5 Divine Hindu Figures Raised by Adoptive Parents
Adoption in Hindu tradition is often seen as a divine arrangement — where destiny ensures that children are raised in the environment meant for their growth and dharma. Many of our revered figures — gods, goddesses, and heroes — were raised by adoptive parents, and their stories beautifully show how love and destiny go hand in hand.
Shri Krishna Ji
Birth Parents: Vasudeva and Devaki
Adoptive Parents: Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya
Yug: Dwapara Yuga
The night Krishna was born, Mathura trembled under the cruelty of King Kansa. To save his divine son, Vasudeva carried the newborn across the flooded Yamuna. The river parted, Adisesha sheltered the infant, and finally in Gokul, Vasudeva placed him safely in the arms of Yashoda. Though born in a prison, Krishna grew up in the lap of Yashoda’s boundless love, known to the world as her mischievous little boy.
Sita Ji
Birth Parents: Bhūmi Devi (Mother Earth)
Adoptive Parents: King Janaka and Queen Sunaina of Mithila
Yug: Treta Yuga
While ploughing the yajna field, King Janaka discovered a golden casket in the furrows of the earth. Inside lay a divine infant, glowing with celestial light. Childless until then, Janaka lifted her as a blessing from the earth. He and Queen Sunaina raised the child as their beloved daughter, Sita, who would one day embody the virtues of purity, devotion, and courage.
Radha Ji
Birth Parents: Considered a manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi; associated with Vrishbhanu and Kirti
Adoptive Parents: Vrishbhanu and Kirti of Barsana
Yug: Dwapara Yuga
Near the village of Barsana, Vrishbhanu and Kirti discovered a radiant child by a lotus pond. Though her eyes were closed in divine slumber, they brought her home and raised her tenderly. When she opened her eyes for the first time, the house filled with light. Thus Radha, eternal consort of Krishna and embodiment of bhakti, grew up as their cherished daughter.
Kartikeya Ji (Murugan, Skanda)
Birth Parents: Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
Adoptive Parents: The six celestial mothers, the Krittikas
Yug: Treta Yuga (worship transcends time)
Born from Shiva’s fiery energy, the divine child was cared for by six celestial mothers — the Krittikas. Each embraced him as her own, showering him with motherly affection. From their collective love, he became Shanmukha, the six-faced warrior, commander of the gods. Kartikeya’s adoption story symbolizes universal motherhood and the idea that love only multiplies when shared.
Karna
Birth Parents: Princess Kunti and Surya Deva
Adoptive Parents: Adhiratha (the royal charioteer) and his wife Radha
Yug: Dwapara Yuga
Before her marriage, young Kunti invoked Surya with a sacred mantra and was blessed with a radiant child. But out of fear of societal judgment, she placed the infant in a basket and set him afloat on the river. The baby was found by Adhiratha and his wife Radha, who embraced him as their own and named him Karna. Though born a prince, he grew up as a charioteer’s son, carrying both the love of his foster parents and the pain of a hidden truth.
Closing Thought
From Krishna’s midnight journey across the Yamuna to Karna’s basket on the river, these adoption stories reveal how destiny weaves love into the lives of divine and heroic figures. They remind us that parenthood is not defined by birth alone but by care, compassion, and the dharma of raising a soul entrusted by the universe.
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