Janmashtami: Celebrating Divinity and Devotion ( Bhakti )

1. IMPORTANCE OF FESTIVALS IN OUR LIVES

• India has been a land of seekers since time immemorial. Subjects like Spirituality, Yoga , medicine , Politics and warfare have been an integral part of ancient Indian texts. Indian scriptures are further classified into 4 Vedas , 18 mahapuranas, upapuranas and Upanishads which were written by learned sages to establish harmony and a sense of righteousness in human consciousness.

• Our ancestors have inculcated several learnings and experiences within these texts and have regarded certain conjuncture in time to be of great value. That's how festivals came into existence. Festivals act as a break from the hectic schedules, tiring overtime jobs and stressful situations. Festivals are a source of time that should be utilised for rejuvenating the mind and connect with the self. Since human consciousness is much underdeveloped in today's era which further leads to mental conditions like depression, anxiety and dementia etc. Hence it becomes even more important for us to celebrate festivals with our kith and kin.

• There are numerous festivals that are celebrated in our country such as Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, Ganesh chaturthi,Eid and Christmas etc. And we celebrate all the festivals by merely performing the rituals and enjoying delicacies. And then sleep for the whole day or binge watch webseries or a movie. But is this the reason we have more numbers of festivals than the months itself ? Can we rejuvenate our mind by Netflix and chill? Obviously, No. Instead of keeping ourselves away from the everyday social media ,we push ourselves more into the zone and keep on scrolling mindlessly.So celebrating festivals is indeed important to imbibe positive thoughts in our mind and revive the cultural heritage within us.

• One such festival that is celebrated with great fervor throughout the world is Janmashtami. This marks the birth of one of the most important deities in the Hindu pantheon i.e Sri Krishna. The tale of Sri Krishna's life is so divine therefore enchanting common masses to extract lessons to improve their contemplation abilities and make their life full of contentment and joy. Let's unravel the saga and I hope the readers will be encouraged to celebrate this auspicious festival of Janmashtami by the conclusion.

2. KRISHNA: THE 8th INCARNATION OF SHRI VISHNU

• Hindu pantheon consists of a Trinity , Lord Brahma ( the creator) , Lord Vishnu ( the preserver) and Lord Shiva ( the destroyer). Being the preserver of the universe, Lord Vishnu manifests in different forms to uphold righteousness and establish harmony by eliminating the evil forces. In Dwaparyuga, Lord Vishnu manifested on earth as Sri Krishna as his eighth incarnation.
• "Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharatah , abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham"" Paritrayana Sadhunaam vinashaya cha dushkritam Dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge" this verse translates to " Oh Bharata , whenever Dharma seems to decline and Adharma seems to rise , whenever sages are harassed and Dharma is ridiculed , I incarnate on earth to destroy the evil and restore Dharma. These are the words of Sri Krishna as promise to the humanity.

• By the time, earth was dominated by tyrant rulers, cruel kings and crimes against common people was rampant. Kamsa , the king of demonic forces confiscated the throne from his own father, Agrasena and ascended the throne himself. He imposed laws that were egregious to common people and upon protest, massacred the population. He denied the worship and fire ritual ( yajna) that was being offered to Gods and forced people to worship him instead. In the entire Aryavarta ( ancient India) , there were numerous oppressive rulers like Jarasandha, Kalyavan,Rukmi and Shishupala etc. Later, Duryodhana, Dushasana and the entire Kaurava army became vicious forces too.

• The selfless rulers like Yudhishthir ( the eldest pandava) were cast aside from their kingdom by foul methods. To set right the balance of righteousness, Sri Krishna had incarnated on earth.

3. AKAASHVAANI: THE DIVINE PROPHECY OF KAMSA'S DEATH 🥠 🦚

• The cruel king Kamsa had a sister named Devaki who was married to the Yadav King Vasudev. There was a divine prophecy forecasted from the heavenly beings that the eighth son of Devaki will put an end to the exploitation of Kamsa by killing him . Upon hearing this prediction, Kamsa became furious and imprisoned Devaki and Vasudev. One after the other Kamsa slaughtered the offsprings of Devaki and Vasudev considering them possible threats in front of the helpless couple.

• In utter despair, the pious couple seeked the benevolence of Sri Vishnu. On the eighth day of the waxing moon phase of August ( Krishna paksh Ashtami tithi - Bhadrapada) , the sky roared with thunderstorms. The lightning beams flashed in the pitch black sky. Amidst the terrible atmosphere, a divine light manifested in the prison as Sri Vishnu appeared in all his glory and opulence. The pious couple bowed in reverence and stood in awe as the four armed Vishnu blessed them. Sri Vishnu thus acknowledged Vasudev that he himself will be born from the womb of Devaki to liberate the wicked souls.

• As soon as the moon exalted in Rohini nakshatra of Taurus sign, Devaki gave birth to a baby boy. The baby was dark, yet beautiful. Baby Krishna had big large eyes and the Srivatsa mark adorning his forehead and chest. Encompassing divine aura and positivity, the boy giggled and pleased his parents.
• Miraculously, the guards fell unconscious and the cell broke open on its own. Amidst the storm, Vasudev carried baby Krishna to Gokul village and entrusted his safety to his dear friend, Nanda , the head of the village.

4. KRISHNA: THE LAST HOPE

• There are times in our life too, when the present becomes pitch dark and we find no way out. Be it a career, relationship or business, we find ourselves helpless the same way Vasudev and Devaki did. What can be more painful than to witness the demise of seven infants one after the other. If we were Vasudev and Devaki, we would have perished ourselves. But they stood by the circumstances to deliver the eighth son and had faith on the plan of omnipresent.
• The esoteric aspect of Sri Krishna's birth teaches us to stay calm even in the most dreadful situation as he will appear as the ray of hope and help us overcome the mess. We shouldn't give up as hard times help us build character and for spiritually inclined people, it helps them connect with God.

5. KRISHNA : DARLING OF VRINDAVAN

• Mother Yashoda and Nanda baba took care of Shri Krishna as their own child and showered him with love. Krishna had beautiful pastimes with the brajwasis. He stole clarified butter or Makhan from the household of cowherd ladies as he was fond of sweet clarified butter, thus labelled as "Makhanchor" by cowherd ladies.

• He is addressed as "Govinda"as he used to take cattle to the meadows of Gokul for grazing along with his friends. He often played melodious tunes on the flute captivating the hearts of villagers as well as the cows and peacocks. The melody of the flute caused the buds to bloom and blossom into most fragrant flowers. The river Yamuna would stop flowing and the peacocks would dance gracefully. Little Krishna pulled pranks with his elder brother Balram ( incarnation of Adi Sesha - the divine serpent) and friends and often teased them lovingly. Everyone was accustomed to the pranks of mischievous Krishna and his accomplices.

• Krishna being an embodiment of love and compassion was loved by everyone in Gokul. Krishna had a friend known as Srimati Radhika ( incarnation of Sri Vishnu's eternal consort Sri Lakshmi Devi ), most beloved companion of Sri Krishna. On full moon nights, Srimati Radhika with other gopis danced on the tunes of Sri Krishna's flute in joy and this occasion is termed as "Raasleela". The dandiya play in parts of Gujarat is an enactment of raasleela.

•  Krishna initiated Govardhan Pooja so as to get rid Indra of his ego of being supreme. Indra began pouring down on Vrindavan but little Krishna held the Govardhan hill on his little finger and sheltered the brajawasis. After seven days of failed attempt to flood down Vrindavan, Indra accepted defeat and apologized to Krishna. Krishna established the worship of nature by making the people realise the value of Govardhan hill and cattle that nurtured human with milk.
• Kamsa had sent several supernatural evil beings to kill Krishna but he slayed the demons effortlessly. Krishna slayed demoness Pootana, who breastfed her poisonous milk to perish babies. Krishna also liberated the serpent Kaaliya Nag , who destroyed the ecosystem of Yamuna river. Numerous demon like Aghasura , Dhenukasura and Bakasura were slayed at his lotus hands.
•  Years after Krishna left Gokul and slayed Kamsa in mathura and freed his parents and coronated Agrasen as the ruler

• Slaying a demon on the outside is much more easier than to slay the demon on the inside . The Kauravas were always unjust towards Pandavas and humiliated them in every way possible. The Kauravas were often atrocious towards the citizen of the kingdom and they were the most dreadful humans in existence who denied the path of righteousness. By unjust means, they tried to disrobe Draupadi, wife of Pandavas in the famous game of dice. Krishna came to the rescue of Draupadi as she called out upon him transcendentally in the most critical situation. He helped her by providing her uncountable lengths of robes and thus her honour was protected.

• The enmity between Pandavas and Kauravas culminated into the famous Mahabharata war. Considering the heinous crimes and corrupted rulers, Krishna called for a huge transformation in the era by declaring war through Pandavas as a medium.

• Sri Krishna played a crucial role in the Mahabharata war. He appointed himself as charioteer for the sake of his dear friend, Arjuna. The horses of the chariot represent distractions and Arjuna represents a capable yet depressed warrior. All he required was a capable mentor who could help him control his mind and overcome distractions and fear. On the first day of war, Arjuna began to shiver and palpitate out of fear of killing his own kith and kin.

• It was Krishna who consoled him and delivered the epic Bhagavad Gita through Arjuna's despair for the welfare of the society. Bhagavad Gita is the most profound knowledge and the most precious present too from Krishna for mankind. Contemplating on verses of Gita imbibes the sense of non individuality in one's self. Further, developing respect for creation around us and lead a principled and happy life.

• Karma yoga is essentially the highlight of Bhagavad Gita, that is utmost beneficial for people in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy. The karma yoga states that one should focus on excellency in the profession or work , he's entrusted with. The individual should not focus on results as results aren't under our control. We should be responsible for what's in our control and leave the rest to destiny. If a person becomes Karma Yogi, he/ she is freed from ups and downs in their lives and become neutral in joy and sorrow. The tranquilised state leads to satisfaction and contentment in anything we possess , thus welcoming harmony in our lives.

6. BHAKTI MOVEMENT AND ROLE OF ISKCON

• The Krishna fever is spread worldwide by Srila Prabhupada ( Founder of ISKCON- International society for Krishna Consciousness) . Srila Prabhupada, at the age of 70 embarked on his journey beyond the seven oceans with the craze to spread the love for Krishna and continued the legacy of Bhakti Movement initiated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered as the epitome of Bhakti Movement as people believe he incarnated on earth to liberate people and inspire people to chant the mahamantra " Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare , Hare Rama hare Rama Rama Rama hare hare".Srila Prabhupada had the idea of transforming enormous youth in the west that had been following a disorderly lifestyle.

7. CELEBRATION OF A GRAND OCCASION : JANMASHTAMI

• Apart from the world, the festival is celebrated with great energy in various parts of our country India. Especially in birthplace of Sri Krishna i.e Vrindavan ( Mathura Uttar Pradesh), the festivities are breathtaking. Kids enact as Sri Krishna and Radha by dressing up like them.

• Yajnas and rituals are performed in all the temples housing Sri Krishna as deities. A special ritual called as "Abhisekam" is performed, in which Sri Krishna is bathed with Panchamrit ( a mixture of milk, curd, honey, clarified butter and jaggery). Bewildering crowds approach to Shri Banke Bihari Ji on this auspicious day to have a glimpse of the presiding deity. A variety of delicacies and milk based sweetmeats are prepared to please Sri Krishna. Sweet clarified butter and Pedas are offered to Krishna as he was very fond of them.

• Krishna temples like Shrinathji Udaipur, Dwarikadhish temple Gujarat , Jagannath temple Puri and Udupi Krishna- Karnataka are renowned for celebrations. In Maharashtra, Dahi handi competition is organised, where teams of children form human pyramids and try to break the pot hung high above.

• Apart from communal celebrations, People celebrate the festival at their homes as well. People chant , sing and dance to please the deity . The idol of baby Krishna is made to sit on a swing and people sing " Haathi ghoda palki, Jai kanhaiya lal ki". Thus hailing the butter loving God and swinging him back and forth. Devotees observe fast and read verses from Bhagavad Gita and imbibe the values from the same.

8. KRISHNA IN A NUTSHELL

•  As soon as Krishna was born in the prison, he had to sacrifice the proximity of his own parents. Krishna was everyone's beloved in Vraja , still he had to sacrifice his home , his foster parents. He even left the vicinity of Srimati Radhika, whom he loved the most. Krishna switched the lands to ensure safety for his Yadava community. Krishna even sacrificed his status of a king to guide Arjuna and became his charioteer. At the end , Krishna himself initiated the destruction of his clan , for whom he had fought with terrible rulers like Jarasandha.

• If we study Krishna's life, all he did was to sacrifice his sources of happiness. But why ?
•  1. Krishna had prioritised his duties i.e upholding the Dharma at any cost. He performed his duties without any hesitation and did everything that necessary for the welfare of humanity. Similarly, we should learn the art of sacrifice from Krishna. Sacrificing the negative traits and to bloom the unique bud growing within us.
• 2. By such deeds , Krishna has set an example for us. Krishna, being an avatar of Sri Vishnu had to go through sorrow, pain and deceit also.  There's no escape from the reciprocation of action , we've done in the past. Struggle is just another synonym for life and there's no existence of such chapter like " No sorrow, only joy". 

9. A SPECIAL REQUEST TO ALL THE READERS

• On the special occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, I would request you all to kindly visit your nearest Krishna temple, contribute as per your capabilities and enjoy the festival.

• Relish the nectar of Bhagavad Gita and the kirtans being sung for Govinda. If not possible, celebrate the birthday of "Makhanchor" from your homes.
• " Patram Pushpam Falam Toyam Yo me Bhaktya Prayachhati, Tadaham bhaktyupahritam ashnami prayatatnanah "

• He can be pleased with anything you offer with love and devotion, even a Tulasi leaf or a flower. May Sri Krishna bless all the readers with pure intentions and love. May this Janmashtami brings about a spiritual inclination within all the readers. Hare Krishna 🙏♥️