Śrī KṛshṇaJayantī or Janmāshṭamī is a very important festival, which comes in the month of srāvaṇa. People call it by different names such as Gokulāshṭamī, Jayantī, Śrī Jayantī etc. It is a great festival observed all over India with joy and devotion. It is a very popular, sacred and very auspicious parva which is observed by people belonging to all varṇas, āśramas and classes. Śrī Kṛshṇa is the deity worshipped specially on that day. In this background it is necessary to know a little about the reigning deity of this festival.
Kṛshṇa
“Who is this Kṛshṇa? Why should we worship him? Some may ask. “Don’t we know Kṛshṇa? He is Paramātma himself. Don’t the Sādhus and saints call him by the name KṛshṇaParamātma? He is the ninth avatāra of Lord Nārāyaṇa. His avatāra is the nearest of all the avatāras to us. It is the best and the most dear of all the incarnations. Though he is considered an avatāra, he is the Lord Himself “कृष्णस्तु भगवान् स्वयम्” “ईश्वरः परमः कृष्णः” More than being termed a mere avatāra, he is known as the Sadānanda Parañjyoti who incarnated in ten forms such as Matsya, Kūrma etc and praised as the Ādipurusha, Parabrahma and Purushottama by his devotees.
“दशाकृतिकृते कृष्णाय तुभ्यं नमः” Is he not the Lord who is heartfully praised in Śṛutis, Smṛtis, Itihāsas, Purāṇas, Kāvyas and Prabandhas by Maharshis, Mahābhāgavata Ālvārs, ācāryas, great dāsas, poets and Kīrtanakārās? He is not a mere god but is the God of all gods. “तं देवतानां परमं च दैवतम्”
He incarnated on this earth in the human form to protect the Dharmasetu (which connects the world and God). Though he conducted himself as an ordinary human being, he is the paramapurusha who very clearly demonstrated His unequalled power, invaluable wisdom, wealth, vigour, valour, effulgence and Ātmaguṇas during crucial times. He was, a repository of Jnāna and compassion, an extremely handsome person, a great artist, the directorn of Mahābhārata, Mahādhīradhaureya, (the foremost among the bravest), Lord of Dharma, a kin of the righteous Pānḍavās, a friend, a minister, an emissary, and an adept in the four upāyas who elevated not just the wise and the excellent humans, but also cows, cowherds, beasts, birds, trees and vanaspatis. He was a politician, a scholar, a capable person, a divine human non—pareil who accepted the first worship from the pious Pānḍavās on the directions of Bhīshma in the assembly of all the revered, a yogacārya who in the role of a charioteer of Arjuna and in the pretext of enlightening him, taught Gīta the crest jewel of all spiritual texts to help the three worlds.
Question
So is it justified if Indians ask “who this Kṛshṇa is and why should he be worshipped, when he is renowned both in Loka and Veda as one brighter than the day time sun?”—Some may say.
But, now—a—days, more and more people are seen lacking in the above said devotion and wisdom. Only people who have no discipline and enlightenment, and who happen to be under the influence of faulty education are found everywhere in our country. No wonder they ask such questions. They might have a little knowledge of the literature pertaining to ŚrīKṛshṇa. They could be living amidst those who worship ŚrīKṛshṇa. Even then, as they don’t have any regard towards ŚrīKṛshṇa, they ask question like “Who is he? Why should he be worshipped” etc.
Several kinds of questions pertaining to ŚrīKṛshṇa invade and confront the minds of many people. They have been subjected to the influence of various bewildering literatures, lectures and propaganda.
A modern scholar in his foreward to the kannada translation of Potana’s Bhagavata writes: The name “Kṛshṇa” appears in the Ṛgveda. In that text he is an asura. What does his life indicate there? Āryans tried to impose their dharma, culture and civilization on the natives of this land and called them dasyus, when they refused to yield. They fought with them and looted their wealth. Kṛshṇa was prominent among those who fought them. He died. Indra fleeced Kṛshṇa and killed his followers and his wives, says the text. The object was to obliterate that very race. This happened long ago. In the course of time Kṛshṇa emerged as an honourable person. He became a martyr. Āryans began to respect the culture of the natives, and as the two cultures got blended, *Kṛshṇa’*s fame started escalating. By the time of the Purāṇas he came to be considered an avatārapurusha.”
“ŚrīKṛshṇa preaches dharma and life values in the Bhagavadgīta. But we find in the Mahābhārata that during the war, he taught deceptive strategies to the Pānḍavās many times, to kill the enemies. Therefore it seems, these two Kṛshṇas must be two different persons. In course of time, these two were taken to be one.”—comments a western scholar in his History of Indian literature.
Some critics say - “We see a flute in the hands of ŚrīKṛshṇa, in pictures and idols. He must be from South India. Because, he places the flute on his lip horizontally and plays on it. In the north, it is played vertically like the nāgasvara. The Kṛshṇa of north India is a Kshatriya. Whereas the Kṛshṇa of the South is a cowherd. The Kṛshṇa of the north was born in Mathurā near Delhi, and the Kṛshṇa of the South was born in Madhurā, in deep south
According to another theory, the name Kṛshṇa is the corrupt form of the word Krista (Christ) and some Indian scholars included Jesus Christ’s own teachings in the BhagavadGīta in the Christian era.
They support this theory saying that many playful acts of child ŚrīKṛshṇa narrated in the Bhāgavata are similar to those of Christ’s appearing in the Bible.
Many people sermon amends as follows:—
“Long ago Kṛshṇa preached the Gīta and the same son of God appeared as Christ and preached the religion of Christianity as told in the Bible. People of ancient days needed Kṛshṇa’s preachings. We should follow the Dharma taught by him, who came to be born as Christ to suit the needs of the present day people. Therefore we celebrate car festivals of Christ in churches on Kṛshṇa Jayanti. All of you must to come and participate in this and become holy.”
There is an argument which says
“The one who preached the Gīta in the Mahābhārata is the Yogirāja Kṛshṇa, the ideal person. But the person referred to as ‘Gopīvallabha’ (the dear Lord of the Gopis) and Jāra Chora Śikhāmaṇi (The best of libertines and thieves) in the Purāṇas is just an imaginary character and not a historical person at all.”
“ŚrīKṛshṇa is no god. It is not correct to say that he is a role model. Because how can stealing butter be an ideal to children? Our children may ask “If he can steal butter why can’t we steal pencils?” The way he behaved with Gopīs substantiates the point that he is an immoral person and deserves to be punished. And the ethics he teaches the Pānḍavās is still atrocious. Non—violence is the essence of Dharma. Sacrifice and harmony happen to be the gist of Social Dharma. But what Kṛshṇa taught the Pānḍavās is the dharma of war which caused total destruction. How can he, who fostered a divide between Pānḍavās and Kauravās who should have coexisted like brothers, he who taught a violent polity that instigates a war and a deceptive strategy to attain victory over the enemies unethically in many situations, be an ideal person?”—propaganda with this purport are also being heard.
“ŚrīKṛshṇa is an arrogant person. He lacks humility. He has no devotion to God because in his sermons to Arjuna and says “I am the supreme God myself. Surrender unto me. I will redeem you of all the sins” - we come across criticisms like this also.
Objecting to the worship of Kṛshṇa some say “How can one be a yogi, who, not content with marrying eight queens, goes to marry sixteen thousand women? How can we be redeemed of our sins by worshipping such a person?”
“Whatever may be ŚrīKṛshṇa - a righteous person, a wicked man, or a man of mixed dispositions, he can never be a God. A (mere) leader among men, he was elevated to Godhood by the sentiments of people”-Some conclude this way also.
A character by name ‘Kṛshṇa Āṅgīrasa’ appears in the Ṛgveda. He was a poet and a devotee of the Ashviṇī devatās.
अयं वां कृष्णो अश्विनाहवते वाजिनीवसू मध्वः सोमस्य पीतये
शृणुतं जरितुर्हवं कृष्णस्य स्तुवतो नरा ।
मध्वः सोमस्य पीतये ॥ (ऋग्वेद XIII 85 3-4)
The same sage poet sings the praise of Ashviṇī devatās in Sūktas 86 and 87. This very sage might have been considered as God in Mahābhārata and later times”—This is another conjecture.
In the ChandogyaUpanishad there is a reference (III-16) to a character by name Ghora Āngīrasa who is a sage and who taught Kṛshṇa the son of Devakī the Purusha Vidyā and, as a result, Kṛshṇa lost interest in all the other branches of learning.
“तद्धैतत् घोरआङ्गीरसः कृष्णाय देवकीपुत्रायेत्युक्त्वाचापिपास एव स बभूव” Is yet another opinion on Kṛshṇa. “This very same disciple of Ghora Āngīrasa is Kṛshṇa whom we come across in the Mahābhārata and other Purāṇās” say some some scholars. The Kṛshṇa of this Upanishad is a sage, like the Kṛshṇa we find in the Rgveda. He belonged to the gotra of a sage by name Angirāh and was his disciple also. He is not the Lord Kṛshṇa who appears in the Purāṇas because the Kṛshṇa of the Ṛgveda calls himself a vipra (a Brahmin)
“तर्धिर्यन्तमदाभ्यं विप्राय स्तुवते नरा”
On the other hand, the Kṛshṇa of the Purāṇas and itihāsas was a Kshatriya.:- This is an opposite opinion.
When such view points invade our mind, it is natural that some questions like—“Who is the Śrī Kṛshṇa whom we are supposed to worship on Kṛshṇajayanti? A human being? a god? Or a historical person? Or a personage in poetical compositions? There could be hundreds of Kṛshṇas in history. Who among them is this ŚrīKṛshṇa? If he possesses such unideal qualities, he can never be considered even as a revered human being. How can such a person be regarded as god? Why should he be worshipped at all?” Unless an answer that satisfies our mind is obtained, one many cherish no interest in the celebration of ŚrīKṛshṇa Jayanti. So, we wish to put forth the answers to these questions:
- “The first argument against the divinity of ŚrīKṛshṇa runs on the following lines:—
“According to a mantra in the Ṛgveda Śrī Kṛshṇa was an asura who was an opponent of Ārya Dharma. He was a great leader of the Drāviḍas. Indra fleeced him and slaughtered all the members of his family. His name merely remained in the Dravidan folk stories and songs for a long time, and later this drāviḍa dasyu leader came to be respected by the Āryans also. He is not just a human being; he is an incarnation of Mahāvishṇu. He is the God of Gods who gained renown after defeating Indra”-This is the first argument.
Response
This argument is based a dishonest imagination. The person who put forward this argument has not explained the related mantra and its meaning. He has not made a full study of the Ṛgveda and the references to the name Kṛshṇa in different context in that. He has not even stated where the Asurakṛshṇa mentioned by him figures in the stories and songs in the intermediate times. And as this argument has been put forth by the brainchildren of proselytizers, who, with the intention of creating a rift in the Bhāratīya Culture preached that all Drāviḍians are Dasyus, the Āryans whose culture was just ordinary, vanquished the highly cultured people, and later the conflict between the two cultures culminated in the harmony of the two cultures.
We have references to AsuraKṛshṇa in the Ṛgveda. In the same way Mantrarshi Kṛshṇa is also referred to there. But neither of the two is ŚrīKṛshṇaVāsudeva. The Kṛshṇa killed by Devendra was an enemy of the Devās, a dasyu and an enemy of Vaidika dharma. He belongs to the category of Vṛtra, Namuci, Śambara, Vala etc. He is a demon having the form of a black snake. He is a tamoguṇi. But the one whom we worship as ŚrīKṛshṇa is the protector of Vaidika Dharma. He stood as a supporter of the Vaidika Yajnas such as Rājasūya and Aśvamedha, and saw them completed. He adorned the Kshatriya class. He was a natural friend of Indra, though he broke the latter’s arrogance in the episodes such as Govardhana Pūja, Khānḍavadahana and Pārījātāpaharaṇa. He killed Narakāsura the enemy of the devas, and restored to them their wealth. He killed Kamsa, Kālayavana, mura and a number of demons, and protected Indra’s status and prestige. He was bosom friend of Arjuna the son of Indra. He subdued the serpent Kāliṅga. He was the protector of Brahmins and cows, he was Yajnarūpa, and Yajnasamārādhya. (the adored deity in the Yajnas).
(“यज्ञो वै विष्णुः “यज्ञेन यज्ञमयजन्त देवाः”) He is considered an incarnation of Upendra, who was the younger brother and a friend of Devendra. Thus, he is quite the opposite of dasyubhāva, in all respects viz, birth, qualities, deeds and nature. And equating ŚrīKṛshṇaPramātma with the Ṛgvedic demon Kṛshṇa is a great thoughtless action. We have to crown this person with inverted intelligence with the title of a moron, who has (tried to) affix the title of a Daityā to the “Daityāri” (The enemy of demons) He has conjured up a strange argument, which is just based on the similarity in the name Kṛshṇa. In the Purāṇas we come across a daitya by name Hayagrīva, and, an incarnation of Mahāvishṇu who killed him is also known by that name. Some people, without studying the full details of the story get misled by the similarity of names and argue that Hayagrīva who was a demon in the past, became the worshipful God Hayagrīva in the later times. We think both these expounders were fostered in the same cattleshed. The argument that all the drāviḍas are dasyus is also baseless. Some say that this is an argument climber, which has grown in the farm of the minds of those who wish to create rifts in the adorers of Āryasamskṛti which is one whole entity. We feel that these are webs of imaginations having no basis in śāstras, traditions and reasoning.
- “The Asura Kṛshṇa referred to in the Ṛgveda may not be ŚrīKṛshṇaparamātma; But the devotee of Aśvinī devatās mentioned in the eighth Maṇḍala (Sūkta 85-3) could be ŚrīKṛshṇa Paramātma”—say some. “अयं वा कृष्णो अश्विनाहवतो वाजिनीवसू मध्वः सोमस्य पीतये” The above said is one by name Kṛshṇa, a Mantradrashṭāra Kavi Maharshi; and there is no doubt about it. But he may not be our Kṛshṇaparamātma. This is because the Mantradrashṭāra ṛshi calls himself a “vipra” (a Brahmin)
“वुर्दिर्यन्तमदा विप्राय स्तुवते सदा”—ŚrīKṛshṇa the famous historical personage is a kshatriya. Even if the word Vipra is interpreted to mean “Medhāvī” (highly intelligent,) it is unusual that this mantra drashtāra calls himself Medhāvi while praising the Aśvinī devas. And in the next sūkta, the Ṛshi is said to be one “Viśvaka”, the son of Kṛshṇa. There is no reference in any Itihāsa Purāṇa or Āgama that ŚrīKṛshṇa Paramātma had a son by that name and he was a Mantradrashṭāra.
There is no reference to prove that ŚrīKṛshṇa was a Ṛshi who was the drashṭā (seer) of Ashvinīmantra stated above. But the Itihāsas and Purāṇas state clearly that he is the incarnation of Ṛshi Nārāyaṇa the friend of Nara, and who is famous as the Drashṭāra of Purushasūkta and Ashṭāksharamahāmantras.
“नरनारायणावेतौ पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ”
Vedas call the almighty who performs the yajnas of the creation, sustenance and the destruction of the universe, a Ṛshi.
य इमा विश्वा भुवनानि जुह्व्दृषिर्होता निषसादा पिता नः (विश्वकर्मसूक्त तै. सं. IV-6-2)
In this sense also Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa can be called a Ṛshi.
- In the Chāndogya Upanishad (III-16) there is a statement which purports that a Maharshi by name Ghora Āngīrasa, initiated ŚrīKṛshṇa the son of Devaki to the Prāṇavidya “तद्धैतत् घोरआङ्गिरसः कृष्णाय देवकीपुत्राय उक्त्वा उवाचापिपास एव स बभूव”
Some guess that the above said son of Devaki could be Bhagavān ŚrīKrish na the famous historic personality. There is scope to imagine that ŚrīKṛshṇa had the Upadeśa of Prāṇavidya from this Ghora Āngīrasa just as he underwent training in the Vedaśāstras and arms and missiles, in the Gurukula of Maharshi such as Sāndīpini. It gains support from the present statement that ŚrīKṛshṇa is the son of Devakī. But nowhere in the Itihāsas and Purāṇas the name of the same Ghora Āngīrasa has appeared although the names of Sāndīpini, Garga, Upamanyu etc are mentioned as Ācāryas of ŚrīKṛshṇa. Further ŚrīKṛshṇa is an Ātreya and not an Āngīrasa.
The Kṛshṇa who is the Drashṭāra of Mantras pertaining to Ashvini—Devatās appearing in the Ṛgveda may be the same Kṛshṇa referred to in this Upanishad. Because, both of them belong to the group of disciples who belong to the Āngīrasa Gotra. Even if we look into the fact that the philosophy preached by ŚrīKṛshṇa in the Mahābhārata is much deeper than the philosophy preached by Ghora Āngīrasa, we have to come to the conclusion that Bhagavan Śrī Kṛshṇa is different from Ghora Āngīrasa. It is possible that the names of the mothers of the two may have been Devakī by sheer coincidence, and that does not mean that we should conclude that the two are one and the same. We find in the Mahābhārata and the Bhāgavata that a king of Pounḍraka country whose fathers’ name was Vāsudeva, claimed that he himself was the (genuine) Vasudeva and had challenged ŚrīKṛshṇa. Though both of them were the sons of Vasudeva namewise, they were in reality, two different persons.
(Some commentators have in their Bhāshya on the above sentence of the Chāndogyopanishat state that Ghora Āngīrasa Maharshi offered Prāṇavidya to ŚrīKṛshṇa the son of Devakī and attained moksha after practicing it. But some critics say that this stands to be regarded as Adhyāhāra (ellipse) and Lakshaṇā (an indirect application of a word) in the above said commentary.
In the Nārāyaṇa Upanishad, we see the words “ब्रह्मण्यो देवकीपुत्रो ब्रह्मण्यो मधुसूदनोम्” in praise of Lord Nārāyaṇa. There is no doubt that this Nārāyaṇa is Śrī Kṛshṇa Paramātma himself. In the Vishṇu Gāyatrī of the Yājnikī Upanishad, we find the word Vāsudeva.
“नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि”
Kṛshṇa or Vāsudeva is none else than the incarnation of this Paravāsudeva. A king by name Paunḍraka Vāsudeva, claiming himself to be the real incarnation of Paravāsudeva, and sporting the costumes of Vāsudeva Nārāyaṇa, challenges Śrī Kṛshṇa Vāsudeva for a battle. So, it becomes clear that the custom of worshipping Nārāyaṇa with the name Vāsudeva existed, even before Śrī Kṛshṇa’s time.
वासनाद्वासुदेवस्य वासितं ते जगच्रयम्’|
सर्वभूतनिवासोऽसि वासुदेव नमोऽस्तु ते॥
If so who is this Kṛshṇa whom the Śāstras and traditions call an incarnation? Is he a human being or a God? To this, we wish to say that he is God himelf, who appeared in the human form, like ŚrīRāmacandra.
We have dealt in detail about this concept of avatāra in the chapter of ŚrīRāmanavamī. In the Rāmāvatāra, God has concealed his Parasvarūpa to a great extent. But in the Kṛshṇāvatāra he clearly proclaims it on several occasions. And it can be noted that he has demonstrated it (that he is Paramātma) on several occasions also. But in his times also, there were laymen, who, not knowing his Parasvarūpa slighted and despised him, taking him to be a mere human being.
“अवजानन्ति मां मूढाः मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम्”
“Both ŚrīRāma and ŚrīKṛshṇa are special incarnations of Lord Nārāyaṇa. But in the Kṛshṇāvatāra the display of Parasvarūpa is more” was the divine remark of ŚrīRaṅgamahāguru. Of Rāma he had said—“To the external eye he is a human, but to the internal eye he is divine (Upendra) and to the spiritual eye he is the Paramātma,” and we think the same applies to ŚrīKṛshṇa also.
“गूढं परं ब्रह्म मनुष्यलिङ्गम्”
Different people?
Winternitz (A German Indologist) surmises that the ŚrīKṛshṇa who preached the Gīta to Arjuna and the ŚrīKṛshṇa who taught the war strategy to the Pāṇḍavās were two different personalities, because, he feels, that the Gīta upholds spirituality and righteousness. He thinks that the Kṛshṇa who prached the Gīta and the Kṛshṇa who provided deceitful tips to Pāṇḍavas on many occasions and caused the decimation of lakhs of people in the great war, could not be one and the same.
But if one makes an evaluation of the entire story of Mahābhārata, this argument does not hold water. Because, Śrī Kṛshṇa, keeping spirituality as the central point in the Gīta, instructs Arjuna the greatest Kshatriya that killing wicked enemies in the battle is indeed his Dharma. He does not provoke the Pāṇḍavas to wage a war against the Kauravas. The Pānḍavas make every effort to stop the war. “It is sufficient even if only five villages are given to the Pāṇḍavās. They shall not fight”—is the concession shown by Kṛshṇa. “I have come here to beg you to see that these great kshatriyas are not oblitereated. Let both Pāṇḍavās and Kauravas, like the Lion and the forest, remain mutually protective.”—This is the request made by Śrī Kṛshṇa to Dhṛtarāshṭra in the great assembly on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas. But the arrogant, wicked and the deceitful Duryodhana says“—Without waging a war, I shall not give even a needletip of land to the Pānḍavās.” “सूच्यग्रं नैव दास्यामि विना युद्धेन” and so the Pānḍavās having no other go are forced to descend to the battlefield. It is not fair to accuse ŚrīKṛshṇa as the one who loved war, and as one who is responsible for the war which brought about great disasters, by causing a rift between Kaurava and Pāṇḍavās.
Now, about Kṛshṇa instructing the Pānḍavās to adopt unfair means in the war. As Kauravās resorted to deceitful means frequently, Kṛshṇa had to advise the Pānḍavās to pay the enemy back with the same coin. ‘The deception of the deceivers should be vanquished by deceipt only—
“मायाविन इमां मायां मायया जहि पार्थिव”
It is not polity to extend uprightness to crooked people.
“आर्जवं हि कुटिलेषु न नीतिः”, is the advice of ŚrīKṛshṇa, and there is nothing against Dharmanīti in this. This is in no way against the Upadeśas (teachings) of the Bhagavad Gīta. There is neither any logic nor any evidence in the Mahābhārata, to state that Gītacārya Kṛshṇa and the political advisor Kṛshṇa are two different persons.
Naughty Thief?
- Some argue—“ŚrīKṛshṇa as a child used to steal butter and curds and played indecently with gopikās. How can one believe that this thief and libertine preached the Bhagavad Gīta? He was never a good boy. Neither was he a good householder. He was the one who had married sixteen thousand women!
(“षोडशस्त्री सहस्रेशः”) How can such a person be a Yogācārya Kṛshṇa?”
Here, there is no need to make a Kājīnyāya (compromise) stating that Kṛshṇa might have made mistakes as an innocent boy, knowingly or unknowingly. He might have blundered during his youth also. But it is possible that in his old age he was transformed into a pious man in the company of great people and became a Yogācārya himself.
“In all his activities, be it his childhood pranks, the householder’s life afterwards, the advice during war, or the Gītopadesha, he remained a pure Yogamūrti. He uplifted the Cetanās”—This opine the treatises pertaining to Kṛshṇa in a clear language.
Then what was the sound that was produced by Kṛshṇa the great personage who was a Nādayogi and a Gānayogi in his flute, during his playtime? It is nothing but Omkāra which elevates the downward senses, the mind and the intellect to the highest level, and make them stay in the Paramātman; it (the Omkāra) is renowned in the Yogaśāstras by names such as tāraka Nādabrahma, praṇava, Hamsa, Nārāyaṇa, Dhruva, Śambhu etc.,
“ॐकारार्थमुदीरयन्विजयते वंशीनिनादश्शिशोः” When the gopikas who were attracted by it they came to him and had dalliances like the darśan, touch, kiss, dance etc., the state of Śrī Kṛshṇa at that time was also aprākṛta (spiritual). It was the state of highest paramātma samādhi which is nityaśuddhabuddhasvarūpa, nishkalanirañjana—nirvikāra and paramānandamaya.
It is (आत्मन्यवरुद्ध सौरतः”), as the Bhāgavata puts it. It is the state of pleasure which is Ātmanishṭha. There is no touch of any downward propensity there. The sport which the Upanishads call “आत्मक्रीडः आत्मरतिः” happenned there indeed! And the result of it was the Ātmoddhara of the Gopīs. In materialistic sports the stream of our Indriyas will be downward. But in the case of gopikās and Kṛshṇa, they surged upwards resulting in staying in the state of Yogasamādhi. Gopikas became elevated souls. But to the poor creatures who revel only in beastly pleasures which pull them downwards, the acquaintance of this paśupati bhāva of this patitapāvana is difficult. It is simply foolishness to equate the Ātmakriḍa with the Indriya Krīḍa, and conclude something. This extraordinary Yogavaibhava should be measured only with the pure sentiment of Śuddhasārasvata of Śukabrahmarshi the Mahāyogi.
5. Once we asked ŚrīRaṅgamahāguru a question. “Why should he steal milk, butter and curds? Were they not available to him, who was the son of the king of Gopas?”
“When he stealthily entered the houses of Gopīs and saw, touched and enjoyed the milk, curds and butter, they were transformed into Mahāprasādas of that Yogipurusha. The dispositions of those (i.e. the Gopīs) became pure when they consumed them; and became ready to obtain paramāanandalābha. This is why that Govinda the compassionate stole them” said the Guruji.
Thus, the very same Yogācārya who uplifted the lay Gopis in his childhood, later killed Kamsa, Cāṇūra, Naraka, Śiśupāla, Dantavakrā etc. who were thorns in the path of spirituality, who were Amśas and retinue of Kālipurusha and who were impossible to be confronted by others, and thus protected the Dharmasetu. Likewise, he causes the killing of Duryodhana who was a direct representative of the demons, along with his followers, and also the wicked and the arrogant ones who had infiltrated in the Pānḍava army in the great Mahābhārata war. After the war is over, he motivates Dharmarāja to reign as per a constitution based on spirituality. He gets released thousands of kings who were imprisoned by Narakāsura, after killing him. He arranges for the release of sixteen thousand women who were subjected to torture by Narakāsura, and thus came to be known as their guardian. And the Paramānandamādhava rejoiced simultaneously with great yogabala in the hearts of all of them who were (his) devotees.
Thus we find an Ekasūtratā of Adhyātmayoga in the entire life of ŚrīKṛshṇa Paramātma. This is the Ekasūtratā which is visualized by Jnāna and vijnāna. There is no need to perceive different Kṛshṇas (to match) the different states of that divine life which was full of Yoga. And it is dishonest also.
Once, a jijnāsu came to Mahaguru ŚrīRanga and asked him a question. “Sir, ŚrīRāma was humble and pious. Because he never boasted of his own greatness. He would just say - “I am a human being, son of Daśaratha and a follower of Dharma” “आत्मानं मानुषं मन्ये रामं दशरथात्मजं” “विद्धि मामृषिभिस्तुल्यं केवलं धर्ममास्थितम्” But ŚrīKṛshṇa is not so. He tells Arjuna.—“I am God myself. Take refuge in me. I will redeem you of all the sins”: Are these not words of arrogance which cannot be taken as ideal?”
ŚrīGurudeva gave him an appropriate answer with a smile. We quote it here, as it is very much relevant. He said “ A millionaire lived in a town. Once, a dear friend of his came and begged him - “Friend, I am in dire straits. You have a lot of money. So please help me a little.” The rich man said, “How could I be a rich person? I too am poor”, and disappointed him. The friend came to him a few days later and protested—“Man! Why do you call yourself poor even though you have lakhs of rupees and gold ingots?” The rich man replied “Yes, I have a lot of money. But if I call myself rich, it will be arrogance. So, I humbly stated that I am a poor man.” Here, the rich man’s demeanour is not humility but foolishness.
In the present case, ŚrīKṛshṇa is extremely rich. He possesses boundless wealth of divine knowledge. Poor Arjuna begged him saying “Preach me Jnāna. Bless me with wisdom.” Had ŚrīKṛshṇa told him—“What Jnāna do I know? I am also a layman like you”, he too would make a great fool of himself like that rich man. Arjuna would also be disappointed. But Bhagavān ŚrīKṛshṇa said “I do possess complete spiritual wealth. Take refuge in me. You will be lifted up.” As Kṛshṇa spoke the truth directly, Arjuna became a Kṛtakṛtya (blessed). If truth is declared at the right time, it does not amount to arrogance. Then, why is it that jnānis preach to give up Ahaṅkāra?
“(अहरहर्गर्वः परित्यज्यतां)” The thing is, one has to give up the Ahaṅkāra caused by Dehātmabuddhi (materialistc mindset). One has to give up egotism while talking, which is caused by mistaking the body and senses for ‘Aham’, paying no regard for the caitanya which is the real Aham” This is the purport of the preaching of the Jnanis.
When viewed in this light, the immoolesty of insolence of accusing Kṛshṇa as Ahaṅkāri and advocating the same will vanish from us.
- The last question pertains to the equating of the dates of ŚrīKṛshṇa and Christ.
Some people argue—“The story of ŚrīKṛshṇa and Gītopadeśa are based on the story and the preachings of Jesus Christ. The pictures of Christ suckling his mother, and vanquishing Satan the serpent were famous in churches and Christian works. The Purāṇas prescribe that on the day of Janmāshṭamī, one should bring to mind ŚrīKṛshṇa suckling his mother and also the taming of Kāliṅga. These are based on the above said Christian perceptions. Also, Bhagavadgīta has borrowed many things from the Bible. Devotion to God and surrendering to God are examples for this.”—This is simply a ridiculous argument. For, a Greek writer by name Megastanese who had come to India three centuries before the birth of Christ, has clearly recorded that worshipping Kṛshṇa was in vogue in India at the time of his visit. This proves the fact that the worship of Kṛshṇa was in practice even before the birth of Christ. And the pictures of a baby suckling the mother is a universal one and very common and not a monopoly of Christians. Texts of the preChrist era depict deities and Mahāyogis taming Kāliṅganāga. The concepts of Bhakti and Śaraṇāgati expounded in the Gīta are stated in the Upanishats written thousands of years before Christ was born. Thus, without any doubt, the above said arguments hold no water. It has no pramāṇa (authority) in Śāstras and traditions, even to a small extent.
Not Christ
- That Jesus Christ was a great person who preached and practiced ātmaguṇas like truth, love, non-violence can be accepted and respected by us. But, there is no proof to say that the name Kṛshṇa was derived from the word Christ, or to say Kṛshṇa himself became Christ. Mere similarity in names cannot be cited as proofs to advance a theory. It becomes a thing of ridicule, like the statement “Thames is a river flowing in London. The name was changed to ‘Tamasā’ and was inserted in Vālmīkī Rāmāyaṇa”.
Some say:—
- “We see the posture of ŚrīKṛshṇa holding the flute horizontally on his lips and playing it, in the pictures and images in South India. On the other hand, in North India, the flute is held vertically while playing it like the Nāgasvara. So both these Kṛshṇas are different. The first one i.e., Veṇugopāla, was an influential person of South India and the other one was a capable politician from the north. As the names sound similar, by illusion both were mistaken as one and the same and ultimately it transformed into a faith”. Is this right? We clearly reply that this view is against all the pramāṇas and is indeed a very strange one.
There is no evidence in any of the age old texts, images, incriptions, coins or ancient remains to prove that two Kṛshṇan’s existed. This theory is against the tradition which has been in practice for thousands of years in this country. There is no evidence whatsoever to prove that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born or brought up in South India. All ancient texts and traditions tell us that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born in Mathurā in North India in Kstatriya family belonging to the Yadu race. He was brought up by Vaisyas whose profession was cattle rearing. The places of amusement in his childhood were Nanda Gokula and Brindavan on the banks of the river Yamuna. Later he made Mathurā his abode and finally he settled in Dvāraka.
He was a very close relative of the Pānḍavās and their bosom friend, their counsel, and greatest helper. He is the Paramācārya who led Arjuna in the path of duty by teaching the Gīta in the battlefield, when Arjuna was completely dumbfounded due to śoka and moha (grief and passion). Guiding the Pānḍavās at every step in the war, he handed victory to Yudhishṭhira and installed him on the throne. This purport is depicted not just in the texts of the Vaidika parampara but also in Jain texts. There is not a single place in South India which can be cited as the place of his birth, the place where he was brought up, or the place of his activities etc.
And to say that ŚrīKṛshṇa’s complexion resembled the Tamāla or, like a cloud filled with water, and so he belonged to South India is simply ridiculous. Should not a great person belonging to North India have such a complexion? ŚrīRāmacandra also possessed a lustrous Shyāmalavarṇa. (dark complexion) “समः समविभक्ताङ्गः वर्णं श्यामं समाश्रितः” (Rāmāyaṇa SundaraKāṇḍa 35-17) “So Rāma too must be a South Indian leader. But Lakshmaṇa could be from North India as he was fair complexioned” - This way they have to continue their argument!
Flute
- Now about ŚrīKṛshṇa holding the flute horizontally. The origin of the Saṅgīta Śāstra is the same for both South India and North India. But historically speaking South India didn’t suffer much from alien invasions compared to North India. Scholars agree as South India was far away from such invasions for a long time, and also because of the patronage of able Hindu rulers, the age old traditions of arts continue here., So, one need not have a wrong notion that Śrī Kṛshṇa, at the end of Dvāpara held his flute exactly like the North Indians today, while playing it. Based on that wrong notion and creating an offspring of it by assigning one Kṛshṇa for the north and another one for the South, and allowing it to graze in the brainfields of people, is sheer nonsense and adharma, we wish to say.
Further, ŚrīKṛshṇa delineated in the Itihāsa Purāṇas, is not a product of a factory of fancy. He is the chinmūrti visualised in the hearts of Yogis, who is beyond Kalpanās, Sankalpās and vikalpās (of unenlightened persons). How did he look like? How is he now? How did he hold the flute?”—Answers to these questions have to be obtained from Yogis. We can also see it when we obtain the ‘Satyadṛshṭi’. The jnānis say that ŚrīKṛshṇa visualized thus, is seen holding the flute horizontally, as is seen in our pictures and images. And it is indeed jnānis again who have guided the sculptors (for such artefacts)! And it is the same flutist Lord Kṛshṇa who is also a statesman, a soldier, a yogi, a manīshī, a hitaishī, etc and a repository of Jnāna, strength, wealth, vigour, power and lustre. In short, He is an all pervading and all knowing force.
Paramātman
- The next question is whether ŚrīKṛshṇa is a great person to be venerated or a Paramātman who is an auspicious refuge for worship and meditation?
Human beings and Gods have distinct characteristics. So, to call a God a human being and viceversa amount to offending truth. But when a human being ascends to the highest state of Brāhmī Sthiti as a result of tapas, Jnāna and samādhi, he can be called by appropriate names such as jnāni, a devotee, a guṇātīta and a sthitaprajna, and may be worshipped as euqual to god also. Similarly, God who is omnipresent, omnipotent and master of all (spiritual) doctrines may by his saṅkalpa, appear as a human being and attract a cetana by his activities. Such manifestations are called avatāras. As ŚrīKṛshṇa displayed both the characteristics, to which category he belongs is the question! Is he the one who rose to the level of god after being born as a human being? Or a God who conducted himself as a human being before us? This needs to be discussed. He destroyed hundreds of wicked and others who had assumed the form of animals, birds and human beings troubling the world in different ways, such as Agha, Baka, Kamsa, Cāṇūra, Śiśupāla Dantavakrā and many others who were invincible by others, and thus, he helped the world. He led a life committed to ideals and full of dharma and presented himself as a role model for human beings. These were the activities as a naraśreshṭha. Similarly, he granted yogasamādhi to Gopikās when they had his darśana and touch, and when they meditated upon him. He granted viśvarūpadarśana to Yashodā, Akrūra, Arjuna, Udaṅka etc. He bestowed Moksha upon Mucukunda and others. All these are divine acts. Thus, we come across both human and divine activities in equal prominence and in a harmonious blend in the ŚrīKṛshṇacarita written by Maharshi (Vedavyāsa).
Some people who took into consideration only the human part of the activities, respected Śrī Kṛshṇa as a ‘Mahāpurusha’. Even the likes of Duryodhana person who hated him made all efforts to win him over to their side as a superman. According to Duryodhana, ŚrīKṛshṇa had all great qualities. But the only defect in him was that he sided with the Pānḍavas.
स हि पूज्यतमो लोके कृष्णः पृथुललोचनः ।
त्रयाणामपि लोकानां विदितं मम सर्वथा ॥
Kintu, (But),
अनुरक्तोह्यसंहार्यः पार्थान्प्रति जनार्दनः ।
(महाभारत उद्योगपर्व, B. 88, श्लो 1-5)
At the Rājasūyayāga when he was chosen for the ‘Agrapūja’ no one except Śiśupāla who was overcome with the curse of Sanakādi Maharshis, forbid it. This shows that he was generally honoured by all and everyone respected him for various reasons. Only demon-incarnations despised him. But neither those large number of people who respected him nor those few mean persons who despised him were aware of his innate divinity. They just knew him as Naravāsudeva but not as ‘Paravāsudeva.’ Some could understand that he was an incarnation of Paramātma at some points of time. But at times that truth would be hidden.
“He is the very incarntion of Lord Nārāyaṇa”.
एष नारायणः श्रीमान् क्षीरार्णव निकेतनः ।
नागपर्यङ्कमुत्सृज्य ह्यागतो मधुरां पुरीम् ॥
Only Mahātmas like Bhīshma, Nārada, Vyāsa, Asita, Devala etc knew that all his activities were impelled by the divya caitanya. In this way, Itihāsas and Purāṇas have described both his human and divine natures harmoniously, and so it becomes clear that he was the very Paramātman who conducted himself like a human being.
“गूढं परंब्रह्म मनुष्यलिङ्गम्” Maharshis say that he is the very Parabrahman who dwelt inside, but exhibited human characteristics externally, concealing his Parasvarūpa.
God has five special powers. Viz., creation, Sustenance, destruction blessings and concealment. When he uses the power of blessing among those powers, people realize his parasvarūpa. But when he weilds the power of Tirodhāna (concealment), his Paramārthasvarūpa is hidden away from (the minds of) the people. Such a situation existed when ŚrīKṛshṇa lived on this earth. It is natural that it exists even after that time also.
“Dull headed ones look at my human form and they do not respect me. They are not aware of my greatness as the Lord of all creation, but great people with divine dispositions understand me as the Lord who is a Bhūtadi and worship me.”
अवजानन्ति मां मूढाः मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् ।
परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ॥
महात्मानस्तु मां पार्थ दैवीं प्रकृतिमाश्रिताः।
भजन्त्यनन्य मनसो ज्ञात्वा भूतादिमव्ययम् ॥
The word “Mahāpurusha” has two meanings. One meaning is ‘A great person.’ Paramapurusha or Paramātma is the other meaning. Most people accept ŚrīKṛshṇa as a Mahāpurusha in the first sense. But there are strong evidences for the second sense also, that ŚrīKṛshṇa is a Mahāpurusha himself.
a) Bhīshma, Vyāsa and other Yogipuṅgavās very clearly say that He is Paramātma himself. ŚrīKṛshṇa also proclaims on some special occasions, that he is Paramātma himself. But, all those who claim themselves to be Parmātma, cannot be acknowledged as incarnations of Paramātma. It should be established by Yogic experience. In the Bhagavad Gīta, ŚrīKṛshṇa tells Arjuna his dear friend“—Surrender to me and to me alone”
(माम् एकं शरणं व्रज) Surrender to only that Bhagavān and no one else.
तमेव शरणं गच्छ)
When both these sentences are taken together, it purports to mean that both the persons, i.e., the one who says “me” and “Bhagavān” are one and the same.
He proclaims that he is Paramātma himself in clear terms, and blessing Arjuna with Jnānadrshṭi shows him the Viśvarūpa.
“There was no reference to ŚrīKṛshṇa as God in the original version of the Mahābhāratha and it was interpolated later” some say. This is not correct. There are no evidences, internal or external (in the Mahābhārata, to state that divinity was attributed to him at a later time.
Many characters in the Mahābhārata, who were his friends and even foes, call him by the names ‘Acyuta’ ‘Madhusūdana’, ‘Mādhava’, ‘Janārdana’ etc, which are all the names of Lord Mahāvishṇu. They would not have used such names to refer to him if the impression that ŚrīKṛshṇa was an incarnation had not been prevalent those days. Even if those Vishṇuvācaka words were to be removed to please the opponent for the moment by accepting the untruth temporarily as purpoted in the axim “तुष्यतु दुर्जनः,” (Let the vicious be pleased), then thousands of ślokas and parts of ślokas will have to be changed and thousands of slokas have to be composed afresh, and in fact, a new Mahābhārata itself will have to be written. What for is all this ado?
Like ŚrīKṛshṇa, ŚrīRāma also being an avatāra of Mahāvishṇu, has conducted himself concealing his divine svarūpa to a greater extent. But ŚrīKṛshṇa proclaims his divinity on many occasions, and displays His yogamahimā also.
It should not be deemed that the above said texts are the only authority to conclude that ŚrīRāma and ŚrīKṛshṇa are incarnations of God. Some may write new books stating that both of them were not avatārās, and in such a situation, there is a likelihood of a friction between both the texts. And it has happened also. The how can one draw conclusion in such a situation? Only the jnānis can state with affirmation, that a certain person can be called an avatāra. Not only that—whatever may be the era of the jnāni’s, the conclusion that such and such a person is an avatārapurusha should be unanimous when they (the jnānis) view him through their jnānandṛshṭi. His forms, internal or external, should be the same, either before the avatāra, during the avatāra and after the avatāra. In the present context, ŚrīKṛshṇa heralds that he is the avatāra of Nārāyaṇa. Many enlightened personages such as ancient jnānis like Vedavyāsa, ŚrīKṛshṇacaitanya who belonged to the middle ages, ŚrīRāmaKṛshṇa Paramahamsa of the recent times and ŚrīRaṅgamahāguru the man reponsible for vitalising our souls, have all visualized ŚrīKṛshṇa as an avatāra of Mahāvishṇu in their jnānbhūmi, and have professed their experiences as well.
Therefore we proclaim that ŚrīKṛshṇa is the incarnation of Mahāvishṇu the god of gods and the great Lord, that he redeemed the world by his acts and deeds, both divine and human, and continues to do so.
The great Parva on which we worship him is ŚrīKṛshṇa Janmāshṭamī, Śrī Jayantī or Gokulāshṭamī. We have already given a detailed account of the theory of incarnations in the chapter of ŚrīRāmanavami.
Time
In the following pages we shall discuss in brief the details about the day, time and modalities of celebrating this parva.
parva
Some may raise the following objection-“There is nothing indeed to discuss about the day and time of celebrating this parva. It is as good as done, if it is celebrated every year on a particular day in a particular month, just like celebrating Christmas, Gandhi Jayanti etc. This is a simple matter which even small children can decide easily. Why do you rack your brain by thinking through and discussing such a simple matter?”
This objection may sound genuine superficially. But right thinking people can not agree with this. Because, as we have been noting from the beginning, the observance of such parvas depends on matters such as, what are the sāmanyadharmas and viśeshadharmas in the different limbs of the Kālapurusha, how can those dharmas be utilized for the accomplishment of the Purushārthas? Etc. When these are discussed on the right lines and a conclusion is arrived at, there won’t be any racking of the brain and, on the other hand, even a racked brain gets set right. We observe that the benefits obtained by celebrating the Mahāparva with such a great Manodharma are many times greater than the one celebrated on the basis of merely a particular date, month etc.
(Śrī Kṛshṇa) Janmāshṭamī, or Gokulashṭamī or Kṛshṇa Jayanthi is a parva pertaining to the birth of Lord Kṛshṇa. If we can know the limbs (special features) of the time of the Lord’s birth, it will be of help to decide when his birthday should be celebrated.
pramANa-s
What do the Ithihāsa pramāṇas tell us about the tithi, vāra and nakshatra at the time of ŚrīKṛshṇa’s birth? They say—“It was a very auspicious time. All the great features had conjoined at that time, when the planets and stars were prasanna (tranquil) and the star was Rohiṇi.”
अथ सर्वगुणोपेतः कालः परमशोभनः
यर्ह्यैवाजन जन्मर्क्षं शान्तर्क्षग्रहतारकम्
The BhavishyottaraPurāṇa says “Lord Kṛshṇa himself has said that he was born as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī in Rohiṇi Nakshatra, at midnight of Bhādrapadamāsa, kṛśṇapaksha when the sun was in Simharāśi and the moon was in Vṛshabhalagna.
The Harisvamśa says that the nakshatra at the time of ŚrīKṛshṇa’s avatāra was Abhijit. That night is called Jayantī and the muhūrta at the time of his birth is called ‘Vijaya’.
अभिजिन्नाम नक्षत्रं जयन्ती नाम शर्वरी ।
मुहूर्तो विजयो नाम यत्र जातो जनार्दनः ॥
Skanda Purāṇa says that Śrī Kṛshṇa was born at the time of Rohiṇī nakshtra on the ashṭamī of the Kṛshṇapaksha of the month of Śrāvaṇa.
प्राजापत्येन संयुक्ता अष्टमी सा यदा भवेत् ।
श्रावणे बहुले सा तु सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी॥
Confusion
“Well, ŚrīKṛshṇa’s birthday can be celebrated on the day in the year, in which the Māsa, Tithi, Nakshatra and muhūrthas occur, as mentioned in the Itihāsa Purāṇas. What is there to discuss?” One may ask.
It is fine if all the above mentioned Tithi, Nakshatra, Māsa and Muhūrtas occur on the same day. But some śāstraic statements say that the month of God’s avatāra is Śrāvaṇa. And they mention that he incarnated in the month of Bhādrapada. We also come across statements, which say that the incarnation was in the month of Sihma. But the opinion that he incarnated in the midnight of Ashṭamī at the time of Rohiṇi nakshatra is agreed by all. “But Rohiṇi may not happen to prevail when it is Ashṭamī. Then should his birthday be celebrated on the day of the occurrence of Rohiṇī? Or should it be observed on Ashṭamī?”—This question arises.
māsa
“Which māsa should the celebration be? Śrāvaṇa or Bhādrapada?”—is another question.
Some try to solve it as follows—
“If the rule “Kṛshaṇa pakshādimāsa is followed, Janmāshṭamī falls in Bhādrapada month. If the rule Śuklapakshādi māsa is followed, then it will be in Śrāvaṇa.”
“इयं अष्टमी कृष्ण-पक्षादि-मास-विवक्षया भाद्रपदमासे भवति,
शुक्लपक्षादि मासविवक्षया श्रावणे भवति”
As per the Cāndramāna system ŚrīKṛshṇa’s birth took place in Śrāvaṇa, but as per Sauramāna it happened in Simha māsa. But when Simha and Śrāvaṇa months do not coincide, in which month should Kṛshṇa Jayantī be celebrated? This is another problem which arises.
And VarāhaPurāṇa says that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born on Śukla dvadaśi of the month of Āshāḍha. “This is against all that has been said so far,” objects a scholar. This objection is not correct. Because, as per Purāṇas it was the day on which Vasudeva observed a Vrata to obtain Kṛshṇa as his son. It is a day on which the couple observed a Vrata to please God. This is all the purport. So, the statement does not indicate that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born on that day.
आषाढे शुक्लपक्षे या नारी तु सह भर्तृणा ।
उपोष्यति मनुष्येषु तस्या गर्भे भवाम्यहम् ॥
एतां च द्वादशीं गत्वा वसुदेवो महायशाः॥
One more question that needs discussion is whether both Janmāshṭamī and ŚrīJayantī happen to be the two names of the same parva or are they different? If both are different which one of them is more important? Some people are of the opinion that Janmāshṭamī itself is more important and people observe only that. “सत्यं अर्थभेदः लोकस्तु जन्माष्टमीमेव अनुतिष्ठन्ति.” Some others say that Śrī Jayantī itself is more important.
What should be the Vyāpti of either Rohiṇi or Ashṭamī on that day? This question also needs to be answered. If it is conjoined with a particular vāra (day), will there be any special effect? The answer to this question is very clear. If it is a Monday or a Wednesday it is best for the observance of Janmāshṭamī and ŚrīJayantī, according to Śāstras.
“अष्टमी बुधवारे च
सोमे चैव द्विजोत्तम ।
रोहिण्य्-अर्क्षेण संयुक्ता
कुल-कोटि-विमुक्तिदा”
—says the PadmaPurāṇa.
a) All the names viz ŚrīJayantī, ŚrīKṛshṇa Jayantī, Janmāshṭamī and Gokulāshṭamī—are synonyms for the day on which Kṛshṇa was born. The first question is whether these are different names which refer to various Vratās pertaining to the birth of that God or do they refer to the same Vratā. Among these, it can be considered that Śrī Jayantī as the alternate name of Śrī Kṛshṇa Jayantī, and, Gokulāhṭamī is an alternate name given to Śrī (Kṛshṇa) Janmāsṭamī. But the main question is whether Śrī Jayantī and Janmāshṭamī refer to the same Vrata, or whether they are two different vratotsavas? (Kālanirṇaya).
Scholars say that these are two different Vratas. In support of this they put forth the following reasons.
1) The names are altogether different.
2) Janmāshṭamī requires the presence of Kṛshṇa Ashṭamī for the celebration, whereas Śrī Jayantī requires the presence of star Rohiṇi.
3) Only fasting is suggested on Janmāshṭamī. But on the day of ŚrīJayantī both fasting and dāna are prescribed.
4) Janmāshṭamī is a nitya Vrata, whereas ŚrīJayantī is both nitya and Kāmya.
5) both the names are stated separately in the same Śāstravākya.
जन्माष्टमी जयन्ती च शिवरात्रिस्तथैव च ।
पूर्वविद्धैव कर्तव्या तिथिभान्ते च पारणम् ॥
Among the above reasons, the first, the third and the fourth are not agreeable to all. This is because (1) one Vrata may have different names 2) Fasting, worship and dāna may be observed in both the Vratās. 3) Janmāshṭamī and Śrī Jayantī can be either nitya and kāmya from the point of view of the way they are observed
तस्मान्मां पूजयेच्छक्ता शुचिस्सम्यगुपोषितः।
ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेद्भक्त्या ततो दद्याच्च दक्षिणाम् ॥
हिरण्यधान्यभूगावो वासांसि कुसुमानि च ।
यद्यदिष्टतमं तत्तद्विष्णुर्मे प्रीयतामिति ॥
Here Pūja, dāna and fasting are decided based on the tithi and nakshatra. By performing this Vrata one can get sins redeemed, desires fulfilled and especially can secure the love of God.
(अतो जयन्तीव जन्माष्टमी च नित्यकाम्या च, दशनिर्णय I)
Even thinkers can’t reject the reasons second and fifth, as they are strong. In Kṛshṇāshṭamī, prominence is for the Asṭamītithi of that Kṛshṇapaksha whereas star Rohiṇī of that Kṛshṇapaksha is regarded as important in Śrī Jayanti. Moreoever, it is clear that the same Śastravākya (i.e. Bhṛgu Maharshi vacana) calls Janmāshṭamī, ŚrīJayantī and Śivarātri by different names, and states the Kālanirṇaya and Pāraṇavidhis pertaining to them.
Thus, it is clear that the opinion of the śāstras that both Śrī Jayantī and Kṛshṇashṭamī are two different utsavas, though both refer to Śrī Kṛshṇa’s day of birth.
We humbly recall here the words of Śrī RaṅgaMahāguru who said” “Janmāshṭamī and Śrī Jayantī are two different parvas. Ashṭamī tithi is prominent for the former and Rohiṇi nakshatra for the latter”
Preference
b) Which is more important of the two i.e. Janmāshṭamī and Jayantī? Even scholars are of divided opinion on this. “Generally people observe Janmāshṭamī only.”
“लोकास्तु जन्माष्टमीमेव अनुतिष्ठन्ति” says the Nirṇayasindhu.
“Śrī Jayantī is generally observed by everyone. (रक्ताविरक्ता वा शक्त्या जयन्त्यामुपोष्यन्ति)” says the Jayantī Nirṇaya.
Between these two the former is the tradition in North India and the latter is in South India, say some scholars, as a Samadhāna to the two contradicting sentences. But there are people who observe both Śrī Jayantī and Janmāshṭamī both in the north and in the south. Both these parvas have been looked upon with equal importance. Some argue that tithi is more important than the nakshatra. It is not correct. Statements like—
“तिथिरेकगुणा प्रोक्ता नक्षत्रं तु चतुर्गुणम्” give importance to Nakshatra.
Either of the two can be observed as per one’s liking or wish. Both the Janmātithi and Janmanakshatra are equally sacred. Some devout devotees observe both the utsavas, when these two fall on different days. It is not proper to discriminate them as more important and less important.
vedha
c) Is it appropriate to observe them when there is the vedha of the tithi or Nakshatra? Or should they be observed on a day when there is no such vedha? There are differences of opinion on this issue as well.
“पूर्वविद्धा जयन्ती वा” “जयन्त्यां पूर्वविद्धायां” “पूर्वविद्धैव कर्तव्या तिथिभान्ते च पारणम्”
Statements such as these praise the tithi and nakshatra which have Vedha. And the statements—
“रोहिणी तु यदाष्टम्याम्”
“अष्टमी कृष्ण-पक्षस्य”
“सप्तमी संयुता न हि”
“अष्टमी सप्तमी विद्धा
रोहिणी कृत्तिकायुता”
“दशम्यैकादशी विद्धा
हन्ति पुण्यं पुरातनम्”
etc. prohibit the vedha of saptami and Kritika nakshatra.
So, which is proper? To observe the Vrata on the days when tithi and nakshatra have vedha or on the days without Vedha? If both are appropriate why the Śāstras make contradictory statements?
As a matter of fact both the occasions viz. the tithi and nakshatras with vedha and the ones without vedha which have the nod of the śāstrās are auspicious indeed for the above said worship of the Lord. It is not in the fitness of things to categorize them as appropriate and inappropriate, best and worst, or primary and secondary.
Actually speaking, there are no contradictions in the statements above. We don’t find any śāstravirodha here, as jnānis have stated an arrangement which is as follows:
Tithi and Nakshatras with Vedha are important to those who seek from God all the four accomplishments viz. Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha.
To those who seek only Moksha, Tithi and Nakshatra without Vedha are important.
Mondays and Wednesdays
d) Śāstras say that if Janmāshṭamī and ŚrīJayanti happen to fall on Mondays and Wednesdays, it is most auspicious.
“बुधसोमसमायुक्ता जयन्ती यदि लभ्यते न कुर्यात् गर्भवासं च तत्र कृत्वा व्रतं व्रती” “अष्टमी बुधवारेण किं कृता व्रतकोटिभिः” “अष्टमी बुधवारे च सोमे चैव द्विजोत्तम । रोहिणी ऋक्षसंयुक्ता कुलकोटि विमुक्तिदा॥”
Why are Mondays and Wednesdays preferred for the observance of ŚrīKṛshṇa’s birthday? Some say—“Śrī Kṛshṇa belongs to the candravamsa. Therefore Monday is best for ŚrīKṛshṇa Pūja. Budha is the son of Soma and therefore Budhavāra is also auspicious for ŚrīKṛshṇa Janmotsava Pūja.” But it is not correct. Because, ŚrīRāma doesn’t belong to Candravamśa. But those very two days are stated as highly precious by the śāstras for Śrī Rāmanavamī also, which we have to note. **We wish to quote here the answers bestowed by ŚrīRaṅgaMahāguru, which happen to be the ones accomplished by the experience of the Yogis. He said—
“On Mondays and Wednesdays, the natural dispositions will be helpful for the Sakshātkāra of ŚrīRāma and ŚrīKṛshṇa. The centers pertaining to ŚrīRāma and ŚrīKṛshṇa blosoom in us on that day, by the grace of nature.”**
Śrāvaṇa
e) Some Śāstras consider the month of Śrāvaṇa as very auspicious for celebrating ŚrīKṛshṇa’s birthday and some others recommend the month of Bhādrapada for that.
“रोहिणी सहिता कृष्णा मासि भाद्रपदेष्टमी” “श्रावणे बहुले सा तु सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी”
In that case, which month should we consider appropriate for Janmāshṭamī and ŚrīJayantī? To this question, some try to answer as below—“The one which becomes Śrāvaṇī from the point of view of Śuklapakshādi māsa, becomes Bhādrapadī from the point of view of Kṛshṇa Pakshādimāsa. There is no difference between the two.”—With this answer, they try to get over this controversy. But as per this argument, if amāvāsyā happens to occur in Karkāṭakamāsa, the Kṛshṇāshṭamī of that period becomes Śrāvaṇī and bhādrapadī. And so, then only Janmāshṭamī and ŚrīJayanti should be observed. If one decides to observe it then itself, the śāstraic statements, such as
“सिंहस्थेऽर्केऽसिते पक्षे रोहिण्यामष्टमीयुते” “सिंहार्के रोहिणीयुक्ता नभः कृष्णाष्टमी यदि”
should to be considered.
A treatise by name ‘Jyothishārṇava’ says that ŚrīKṛshṇa Jayantī should be observed in the Simha māsa itself, whether it is Śrāvaṇa or Bhādrapada. And, the months of Karkāṭaka and kanyā are not auspicious for the Ārādhana of the Jayanti.
श्रावण्यां पोष्ठपद्यां वा यदा सिम्हगतो रविः ।
जयन्त्याराधनं कुर्यात् न तु कर्कटकन्ययोः ॥
When such is the case, is Śrāvaṇa important for the observance of Kṛshṇa’s birthday or is it Bhādrapada? Or Simha? We wish to say that, for those who observe JanmāshṭamīVrata, Srāvaṇamāsa is important, and, Simha for those who observe ŚrīJayanti.
Harivamśa and other Purāṇas tell us that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born on the ashṭamī of Śrāvaṇa or Bhādrapada. But the VarāhaPurāṇa says that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born on Āshāḍha Śuddha Dvādaśī. Some scholars express surprise that these statements are completely contradictory and that they do not agree on the month, tithi and nakshatra (of this great divine event). But, we wish to say that they have only conjured up the contradiction, because, they have not grasped the full meaning of the statement in the VarāhaPurāṇa. The purport of that śloka is as follows:
“A wife who observes Upavāsavrata in Āshaḍha Śuklapaksha along with her husband, will be blessed by the Lord, as the Lord appears in the interior of her heart.
The great Vasudeva observed the Vrata on that Dvādaśī and obtained ŚrīKṛshṇa as his son, and also obtained great wealth.
Therefore, one should observe Lord Vishṇu’s Vrata on Āshāḍha—Śukladvadaśī, and such persons will be blessed with good progeny and wealth.”
All couples can observe this Vrata. It is not at all said there that ŚrīKṛshṇa was born on that day.
एतां च द्वादशीं गत्वा वसुदेवो महायशाः ।
पुत्रं लेभे स कृष्णाख्यं महतीं च श्रियं तथा ॥
Midnight moonrise
It is important to discuss at what time the Lord should be worshipped on Janmāshṭamī or ŚrīJayanti. It is best to offer special worship to God at the exact time of his incarnation. This is our opinion. The śāstrās say that he was born during the dark night at midnight, and at the time of the rising moon.
“मुहूर्तेऽभिजिति प्राप्ते सार्धरात्रे विभूषिते”
“मासे प्रोष्ठपदेऽष्टम्यां अर्धरात्रे विधूदये”
“निशीथे तम उद्भूते”
Those who cannot keep awake till that point of time and offer worship, may do the pūja before midnight in the Vṛshabha lagna; because, it was Vṛshabha lagna when the Lord took birth, says the Brahmasamhitā
“बुधवारे वृषे लग्ने रोहिण्याश्चरमाम्शके”
Those who are too weak and cannot afford to observe fast tilll night, can perform the Pūja at noon; but there is no doubt about that performing the Pūja at night, and especially, at midnight, is most auspicious.
When Lord ŚrīKṛshṇa was born, it was Simha Rāśi and the month was Śrāvaṇa. (In one sense it is also Bhādrapada). God incarnated when all these i.e., Ashṭamī, Wednesday, auspicious Harshaṇa Yoga and Kaulava Karaṇa occurred in the midnight at the time of moonrise. If the above said tithi, vāra, nakshatra, yoga and Kāraṇa happen to occur on any day in simhamāsa or Srāvaṇamāsa, that day is indeed the best (day) for the celebration of God’s birthday. The more all these come together, it is more excellent.
Opinions
The following siddhāntas (conclusions) are mentioned for the observation of ŚrīKṛshṇa Jayantī in the work tithitatva
“If the Jayantī yoga prevails just for a day, fasting and Pūja should be observed on that very day. If the yoga extends for two days, the Vrata should be observed on the second day.
If Jayanti does not prevail, the Vrata should be observed on Ashṭamī with Rohiṇi.
If Ashṭamī extends on both the days along with Rohiṇi, fasting should be observed on the second day.
If star Rohiṇī is not there, the Vrata should be observed at the midnight of ashṭamī.
If ashṭamī spreads over two days, or it prevails at midnight or, if ashṭamī is not there at midnight on both the days, the Vrata should be observed on the second day only.”
And, the opinion of the author of Daśanirṇaya is as follows—
“Even if there is no tithiyoga, the Vrata is to be observed in Rohiṇi nakshatra only.”
“तिथ्ययोगेपि नक्षत्रे केवलेऽर्चनमिष्यते।” (पद्यसंहिता)
“रोहिण्यामेव कुर्वीत कृष्णजन्मादिकम् ॥”
If Rohiṇi and ashṭamī do not co-exist, Pūja should be performed, giving prominence to any one of them.
Scholars of standing have written volumious treatises on this topic. We have incidentally collected only very important aspects here pertaining to those issues.
Thus, we discussed when (i.e. on what day) and at what time, the birthday festival of ŚrīKṛshṇa which is very well-known by names such as ŚrīKṛshṇa Janmāshṭamī, Śrījayantī etc should be observed. We have also discussed what Śāstras say about this, and about the traditional practices prevailing in different parts of our country.
Determining tithi etc..
But one question still remains unsolved. The details of which are as follows:—
What is the tithi of that day? What is the nakshathra? When do they begin? How long do they extert their influence? Pertaining to these issues, there is no unanimity at all in the Pañchāṅgas. For example, the statements of Vākya pañcāṅga and the Siddhānta do not tally at all. Which of these statements should be taken as authentic? This is the question.
When such a question arises, the practice of the devotees is to either to follow the tradition in the family, or to act as per the direction of their respective Ācāryas-Maṭhādhipatis and getting satisfaction to the mind is generally seen. Then, how to find a scientific and precise answer to this?
It is natural that India (being a vast country) experiences different timings of sunrise and sunset in different parts. If the pañcāṅgas take into account these differences and represent them accordingly, then it will be indeed scientific. But various Pañcāṅgas confront us which differ on the tithis and nakshatras pertaining to the same geographical place The source texts for those Pañcāṅgas are also different. Then how to know which work is authentic? Here, one has to point his hand at mother nature inevitably. The planets and stars which remain in their natural positions, and which remain impervious to any handiwork or clever mind, happen to be the honest and divine sources. +++(5)+++
And that is why the adage “Pañchaṅga hodare nakshatra hoyite?”. has come up. And based on that valuable source, suitable changes have to be effected in our Pañcaṅgas.
ŚrīRaṅgamahāguru had said on one occasion—“Sometimes some changes happen in the position and movement of planets and stars. Such changes have to be observed from time to time and the calculations in the Pañcāṅgās have to be renewed. This has not been done for centuries in our country. At least now it has to be done and the results have to be incorporated in our Pañcaṅgas”. We humbly remember this at this juncture.
The time for parvapūja which is guided by Mahātmas who are Jnānavijnānatṛptātmas, who on the basis of either Nāḍivijnāna, psychology or astroscience, and also on the authority of their pure internal preraṇā-should be honoured and taken as totally authentic. When such a guidance is unavailable, the conclusion drawn with the help of Śāstrās and yukti has to be made use of. When the exact time point becomes unavailable, pūja done at the nearest time point also yields the results at least partly.
Now, with the discussion on the time (of worship) just concluded, the discipline and modalities pertaining to that day may be taken up.
Observance
We come across diversities in Śāstra and Sampradāya regarding the observation of this parva. But, all pious persons agree on the point that one has to remain pure and offer special worship to ŚrīKṛshṇa with faith and devotion. Centering around that point, other things can be incorporated accordingly. The main aspects of observance are special Pūja to the Lord, Kathāsaṅkīrtana, fasting, Jāgaraṇa, dānadharma etc.
सोपवासो हरेः पूजां
कृत्वा तत्र न सीदति।
उपवासस्य नियमं
गृहणीयाद् भक्तिभावतः॥
रात्रौ प्रजागरः कार्यः
नृत्य-गीत-समाकुलः।
कर्तव्यं वित्त-मानेन
दानं भक्तजनैरपि ।
Auxiliary Fasting
In the worship and fasting that are prescribed hereby, which is important and which is secondary? Scholars have discussed these points in detail.
केवलेनोपवासेन
तस्मिन् जन्मदिने मम ।
शतजन्मकृतात्पापात्
मुच्यते नात्र संशयः।
बहुजन्मकृतं पापं हन्ति
सोपोषिता तिथिः ॥
Quotes like these glorify only the importance of fasting. Based on this, some people argue that fasting is more important than worship. Though their arguments are clever they do not seem endowed with discernment. Conclusions should not be drawn based on literal meanings of Śāstravākyas. The purport of Śāstravākyas should be comprehended suitably. Don’t the Śāstras say—
केवलं शास्त्रम् आश्रित्य
न कर्तव्यो विनिर्णयः ।
युक्ति-हीने विचारे तु
धर्म-हानिः प्रजायते ॥
(“Conclusions should not be drawn merely on the basis of the literal meanings of Śāstraśabdas. If the matter is not tempered by logic it may harm dharma).
At the moment, fasting means drying up of the body, (as per prescriptions.). Pūja is for the nourishment of the Ātma.+++(5)+++ Should the body be dried up (for the sake of nourishment of the Ātma) or should the Ātma be nourished for the sake of drying up of the body? Between these two which is principal and which is subordinate? This can be decided by Viveka only. Sustenance of Ātma through Pūja is principal and drying up of the body being instrumental to it is secondary to that and there can be no doubt about that.
The statements which praise the act of fasting terming it as greatly beneficial, have the purport in the above Śāstravākyas. Why should fasting be praised thus? It is because, if fasting is done, the disposition gets purified and the required tranquility of the Dhātus is obtained. And it helps the mind to get purified and become steady. And so, fasting is praised to such an extent.
सोपवासो हरेः पूजां
कृत्वा तत्र न सीदति ॥
This Śāstra vacana clearly states that fasting is auxiliary to the Pūja.
Phalāhāra
These who are weak and cannot fast for the whole day may take light and sātvik food as prescribed by the śāstras and perform Pūja of Hari with a steady mind. But now a days, Phalāhāra done in lieu of fasting, has assumed the form of consuming a variety of copious amounts of foods (Pala-Āhara), and so has become a thing of ridicule.
In the house of a friend of mine, the mother was enquiring what the children wanted for the Phalāhāra for Kṛshnāsṭami. She was telling-
“Beaten rice (preparations) for the father, green gram gruel for the grandmother, Raveunde for the elder brother and Dosa or Roti to me would be O.K. What shall I prepare for you my child!”
Listening to this list, the little boy said—
“Mother, you have prepared a dish for each of us. Fine. But nothing for Lord Kṛshṇa?!”
The elders felt ashamed. Because they had forgotten that all (preparations) are (meant to be offered) to God only. The enquiry of the little boy enlightened them.
We have seen the details pertaining to fasting in the chapter of Prathamaikādaśī.
jāgaraṇa as auxiliary
It should be understood that keeping awake at night is similarly a part of the Paramātmasmaraṇa. During jāgaraṇa one has to engage in prayer, dhyāna and sankīrtana. Those who cannot keep awake for the whole night, should keep awake as long as possible, and meditate upon God. The purpose of Jāgaraṇa at night is to keep oneself awake towards God.
Dāna
Dāna, Dakshiṇā etc., can be offered keeping with one’s ability, either on the day of the celebration or on the day previous to it but before Pāraṇa to eligible persons, without any stinginess. It is best to perform dāna for the love of God. And if one makes a dāna keeping the fulfillment of desires in the mind, it is only a sāmānyakalpa.
Base requirements
Bath, āhnika, brahmacarya and keeping one’s mind clean are absolutely essential during all Vratas. It should be remembered that they are very much essential in this vrata and Pūja also.
The modalities of celebrating ŚrīKṛshṇa Paramātma’s birthday which is variously called by the names ŚrīKṛshṇa Jayanti, Janmāshṭamī etc. are as follows:—
ArAdhana
The most important deed to be performed that day is the worship of ŚrīKṛshṇa Paramātma. The forms of worship may be many based on āgamabheda, adhikāribheda, rucibheda, deśācāra, kulācāra etc. But the basic principle should be the sole objective—to please Kṛshṇa; to make him pleased with one’s mind, speech and acts; to feel one with him and experience the bliss.
“What is meant by serving Kṛshṇa? Prostrating before him, offering him arghyapādya, ācamana, dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya - this is what is meant by His seva - this is the general impression. Of course, it is true at one level. But the essence of that seva lies in attaining oneness with God.
Let me give you an example. “What is meant by drinking coffee? It is not the external acts like prostrating before coffee or giving it a bath. The coffee fads say, it is sipping coffee without spilling it out and becoming one with coffee, forgetting all other things.
Similarly, serving ŚrīKṛshṇa means taking him inside and becoming one with him and forgetting everything else completely as is evident from the line
“त्वां चिन्तयन् त्वन्मयतां प्रयन्नः”
**This is what we the devotees of Kṛshṇa say.”
- These were the words of ŚrīRaṅgagurudeva with a smile on his face in one of his speeches, and we remember it here with reverence.
So, the summary of ŚrīKṛshṇa’s Ārādhana is, he should be meditated upon, praised and worshipped with (pūja) materials, to the best of one’s ability. If the external materials become unavailable, he can be worshipped even with dhyāna and stotra itself, and he shall be pleased.
Timing
Ārādhana of the Lord should be done fully on that day, both at day time and night. But it is best to worship him, specially, at the exact time of his avatāra, i.e. at night.
Even during the night, it is the time of moonrise that happens to be the significant time of His birth. There is a custom of offering special puja in the Vṛshabha lagna prior to moonrise. as a prelude to the divine event.
bhajanAdi
After the main Pūja gets completed in the night, spending the rest of the whole night in bhajans, Kathakīrtana, pārāyaṇa etc is indeed the most proper use of time.
Mahāprasāda
ŚrīJayanti (Janmāshṭamī) is a day of self control. The custom of remaining in his proximity, denying external food to the senses (only) to aid that (divine) state, and fasting till pūja gets over is prevalent.
And taking his Mahāprasāda in the night itself is also there. Those who cannot afford to fast can have light and sāttvik food allowed by the śāstras, like fruits and milk in a limited quantity.
Decoration
On that day, Pūjamanṭap of the Lord is decorated with pictures and raṅgavalli conforming to Yoga-Śāstra. And, manṭapa is decorated with buntings which are pleasant to the eyes, in such a way that the mind is filled with Paramātmabhāva. The Pūja pandal, which is adorned with beautiful, fragrant and juicy fruits and flowers, is called Phalavatsāra. Why all this arrangement?—one may ask. It is for remembering the Lord, who is described by jnanis as “Paramanayanotsava Kāraṇa” “Sarvagarbha”, “Sarvarasa”, “Sarvavṛksha vanaspathi svarūpa” etc to bring the feel of the confluence of those vibhutis in this yajna in the form of offerings to God, and to take them as prasāda at the end of the Pūja, and to obtain the Dhātuprasannata which is necessary for yoga with God. Is not Lord Kṛshṇa an Alaṅkārapriya? (Fond of embellishments). So, all the discipline and decorations should be made available which are needed for his Yoga Bhoga Samrājya. By his saṅkalpa, mother nature also provides the necessary materials needed for his worship. Indeed, the festival comes in a season which brims with fruits, flowers and fresh leaves caused by good rain!
pārāyaṇa
In the evening, after the bath and rituals, the pārāyaṇa of the story of ŚrīKṛshṇa who adorns the holy literature such as Śrīmadbhāgavata, Harivamśa, VishṇuPurāṇa etc is done.
upacāra
Pancopacāra and Shoḍaśopacāra etc are offered to the Lord in keeping with one’s capacity. The Naivedya plentiful with (the items viz.) Bhakshya, Bhojya, Choshya, lehya and Pānīya, and prepared skillfully with the sentiment of devotion, are offered to the Lord. In the Pūja pandal of the Lord, one can see the confluence of all the flowers, leaves and fruits, as well as all food items prescribed by the Śāstras. These items which are dear to that glutton God are indeed the very sentiments of Bhakti and Saurabha hidden in them. In the external pūja, cow’s milk, kshirānna, Paramānna, beaten rise with jaggery, and butter and ginger jaggery happen to be special naivedyās to Him.
“Among the items of Naivedya the prasāda of ginger jaggery is a good medicine for the all round health of the devotees who take different items in the Naivedya prasāda”—Śrīgurudeva used to tell.
Lord Kṛshṇa who is the origin of all Śāstras, is worshipped with Vedamantras, Śāstravākyas, ItihāsaPurāṇas, ashtottarasatas and sahasranamas. Govinda the Adiguru of all arts is worshipped with stotras in Sanskrit and with dances.
arghyas
“The birthday of the Lord of the worlds (Janmāshṭamī) has come available for the welfare of the world.
Let the Lord accept the special service pertaining to that”
—with this saṅkalpa and prayers the Lord is worshipped. At the end, after the Mahāmaṅgaḷārati, Arghya is offered to the Lord and also to Candradeva (the moon), who was a witness to the birth of the Lord, who is the king of herbs, who is full of nectar and who is the incarnation of the Manastatva of the Lord.
“O Lord who is born in the ocean of milk, born of sage Atri’s eyes. I offer arghya to you who is accompanied by Rohiṇi. Please accept this and bless me.”
क्षीरोदार्णवसम्भूत ह्यत्रिनेत्रसमुद्भव ।
गृहाणार्घ्यं मया दत्तं रोहिण्या सहितः शशिन् ॥
This is the śloka chanted while offering arghya to him.
“Lord Nārāyaṇa himself has incarnated in the form of Śrī Kṛshṇa. He took birth to kill Kamsa, to destroy the Kauravās and to protect the Pānḍavās, to destroy Yādavas and to reduce the burden on mother earth.” O Lord Kṛshṇa, you are mercy incarnate. Please provide refuge for the helpless. You are free from faults. Please accept the arghya I am offering to you along with mother Devakī.
जातः कंसवधार्थाय भूभारोत्तरणाय च ।
पाण्डवानां कृतार्थाय वृष्णीनां निधनाय च॥कुरूणां च विनाशाय जज्ञे कृष्णः स्वयं हरिः ॥
कृष्ण कृष्ण कृपालुस्त्वं अगतीनां गतिर्भव।
गृहणार्घ्यं मया दत्तं देवक्या सहितोऽनघ ॥
Elaboration
Tithitattva, Samayamayūkha, Dharmasindhu and some other texts have given an elaborate account of the celebration of the parva cited above. Among them, the Dharmasindhu prescribes the use of hymns both from the Vedas and Purāṇas for the worship of the Lord. In other texts, only the hymns from Purāṇas are found. As per Tithitattva and Mayūkha, the Pūja Vidhis can be summarised as follows:—
On the morning of Janmāshṭamī the presence of Sūrya, soma, yama, kāla, two sandhyās, pañcabhūtās, ahorātrās, Vāyudeva, Dikpatis, dwellers of Antariksha and devas should be sought with the following hymns.
सूर्यः सोमो यमः कालः सन्ध्ये भूतान्यहः क्षपा ।
पवनः दिक्पतिर्भूमिराकाशं खचरामराः ॥
ब्राह्मं शासनमास्थाय कल्पध्वमिह सन्निधिम् ।आजन्ममरणं यावत् यन्मया दुष्कृतं कृतम् ।
तत्प्रणाशय गोविन्द प्रसीद पुरुषोत्तम॥(“O Govinda ! redeem me of all the sins I commit from birth to death and pardon me. Purushottama ! be pleased! grace me.)
labour room
A labour room should be built for Devakidevi. In that a holy pūrṇa—kumbha, mango leaves and garlands of flowers and agurudhūpa fragrance should be arranged. Auspicious decorations and shashṭhīdevi have to be placed there. In the room or on the outside walls, figures of devas and gandharvas with cupped hands joined together hands, Vasudeva, Devakī, Nanda, Yasoda, Gopikās, Kamsa’s prison guards, Yamuna river, Kāliṅga Nāgas and other pictures of Gokula to the extent possible should be drawn.
Midnight
In the afternoon, bath should be had from water mixed with gingelly and in the midnight a saṅkalpa should be made with the words, “I am going to worship Śrī Kṛshṇa, along with his retinue”. Idols of ŚrīKṛshṇa made of either gold or silver should be placed there, and Prāṇapratishṭha should be done.
Devaki Devi, and Śrī Kṛshṇa being in the bed, should be meditated upon. Lakshmīdevi, Devaki Vasudevas, Nanda, Yasoda and Balarāma and Canḍika should be offered (the services of) bath, dhūpa, dīpa and naivedya with suitable mantras.
The samskārās like Jātakarma and Nāmakaraṇa to the Lord should be felt performed sentimentally.
And, at the time of moonrise, arghya with Śankhatīrtha mixed with flowers, Kuśa and fragrance, should be offered to Candra who is Rohiṇisameta. God should be saluted (with mantrās) and prayed as follows—
”I take refuge in God to get all my desires fulfilled. I salute Vāsudeva the Lord of the world. You are the one who shall vanquish all the miseries. Save me from the ocean of diseases and sorrows, Śrī Hari ! If one prays, to you even once it is enough. You shall protect even those who are downfallen. I am a person of most vicious conduct. Please save me from the oceans of sorrows. O Punḍarīkāksha, am drowned in the ocean of Māya.
शरणं तु प्रपद्येऽहं सर्वकामार्थसिद्धये ।
प्रणमामि सदा देवं वासुदेवं जगत्पतिम् ॥त्राहि मां सर्वदुःखध्न रोगशोकार्णवाद्धरे ।
दुर्गतांस्त्रायसे विष्णो ये स्मरन्ति सकृत् सकृत् ॥सोऽहं देवातिदुर्वृत्तः त्राहि मां शोकसागरात् ।
पुष्कराक्ष निमग्नोऽहं मायाविज्ञानसागरे ॥
jAgaraNam
Keeping awake during the whole night, the experience of ŚrīKṛshṇa should be had at that time from the praises and stories of ŚrīKṛshṇa and music etc.
uttarArAdhanam, dAnam, visarjanam
The next day, after the morning rituals, ŚrīKṛshṇa should be worshipped with uttarārādhana and Brāhmiṇs should be fed. With the utterance “Let ŚrīKṛshṇa be pleased”, they should be gifted with gold, cows, clothes etc, and the following hymn should be recited.
यं देवं देवकीदेवी
वसुदेवादजीजनत् ।
भौमस्य ब्रह्मणो गुप्त्यै
तस्मै ब्रह्मात्मने नमः ॥सुजन्म वासुदेवाय
गोब्राह्मण-हिताय च ।
शान्तिर् अस्तु शिवं चास्तु
(इत्युक्त्वा तु विसर्जयेत्)(I prostrate before Vāsudeva, the Parabrahmasvarūpa the greatest avatāra, who does good to cows and Brāhmiṇs, and whom Devakī begot from Vasudeva for the protection of the Vedas on the earth. May peace and auspiciousness prevail.)
After this, the Udvāsana of ŚrīKṛshṇa should be performed and the idol should be gifted to a Brāhmiṇ. The Vrata should be concluded with Pāraṇa.
A text by name “Kṛtyakalpataru” says—
“On the following day of Janamāshṭamī (Śrī Jayanti), women dressed in red robes and bedecked with flower garlands should take out a procession of Lord Kṛshṇa in the early morning, and should go to a river or a holy tank. They should take bath there and bathe the idol of ŚrīKṛshṇa also. On returning home, they should consume rice cooked with jaggery, honey, pepper and barley”.
buttermilk pots
In Mahārāshṭra, a custom is followed on the following next day of Janmotsava. Earthern pots filled with buttermilk and curds are hung and people engage themselves in dance and singing below the pots, and make holes in them and enjoy getting drenched in the curds and buttermilk gushing from the pots.+++(4)+++ Boys especially participate in this. Śrīmadbhāgavatam tells us that Gopālakas poured curds and ghee on each other, sprinkled and anointed them on their bodies and celebrated ‘ŚrīKṛshṇa’s Janmotsava.
गोपाः परस्परं हृष्टाः
दधिक्षीरघृताम्बुभिः ।
आसिञ्चन्तो विलिम्पन्तो
नवनीतैश्च चिक्षिपुः ॥
The above said celebration of the boys in Mahārāshṭra is reminiscense of the celebration of the Gopālakas narrated in the Bhāgavata.
In South India, boys celebrate ‘Uriadi’ an auspicious function, on the following day of Janmotsava. Besides drenching themselves in milk, curds and buttermilk, another activity is also performed by them. Many fruits will be there in the (pandal called) phalavatsara which is hung high. The elders encouragingly announce.—“The fruits are for those who can jump high and snatch them.” Accordingly the boys jump high and grab the reachable fruits.
ŚrīRaṅgagurudeva had expounded the meaning of this custom in a message on the occasion of Śrī Kṛshṇajayanti as follows: “If one wishes for the great fruit which is in a lofty place beyond the three worlds, his gait should be upwards. To obtain that kind of a Samskāra which helps to procure such a divine fruit, one must jump high like that”. We wish to respectfully recollect those words here.
We have discussed above some modalities in the Pūja vidhis to be performed on the day of Śrī Kṛshṇa Jayanti. We come across different Kramas conforming to Śāstras in different parts of our country viz Saurāshṭra, Vaṅga, Orissa and other parts. Any krama for that matter, which provides the divine remembrance of the avatāra of Lord Kṛshṇa, which enhances devotion to God and which brings in the accomplishment of the desires, is welcome indeed.+++(4)+++
Pāraṇa
There are two opinions as to when should the Pāraṇa of the Vrata be done. One of the opinions is that it should be done on the following morning when both ashṭamī and Rohiṇi are past, or at least one of the two is past.
तिथिनक्षत्रसंयोगे
उपवासो यदा भवेत् ।
पारणं तु न कर्तव्यं
यावन्नैकस्य सङ्क्षयः ॥
अष्टम्याम् अथ रोहिण्यां
न कुर्यात् पारणं क्वचित् ।
हन्यात् पुरा कृतं कर्म
उपवासार्जितं फलम् ॥
तिथिर् अष्टगुणं हन्ति
नक्षत्रं च चतुर्गुणं ।
तस्मात् प्रयत्नतः कुर्यात्
तिथि-भान्ते च पारणम् ।
The opinion that Pāraṇa should be done immediately after the pūja gets completed in the night, is also seen in the Śāstras.
भक्तानां वैष्णवानां च
शुद्धानां नियतात्मनाम् ।
विहिता सात्त्वताभिज्ञैः
रात्रावेव तु पारणा ।
“In all types of fasting, Pāraṇa should be done in the morning itself. Otherwise only half the benefit will be obtained.”
उपवासेषु सर्वेषु
पूर्वाङ्गे पारणं भवेत् ।
अन्यथा तु फलस्यार्धं
धर्ममेवोपसर्पति ॥
—We come across such strict Śāstra Vākyas also.
“Be it night or day, Pāraṇa should be done immediately after the festival”. “उत्सवान्ते च पारणम्”
Such Śāstravākyas are also seen.
Which of these two contradicting Vākyas is to be taken as authority? ŚrīRaṅgamahāguru had commanded as follows: “Both the opinions are in harmony depending on the desire of the worshipper. Those who desire for moksha along with dharma, artha and kāma, fast through the day and do Pāraṇa the next morning.
Those who perform the parva for the sole purpose of moksha who perform utsava for the love of God can have Pāraṇa that very night itself.
Such people need not wait till candrodaya and can finish Pūja earlier. NishiPāraṇa is forbidden for them”. We wish to humbly remember this here.
There is also a custom of completing the Vrata after the Pāraṇa by chanting the hymn “ॐ भूताय, भूतेश्वराय, भूतपतये, भूतसम्भवाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः” (Saluations to that Govinda who is Sarvabhūtasvarūpi, master of the bhūtas, and cause of all creation,). We would like to conclude this article on Śrī Kṛshṇa Janmotsava with Govindapraṇāma smṛtis.