The verses in the Bhagavad-Gita says- "whenever there will be predominance of evil and decline of
religion, I will reincarnate to kill the evil and to save the good."
Mother Earth, unable to bear the burden of sins committed by evil
kings and rulers, appealed to Brahma, the Creator for help. Brahma
prayed to the Supreme Lord Vishnu, who assured him that he would soon be
born on earth to annihilate tyrannical forces.
One
such evil force was Kamsa, the ruler of Mathura (in northern India) and
his people were utterly terrified of him. On the day Kamsa's sister
Devaki was married off to Vasudeva, an akashvani or voice from the sky
was heard prophesying that Devaki's 8th son would be the destroyer of
Kamsa. The frightened Kamsa immediately unsheathed his sword to kill his
sister but Vasudeva intervened and implored Kamsa to spare his bride,
and promised to hand over every new born child to him. Kamsa relented
but imprisoned both Devaki and her husband Vasudeva.
When
Devaki gave birth to her first child, Kamsa came to the prison cell and
slaughtered the newborn. In this way, he killed the first six sons of
Devaki. Even before her 8th child was born, Devaki and Vasudeva started
lamenting its fate and theirs.
Then suddenly Lord Vishnu appeared before
them and said he himself was coming to rescue them and the people of
Mathura. He asked Vasudeva to carry him to the house of his friend, the
cowherd chief Nanda in Gokula right after his birth, where Nanda's wife
Yashoda had given birth to a daughter.
He was to
exchange his boy and bring Yashoda's baby daughter back to the prison.
Vishnu assured them that "nothing shall bar your path".
At midnight on ashtami,
the divine baby was born in Kamsa's prison. Remembering the divine
instructions, Vasudeva clasped the child to his bosom and started for
Gokula, but found that his legs were in chains. He jerked his legs and
was unfettered! The massive iron-barred doors unlocked and opened up.
While
crossing river Yamuna, Vasudeva held his baby high over his head. The
rain fell in torrents and the river was in spate. But the water made way
for Vasudeva and miraculously a five-mouthed snake followed him from
behind and provided shelter over the baby.
When
Vasudeva reached Gokula, he found the door of Nanda's house open. He
exchanged the babies and hurried back to the prison of Kamsa with the
baby girl. Early in the morning, all the people at Gokula rejoiced the
birth of Nanda's beautiful male child. Vasudeva came back to Mathura and
as he entered, the doors of the prison closed themselves.
When
Kamsa came to know about the birth, he rushed inside the prison and
tried to kill the baby. But this time it skipped from his hand and
reaching the sky. She was transformed into the goddess Yogamaya, who
told Kamsa: "O foolish! What will you get by killing me? Your nemesis is
already born somewhere else."
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.
He
played an important role in the Kurukshetra war. The Bhagvad Geeta, a
discourse between Arjun & Krishna, is an important gift to us from
this Jagad-guru.
Krishna represents
Brahman or God consciousnesses. Krishna avatar is synonymous with
self-realization. Normally desires and negative thoughts core our
consciousness with ignorance. The journey to self-realization involves
removal or shedding of this ignorance which can only be done by the
eight spiritual principles as described by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
And these are Yama (self control); Niyama (self-discipline), Asanas
(bodily postures); Pranayama (control of breath), Pratyahara (one
pointed), Dhyana (contemplation) and Samadhi (self-realization).
Lord
Krishna was born during Dvapara Yuga out of four cyclic Yugas described
in Hindu scriptures. Based on scripture details and astrological
calculations the date of Krishna's birth is 18th July 3228 BCE and date of Krishna's death, when Lord Krishna returned to His eternal abode of Vaikuntha, is 18th February 3102 BCE. The present Yuga which is known as Kali Yuga started after the death of Lord Krishna.
Let's celebrate Birthday of this Divine Yuga Purush, who is still alive in hearts of his believers.
"Happy Krishna Janmashtany to All."
Edited by mnx12 - 9 years ago
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