Pranaam Everyone!
Hindus globally will be observing the festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami on Sunday August 21st, 2011. This day of the birth of Shri Krishna is dedicated to the Smartaans - those devotees who worship the Divine Personality in all manifestations.
Shri Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami tithi, which is the eight day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapada in the Hindu calendar. The festival falls in mid-August to mid-September in the Gregorian calendar.
Shri Krishna "praghat huway" or made His divine appearance mid-night on that day, in the cell of His parents' prison. His mother, Devaki and father, Vasudeva, were locked up in prison by Shri Krishna's evil uncle Kans in Mathura. When He appeared, all the locks and chain that tied down His parents and the prison doors were opened automatically. He instructed His father to take Him over the Yamuna River to Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya's home in Gokula, where He performed many of His childhood pranks with the Gopis and the revered cows.
**Baal Krishna smiling enchantingly...
Shri Krishna is the 8th incarnations of Shri Hari Vishnu Bhagwan. He came to eliminate unrighteousness and re-establish Dharma or Truth and to protect the cows. As He states in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, verse 7:
"Yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham"
Meaning:
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself."
Chapter 4, verse 8:
"paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge"
Meaning:
"In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium."
Baal Shri Krishna's (Baby Krishna) leelas are soul-stirringly beautiful. Baby Krishna loves dahi (curd) so much so that He and His brother Balram would go steal dahi from the Gopis. That's why He is called Makhand-chor.
** Baal Krishna as Makhan-chor with Balram
Shri Krishna spoke the entire Bhagavad Gita to warrior Prince Arjuna during the Mahabharata at the battlefield of Kurushetra. The Bhagavad Gita, consisting of 18 chapters and 700 sloks, is the only Hindu scriptural text where the Divine Personality spoke directly each word inside it. Shri Krishna is idolalized and worshipped with great reverence, love and devotion in Bharat Desh (India) and all parts of the world which Hindus reside.
On Janmashtami day, devotees of the Lord keep a strict fast, meditate, worship and perform Puja, sing bhajans and the maha-mantra all day for the Lord.
Most mandirs in the New York region will be celebrating this festival, so devotees please make a special effort to attend a mandir on this day. There are tremendous benefits to be derived by observing this parb in the proper manner.
May Shri Krishna shower His blessings upon all!
** Shri Krishna instructing Arjuna
Hindus globally will be observing the festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami on Sunday August 21st, 2011. This day of the birth of Shri Krishna is dedicated to the Smartaans - those devotees who worship the Divine Personality in all manifestations.
Shri Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami tithi, which is the eight day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Bhadrapada in the Hindu calendar. The festival falls in mid-August to mid-September in the Gregorian calendar.
Shri Krishna "praghat huway" or made His divine appearance mid-night on that day, in the cell of His parents' prison. His mother, Devaki and father, Vasudeva, were locked up in prison by Shri Krishna's evil uncle Kans in Mathura. When He appeared, all the locks and chain that tied down His parents and the prison doors were opened automatically. He instructed His father to take Him over the Yamuna River to Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya's home in Gokula, where He performed many of His childhood pranks with the Gopis and the revered cows.
**Baal Krishna smiling enchantingly...
Shri Krishna is the 8th incarnations of Shri Hari Vishnu Bhagwan. He came to eliminate unrighteousness and re-establish Dharma or Truth and to protect the cows. As He states in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, verse 7:
"Yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham"
Meaning:
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself."
Chapter 4, verse 8:
"paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge"
Meaning:
"In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium."
Baal Shri Krishna's (Baby Krishna) leelas are soul-stirringly beautiful. Baby Krishna loves dahi (curd) so much so that He and His brother Balram would go steal dahi from the Gopis. That's why He is called Makhand-chor.
** Baal Krishna as Makhan-chor with Balram
Shri Krishna spoke the entire Bhagavad Gita to warrior Prince Arjuna during the Mahabharata at the battlefield of Kurushetra. The Bhagavad Gita, consisting of 18 chapters and 700 sloks, is the only Hindu scriptural text where the Divine Personality spoke directly each word inside it. Shri Krishna is idolalized and worshipped with great reverence, love and devotion in Bharat Desh (India) and all parts of the world which Hindus reside.
On Janmashtami day, devotees of the Lord keep a strict fast, meditate, worship and perform Puja, sing bhajans and the maha-mantra all day for the Lord.
Most mandirs in the New York region will be celebrating this festival, so devotees please make a special effort to attend a mandir on this day. There are tremendous benefits to be derived by observing this parb in the proper manner.
May Shri Krishna shower His blessings upon all!
** Shri Krishna instructing Arjuna
