English
Japa Talk
Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami maharaj
Date:03-09-2026
Theme: Transcendental nature of Lord Krishna’s appearance
Welcome to all of you on this day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami Mahotsav. Not only here in Nagpur where I am present, but wherever you may be in whichever temples—temple devotees, and then our other devotees, disciples, the congregation in their palaces or homes, wherever you are located. And then the padyatris (foot pilgrims)—they have no fixed place; sometimes on the banks of a river, under a tree, or wherever the Lord keeps them and wherever they are. And the Krishna bandhus (brothers/devotees of Krishna) from all over India, from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir, wherever you are present, along with all the other devotees who have arrived here—a warm welcome to everyone.
Sub theme: Establishing the Eternal Relationship (Sambandha)
Krishna has not yet appeared; just as the demigods appeared before Him. I was thinking that all of us have also gathered here just like those demigods. And just as the demigods offered prayers to the Lord while He was still in the womb, we too will remember Krishna Kanhaiya Lal, reflect on Him, recite some words of prayer, and surely He is about to arrive. Yashomati Nandana Brajavara Nagara. Actually, it would be wonderful if we sang it as well. Yashomati Nandana... I just wanted to remember Him like this on behalf of all of us together, to offer prayers or to remember the Lord. Yashomati Nandana... What is Yashomati? The son of Yashomati.
Vitthal Maza Maza Mi Vitthalacha|
Translation:
“Vitthal is mine and I belong to Vitthala.”
In Pandharpur, what is maza? Whose is Vitthal? Maza (Mine). They sing, "Mii Vitthalāchā" (I belong to Vitthal). But before asking "Whose am I?", whose is Vitthal? He is mine. Vitthal is mine and Vitthal is none other than Krishna Himself. So He can certainly belong to Yashoda, to Nanda Baba, to the a cowherd boys of Vrindavan, to the Gopis, to others He belongs to Radha. But amidst all of them, whose is He as well? He is mine too. Just as Srila Prabhupada belongs to everyone, but for me, whose is he first? He is mine. That is why I wrote that book and titled it—Mere Prabhupada. So, Mere Krishna (My Krishna).
Indeed, matters progress only through relationship (sambandha). There are principles or truths like sambandha (relationship), abhidheya (the process to act upon it), and prayojana (the ultimate goal/purpose). The beginning starts with sambandha. And every single living entity has a close and eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord.So then, whose Janmashtami is to be celebrated? My Krishna's. And who will celebrate it? I will.
Mayā saha ramasva|
O Hari! Take pleasure in me and enjoy with me. When we chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, one of the feelings, prayers, or praises at Krishna's lotus feet is this: "O Krishna, You enjoy with everyone. You are Radha-Ramana (the enjoyer of Radha), Gopi-Ramana (the enjoyer of the Gopis), or You enjoy with the cowherd boys. Now, enjoy with me too."
Vithu maza lekurwala
Sange gopalancha mela
Translation:
“My Vitthal is a parent with many children. He is surrounded by a joyful gathering of cowherd friends and devotees.”
Again, in the context of Pandharpur, one is reminded of Vithu Maazhaa Lekurvaalaa (Vitthal, my motherly Lord surrounded by His children). So, while chanting the Mahamantra, we pray Mayaa saha ramasva. The implied meaning here is simple: "O Lord, please reside and enjoy with me; let there be some exchange, some relationship between You and me."
So Krishna is not just 'somebody.' Krishna belongs to all of us—or rather, He belongs to me, to each one of us individually. He is eternally seated in the courtyard of my heart. Is there anyone else in the courtyard of your heart? You might keep a photograph of a girlfriend, a boyfriend, or a friend in your pocket or purse, but in the heart resides only the Supreme Lord. As we move from one body to another, every body has a heart—whether it is an ant or an elephant, it has a heart, and the Lord resides there. Just like this. The Lord never leaves our side- That is Krishna. In Vrindavan, they say: Mero pyaro Vrindavan. What a expression! Saying "my Vrindavan" is one thing, but saying mero pyaro Vrindavan (my beloved Vrindavan) carries such affection! And not just the land, but when the Brajvasis say "Krishna Kanhaiya Lal," think of the emotion and intimacy behind it.
Sub theme: The Descent of the Lord
Such is Kanhaiya, Yashomati Nandan—the son of Mother Yashoda, forever. He is also called Braj-jana-ranjana, the one who brings transcendental delight to the inhabitants of Braja—not mere material entertainment, but true spiritual joy. Now, my Krishna is about to appear, so make the preparations! In the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the story and pastimes of Krishna's birth begin right from the first few chapters. These are the very topics that Sukadeva Gosvami narrated to King Pariksit.
yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
Translation:
“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.” (BG 4.7)
This statement is from the Bhagavad-gita, and its direct, practical demonstration is found in the Bhagavatam. It describes how, before Krishna's appearance, religion declined and unrighteousness surged. Mother Earth was deeply distressed by the burden of demonic kings. She approached the demigods, and together they went to the shores of the Milk Ocean to present their grievances to the Supreme Lord.Their appeal was: "O Lord, please appear! We cannot manage what is happening on this earth anymore; it is beyond our control." When it was no longer within their power, divine intervention became mandatory. The Lord replied: "Tathastu" (So be it). "O demigods, go ahead and take birth in the region of Mathura. I am coming right now."This is how the Tenth Canto begins, and this discourse will continue for a few hours,
Sub theme: The Divine Mechanism of Appearance
athāham aṁśa-bhāgena
devakyāḥ putratāṁ śubhe
prāpsyāmi tvaṁ yaśodāyāṁ
nanda-patnyāṁ bhaviṣyasi
Translation:
“O all-auspicious Yoga-māyā, I shall then appear with My full six opulences as the son of Devakī, and you will appear as the daughter of mother Yaśodā, the queen of Mahārāja Nanda. At this point, the Lord had not yet appeared on earth; He was still in Goloka Vrindavan.”
(ŚB 10.2.9 )
Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs 5.37] -so He is speaking to Yogamaya. O Yogamaya, go ahead; Balarama, the seventh child of Devaki, is in Devaki's womb. Transfer Him from there into the womb of Rohini, who is currently residing in Gokula. Because Krishna is deeply eager, He says: 'I also wish to appear. But until that womb becomes vacant, how can I enter? So go, make it vacant, clear it a bit. Then I can enter and I can also finally appear. So Yogamaya fulfilled her duty. Here, while still in Goloka, the Lord speaks to Yogamaya—that when I appear as the son of Yashoda... anyway, He will explain to you. If time permits, Krishna becomes both Devaki-nandan and Yashoda-nandan simultaneously. This event unfolds at midnight.
'So, I will first appear as the son of Yashoda, and then prapsyami tvam yasodayam nanda-patnyam bhavisyasi—you shall also become her child, her daughter.' That is why the daughter who was born—whom Vasudeva was to take away—was born in Mathura. She was also born at that time, which is why she is called Krishna-anuja (the younger sister of Krishna). Krishna appeared, and a daughter was also born, so she became Krishna-anuja. Here it is said: nanda-patnyam bhavisyasi—'You will become the daughter of Yashoda, the wife of Nanda.' It is the day of Ashtami. They needed the night. Slowly, night arrived, and midnight—the time of the Lord's advent—was approaching. Thirty-three crore demigods arrived. Kamsa’s prison cell—Vasudeva and Devaki were confined in a small, dark cell. They had been imprisoned. Right there in the sky, in the atmosphere, the demigods were seated in their celestial chariots and carriers. Where was Ganesha seated? He arrived riding on a mouse. Yamaraja... and just like Sherawali, Durga Devi arrived! Who came riding on a swan? And who arrived seated on Nandi?
To identify whose temple it is, you look at which vehicle is parked outside. And if Garuda is in front, then it is Vishnu. In that way, we could find out!
So the demigods arrived, each seated in or upon their respective vehicles. Everyone wanted to behold Krishna the moment He appeared—aham purvam, aham purvam ('Me first! Me first!'). That is why all these vehicles were trying to park so they could get the first darshan. There was quite a traffic jam going on, and a bit of a scramble!
śrī-bhagavān uvāca:
su-durdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ
dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama
devā apy asya rūpasya
nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
Translate:
“My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear. 'I am so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful!' Even the demigods are always ambitious and eager to behold this form. (Bg. 11.52)
So those demigods, having arrived there, were yearning for His darshan. Before that, while Krishna was still in Devaki's womb, they offered prayers—prayers that are elaborated in the second chapter of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair
vedaiḥ sāṅga-pada-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ
dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasa paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ
yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ
Translate:
“Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṇa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and absorbing themselves within Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon — unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.” (SB 12.13.1)
What is Krishna like? All these demigods—only a few are named—came, which is also like a protocol. When a great president or prime minister from another country arrives at the airport, the entire ministry arrives to greet and receive him. Similarly, these demigods are the great ministers and heads of departments of this universe. Whenever the Lord arrives—whether as Rama, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, or Balarama—they arrive. They are doing their duty, and doing it with immense love—far more than just a duty.
Stunvanti divyaih stavaih vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadaihs gayanti yam samagah—and what is the Lord like? All the scriptures and Vedic texts sing His praises: Adau madhye ante harih sarvatra giyate (Hari is sung about in the beginning, middle, and end, everywhere). Krishna Kanhaiya Lal ki Jai!
Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino—All yogis desire to behold the Lord within the courtyard of their hearts; pasyanti means they see Him, they long for His darshan. Yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah—even after great effort, neither the demigods nor the demons can fully comprehend Him. Repeated obeisances unto such a Supreme Lord!
At the conclusion of their prayers, the demigods, Take their darshan! Wow! In fact, Vaishnavas are even greater than the demigods. That is your position!
Sub theme: Cosmic Context & The Need for Krishna's Descent
matsyāśva-kacchapa-nṛsiṁha-varāha-haṁsa-
rājanya-vipra-vibudheṣu kṛtāvatāraḥ
tvaṁ pāsi nas tri-bhuvanaṁ ca yathādhuneśa
bhāraṁ bhuvo hara yadūttama vandanaṁ te
Translation:
O supreme controller, Your Lordship previously accepted incarnations as a fish, a horse, a tortoise, Narasiṁhadeva, a boar, a swan, Lord Rāmacandra, Paraśurāma and, among the demigods, Vāmanadeva, to protect the entire world by Your mercy. Now please protect us again by Your mercy by diminishing the disturbances in this world. O Kṛṣṇa, best of the Yadus, we respectfully offer our obeisances unto You. (SB 10.2.40)
diṣṭyāmba te kukṣi-gataḥ paraḥ pumān
aṁśena sākṣād bhagavān bhavāya naḥ
mābhūd bhayaṁ bhoja-pater mumūrṣor
goptā yadūnāṁ bhavitā tavātmajaḥ
Translation:
O mother Devakī, by your good fortune and ours, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, with all His plenary portions, such as Baladeva, is now within your womb. Therefore you need not fear Kaṁsa, who has decided to be killed by the Lord. Your eternal son, Kṛṣṇa, will be the protector of the entire Yadu dynasty. (SB 10.2.41)
The demigods prayed: 'O Lord, previously You incarnated in many forms such as Matsya, Asva, Kurma, Nrsimha, Varaha, Hamsa, Rajanya, and Lord Ramachandra. please protect us! O Lord, relieve the burden of this earth! O Supreme Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances and prayers unto You again and again.'Saying this at the end of their prayers, they concluded with one final statement: 'O Amba!' (Addressing Devaki: Amba means mother). 'O Mother Devaki, within your womb has arrived the Supreme Person Himself, the ultimate refuge! He has entered your womb.' This King of the Bhoja dynasty, Kamsa—this Kamsa desires to die at the hands of the Lord. You have to die, absolutely! So Kamsa is destined to die at the hands of the Lord, and the Lord will surely slay him. Demigods know the past, present, and future (trikalajna). So these all-knowing demigods declared: That day will come; the Lord will slay this Kamsa.And by slaying him, He becomes the protector of the Yadu dynasty. Gopta means protector. The Lord is the protector, and He will protect them.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
Translate:
“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.” 'Therefore, O Mother Devaki, ma bhut bhayam—do not fear!' There is no need for them to fear, nor any need to worry. Krishna has given a guarantee. (Bg. 4.8)
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
Translate:
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” Do not fear, I am here! Oh dear, come here! Thus, having said what was to happen next and reassuring her not to fear, the demigods paused their prayers. (Bg. 18.66).
Now, it is Sukadeva Gosvami who is narrating this entire chronicle. Mother Earth, who had assumed the form of a cow, had earlier approached the demigods and presented her distress and troubles before them. Mother Earth has a name, Bharat Mata, as in Vande Mataram, which not everyone accepts. Vande Mataram means "I bow to the Mother." Whom do I bow to? to Mother India, to Mother Earth, who is the mother of us all. In our culture and faith, there are seven types of mothers, and among them, a primary mother is Mother Earth. She is the one who feeds us!
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
Translate:
“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Bg. 9.26)
annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
Translate:
“All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.” (Bg.3.14)
All these fruits and foods everything comes from Mother Earth. The Lord and Mother Earth nourish their children.She gives grain, and that is how we live. So our nurturer is Mother Earth.Now that she knows the Lord is appearing
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha sarva-guṇopetaḥ
kālaḥ parama-śobhanaḥ
yarhy evājana-janmarkṣaṁ
śāntarkṣa-graha-tārakam
diśaḥ prasedur gaganaṁ
nirmaloḍu-gaṇodayam
mahī maṅgala-bhūyiṣṭha-
pura-grāma-vrajākarā
Translation
Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohiṇī appeared, as did stars like Aśvinī. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky. Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed all-auspicious. (SB 10.3.1-2)
mumucur munayo devāḥ
sumanāṁsi mudānvitāḥ
mandaṁ mandaṁ jaladharā
jagarjur anusāgaram
Translation
The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean’s waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart, appeared from the heart of Devakī in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devakī was of the same category as Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.3.7)
Mother Earth made splendid preparations to welcome Krishna! She adorned herself completely. Look around these days; everything is covered in greenery, as if Mother Earth is wearing a green sari! And all the colorful flowers blooming- They are like the embroidery on that sari! All directions are welcoming Him. A gentle, fragrant breeze is blowing. In the month of Sravana, the wind makes noise, but now Bhadrapada has arrived. In Bhadrapada, the breeze is cool and pleasant. It is a wonderful season—part of the rainy season—with neither the intense heat of summer nor the biting cold of winter. As Shukadeva Gosvami described, a cool, fragrant, and pleasing breeze is blowing. The rivers are full of water due to the rainy season. In some places, there are floods—even in Nepal right now there are severe floods, don't even ask! Rainfall is happening. Just as we are experiencing these climatic conditions today, it was very similar the clouds gently rumble, and waves in the ocean reverberate with sound. Similarly, there is gentle thundering in the sky, but no severe storms or tempests; everything is serene and peaceful.Slowly, time moves toward midnight. As the saying goes, "Time and tide wait for none." Does time stop for anyone? No, no way! Can anyone stop the waves of the ocean? Time and tide wait for no one. "So, the demigods offered their prayers, but the Lord still did not appear. It became 11:00 PM, then 11:30, then 11:45, yet He did not appear. People were probably looking at their watches.
There is a sweet understanding that the Lord was doing His calculations. He was thinking: 'I am taking birth in the Moon dynasty (Chandravamsha). Rama belonged to the Sun dynasty (Suryavamsha), but I belong to the Moon dynasty. The dynasty in which I am appearing—tonight is the night of Ashtami. The moon of the Moon dynasty rises at midnight. This is nothing new; every Ashtami of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight), the moon rises at midnight. (During Shukla Paksha, it rises at mid-day when neither the sun nor moon is clearly visible in the day). But every Krishna Paksha Ashtami, the moon rises at midnight.' So Krishna thought: 'He is the moon, and I am Krishna-chandra—I am also a moon! But I cannot appear before the founder of the dynasty in which I am taking birth appears. Let him rise first, and then I will appear just a few minutes later.' That is exactly what happened at midnight. Krishna took birth. And the moon that rose in the sky also had darshan. Krishna's. Krishna is like- Purnendu sundara mukhat—His face is as beautiful as the full moon. When the moon looked at Him, he see—His face was as radiant as a full moon. The moon thought: 'Am I looking at myself? Is this my reflection?' Purnendu indu means moon; Purnendu means the full moon.
Now, on Ashtami, the moon in the sky is only a half-moon. On Amavasya (new moon), there is no moon, and it gradually grows until Ashtami, when it becomes a half-moon. It becomes a full moon only on Purnima. So here we are talking about Ashtami. Listen with your eyes open! Eyes aren't meant for hearing, but when eyes close, ears close too—there is a connection! When the moon beheld Krishna, it was like seeing a full moon. Realizing that Krishna-chandra was appearing in his own dynasty, the moon became overjoyed. His heart filled with supreme joy. At the same time, his face, which was somewhat incomplete as a half-moon, suddenly shone as a full moon! Such an event occurred only once in the history of the universe—a full moon appearing at midnight on Ashtami! So there were two moons: Krishna-chandra and the celestial moon.
Sub theme: Darshan of the Four-Armed Form (Adbhutam Balakam)
tam adbhutaṁ bālakam ambujekṣaṇaṁ
catur-bhujaṁ śaṅkha-gadādy-udāyudham
śrīvatsa-lakṣmaṁ gala-śobhi-kaustubhaṁ
pītāmbaraṁ sāndra-payoda-saubhagam
mahārha-vaidūrya-kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-
tviṣā pariṣvakta-sahasra-kuntalam
uddāma-kāñcy-aṅgada-kaṅkaṇādibhir
virocamānaṁ vasudeva aikṣata
Translate:
“Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons śaṅkha, cakra, gadā and padma. On His chest was the mark of Śrīvatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidūrya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.” (SB 10.3.9-10)
So now Krishna appeared. He did not take birth in the ordinary sense. Last night we were discussing that the Lord's pastimes are of two kinds: Prakata-lila (manifest pastimes) and Aprakata-lila (unmanifest pastimes). Aprakata-lila is also called Nitya-lila (eternal pastimes). In Vrindavan, in Goloka, in Gokula, His eternal pastimes go on continuously. Whenever such a situation arises—a decline in righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness—He says: 'I manifest Myself.' He is already present behind the curtain, and then He manifests. 'I existed before, and I exist after manifesting. My manifest pastime continues on Earth for 125 years.' (Lord Rama manifested His pastimes for 11,000 years, And Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu remained on this earth for 48 years).This is called Prakata-lila. Some incarnations come for a very short duration—Lord Nrsimhadeva did not stay for long. Every incarnation has a different duration for their manifest pastimes.
Krishna becomes the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. But can anyone give birth to the Supreme Lord? He who gives birth to everyone, the source of all—Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami - BS. This is the definition of God in Brahma's words: Govinda is the original person. the Lord is the origin of everyone, but He has no origin. He is the source of all, but no one is His source. That is why the Lord says:
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
Translate:
“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” 'My birth and My activities are divine.' They are transcendental, not worldly. (BG 4.9)
Our parents give birth to our material bodies through the union of male and female. The embryo forms and develops over 10 months and 10 days into a full body. But it is not like that for the Lord! Sukhadeva Gosvami that the Lord did not enter through ordinary physical means. He first appeared within the heart of Vasudeva, then in the heart of Devaki not in the womb through material union. From the heart, for the sake of His pastimes, He was transferred to the womb of Devaki, where He resided and enacted His pastimes before finally appearing.No one have the power to give birth to lord.
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
Translate:
“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (BG 2.20)
This can also be easily understood in these terms: our parents give birth to our physical body, but do they give birth to the soul, The soul already exists! The soul simply enters the body. By the Lord's will during conception, a soul enters the womb. Birth happens, the body lives in a certain species, death occurs, and then The soul leaves that body and enters another body—dehantara (transmigration of the soul). Just as there is relocation to another country (deshantara), there is transmigration to another body (dehantara). Parents do not create the soul— (the soul is never born nor does it die).The same applies to the Supreme Soul (Paramatma). The Supreme Lord is eternal. Vasudeva, Devaki, Kausalya, Dasharatha, Sachi Mata, and Jagannath Mishra play the roles of parents in His pastimes, but they do not create God. The Lord simply manifests through them in that pastime. This is why Krishna Janmashtami must be understood in truth (tattvata). This is an effort to explain that philosophical truth based on the Vedic scriptures.
Sub theme: Reliving the Lila through Shastra-Cakshu (Hearing with Ears as Seeing)
And at the end, Sukadeva Gosvami is narrating the chronicle, and he says Vasudeva aikshata—meaning 'Vasudeva saw.' Vasudeva had His darshan. When a child is born, doesn't the mother see the child? Those present see first. There were Vasudeva and Devaki present. But the very first person to behold the Supreme Lord in that form was Vasudeva. That is why Sukadeva Gosvami specifically says Vasudeva aikshata. Vasudeva saw Him, and Sukadeva Gosvami describes Him here exactly as He appeared. Srila Vyasadeva also must have envisioned it, which is why he authored the Bhagavatam as an empowered incarnation (shaktavesha avatara). (Just as during the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna at Kurukshetra, Sanjaya saw it through spiritual vision. Vyasadeva, through divine grace, heard and wrote the Bhagavad-gita exactly as it was spoken: Sri Bhagavan uvacha, Arjuna uvacha).
vyāsa-prasādāc chrutavān
etad guhyam ahaṁ param
yogaṁ yogeśvarāt kṛṣṇāt
sākṣāt kathayataḥ svayam
Translate:
“By the mercy of Vyāsa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly from the master of all mysticism, Kṛṣṇa, who was speaking personally to Arjuna.” (Bg. 18.75 )
Similarly, Sukhadeva Gosvami was not physically present in the prison cell when the child appeared, but he experienced it through realization and divine vision. He described it in the Bhagavatam and taught it to his disciples, and later narrated it to King Pariksit.
First, Adbhutam balakam—an extraordinary, amazing child! His eyes were ambuja—lotus-like, Chaturbhujam—four-armed, manifesting thus in Mathura, bore special marks: Srivatsa-laksmam—on the left side of His chest, He has a curl of golden hair called Srivatsa, which is the abode of Goddess Lakshmi. Vasudeva and Vyasadeva saw this, Around His neck was the Kanthi Kaustubha gem—Gala-sobhi-kaustubham. (When the ocean was churned and various gems emerged, the eighth gem was Goddess Lakshmi, as mentioned in [Bhagavatam 8.8.8]. When Lakshmi appeared, she chose Lord Narayana. The Kaustubha gem was also offered to Lord Vishnu/Krishna).
He wore Pitambaram—yellow garments, complexion was Sandra-payoda-saubhagam—like a dark monsoon cloud (Ghanashyama). He wore a crown, earrings, and had Varisvak-sahasra-kuntalam—thousands of long, thick, dark, curly locks of hair. He appeared fully clothed and adorned with ornaments—armlets, bangles, and sacred garments!
Does a normal child take birth like this? Have any of you taken birth like this—appearing fully dressed, with jewelry and full locks of long hair? Usually, a newborn's head is shaved or has very little hair. Mother Devaki didn't go shopping in the market for matching clothes and ornaments! Where could she go in a prison cell anyway?
With all these ornaments, garments, and supreme beauty, He was present in the womb—having passed from Vasudeva's heart into Devaki's womb—and He appeared exactly as He eternally is. That is what an avatara (descent) means. It is like someone living on the 10th floor coming down via the elevator to the ground floor; they remain the exact same person. Krishna appears in this world exactly as He is in His eternal abode. So Krishna appeared on the night of Ashtami. Vasudeva aikshata—Vasudeva saw Him, and now we too are beholding Him through the eyes of scripture (shastra-chakshusa).
When we read and hear this eye-witness description of Krishna's beauty and ornaments recorded by Vyasadeva and narrated by Sukadeva Gosvami, the time gap of 5,253 years vanishes! When we read and hear with devotion, it is as if we are observing these events in the present moment. In relation to Krishna, everything is eternal; time has no limiting effect. It is always the present tense.You did not hear the Bhagavad-gita 5,000 years ago, but you can hear it now. Srila Prabhupada says: Arjuna heard it then; you hear it now. There is no difference between Arjuna hearing it and our hearing it. Likewise, Vasudeva saw Krishna then, and now we are beholding and hearing about the merciful Lord today. It is the very same experience.
Gaur Premanande! Hari Hari Bol!"
