JANMASHTAMI
Introduction:- Janmashtami is a Hindu festival. It is also known as Krishna Jayanthi or Gokulashtami It is celebrated as the birthday of Sri Krishna. As per ‘Hindu Panchang’ (i.e. Hindu calendar) it celebrated on the day of the ashtami (i.e. eighth day) of Krishna Paksha, in the month of Bhadon / Bhadrapada. In this year this day is falls on the 30th date of the August month. It is celebrated with a great zeal in almost all parts of India and also in some foreign countries. The upcoming dates for the celebration of this festival are as below:-
|
Year |
Day |
Date & month |
|
2021 |
Monday |
30, August |
|
2022 |
Thursday |
18, August |
|
2023 |
Wednesday |
6, September |
|
2024 |
Monday |
26, August |
|
2025 |
Friday |
15, August |
|
2026 |
Friday |
4, September |
How it is celebrated:- Many rituals are performed on this day, like many people
keep fast on this day, worship of Sri Krishna is done, people decorates their
homes and especially the temples of Sri Krishna are also decorated by the
followers. People listen Bal Katha (story of childhood) of God Sri Krishna with
very reverence. Bathing is made with very respect and reverence to the statues
of Bal Sri Krishna (Baby Krishna) and dressed up with new and beautiful
clothes. People swing the statue of Bal Krishna in the decorative cradle. In
many places the ritual of Dahi Handi (an earthen pot filled with butter or
curd) is also performed by the Hindu people.
 |
| Child Sri Krishna |
Different names and meaning
of Sri Krishna:- Krishna is a
Sanskrit word which means black, dark or dark blue. He was named as Krishna
because it was very dark night at the time of his birth and his (Sri Krishna’s)
colour was also dark. Sri Krishna is also known as Kanhya, Murlidhar, Keshav, Shyam,
Dwarkadheesh, Gopal, Makhanchor, Vasudeva, etc.
History / Birth
story of Sri Krishna:- Sri Krishna was the
eighth child of his parents and eighth incarnate of lord Vishnu in the Dwapara Yuga
(i.e. third era/age of world cycle, in Hinduism). His birth parents were
Vasudeva and Devaki and the foster parents were Nanda and Yashoda. His maternal
uncle was a tyrannical demon king Kansa. The whole life of Sri Krishna was full
of miracles. From the pages of the Indian ancient history some main events of
the birth of baby Sri Krishna are as below:-
Oracle From the sky:- Kansa was very tyrannical natured king. The people of
whole Mathura and surrounding villages were very sad from the atrocity of
Kansa. There was no one to save them from cruelty of Kansa. They always prayed
to God for help. One day a divine voice (oracle) was came from the sky, through
this voice the self God warned to the Kansa about his brutality on the humans.
The divine voice told him that he would be killed by the eighth son of his (Kansa’s)
sister. It sowed the seeds of fear in the mind of Kansa.
Killing of six sons of
Devaki:- After listening to the
divine voice from the sky the Kansa was filled with fear. And in anger Kansa
was going to kill his sister Devaki. But Devaki's husband 'Vasudeva' request to
Kansa that please not to kill Devaki, instead of this they will give their each
child to him. Kansa agreed with this and put his sister and her husband in a
dark closet (prison) under the tight security of his guards.
The time went by and the Devaki gave birth
to her six children, one after one. But the ruthless Kansa killed her all six
children one by one. It was very painful for them. They were crying and begging
for mercy. But the Kansa was very cruel, even he ignored to the tears of his
own sister.
Seventh child of Devaki:- The seventh child of Devaki was an incarnation of the
Adisesha (i.e. the God of serpents) in the form of the elder brother of Sri
Krishna. He was named as Balarama.
When Devaki gets pregnant seventh
time she surely felt that this is not any normal child in her womb, rather this
is a divine child. It may help them against her brother Kansa. For child's
safety the Vasudeva prayed very long and hard, to the Lord Vishnu. Then the
Yogamaya (a goddess in Hinduism) as per the instruction of Lord Vishnu transferred
the foetus of the womb of Devaki to the womb of Vasudeva’s second wife
‘Rohini’. And the Vasudeva told to Kansa that their seventh child was died in
the womb. Rohini went to Vasudeva’s close friend Nanda’s house in Gokul, where
she safely gave birth to the seventh child of Devaki. He was named as Balarama
and raised up in the Gokul under the protection of Nanda.
 |
| Sri Krishna |
Birth of eighth child (Sri
Krishna): - With the passage of time,
Devaki became pregnant for the eighth time. Both (Devaki and Vasudeva) filled
with fear of Kansa. When Kansa came to knew about the pregnancy, he eagerly waits
for the eighth child and increases the number of guards around their cell. Soon
the time comes up and in the midnight Devaki gave birth to her eighth child
(Sri Krishna).
It is believed that as per
Hindu Panchang or calendar, Sri Krishna was born in the dark fortnight of the
ashtami (i.e. eighth day) of Krishna Paksha, of the month of Bhadon or Bhadrapada.
Miracle inside the cell:- It was very dark and stormy night. Lightning was shining
in the sky. Parents were feared full and chanting the God's name. Suddenly a
miracle was happened. The night became more dark, all lamps were extinguished,
all guards went to deep sleep, doors of prison became opened and the chains of
the Vasudeva’s feet opened up. And a bright light was appeared in the dark. A
divine voice came from that light, which instructs the Vasudeva to take the
child across the Yamuna River. And then light and voice got disappeared.
Vasudeva picked up his child and walked to outside the prison. Everyone was in
sleep, it was very calm all around, only the clouds were thundering. To save
his child from heavy rain and storm, the Vasudeva holds him close to his chest
in his arms and reached to the bank of Yamuna River.
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| A high wave touching Sri Krishna's Feet in Yamnuna River. |
Miracle in the Yamuna River:- Due to the heavy rain the river was flooded, strong waves were blowing. The Vasudeva was feared to lose his child. But as per the instructions of divine voice that appeared in the prison, he memorizes to God’s name and started to cross the river. In the middle the river became deeper and more dangerous. As per the God's Leela (i.e. a divine act of God), another miracle happened. Vasudeva put his child above his head, but as he goes ahead in the river, the water level was continuously rising up. But when water reached upto the feet of baby Sri Krishna, the high waves calmed down. It was seemed that the water had come up only to touch the feet of Sri Krishna. Now the water of river was going down, the Vasudeva was astonished but he continues to cross the river. And thus the Vasudeva cross the river safely, his child was also safe. He breathed a sigh of relief and thanks to God.
Exchange of child:- After walking for some time, Vasudeva reached to his
close friend Nanda’s house. They told him the whole story and also told him
about the divine voice. On listening this, the Nanda became ready to exchange
his daughter child with the son of Vasudeva. (This girl child was not anyone
else rather she was the self Yogamaya in the incarnation of a girl child).
Vasudeva was crying. But it was all the play of fate, wrote by self God. Vasudeva
kissed his son's forehead and handed him over to Nanda.
Vasudeva returned back to
the prison:- Vasudeva came back to the
prison and handed over the girl child to Devaki. Now everything was back to
normal, the doors automatically closed again and the guards woke up. But
besides to Devaki and Vasudeva, nobody there was knew that what was happened.
When the guards saw the child and they rushed to the Kansa to inform about the
child. The Kansa hurriedly came there and took away the child from the arms of
Devaki. They (Devaki and Vasudeva) were cried and request him “this is not a
boy rather this is a girl child, the
oracle about eighth child became wrong now, how could a girl make harm
you, please leave her alive”. But the Kansa was full of fear and anger, he shouted
loudly that this is your eighth child, I will surely kill it.
 |
| Yogamaya (An eight handed Hindu Goddess) |
Yogamaya (an eight handed
Goddess) appeared:- When the ruthless
Kansa was about to hit the girl child on a stone, she slipped out of his hands
and flew into the air. The child was now turned into the disguise of an eight
handed goddess. There was a very bright light all around behind of her.
Everyone was surprised by this miracle. She warned him for his atrocity and
sins. And laughingly told him that fool Kansa, your destroyer has already been
born somewhere else and he is safe. After this she got disappeared.
Kansa started to kill to
every child:- Now the Kansa filled with
more anger but he was also fearful from inside. He loudly shouted on the
Vasudeva and Devaki that he will surely found your eighth child and kill him.
He ordered his soldiers to kill all the newborn babies in the surrounding towns
and villages. Sri Krishna was also tried to kill, many times, but the Kansa
could not made any harm to Sri Krishna.
End of Kansa:- When Kansa was tired of trying to kill Sri Krishna. But
he could not kill them. He made a plan. He invites to Sri Krishna at Mathura.
Sri Krishna was omniscient, they knew about everybody’s mind. But even then
they came there with their elder brother Balarama. The Kansa sent a mad
elephant to kill them but they cut elephant’s trunk and kill that. He challenge
them for duel (wrestling war) with his best duelists (wrestler), but they also
killed by Sri Krishna and Balarama. In the last, Shri Krishna told to Kansa,
"Evil Kansa! Your pot of sin is now full.” After this Sri Krishna kill the
Demon King Kansa with his Sudarshan Chakra (i.e. a divine weapon of Sri
Krishna). Now Sri Krishna got his parents freed from the captivity of Kansa. And
thus Sri Krishna taught the lesson of ‘victory of good over evil’, to the Kansa
and to whole world also.
It is very difficult to guess the exact age of Sri
Krishna at the time of killing to Kansa. Different scholars and historians have
their different views about the age of Sri Krishna at that time. But most
commonly it is believed that Sri Krishna was of 12 years when he killed to his
maternal uncle Kansa and save the humanity from his tyrannical hands.
 |
| Sri Krishna defeats Kansa and all of his demons. |
Conclusion:- The Janmashtami is
celebrated with a great zeal in India as the birthday of Sri Krishna. Sri
Krishna was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He taught the lesson of love
and humanity to whole world. He showed that the good is always victorious over
evils and whenever there is the sins are increased the God will absolutely come
himself to save the humanity.
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your desired answer or information about the festival of Janmashtami. We wish
you a very Happy Janmashtami and best of luck for your good health and success
in life. May Lord Sri Krishna Bless You.
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