Wishing you all a very Happy Janmashtami..

[Guest guest]

Indian mythical heritage overflows with a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. The

celestial powers figure in the beliefs of the people and the divine influence

plays an important part in their lives. Yet, among these deities, the most

beloved is Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. Janmashtami

is a celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna and every ritual in the

celebration of this auspicious occasion is associated with various phases of

his life, which have been immortalized in both the religious and the folk

literature.

Lord Krishna was born in the DuaparYug which came just before the Kal Yug and

Janamasthami, his birthday falls on the Ashtami Paksh or the 8th day of the new

moon fortnight in the month of Bhadra some time in July or August.

According to the legends, the birth of Lord Krishna took place under

extraordinary circumstances. Krishna was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who come

to the world to get rid of all evil demons. He was born at midnight stroke on a

dark, rainy night to 'Devaki' and 'Vasudev' who had been imprisoned by Devaki's

brother Kansa.

It had been foretold that the eighth son of Devaki would kill the evil king

Kansa. Upon hearing this prophesy, Kansa had his sister put into prison. He

killed her seven children one by one but when Krishna was born, there was

divine intervention to save the life of baby Krishna. The guards had fallen

into deep slumber and were unable to inform their master about the newborn

child.

A voice commanded Vasudev to take the baby to Gokul and exchange with the

newborn baby Nanda and Yashoda. The shackles and the prison gates opened

miraculously and Vasudev carried the child in a small basket, through the

waters of Yamuna. As it was a dark stormy night, the waters of Yamuna were

raging but parted to let the carrier of the divine Krishna pass. A huge snake

known as Adisesha with 2000 hoods, glided behind them, its hoods formed a

protective canopy over the child .

When Vasudev returned back with Nanda's child the shackles fastened and the

doors closed and the guards awakened. Kansa came and picked up the child to

hurl it to the wall and kill him but somehow the baby slipped from his grasp

and took the form of a Goddess laughing at Kansa, she vanished after telling

him that the one who would kill him had already taken birth and was elsewhere..

As a little boy, Krishna was the heartbeat of Gokul, a mischievous prankster who

was favorite amongst the gopikas. He used to steal curd and butter from the

houses of gopikas. Even though he was a child, he performed several miracles.

His exploits are now the immortal legends of Braj. He killed a number of

'asuras'(devils), vanquished the Kali Nag and later he killed Kansa as it had

been foretold.

The Jhankis ( tableaux) depicting many significant scenes from Lord Krishna's

life are the intrinsic part of Janmashtami. Devotees also make beautiful

Jhulans (Cradles) for the baby Krishna. In some parts of India, young men break

the Matkas (Earthen Pots) filled with butter and curd.

The most important tableux is that of baby Krishna. An idol of baby Krishna is

placed on a cradle, which is rocked to recreate scenes from Krishna's infancy.

The devotees believe that anyone who makes a wish while rocking the cradle in

which the idol is placed, his / her wish comes true on this auspicious day. In

Brindavan, every year the Raasleelas or the folk theatre enacts Krishna's life

incidents. This enactment begins much before the Janmashtami day. These

Raasleelas are staged by professional drama troupes or even young children.

These dramas are characterized by colorful costumes and equally colorful

backgrounds. Raasleelas are usually accompanied by musicians and are very

popular among the people. The language spoken by the actors and the actresses

is the Braj-bhasha but some times Hindi dialect is also used.

On Janamashtmi, devotees keep daylong fasts and keep themselves awake while

chanting 'bhajans', until midnight follows. Midnight is the moment when Lord

Krishna was born. The prayer ceremony is a simple affair. The priests chant

holy mantras and bathe the idol of Lord Krishna placed on a swing with

charanamrit or ganga-jal (water from the holy Ganges river), milk, ghee

(clarified butter), oil, and honey from a conch shell.

Midnight prayers amidst the sound of hymns and religious songs extol the

greatness of Lord Krishna. Devotees break their day-long fast and chant -

"Radhe Krishna, Hare Krishna, Radhe Radhe.."

Different Names of Krishna

Nandalal – the darling of NandaShyam- to describe his colourMohan – the charming

oneMadan – the intoxicatorGopinath – the lord of the gopisGopal or Gopala – the

cowherdGiridhar – one who carried a hillMuralidhar – holder of the fluteBesides

these, He is also called by other names like Kishen, Kanha and Kanhaiya.

HARE RAM HARE KRISHNA -KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

Deepa H

debu7366 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com

Mail for Mobile Take Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone.