Growing importance of Sri Krishna Janmastami

 We are thankful to all Vaishnavite faithfuls and devotees of Lord Krishna all over the world. They preach about the glorious pastimes of the Lord in every village, town, and city on the planet Earth. In the age of deterioration, the celebration of the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Krishna gains momentum.

From a spiritual point of view, Janmastami’s meaning is deep-rooted. It conveys the message that all human beings spend their lives engulfed in the darkness of their own vices. We are bound by so many shackles of anger, greed, temptations, attachments, and material pangs. But as the Lord takes birth, every bit of the darkness fades away, and we are released from all the chains of the so-called worldly pleasures, which are very short-lived.

Devotees celebrate Janmastami by fasting and staying awake until midnight. Midnight is significant, as Lord Krishna descended into the cage of King Kamsa at midnight. So, people gather at midnight to celebrate the advent of Lord Krishna by singing devotional songs and reading scriptures. The idol of ‘Baal Gopal, or Little Krishna, is placed in a cradle as a symbol of his birth. Devotees rock the cradle joyfully while reciting hymns and singing songs. Whenever darkness and evil prevail on the earth, the Lord takes birth and eradicates all evil. So, Janmastami is also symbolic in this sense. This occasion brings everyone together, which encourages unity, faith, firm determination to serve the Lord, et al.

Over 5,000 years ago, Lord Krishna said on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (now in Haryana, State of India) that he appeared on earth to save the saints and wipe out the miscreants. He does it to make the Earth a peaceful paradise to live in. He also emancipates the devotees from the cruel rulers or demonic kings in different regions of the globe.

In fact, our Siksa Gurus (teachers) at ISKCON advise us to read and study seriously the Supreme Science of Lord Krishna from the verses given in the ‘Srimad-Bhagavd Gita As It Is’ , the ‘Srimad Bhagavatam,’ etc.

It is very interesting to note that the Lord is coming back once again. If we turn over the pages of the Srimad Bhagavatam with rapt attention, we find that Lord Krishna will descend as the Kalki’ incarnation. In the 12th canto, Chapter number two, and text number 18 of the Srimad Bhagavatam, it has clearly been predicted that Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most famous Braahmana of Shambhala village—the great soul (personality)—Visnuyasaa.

Our Siksa Guru, His Grace Srijeeva Das, Temple President of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Guwahati, passed a very impressive statement during a discourse session a few years ago.

He said that we should fine-tune our Krishnatarian activities in such a manner that the entire world community comes to Guwahati to see our rich and colourful cultural heritage.

Importantly, pre-Janmashtami celebrations under the ISKCON Heritage Festival 2023 started at the premises of Sri Sri Rukmini-Krishna temple, Mount Hare Krishna, South Sarania, Ulubari, Guwahati, on August 27, 2023. This Heritage Fest was organised for children to impart spiritual knowledge and cultural values through various competitions on Vedic Drawing, Krishna Bhajan Performance, Vedic Fancy Dress, and Gita Sloka Recitation.

According to the ‘Koli Santa Purana’, in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord; there is no other way, there is no other way, and there is no other way.

So, all ISKCON devotees chant the holy name of the Lord throughout the Janmastami Mahotsava. They perform non-stop Hare Krishna Kirtana.

ISKCON Founder and Spiritual Master His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada echoed in a podcast, “This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” — is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna Consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we were originally Krishna-conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. With this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature. But actually, we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. But there is no need to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation or intellectual adjustment when chanting this mahamantra. It comes automatically from the spiritual platform. And as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically: even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part. Chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”

Our Siksa Guru, His Grace Gaurdev Das, Vice President, ISKCON Guwahati, said to me, “You, just go on practising devotional service under the able guidance of spiritual masters in the disciplic succession, and Lord Krishna, one day you will definitely realise the Absolute Truth—the Supreme Personality of Godhead—Krishna as he is.”

Krishna Janmashtami occupies a unique place among the various festivals celebrated in India. The Vedas explain that Krishna means ‘akarshati iti Krishna—He is the all-attractive person and most dear friend of everyone. That’s why Janmashtami is one of the most celebrated events all over the world. In modern times, this festival has been spread all over the world by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In 1966, ISKCON began in New York, the USA, in a storefront, and now it is spread practically in every city in the world.

ISKCON’s Swami Prabhupada taught that the path to happiness is not found in material pursuits but in simple living, high thinking, and the awakening love of God—Lord Krishna. Over the past five decades, ISKCON has grown into an international community with more than 1,000 temples, 100 vegetarian restaurants, and 516 million books in print in 87 different languages.

India is, indeed, one of the oldest and most culturally rich civilizations in the world. As we now make the transformative change from being a developing to a developed economy, there will be immense pressures on our socio-economic and moral fabric. It is, therefore, imperative that we reconnect with our spiritual dimensions. There can be no better way of doing this than by spreading the Bhagvad Gita’s message of universal love and humanity.

To sum it up, Lord Krishna taught the common masses both the art of living and the art of dying. He showed how to enliven the family way of life, the social way of life, and the spiritual way of life. Only humility, dutifulness, pridelessness, simplicity, tolerance, etc. are the basic requisites for a serious devotee of Lord Krishna.