To some, he is a cute little butter thief. To others, he is the charming lover who had women pining for him. And yet others see him as a master strategist who helped the Pandavas win the Kurukshetra war. He is none other than Lord Krishna, the immensely charismatic God who was the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami is the festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna. It is also called Krishna Jayanti, Janmashtami, and Gokulashtami. It is a major festival for Hindus and is celebrated on the 8th day after the full moon in the month of Shravan.
Krishna is a much-loved deity in the Hindu pantheon. Supposedly, he incarnated on earth about 4000 years ago, at a time when evil forces threatened to overwhelm the world.
Story of Krishna’s birth
Kamsa and Devaki were the children of King Ugrasena of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, India. Ugrasena was a good king, but Kamsa was a tyrant. Devaki married a nobleman by the name of Vasudeva. Kamsa was the charioteer for his sister and her husband on their wedding day. When Kamsa was driving the chariot, he heard a voice from the heavens saying that Devaki’s 8th child would kill him.
Birth in Captivity
Kamsa did not want to take any chances. He wanted to kill Devaki at once, but Vasudeva begged Kamsa not to kill her. He also promised Kamsa that they would hand over the children born to them. Kamsa agreed. For good measure, he placed them under house arrest.
Every time Devaki bore a child, the guards would inform Kamsa, who would arrive at the palace and kill it himself. In this way, six infants born to Devaki and Vasudev were put to death. As the seventh child was born at night, the couple tried to save the child.
While the guards slept, Vasudeva left the palace undetected and made his way to neighboring Gokul. There, he left the baby with his second wife, Rohini, and returned to the palace (this child became Balrama). In the morning, he informed Kamsa that the child had died at birth.
Kamsa knew that the next child born to his sister would be his slayer, as per the prophecy. He decided to take no chances and threw Vasudeva and Devaki into a dungeon in chains.
A Night of Miracles
Devaki delivered her 8th child on the eighth night in the month of Shravan. It was a stormy night and raining torrentially. There was thunder and lightning in the sky. Then, as if by magic, Vasudeva’s chains fell off. The prison door, too, opened by itself. The guards were in deep slumber. Vasudeva decided to take the infant to his friend Nanda’s place in Gokul.
He placed the baby in a basket, and carrying it on his head, left the dungeon. Gokul lay on the opposite bank of the Yamuna river. That night, the river was in spate. Vasudeva wondered how he could cross the flooded river. Suddenly, in another miracle, the waters of the Yamuna parted for him. Vasudeva crossed the Yamuna safely and reached Gokul.
When he reached Nanda’s house, he found that Nanda’s wife Yashoda had delivered a baby girl. As Nanda and Yashoda slept, Vasudeva placed his child in the baby girl’s cradle. Then, taking Nanda’s daughter in his arms, he returned to Mathura. He felt that Kamsa would not kill the baby as it was a girl. After Vasudeva reached the dungeon, its dungeon doors closed behind him. The baby girl suddenly began to cry. On hearing her cries, the guards informed Kamsa that the 8th child had been born to Devaki.
A Baby Vanishes
Kamsa immediately rushed to the dungeon. He took the child and was about to throw it on the ground. Vasudeva pleaded with him, saying it was a girl and she could not harm him. But Kamsa did not heed his pleas. However, the baby suddenly flew out of his hands and said that the one who was destined to slay was alive in Gokul. Then the baby vanished.
Kamsa made many efforts to find the whereabouts of his nephew. He even sent his emissaries to kill children born around the same time. But none of his efforts bore fruit, and his nemesis, Krishna, grew up to adulthood safely and eventually killed Kamsa.
Janmashtami Celebrations
Hindus celebrate Krishna Jayanthi with great fanfare all over India. The celebrations are quite grand and elaborate in places like Mathura, Vrindavan, and Dwaraka, which are associated with the life of Krishna. Devotees keep a 24-hour fast on the eve of the festival. They break the fast at midnight, as it is when Krishna is believed to have been born. Idols of infant Krishna are bathed and placed in cradles. A conch shell is blown, and people sing bhajans on the occasion.
