Janmashtami 2015

Janmashtami 2015

The festival of Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Shri Krishna and is celebrated all over India with great enthusiasm and merriment. This day falls on the eighth day or 'Ashtami' of the month of Bhadrapad in the 'Krishna paksha' or dark phase of the moon.

Janamashtami is also known as Gokulashtami, Shree Jayanti, or Sri Krishna Jayanti.

It is widely believed Lord Krishna was the avatar of Lord Vishnu and had taken birth on this earth to fight and annihilate evil and restore good and righteousness or 'Dharma.' 

In the Geeta, Shri Krishna tells Arjuna that whenever evil raises its might to overpower goodness and Dharma, he will take birth to fight crime and restore balance.

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Bhagwad Gita Chaper 4 Verse 7:

|| यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । 

अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||

|| "Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata 

abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham "||

Meaning:

Whenever there is decay of righteousness, O Bharata, And there is an exaltation of unrighteousness, then I Myself come forth; - Swami Vivekanand

Bhagwad Gita Chapter 4 Verse 8:

||परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् । 

धर्मासंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे ||

|| "Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam 

dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge" ||

Meaning:

For the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, For the sake of firmly establishing righteousness, I am born from age to age. - Swami Vivekanand

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Janamashtami is celebrated with great pomp in homes and temples. People observe fasts the whole day. At midnight, prayers are offered to the Lord. Many kinds of sweets and fruits are offered as 'prasad' and songs, bhajans, prayers are chanted. 

Little statues of baby Krishna or 'Ladoo Gopal' or 'Bal Krishna' are decorated in cradles and swings. People swing the child Krishna as a token of their love and adoration for the Lord. 

Fasts are broken after the night prayers while some continue to fast till the next morning. However, one should not feel any compulsion to follow rituals. Prayers to God are all about your faith, and there are no hard rules. Do what feels right and proper to you. 

Lord Krishna was a fun-loving, joyful avatar of Vishnu. He was also called 'Nat Nagar'. 'Nat' or dance and 'Nagar' or town - So one who danced with the whole village, community or group. As in the 'Raas Leela', where Krishna danced with the Gopis. 

He was also a guide, a leader, and a teacher as to when he reveals the lessons of the Geeta to Arjuna. People thus celebrate Janmashtami with songs, dance, merriment, and some introspection and prayers.

 'Dahi Handi' is also an example of both an enjoyable game and a lesson in teamwork and co-operation, where people enact the scenes from Lord Krishna's childhood. 

Krishna was a naughty child, and out of fun and a way to tease the Gopis, he would break their 'matki' or earthen pots and steal 'Makhan' or churned butter from them, for eating and enjoyment. The Gopis loved him and would chase him smiling and complaining. 

"Dahi Handi" is celebrated the next day, after Janamashtami. People form human pyramids while one person climbs on top to break a pot hanging high above full of 'Dahi' or yogurt or Makhan. 

Lord Krishna's primary teaching was that people should live with each other with love and harmony, follow Dharma, and do their given duties or Karma.