Krishna Janmasthami is the celebration of the day that Bhagwan Krishna incarnated in human form upon the Earth. It is celebrated at midnight on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).
The day is celebrated by worshipping Bhagwan Krishna, fasting and chanting devotional kirtan and bhajans until past midnight.
The Bhagavad Gita says that whenever there is darkness in the world, whenever strife and ignorance prevail, the Lord incarnates to shine His divine light on the darkness. He grabs hold of the faltering world, preventing it from drifting too far astray.
However, the Lord does not simply incarnate, give wisdom and depart. Rather, His divine light, His divine message and His divine grace continue to shine, on and on, upon all future generations. His wisdom is such that, once given, it is timeless and eternal, infinite and universal. Lord Krishnas message in the Bhagavad Gita and the message of His entire life are not meant merely for those who lived 5000 years ago in the lands of Mathura, Vrindavan, Kurukshetra and Dwarka. Rather, the messages are as timeless as His presence and grace.
As we celebrate the divine anniversary of the date He came forth into this world in human form, we must ask ourselves, Why did He incarnate? What were the messages of Lord Krishnas life? What darkness did He come to dispel? In what ocean of ignorance were we drowning, from which He came to save us?
Most Indians, and now many Westerners as well, are familiar with the Bhagavad Gita. We know that Lord Krishnas verbal message to Arjun on the battlefield was Stand up. Do your duty.
However, there are many other important messages in the Gita and also invaluable lessons and divine teachings embedded in the very life He lived. At this holy time of Janmasthami, let us examine and take to heart these messages through this series of posts. We must remember that Bhagwan Krishna incarnated FOR US. He incarnated to remove our veil of ignorance and darkness. It is our duty to Him to take His message to heart and let it uplift, inspire and transform us.
Never Lose Your Song:
One of the most beautiful lessons of Bhagwan Krishnas life is: never lose
yourself due to external circumstances, never lose your smile, never lose your song Bhagwan Krishnas life was full of trials and tribulations, beginning on the day when He took birth in a locked jail cell and ending in the jungle shot by a hunters arrow. However, throughout it all through the innumerable challenges wrought upon Him He always maintained His divine smile. He always played His divine flute. Even after His physical flute was left with Radhaji, the song of Krishnas flute was always on, wherever He went. The song emanated from His very being. He never once said, Im in a bad mood today so I will not play my flute. No. Regardless of what the external world brought and wrought, the Song was on. This is a beautiful message for our own lives.
So frequently we let small, small things upset us and ruin our day. However, to truly be Krishna devotees means that we should try, as much as possible, to follow His divine example. After all, it is for us that He incarnated on Earth and gave His beautiful, divine messages.
Therefore, whenever failure, frustration or fury stares us in the face and we are tempted to let it ruin our mood and our day, let us always remember the sound of Lord Krishnas ever-present flute. Let us try to emulate His divine example and let our own song and our smile also be ever-present.
Thanks to Shri Ajey Shrivastava for sharing this wonderful message from Swami Chidanand Saraswathi
