24.8.2019
I wish all of you, all those who are listening to me or watching me, I wish all of you a very happy Janmashtami! As this is the happiest day of the kalpa, in fact so very rare is Krishna’s appearance, yes Krishna’s appearance is very rare. Although He has said ‘sambhavami yuge yuge’ in each yuga there is avtar and Krishna appears in some form or the other but Krishna Himself, Bhagavan Himself appears only once in one day of Brahma, of one kalpa which is thousand cycles of catur yuga and then Krishna makes His own appearance so, others are avatars and Krishna is avatari so that avatari Shri Krishna appears today.
If we do a calculation five thousand three hundred & forty-three years ago on this day and that day was Wednesday, when Shri Krishna appeared in Mathura at midnight. He made His appearance and Shri Krishna Janmashtami is the anniversary celebration of the most auspicious appearance of Lord Shri Krishna.
Happy birthday to You Lord Shri Krishna!
By doing so we will never take birth again but we had taken birth, so please do not forget us. We fallen souls we are trying to reach You. As You are very very kind, You are appearing so that we do not have to take birth or we don’t have to appear in another species or human form again.
Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti maneti (BG 4.9)
He explained this to Arjuna. So if you celebrate Lord’s birthday, appearance with understanding of the Lord who He is and how is our relationship with Him, by doing so, by celebrating appearance like that, He has declared a reward and a reward is ‘tyaktva deham punar janma’ no more birth, no more death for those who celebrate Lord Shri Krishna appearance into this material world .
Hare Krishna!
I was thinking fifty or fifty-one years ago while Srila Prabhupada was on the way to America possibly his ‘Jaldoot’ boat was in Atlantic Ocean and then it appeared Janmashtami celebration. Srila Prabhupada had Janmashtami festival right on Jaldoot boat. There the crew, captain had joined and Prabhupada had great celebration of Krishna’s appearance so that was possibly only one celebration outside India or overseas that he was celebrating.
Now fifty years later today I am very proud to say this, share this that today International society for Krishna consciousness will celebrate Lord Krishna’s birthday Krishna Janmashtami mahotsav in 150 countries around the world. Shri Krishna Janmashtami mahotsav ki Jai!! .So let us join the vigilant around the world in making the celebration the very grand birthday party on the planet . Lord Shri Krishna’s appearance day by remembering Him, remember remember remember again by chanting the holy name.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
To remember Sri Krishna with the help of reading of Krsna book, book written by Srila Prabhupada. It was named after Krishna, Krsna book, is nothing but the summary study of tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam and in old days I remember all day there used to be reading, recitation of Krsna book in our Hare Krishna temples. We used to take turn. In Noida today and they also started this morning from Krsna book.
How Nanda Maharaja celebrated the first birthday of Shri Krishna, which was not held on Janmashtami but held on the following day and it was held, sponsored, organized by Nanda Maharaja. so that festival, of first Krishna Janmastami festival became known as Nandautsav. A grand festival that took place in Gokul so, following in the footsteps of Nanda Maharaja, following the footsteps of great acaryas, and especially following the footsteps of His divine grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, let us celebrate Lord Krishna’s birthday by remembering Him, by chanting, by grand arrangements, by feasting after midnight. Hari Hari! Lord Krishna has kindly appeared in the form of His archa vigraha and He appears in Gokul in the form. Deity form is appearing, or has appeared all over the planet so that in Shri Krishna’s archa vigraha form we could celebrate His birthday in so many varieties of ways.
We held this festival in Grand ways or in fact Janmastami celebrated by ISKCON devotees is most popular in India. Most popular celebration of Janmastami is ISKCON Janmastami. We are here, we are specialized in Krishna, we are for Krishna, we understand Krishna. If anybody understands, Gaundiya vaishnava understand Shri Krishna. The members of the Hare Krishna movement understand Krishna as He is. As knowledge that has been revealed onto us by Lord’s pure devotee. Srila Prabhupada and he even gave us Bhagavad Gita which Bhagavad Gita , ‘Bhagavad Gita as it is’ , So there also Krishna appeared in the form of Bhagavad Gita on Gita jayanti day and He is also among us, with us . Prabhupada gave us the message of Gita in the purest form. So, we are indebted to his divine grace Srila Prabhupada for giving us Krishna, in the form of His holy name, giving us Krishna in the form of Bhagavatam, in the form of Bhagavad Gita.
So in this way the Lord made His appearance and on Janmastami He gave, He has lot many gifts for His appearance and those are available to us. So, today is Krishna’s birthday & we should be bringing gifts, making offering , we should do, we must do but at the same time we are also receiving gifts from Krishna on His birthday and of course what will be the better gift then receiving Krishna Himself, take Me. He offers Himself to us to each one of us in so many forms, in the form of holy name, in the form of Bhagavad Gita, in the form of Bhagavatam including also the prasadam form. Prasadam is also non different from Him so there we receive all these gifts, keep receiving all the time today and every day and make our life Krishnaised as we receive his gift we will become Krishna conscious Krishnaised and ultimately that would be the best of all the gifts that we will be allowed entrance to His kingdom .
mameti, so Arjuna pritijano priyoasi mai .
Those who accept Krishna’s love, serve Krishna, remember Krishna all the time and propagate Krishna consciousness for them what Krishna has guaranteed?
mameti that person will come back to Me pritijano I take, allow this is My benediction priyoasi Mai and I take this love I guarantee that you would come back to Me. He said this to Arjuna but it wasn’t just Arjuna who is dear to Lord. All of us, each one of us are very very dear to Lord otherwise why would He bother to come?
To appear in this world of suffering. Because He loves us, Lord loves all of us. So the Lord kindly made His appearance on this day so that one of the day at the end of this life we would go back to Him. Now He is missing us. So, He appeared was looking for us and His merciful glance fell upon us and this is reviving our dormant love for Him and that will result in our returning to Him, where He resides.
So, once again I wish you a very very happy Shri Krishna Janmashtami. So, celebrate Shri Krishna Janmastami and be happy!!
Hare Krishna!