much afraid of Krishn, so his friends are worried about him. Chaanoor brought Satyak (a disciple of Kripaachaarya), he told him to worship Shiv, do Dhanur Yagya." Kans asked - "But that bow belongs to Shiv?" Satyak said - "Only Naaraayan can break this bow, and if it is broken in the middle of the Yagya, then the Yajamaan will die." At this Jaraasandh advised that this Yagya should be celebrated as a festival. Invite the nearby kings and Krishn too.

Shiv had two bows. One was with Raajaa Janak and he put the condition that whoever will break that bow he would marry his daughter Seetaa to him only. Raam broke it and Seetaa was married to Him. His another bow was with Kans. This bow, Shiv gave to Nandeeshwar, Nandeeshwar to Parashuraam, and Parashuraam gave it to the ancestor of a royal family. Shhiv killed Tripuraasur with this bow only. It was difficult to its Yagya, because even Soorya Dev and Shesh Naag could also not lift it up.

So he sent Akroor Jee to bring that boy to Mathuraa. Akroor Jee went to Gokul and both brothers, Balaraam and Krishn, came to Mathuraa with him. There they were taken to Kans' bow, which Krishn broke just like that. Hearing the sound of its breaking, Kans understood that this is the boy who is going to kill him. He got very afraid and arranged an elephant and some of his wrestlers to kill Krishn, but Krishn killed them all and killed Kans too.

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