The Birth of Lord Krishna

Krishna and Rama are the two great avataras of Hinduism. They are both said to be the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. They are both historical characters who have left the imprint of their footsteps on this holy land of Bharat from the extreme North, right down to the very tip of the peninsula.

The theory of the avatara, or the descent of God into human form, is one of the established beliefs of Vaishnava theism. Avatara means “descent,” and this descent is a direct manifestation in humanity by the Divine to aid the human soul in its ascent to the divine status. It is a manifestation from above of that which we have to develop from below. The avatara comes to give the outer religion of humanity an inner meaning, which will enable it to grow into its divine status.

The ordinary person has to evolve and ascend into the god-head, but the avatara is a direct descent into the human form. The first is a birth from ignorance into ignorance under the shroud of maya, or the cosmic veil of illusion, and the other is a birth from knowledge into knowledge, with all powers intact and a full awareness and consciousness of his supreme status. He is thus a dual phenomenon, for he appears human and is yet divine. This has to be, for the object of the avatara is to show that human birth with all its limitations can still be the means for a divine unfolding. If the avatara were to act in a super-human way all the time, this purpose would be nullified. He might even assume human sorrow and suffering, like Sri Rama, in order to show that suffering itself may be the cause of redemption.   

The avatara of Krishna is unique because even in the hours of deepest sorrow and travail, he showed himself to be a complete master of the situation, thus exemplifying the truth of how one who is established in unity with the Divine can remain unaffected in the midst of pain and sorrow. Hence, this avatara in the form of Krishna is known as purnavatara, or the complete descent of the entire divinity into the form of humanity.

No other single person has influenced the course of India’s religion, philosophy, art and literature as Krishna. The story of his life has thrilled the hearts of all those who have been fortunate enough to have heard it. That is why despite the fact that he existed more than five thousand years ago, the tale is still as delightful and exciting as it was during his own life time. In fact, you find that his devotees are increasing all over the world.

The Sanskrit word “krishna” has two meanings. Krishna means dark. It also has another root and that is “karsha” which means to entice or enchant. Both these meanings are true of the great incarnation known as Krishna. He was dark in colour and had the capacity to enchant everyone.

He was born in the clan of the Yadavas in the city of Mathura. His uncle Kamsa was the king of the Yadavas and was noted for his great cruelty and the citizens were groaning under the rule of this tyrant. Kamsa had deposed his own father Ugrasena and put him in jail and usurped the kingdom. He had been warned that he would meet his end at the hands of the eighth child of his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva. So, he had incarcerated both of them along with his father into the dungeon.

Six sons had been born to the couple and all of them had been dashed to death on a stone in front of the horrified parents by Kamsa as soon as they were born. The seventh was still born or so it was said. The next would be the 8th which had been prophesied as being the one who would kill him. Kamsa decided to take no chances and had both of them chained to pillars on opposite sides of the dungeon. However, the ways of God cannot be gauged by human intelligence and Devaki did conceive a child in a miraculous manner. 

He was born at midnight on the 8th day (ashtami) of the dark phase of the lunar fortnight in the month of Bhadra, under the star known as Rohini about five thousand years ago. The traditions of the Hindu faith are kept alive for thousands of years. Even today his birthday is celebrated all over India. This year 2021, “Sri Krishna Jayanti” falls on the 30th August. The date differs slightly from year to year since we follow the lunar calendar.

Vasudeva taking Sri Krishna to the settlement

He was born at midnight in the dungeon. He was the eighth son of his parents Devaki and Vasudeva who were scions of the Yadava clan. So, the number eight has great significance in his life as well as for all his devotees. As soon as the baby was born, he gave a vision of himself as Vishnu to his parents and and told his father to take him to the cow-herd settlement called Gokula. Miraculously Vasudeva found that the dungeon doors opened of their own account and he was able to transfer the baby to the house of Nanda, chief of the cow-herds whose wife Yashoda had just delivered a baby girl. The babies were exchanged and Vasudeva brought back the girl-child to the dungeon in the same miraculous fashion.

Krishna grew up in Gokula and later in Vrindavana till the age of twelve. Kamsa sent many people to kill him but he defeated them. At the age of twelve, he went to Mathura, where he killed his uncle Kamsa, thus freeing the Yadavas from the rule of the tyrant. He grew up to be a hero, valiant and invincible, and gradually assumed leadership of the Yadava and Vrishni clans, even though he did not accept the title of king. He defeated many of the tyrant kings and made the Yadavas into one of the most powerful forces of that time. He founded his new capital on the island of Dwaraka, on the western seacoast of India, which was then known as Bharathavarsha, and played an important part in shaping the cultural and political life of his times. Though he did not take up arms, he played a decisive part in the great war of the Mahabharata.

As a man, he was a Mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, totally unattached, having complete mastery over himself and nature, capable of controlling the very elements, if need be. His miracles were only an outflow of his perfect unity with God and, therefore, with nature. The spiritual gospel that he taught is known as the Bhagavata Dharma and is chiefly expounded in the Bhagavad Purana, Bhagavad Gita and the Uddhava Gita. The simplicity of his teachings was such that it could be followed by any man, woman, or child, unlike the Vedic teachings, which were meant only for the elite.

His most famous teaching is contained in the Bhagavad Gita which was the advice he gave to his friend and cousin, Arjuna at the commencement of the great battle known as the Mahabharata war. Arjuna begs Krishna to help him out of his dilemma. His problem was a particular one related to his special need. Krishna’s answer is the whole of the Bhagavad Gita and cuts at the root of the human problem which is one of ignorance. Ignorance of the nature of our own selves, ignorance of the nature of the Supreme Being and ignorance of the nature of the universe that we inhabit. He taught Arjuna the technique of action, known as Karma Yoga which is so important to us to practice in our daily lives. This is why the Bhagavad Gita is still as fresh and applicable to modern life as it was when it was first given to Arjuna five thousand years ago.

The charm of his avatara is the perfection with which he played every role he was called upon to play. He was a staunch friend, a dutiful son, an exciting lover, and a model husband, not to just one but to all women who desired him. There was none who called to him with intensity to whom he did not go with speed!

“However a man approaches me, in that same manner do I go to him,” was what he declared.

In whatever guise people looked upon him - as son, friend, lover, or husband - he went to them in that very form in which they visualized him and satisfied their desires in the way that was most meaningful to them. At the same time, he sublimated their desires and thus fulfilled their earthly lives and led them to eternal bliss. There was no one who approached him, whether saint or sinner, in hatred or fear or love, who did not attain liberation. The difference between a Kamsa, who tried to kill him, and a Kuchela, who worshipped him, is slight indeed. One approached him with hatred and the other with love, but both thought of him constantly and were thus rewarded with moksha, or liberation.

Thus, Krishna is not only the sat-chit-ananda, the “existence- knowledge-bliss” of the Absolute, without any diminution or contamination of his perfection, he is also the Uttama Purusha, the perfect person, amid all imperfect situations. He is the eternal boy, the paragon of masculine beauty, who always retained his spiritual nobility, absolutely unaffected and unperturbed in every situation, be it amid the poverty and hardships of the cowherd settlement, the rigours of a hermitage, the seductive charms of dancing beauties, the gory scenes of the battlefield, the self-destructive holocaust of his own kith and kin, or the peaceful interludes with his friends. As he himself taught, Krishna lived in this world of duality as the lotus leaf in water, absolutely untouched and unaffected by the environment, always a witness of the situation, never a victim.

The story of a divine manifestation is always filled with mystery and defies all attempts at human analysis. The river of time collects much flotsam and jetsam on its way, and the story of the Lord’s life has been embellished with a wealth of detail, perhaps true, perhaps imaginary. Fact and fiction, truth and fantasy are entwined. But the final test of truth is time itself. It is the true touchstone. It deletes the dross and retains the gold. In and through the seemingly redundant detail that has woven itself around the story through the centuries, it retains its breath-taking beauty, for it is dominated by the powerful influence of Krishna’s enchanting personality in which the wisdom of the seer is mingled with the charm and simplicity of a child and the glory of God gushes forth in an inexhaustible fountain of love and wisdom.

All the festivals in Hinduism are meant to attain bhakti (devotion to God) as well as mukti (liberation from mortal existence.) On Janmashtami day we normally take a bath in the morning and worship Lord Krishna. We are supposed to fast the whole day up till 12 midnight which was the time when he was born. The main pujas start in the evening and continue till midnight. Normally a small cradle is kept and the idol of baby Krishna is kept in it and covered until midnight when the cover is thrown aside and the baby is revealed. The whole evening a special puja is done to the Lord using his 108 names (Krishnashtotara).

Sri Krishna Ashtottara Shata Namavali - 108 Names of Lord Krishna

Many types of special preparations that are thought to be relished by the Lord are prepared and offered to him. Of course, butter, milk and curds preferably in mud pots are a must since these are his favourites. After that it is the custom to read the account of his birth from the Bhagavad Purana, Book 10 and then keep singing bhajans till midnight. At that time the cover is taken off the cradle and the baby revealed. Everyone takes the opportunity to rock the cradle and gaze at the precious infant inside. The prasad is distributed and the fast is broken at midnight.

Some Krishna Bhajans

On this day, the day of his birth, let us all pray to him to take away our negative qualities and lead us to eternal bliss as he led so many people during his lifetime.

Jai Sri Krishna!