Janmashtami Festival

Janmashtami marks the celebration of Bhagwan Shri Krishna who is considered as an avatar or incarnation of the great God Vishnu. Lord Krishna, a source of revelation of ultimate reality in the Bhagvad Gita, gave us the vital message through Bhagwat Gita which act as a guiding principle for everybody and specially for hindus. The multifaceted personality who at one end reveals the ultimate reality of life and at the other end is known for his childhood pranks, mischiefs and romantic tales.Sri Krishna is Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar (incarnation) on earth. He is considered to be the Lord’s most glorious incarnations. Even saying and remembering His name brings joy because Sri Krishna himself was a manifestation of joy at all levels and in all walks of life. No other God in the Hindu pantheon, or for that matter in any other religion, is associated with so many romantic tales and so fully radiating with all the divine attributes as Sri Krishna.

Janamashthmi ( Janmashtmi) is also known as Gokulashtami, Krishan Jayanti, Sri Jayanti. Accordong to Bhagwat Purana, the province of Mathura was being ruled by the tyrannical king Kansa. King Kansa was told that the eighth child of his cousin Devaki would be responsible for his death. Enraged, he was about to slay his cousin, when her husband Vasudeva intervened, promising to deliver all their children into Kansa’s hands, if only he would spare Devaki.

About Janmashtami

Kansa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva, and murdered their first six offspring. The seventh, Balarama, was miraculously saved, and the eighth was Krishna, who was rescued and delivered into the hands of Vasudeva’s friends, the cow herders Nanda and Yashoda.Lord Sri Krishna was born on the ‘Rohini’ nakshatram (star) on Ashtami day. This festival is also known as Sri Krishna Jayanti and Janmashtami. The actual day of celebration can be on two different days as the star ‘Rohini’ and Ashtami may not be on the same day. This occurs between August and September on the Christian calendar.The birthday of Krishna, who was born to King Vasudeva and Devaki Devi is celebrated as a festival on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Sravana,which corresponds to the English month of August-September. Therefore Gokuashtami means Gokul – Krishna and Ashtami – eight.

Janmashtami is celebrated with full vigor all over the country. The temple of Ahmedabad the pilgrim towns of Dakore & Dwarka, the fairs of Bayayali & Dwarka, all throng with devotees of the great Lord Krishna. So this Janmashtami make the festival all the more special with janmashtami recipes, wallpapers and janmashtami greetings, e-greetings and e-cards.Plenty of sweets are made. Among these are laddus (yellu oonde), chakli, cheedai, payasam (kheer), and so on. In addition, plenty of milk products especially butter, which was Sri Krishna’s favorite childhood food, are given in offerings. A wide variety of fruits are also offered. The most common sweets made laddus and payasam.

” WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY JANMASHTAMI “

Regards / Tejas Sompura

2 thoughts on “Janmashtami Festival

  1. Here some about Pushti Marg……..

    PUSHTIMARG
    ==========

    In the 15th century, our great Guru Shri Vallabhacharyji Mahaprabhuji was born. He is believed to be incarnation of God representing the face of God. While very young, he studied all the Shastras and became a master. He toured over most parts of India on foot and observed that people had taken to worldly vices. Honesty was lost and most had become impious and hypocritical.He observed that not only the paths of Action and Knowledge but the path of Bhakti (Maryada) was not practicable.When he entered Gokul. It was midnight of the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Shravan of Samvat year 1549. his mind was revolving on the important question of restoring people to the right path of devotion. During the first phase of his pilgrimage he observed that people were divided not only politically and culturally but also spiritually and religiously. Besides, the lives of many were not in consonance with the spiritual teachings. He felt the Vedic rituals had lost their significance and the Mantras were ineffective. The holy places had lost their sanctity, the priestly class were corrupt and those that be took to religious instruction, lacked purity, He conceived the souls of men into three types : (1) the worldly-minded souls, (2) the spiritually-minded souls and (3) the divine souls who aspired for the union with God through devotion (Bhakti). The Acharya was most concerned with the last kind of the souls. When his mind was exceedingly troubled over this question, Suddenly Lord Krishna – Shri Gokulchandramaji (Shrinathji) appeared in front of him. Lord then told him, “Dear one, Your anxiety about the spiritual regeneration of divine souls is well founded. The only way is by self-dedication or consecration of self to Me They should realize that only by consecrating themselves, thier lives, wealth, wives, children, their all to Me can they obtain key to union with Me. They should acknowledge their unstinted duty to Me with humility. Then i shall accept them and gave “Gadya mantra” (Formula for reunion with the lord). Vallabh was very pleased, He offered a garland of cotton thread (pavitra)and mishri to the lord.Next morning, he expounded Pushtimarg by intiating his chief and dearest disciple Damodardas Harsani with Brahmasambandh. Pushti means grace of Lord. Pushtimarga is the path of acquiring the grace of God.Efforts are not enough to acquire this grace.When the Lord bestows the Jivas with His grace, then and then only Jiva can acquire his grace. But, aspirant Jiva can easily acquire this grace through his acceptance by Shri Shrimad Vallabhacharya. For acquiring this grace of God. one has to follow Pushtimarg. He has to accept Shrimad Vallabhacharya as his Guru. If he is found fit, then Shrimad Vallabhacharya accepts him as a disciple and initiates him with Brhamasambandha. Jiva has nothing of its own. So while getting initiated with Brhmasamdanda, one has to dedicate everything, including the soul itself, to God and has to become a humble servant of the Lord. He has to accept absolute surrender to God. Then his duty is only to serve to the best of his ability his master.In this Manrta the Jeevatma introduces itself. It says
    1) I am part of Bhagvan Shri Krishna2) I have been seperated from him for thousands of years3) Hence I have forgotten Bhagvan Krishna completely4) I have not felt the need or the thirst to seek Him and reunite with Him. Now I have come to realize that mistake. I am such an embodied soul. Jeevatma pledges in front of Him, ‘Oh Krishna! My body, It’s ten Sensory organs, this life, my mind, my husband/wife, my Children, my family, any house, all my wealth, all my Karmas in this life and lives hereafter, along with my ‘atma soul’, I surrender to you. you are their Master from today. Nothing is mine, everything is yours. I will not use any of above for my happiness, But I will use it in my capacity as your servant, oh Krishna! I am yours. He doesn’t have to worry about himself or his dependents – Lord himself will take care of him. He has not to ask or expect anything in exchange for his services. He has to serve his master with pure love and just to serve his master with pure love and just for the sake of love. God will give him what he needs but not what he asks.
    By initiation with Brhmasambanda, all the sins of the soul are burnt. He becomes sinless and pious. But to save himself from sins in future, he should act in such a way that except for the name of God, nothing enters his mind. he has to dedicate everthing he eats, drinks. and after the use of it by god he should use it as Prasad of God.
    Thus, Pushti is a path of pure love and devotion. It is dedicated to God before you use it. If you have anything you have to dedicate it to God before you use it. If you have nothing. God is pleased with your loving devotion. Pushtimarg is the path in which you can be in the company of God in your present life as well as in the life after …….

    Rgds / Tejas

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