HAPPY JANMASHTAMI

Date – Saturday, September 5, 2015

About the Festival

Krishna Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Shri Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who is believed to have been born about five thousand years ago in Mathura in 'Dwapar Yuga'. Krishna Janmashtami is also known as Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami and sometimes simply as Janmashtami. 



This festival is observed on Ashtami tithi, the eighth day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapada in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatra is ascendant. This is usually in the months of August and September in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and vigor by Hindus all over India and abroad. People observe fast the whole day, sing hymns and conduct prayers at midnight to rejoice the birth of Lord. Raslila, dramatic enactments of the life of Krishna, are a special feature that is showcased in every part of the country, as it re-creates the flirtatious aspects of Krishna's youthful days. Another interesting aspect of Krishna Janmashtami is the practice of Dahi-Handi. This game portrays the playful and mischievous side of Krishna, where teams of young men form human pyramids to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it.

Brief Significance and History of Festival

According to the Puranas Krishna took birth on the 8th lunar day (Ashtami) of the waning moon of the month of Smvana at midnight, upon the moon's entrance into Rohini asterism. This day is marked as Janmashtami. Krishna is one of the most worshipped Gods in India and belongs to the Hindu Trinity. He is believed to be one of the eight incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The story of birth of Krishna is an intriguing one. The story goes like this: One day Mother Earth was appalled by the number of sins that were being committed on her surface. She went to Brahma that God of the Gods and appealed to him for help. Brahma, after listening to her, appealed to Lord Vishnu who said that He would take birth on earth and His avatar will destroy every kind of sin that was being committed on earth then. During that time, Mathura was in miserable state as Kansa, brother of Devki, had put his father, King Ugrasen in prison and declared himself the new king. To put an end to his evil rule, Lord Vishnu decided to take birth in the human form. As such, at the wedding ceremony of Devki and Vasudev, there was a divine prophecy which proclaimed that Vasudeva's eighth son would kill Kansa. To protect himself, Kansa rushed to kill his sister but gave up the idea of killing after being assured by Vasudev that he will hand over all his children to Kansa. Kansa put his brother-in-law and sister in prison. Kansa killed all the six infants as soon as they were born. The seventh child (Balram) was saved due to divine intervention, when he was transferred from Devki's womb to that of Rohini's (other wife of Vasudev).

As Devki conceived the eighth child, everything around was imbued with benevolence and majestic beauty. Lord Krishna was born in the divine form with lotus like eyes, his palms bearing the signs of a lotus, while his sole has a swastika sign. He was adorned with jewels and was wearing a crown. Just as he was born at midnight, a chain of events astonished Vasudev, when he saw the gates of the cell flow open and all the guards fast asleep. He immediately thought of Nand, his close friend in Gokul and decided to hand over his child to him in order to save him from the clutch of Kansa. Crossing the River Yamuna, Vasudev reached Nand's residence and exchanged his son with Nand's daughter. Upon reaching the prison, the door got locked behind him and he was chained again as if nothing happened in between. The guards also woke up and after hearing the cry of the baby, informed Kansa about the birth of the eighth child. Just as Kansa rushed to kill the baby, it slipped out of his hand and flew towards the sky, proclaiming that the annihilator of Kansa was born and was safe.

How to Celebrate Janmasthami

I think the festival is an opportunity for us to thank Him for all that He has given to us. As we enjoy attention and fun on our birthday, so does Lord also enjoys our attention on His appearance day. Worship Him in a way that you can relate yourself with the lord and in this love and devotion you will get immense happiness and satisfaction.

1. First of all you can decorate your home for Lord Krishna. Clean your home thoroughly and invite Lord to come to your house. It would be fun, particularly for children. Encourage them in helping to make garlands, hanging balloons and festoons of leaves, and making the house beautiful for Krishna’s appearance.

2.  Listen to Lord Krishna Bhajans and recite Mahamantra of Lord.

3.  If you have Radha-Krishna deities, get extra special new outfits for them. Exercise your creativity and pay special attention to decorating their altar.  Hold Abhisheka bathing ceremony for your deities. Simply buy different liquids like yogurt, honey, ghee and fruit juices and bathe the deity with them while singing devotional songs.

4. You must cook one special dish for the Lord which should be offered to Lord and then taken as Prasad by you. Imagine that Krishna is actually right near you in your house and you are offering this dish to Him.

5. Meditate as long as possible on this day and you can recite Lord Mahamantra also. Visit any Lord Krishna temple if possible and immerse yourself in the presence of Lord there.

6. You can bring a cake for the lord. It should be an eggless cake. Cut the cake in the midnight at 12 o Clock and have midnight Aarti (worship ceremony) with a kirtan. This is the exact time that Krishna appeared on this planet, so it is most auspicious and spiritually inspiring

7. Krishna has an immense love for cows. On the birthday of Lord Krishna, you must feed cows. You can offer anything like bread, green grass, chapati or any thing which you think would be liked by the cows. This would definitely give you mental peace, satisfaction and happiness and would also improve your planet Venus. 

8. I am reproducing Krishna Mahamantra below. Chant this mantra and feel the divine presence. Enjoy each and every bit of His visit. He is here only, today and always. Feel Him, Love Him and Worship Him.

                                   HAPPY JANMASHTAMI 2015

“Hari Om Tat Sat”

“Jai Shree Krishna”

Acharya Vikas Malhotra

Astrologer, Numerologist and Spiritual Healer

                    {MBA, LLB, FCS, MA (Public Admn), FIII, JYOTISH VISHARAD} 
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