Story of Lord Krishna's Birth

    A long time ago in ancient India, there lived King Ugrasen. He had two children, prince Kansa and princess Devaki. Prince Kansa was evil by nature. When Kansa grew up, he imprisoned his own father Ugrasen and made himself king.

    Soon, his sister Devaki was married to King Vasudev. However, after the wedding, Kansa heard a divine warning from the sky, "O King! Your sister’s eighth son will grow up to kill you." After Kansa heard this, he was afraid. Immediately he imprisoned his own sister Devaki and her husband king Vasudev, and kept them under continuous watch.

    Each time Devaki gave birth to a child in the prison, Kansa arrived personally and killed the child. When Devaki became pregnant for the eighth time, King Vasudev’s friend’s (King Nanda’s) wife Yashoda was also pregnant. The eighth child, Lord Krishna, was born to queen Devaki at midnight in the prison. As soon as the child was born, Lord Vishnu appeared in divine form and the prison was filled with a dazzling light. Both Devaki and Vasudev prayed to Lord Vishnu. At the same time as Lord Krishna was born in the prison, the divine energy of Lord Vishnu was born in Gokul, as a baby girl to queen Yashoda.

    A divine message came to Vasudev soon after the birth of Lord Krishna, "Take this child across the Yamuna River to Gokul and exchange him with Yashoda’s daughter. You will return to the prison before anyone comes to know about the birth of this child."

    Vasudev immediately followed the advice. As he carried the child in his arms, he found that the prison doors opened automatically and the guards were put to sleep by God. Vasudev approached the Yamuna River, which was very turbulent due to fierce winds and rain. However, as soon as Vasudev reached the riverbank, the river parted and made way for Vasudev carrying the divine child. Vasudev reached the opposite bank of the river safely and found all the people of Gokul fast asleep. He entered the palace of king Nanda and queen Yashoda, and put the baby Krishna in the place of Yashoda’s baby girl. Then Vasudev returned to the prison with the baby girl.

    As soon as Vasudev laid the baby girl by Devaki’s side, the prison doors shut automatically. The guards were now awake and were startled by the cries of the baby girl. The guards ran to Kansa and announced the birth of the eighth child.

    Kansa rushed to execute the child in the prison, remembering the divine warning that the eighth child would kill him. Devaki appealed, "O Kansa, this baby is a girl, and not the boy that the divine warning told you about. How can this child harm you?" However, Kansa ignored her, snatched the child from her lap, and hurled the child against the prison wall.

    The child did not fall down; instead, she flew up and appeared in the sky as a Goddess with eight arms, each arm carrying a weapon. She said, "O evil king! You will gain nothing by killing me. The one who will destroy you is elsewhere." Then the Goddess disappeared. Kansa freed Vasudev and Devaki from prison.

    Meanwhile, there was great rejoicing in Gokul, hailing the birth of a son in the household of Nanda. Nanda named the child Krishna. Entire Gokul wore a festive appearance. The streets were swept clean and all the houses were decorated with flags and flowers. Cows were smeared with turmeric, and adorned with peacock feathers and garlands. All people of Gokul danced in joy and flocked to Nanda’s house to see baby Krishna and to offer gifts.

    Moral: The story of Lord Krishna's birth shows how powerful and loving God is. Whenever evil in the world like Kansa’s wicked rule becomes unbearable, God Himself comes to save us in the form of an Incarnation like Lord Krishna. Against God, not even the mightiest evil can do anything. Hence, daily we should pray to God and remember Him by chanting* (repeating) His Name in everything we do – be it getting ready, eating, walking, playing or going to bed.

Significance

    According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day (ashtami) of the second (dark) fortnight of the month of Shravana.

    Five thousand years ago, He incarnated, at the end of the third cosmic era, 'Dwapar Yuga' and the beginning of the present era, 'Kali Yuga'.

    The divine principle (tattva) of Lord Krishna is most active on this day of the year.

According to Numerology     The number eight is a reducing number (kshayaank). According to numerology the number eight is responsible for generating revolutionary thoughts. It would not be wrong to say that Sri Krishna’s entire life was an era of revolution. Celebration The birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated at midnight on Krishna Jayanti. At midnight, the ritual of waving lit lamps (aarti) is performed. (Click here for the science behind performing aarti.)     His statue is placed in a swing and devotionally offered many sumptuous food dishes, in particular kheer (a sweet dish made from milk, sugar and rice/vermicelli) or halva/sheera (a sweet dish made from semolina, ghee and sugar).     People incorrectly think that Lord Krishna loved butter and so offer butter to Him. In fact, He ate butter because the evil king Kansa taxed the people, and in order to pay their taxes, they were forced to sell butter. To prevent these civilians from suffering and caving into the unrighteous demands of the king, Lord Krishna would eat or spill their butter. In doing so, He taught the people to develop a fighting spirit (kshatravrutti) and not to tolerate injustice in any capacity. One should fast the whole day before the celebration at midnight. The fast is ended either at midnight by eating the Holy sacrament (prasad) or the next morning by eating an offering of a mixture (dahikala) of curd (yogurt with enzymes retained) with various eatables, milk and butter. When grazing the cattle along with the cowherds at Vraj (a city in ancient India – in modern day North India), Shri Krishna mixed the lunches of His companions with that of His own and ate it along with them. In keeping with this story, later it became customary to prepare dahikala and break a hanging pot containing curd on the day after Gokulashtami. Temples are decorated for the occasion. Kirtans are sung, bells are rung, the conch is blown, and Sanskrit hymns are recited in praise of Lord Krishna. At Mathura (a city in North India, near the birthplace of Lord Krishna), special spiritual gatherings are organized at this time. Pilgrims from all over India attend these festive gatherings.     Fasting on this day as well as observing Rushipanchami, a vowed religious observance (vrat), reduces the effects of menses, impurity and touch on women. [The effects on men are reduced by performing acts of repentance (prayashchitta karma), such as shaving the head, etc. Performing the ritual of Udakshanti reduces the effects on the premise.]

Significance behind the celebration     Krishna Jayanti is especially significant from the viewpoint of establishing Righteousness (Dharma), and surrendering unto The Lord. Establishing Righteousness     Since we are imprisoned in the Great Illusion (Maya), the Lord incarnates in this prison with us, establishes Righteousness and redeems us from the Great Illusion. We can only overcome and go beyond the Great Illusion if we surrender unto The Lord, as Arjuna did during the battle of Mahabharata.

Where there is Krishna, there is dharma, where there is dharma, there is victory. Since Duryodhana, leader of the Kauravas, did not observe dharma, he did not have Krishna. No Krishna, no victory. - Sage Ved Vyas Surrendering unto The Lord     During the battle Lord Krishna uttered 700 shlokas (holy verses) in the form of the 'Bhagavat Gita' to convince the reluctant Arjuna to fight his own kith and kin to reinstate Righteousness (Dharma). The Lord finally uttered the essence of His teachings in the following verse (18/66): O Arjun! Forsake all your personal beliefs and surrender to me. Do not lament, for I shall deliver you from all sins.     Therefore, to derive maximum benefit from Krishna Jayanti, devotees can daily make conscious efforts through spiritual practice like chanting* and prayer to surrender at the Lord's lotus-feet. Such spiritual practice would equip one to participate in establishing Righteousness. This is done by spreading the importance of Spirituality to others, removing misconceptions about it and helping curb incorrect practices, like irreverence to God or Deities through humor, commercial advertisements, etc., using Their Names, images, etc., as per one’s capacity. Increasing devotion unto Lord Krishna     Some of us are unable to perform the rituals and celebrate Krishna Jayanti as described above. Others of us wish to feel closer to Lord Krishna every day and not just on Sri Krishna Jayanti.     Not only is His principle (tattva) most active on Krishna Jayanti, but in present times His energy is 100% manifest, and He rushes to the aid of the devotee who surrenders unto Him.     The best solution to the above dilemmas is to repeat Lord Krishna’s Name as follows: “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.”     Chanting (repetition) of His Name invokes His presence within oneself as The Lord and His Name are one. All of the qualities that reside in The Lord are there in The Name. Thus, repeating His Name will surely herald His presence and blessings in life.

In his youth Krishna killed Kamsa along with all his cruel associates, liberated his parents from prison, and reinstated Ugrasen as the King of Mathura.

Teachings of Lord Krishna

Lord Krishna, is the one of the most loved Gods of the Hindu religion. His teachings on various aspects of human life to Arjuna during the epic battle of Mahabharata are world famous. His teachings were written in form of a book by famously known as Bhagwad Gita. Bhagwad Gita literally means divine songs of Lord. Teachings of the lord, are relevant even in the present age. They are being promoted by a number of spiritual gurus. Few of his important teachings are as follows:

• Four Kinds Of actions: According to Lord Krishna there are four kind of Actions or karma that a human can perform they are, Kamya Karma- Actions performed for selfish gains, Nishiddha Karma- Actions that are forbidden bu holy texts and scriptures, Nitya Karma- Actions that must be performed daily and finally Naimittika Karma-Actions that must be performed on certain special occasions. Lord Krishna clearly forbade his devotees to perform the first two kinds of Karmas as they lead to rebirth and laid stress on the performance of the latter two as they help in getting Moksha or Nirvana, in other words, salvation.
  
  
• Liberation and Bondage: Lord Krishna emphasised on being free from all kinds of negative and positive emotions like, joy, sorrow, grief, happiness, jealousy, as they are all illusions or maya. These emotions are ephemeral. All the beings are bonded due to lack of knowledge but they get free and achieve liberation once they realize that the world is nothing but illusion. All the souls taking birth on the Earth must surrender to Lord, be free form attachments to living and non living objects. One should not be conditioned by body or the worldly things around.
  
  
• Glory Of Satsanga: Lord Krishna described, 'satsanga' as the fastest means to be closer to him and please him. Satsanga literally means being in the company of Sadhus or the knowledgeable one, as it helps in reducing and finally putting an end to attachment of all kinds.
  
  
• Withdrawal from Sense-Objects: Lord Krishna preached withdrawal from all the sensory- objects as a means to avoid delusion. All the objects of desire ultimately lead to misery. One must control his senses and not run after the pursuit of desires. As soon as one of the desire is fulfilled, another desire takes its place thus creating a vicious circle. One shoul give up ahmkara or Ego and identify only with God.
  
  
• Importance of Meditation: Lord Krishna emphasises on the benefits of meditation. It is a means of introspection, looking inside oneself, being close to God and removing oneself from the materialistic world. One should sit in a comfortable position, placing both the hands on the lap and fixing th eyes on the tip of the nose, followed by deep breathing. The mind should be free from all thoughts and chanting only the universal sound of 'Om'.
  
  
• Path to Life Long Happiness: Lord Krishna describes, Karma(action) Jnana(Knowledge) and Bhakti (Devotion) as the three fold way to attain Lord and please him. This is sure shot way to achieve happiness and Moksha. Being knowledgeable will help perform the right Karma and not worry about the fruit of the action. Devotion to God heps introspect and remove from the worldly desires. The three paths lead to removal of illusion or maya.

Lord Krishna’s Disappearance

Lord Krishna, the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, took birth on earth with a purpose. The main objective of taking human form by the divine being was to rid mother Earth from the cruelties and increasing power of the demons.

Life Span of Lord Krishna
It is believed that Bhagwan Krishna lived on Earth with brother Balram for 125 years. The first ten years of his life were spent in the towns of Gokul and Vrindavan, in Northern India. The following years beginning in the 11th year of Lord's life till the age of 28 were spent in Mathura. Sri Krishna later established Dwarka, a city in Gujarat and lived the rest of his life there with his wife Rukmini and sons.

Legends of Lord Krishna's Disappearance
According to researchers, Lord Krishna disappeared on 18th February 3102 BC. The period after his disappearance marks the beginning of Kaliyug. It is said Bhagwan Krishna had predicted that exactly seven days after the disappearance of the Lord, the Golden city of Dwarka in Gujarat will drown in the sea. Indeed Dwarka city is said to have been merged in sea owing to torrential rain. There are quite a few reasons assigned to Lord Krishna's leaving his spirit for the heaven. They are as follows:

Fulfillment of Sri Krishna's Birth Objective
Lord Krishna alighted on mother Earth with the primary objective of reducing the growing power of the demons and relieving people from their cruelties. The secondary objective was fighting the historical battle in Kurukshetra in order to deliver justice to Pandavas. Having accomplished his missions and establishing peace , it was time for Lord to end his life journey on Earth.

Curse of Mother Gandhari
Mahabharata, the historical battle fought in Kurukshetra resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Lord Krishna is said to have visited Mother Gandhari to offer his condolence. In a fit of rage and sorrow, Mata Gandhari cursed Bhagwan Krishna that just as the Kaurava dynasty had ended fighting with each other, similarly the Yaduvanshi dynasty would end fighting and killing each other. Mother Gandhari felt that Sri Krishna didn't play a fair role in putting an end to the war. Lord Krishna happily accepted the curse.

Curse of Sages Vishwamitra and Narada
According to a folklore, Sage Vishwamitra and Sage Narada once visited the city of Dwarka to meet Lord Krishna. A few children of Lord Krishna dressed up Samba (Son of Sri Krishna and Jambavati) as a pregnant woman and asked the visiting sages to foretell what kind of a child Samba will bear. Feeling insulted, the sages cursed that Samba will give birth to an Iron rod which in turn will be instrumental in the fall of the Yaduvanshi Dynasty. The very next day, Samba gave birth to an iron rod. Lord Krishna's sons crushed it into powder and threw the bottle in the sea. However, one day the bottle was washed up the shore and the powdered iron took form of an arrow. Lord Krishna could foresee everything and as a last resort to save his Dynasty, prohibited liquor in the city of Dwarka. Eventually, the Yadavas became drunk and killed each other with iron rods. None of them survived. Lord Krishna was shattered to see the Dynasty perish.

Death of Balram
On seeing the end of Yaduvanshi clan, Lord Balram the elder brother of Sri Krishna sat under a tree and ended his life by breathing out life from his mouth in the form of a white serpent.

Disappearance of Sri Krishna
Lord Krishna was disillusioned with the fraternal killing among the Yaduvanshis. He went to a forest near Somnath in Bhalka Tirth to meditate. Jara, a hunter mistook the lord's feet to be a deer and accidentally shot him with the arrow. Lord Krishna's spirit left for heaven. Bhagwan Krishna's disappearance marks the beginning of the current debauched age, also known as Kaliyug.

The great sage Vyas then wrote the famous 'Bhagawad Puran' to save the heritage and miracles of Lord Krishna. The story of Lord Krishna has since been passed from generation to generation