Krishna Janmashtami

Om Jai Sai Ram! Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and the unrighteous usurp high positions and torture the hapless populace, then to protect dharma and to uphold righteousness, the lord himself comes down to the abode of the mortals (earth) as an avatara (Incarnation), by the nature of his own Yogamaya (Illusory powers). During times when the righteous groan under the tyranny of the wicked, divine incarnations or Sadgurus or Sages or Saints come down and lighten the burden of the people. One such avatara (Divine incarnation) was Lord Krishna, the eighth avatara of Lord Vishnu (God). This avatara was one of the most glorious avataras ever, and the lord came down upon earth in this beautiful form and did things which were of inexplicable beauty. His every act or leela (Divine play) is so difficult to describe, even the thousand tongued Adi Shesha and the Vedas find it hard to describe his glory. What then for a dullard like me? How can I describe and sing the Lord's glory. I therefore submit my ego at the Lotus feet of my Sadguru, and knowing fully well that the Sadguru alone is the doer and I am merely an instrument in his hands, I realize that only the Sadguru can sing his glory. In this post, I shall try to describe the beautiful events which surrounded the birth of Lord Vishnu as Lord Krishna in Mathura (Now in UP). I beseech the Sadguru to help me sing his glory.

The Krishna Janmashtami (Birth of Lord Krishna) fell on the 13th of August this year in the Julian calender. Every year, the eighth day of the dark half (Krishna paksha) of the month of Bhadra when the Rohini nakshatra (star) is ascendant according to the Hindu lunar calendar is celebrated as the birth of Lord Krishna. The day is celebrated with great pomp by devotees all over the world. All the leelas (Divine play) of Lord Krishna are remembered this day. The baby Lord Krishna destroying the wicked Putana ( A demon), the boy Lord Krishna stealing butter from the houses of the cowherds of Vrindavan with his friends, The cowherd Lord Krishna grazing his cattle and playing with his flute the most beautiful tunes imaginable, The Lord dancing on the several hoods of the deadly serpent Kalia, The Lord dancing with the Gopis (Cowherd girls) of Vrindavan who were in reality Rishis (Sages) born as cowherd women and girls to play with the Lord god himself, The Lord killing the evil Kamsa , And the Lord teaching the profound philosophy of life in a song called the Bhagavat Gita in the battlefield at Kurukshetra to Arjuna his favorite devotee and the foremost warrior of his time. The deeds of the lord are too many, they have no beginning and no end. They are indescribable. They are so holy that the revered Sage Sukhadeva tells the King Parikshit in the 10th chapter of the Bhagavata "Listen oh King! The story of Lord Krishna is such that, the hearer, the narrator both are purified by it. So listen to me with full attention!". The lord has also been an inspiration for countless saints, reformers and proponents of the bhakthi movement (Devotion). So great are his glories that one can go on and on describing his glory and cannot stop.

During the Dwapara yuga (Age), eons ago, the kingdom of Yadavas in Mathura was ruled by a wise and just king called Ugrasena. He had a mighty son and heir to the throne called Kamsa. Unfortunately Kamsa turned out to be a tyrant. He and the demons in his service troubled the hapless people of the kingdom. His mighty father in law, the wicked Jarasandha only added fuel to the fire of arrogance and evil that was burning within the heart of Kamsa. Kamsa thought that he was invincible and indeed, during his age, not many could think of vanquishing him. So much did he and his wicked friends trouble the people that bhoomi devi (Mother Earth) was unable to sustain this burden any longer. Taking the form of a cow, she went to Brahma (the creator) and cried be fore him. Then a voice was heard, and Lord Vishnu (the preserver) appeared and assured bhoomi devi thus "I know how much earth is suffering at the hands of the tyrant Kamsa. His arrogance will be his undoing. Adi Shesha (The serpent on which Lord Vishnu rests) and I will be born as the seventh and the eighth sons of Devaki, the cousin of Kamsa and the noble Vasudeva (A chieftain of the Yadavas).

When Vasudeva married Devaki, Kamsa himself decided to become their charioteer and take them to their home. Many elephants and horses caparisoned with ornaments of gold, diamonds and other precious ornaments followed the marriage retinue. When Kamsa was happily riding the chariot, a voice suddenly issued forth from the skies and spoke thus "Oh wicked Kamsa, your end is nigh! The eight child born of Devaki and Vasudeva will be your slayer!". As soon as he heard this, Kamsa's heart palpitated, and like all tyrants, a great fear overtook him and his basic nature which was cowardice showed up. In a frenzy, he seized Devaki by her hair, drew out his sword from his scabbard and said "Oh Brahmadeva (god), how can Devaki's 8th son slay me? I will kill her right away! None can touch me, as I am invincible!", So saying he got ready to strike Devaki. A gentle hand stopped him, and it belonged to the noble Vasudeva. He beseeched Kamsa to see reason thus, "Oh Kamsa, foremost warrior among the Yadavas, it does not befit you to kill a helpless woman. What would people think of you in generations to come, and how would people know your true worth. It is only the weak who attack the unarmed, and weaker still who attack unarmed women. Please do not bring this shame and misery upon yourself and the Yadava dynasty by committing such a heinous and sinful act. It is her 8th son, that you fear? Why do you wish to kill your innocent sister, who does not wish your death?". Thus mollified, Kamsa saw reason and forgot all about this incident.

However after a few days, the celestial sage Narada came to visit Kamsa. Kamsa received him well. During the conversation, Maharishi (great sage) Narada told Kamsa "Oh Kamsa, do be careful. Devaki, Vasudeva are in reality devas (gods or angels) who have come in mortal form to relieve bhoomi devi of her burden. Do be wary of them. Their eighth son is indeed destined to be your slayer.". So saying, the sage left for his heavenly abode. Kamsa again became frightened, and in his paranoia he seized the throne forcibly from his father Ugrasena and imprisoned him. He also had Devaki and Vasudeva bound in chains and imprisoned as well. He told the chief guard at the prison, "Hear me out! The moment you hear a baby's cry from the cell of Devaki and Vasudeva, no matter when, no matter where call me. This is an order, and you will be put to death if you disobey it".

After several months, a son was born to Vasudeva and Devaki. The chief guard informed Kamsa and Kamsa came into the cell and with a wicked look in his eyes, asked Devaki to hand over the baby to him. Vasudeva tried to reason with Kamsa, "Why do you wish to kill this innocent child? It is the eight child who is destined to be your slayer. He is the first child. Please let him be. It does not befit you to kill an innocent child oh Kamsa!". Kamsa however was blinded by fear and his arrogance. He wanted to show the whole world that he alone is mightier than god. He seized the baby forcibly from a helpless Devaki's hands and dashed it against the prison wall. The baby died instantly, and the guards who witnessed this horrible sight were moved by the heart-wrenching screams of Devaki. A mother having to witness the death of her own child was one of the most tragic and most difficult thing to see. Then what to say of the state of mind of Devaki. She wept and wept, and Vasudeva in midst of all this grief felt like going mad. However, he realized the divine voice that had made the prophecy and realizing it to be god's way of testing them, calmed her by saying, that since the lord has promised them a child who will slay Kamsa, they should patiently bear all the grief and sorrow and wait for the arrival of the 8th child.

As the years rolled by, six of Devaki's sons were killed this way mercilessly by Kamsa. Many of the guards became mad, or fled the country or committed suicide as they were not able to witness this horrendous scene. Only those who were either too pious and felt that they should stay and console Devaki or those that were as wicked as Kamsa, and did not feel anything stayed back.

When the seventh child was to be born to Devaki, Lord Vishnu declared to Brahma and all the devas like Indra and Agni, "Behold, this Adi Shesha upon whom I rest, who bears the weight of me, who am the whole universe and live everywhere, will now take birth as the seventh son of Devaki and Vasudeva. He will be transported by yogamaya (illusory powers) to the womb of Vasudeva's first wife Rohini, in Vraj (Gokul)." And thus was the seventh child miraculously transported to the womb of Rohini at Gokul. Kamsa was told that the seventh child was still born.

As the days progressed Kamsa grew more and more restless. As Devaki began to expect the eight child, she began to glow with a divine light, that seemed to light up the entire cell. Kamsa noticed this, and thought to himself "See how Devaki glows! There is no wonder that Lord Vishnu himself must have entered her womb". And how true he was, for indeed Lord Vishnu had entered the womb of Devaki.

God came down as avataras prior to this in different forms and different circumstances. He came down as the son of the great sage Jamadagni i.e Parashurama (Rama with the axe) who travelled the earth twenty one times, killing all the wicked Kshatriyas who had usurped power. To kill demonic forces of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Indrajit etc, he was born as the son of Dasharatha i.e Rama who led an army of Vanaras (Ape like men) to fight and vanquish the wicked Ravana.

Now, on the dark half (Krishna Paksha) of the month of Bhadra, when Rohini was ascendent, the sun was in the leo constellation, heavy rains swept across the earth. The atmosphere in and around Mathura had a beauty that was hard to describe. The trees, the rivers, the plants and the animals all seemed to be buzzing with activity. The peacocks danced and the lions roared. The clouds wept tears of happiness. It seemed as though the entire universe was getting ready to welcome the lord. At midnight on Wednesday, Lord Vishnu was born as the eight son of Devaki and Vasudeva. The child had a dusky complexion. It's beauty was hard to describe. One look was not enough. Vasudeva and Devaki caressed the child, and then realized that the chains that had bound them had fallen off. They noticed that all the guards in the jail were fast asleep, as though under a strange spell of sleep. Even as they were noticing all this, the doors to their cell, and the door to the outside flew open by itself. Vasudeva remarked, "What a clever child our son is! He knows he must not cry lest he would wake up the guards, see how silently he watches us. " So saying he stepped out with Devaki. Ugrasena who was imprisoned in a nearby cell and was witnessing all this, remarked "Oh my children, what a beautiful child he is! He is undoubtedly the Lord come down on earth to rid us of the menace who unfortunately happens to be my son. However oh Vasudeva, it is not safe to keep him here any longer. Notice how the doors of the entrance of the prison lay open. Please take him to some far off place, where he will be safe from Kamsa". Hearing this Vasudeva remarked, "Oh wise king, you are right indeed! I shall hand him over to my friend Nanda, the chief of the cowherds of Vraj (Gokul). Devaki, for the safety of our child, we must keep him away from kamsa. Please hold him lovingly before I take him, for it may be a while before you see him". Devaki bid a tearful farewell by caressing her beautiful child, and then reluctantly let go, and Vasudeva finding a basket with some sheets in them, put the baby in it, and onwards he went towards Gokul.

On the way as Vasudeva struggled towards Gokul in the heavy rains, he found that the river Jamuna was in spate. He chose the shallowest part and decided to cross the river for on the other side of the river lay Gokul. The clouds rained thousands and thousands of droplets of water, it seemed as though they were crying tears of joy in seeing the Lord. Lightning streaked across the sky time and again, as though to catch a glimpse of the Lord in the darkness again and again. As Vasudeva trudged ahead in the water, the river Jamuna realized that the lord is near her shores. No sooner had she realized this, in her eagerness to touch his feet, she started flowing with greater vigour. Vasudeva, who was immersed in thought, now found himself becoming immersed in the waters of Jamuna upto his face and started to struggle. When Shri Hari saw his plight, the Lord lowered his tiny feet from the basket so they could touch the waters of Jamuna, and no sooner had this happened, the river receded. In his eagerness to serve the lord and to protect him and Vasudeva from the heavy rains, the king of the serpents came behind Vasudeva and sheltered him and Lord Vishnu incarnate from the rain by spreading his several hoods on their heads and silently following them. Vasudeva saw all this, and understanding this to be a miracle of god, continued onwards.

On reaching Gokul and the house of the chief and his friend Nanda, he saw that Yashoda, the wife of Nanda had delivered a baby girl. This baby girl was actually Yogamaaya (The illusory power of Lord Vishnu). Vasudeva thought thus "Let me take Yashoda's baby girl with me to the cell. Kamsa would never kill an infant girl". Thinking thus, he lovingly placed his son near Yashoda and taking the baby girl in his hands headed back to Mathura.

No sooner had Vasudeva entered the prison, the doors closed by themselves. As he entered his cell, the cell doors closed and the chains again bound Vasudeva and Devaki. The baby started crying as soon as Vasudeva entered the cell. One of the guards woke up and immediately went and informed Kamsa.

Kamsa came in all eagerness to the prison and demanded that Vasudeva and Devaki hand over their 8th child. Vasudeva tried to plead to Kamsa that it is a girl, and how could she harm the mighty Kamsa, but in vain. Kamsa snatched the child and proceeded to dash it to the wall, when the baby flew out of his hands and vanished into thin air. A heavenly voice rang out "Oh arrogant Kamsa! The one who is destined to slay you still lives! Your end is nigh!".

Thus did Lord Vishnu take birth as Lord Krishna. It was indeed one of the most glorious avataras of Lord Vishnu till date. As the time went by, Krishna came to Mathura as a teenage boy with his brother Balarama (Who was transported to the womb of Rohini), and killed the wicked Kamsa.

While dying Kamsa, saw the whole universe in his nephew, and realizing that it is the lord himself, he repented all his wicked actions and with a smile on his lips, died.

Then the lord released his parents and restored the kingdom to Ugrasena.

The lord performed many fabulous leelas (Divine play). As a boy, he fought the wicked snake Kalia, Killed the wicked pootana (A demon) as a baby, played the flute which was so enchanting that even the cows stopped grazing to listen to the lord, and as the charioteer of Arjuna in the great 18 day war at Kurukshetra, gave to mankind, the immortal gist of the vedas and the upanishads in the form of the Bhagavat Gita.

Fortunate are those whose heart longs for the Lord. Fortunate are those who have heard and will hear his exploits. May his merciful glance be always upon us.

Jai Shree Krishna!

Shree Satchitananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai!

Bow to Shree Sai! Peace be to all!