Sri Krishna Janmasthami and why we celebrate
First of all I want you wish you Krishna Janmasthami of 2012 (2069
B.S.). Krishna Janmashtami means the Lord Krishna’s Birthday) which is
alternatively called as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami,
Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti or simply Janmashtami
too. Mainly Hindu celebrate this festival of the avatar of the god
Vishnu. Now allow me to share what Srimad Bhagavatam says (1.1.1).
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
Janmady Asya Yato Nvayad Itaratas Cartheshv Abhijnah Svarat.
Tene Brahma Hrida Ya Adi-Kavaye Muhyanti Yat Surayah.
Tejo-Vari-‘mridam Yatha Vinimayo Yatra Tri-sargo ‘mrisha.
Dhamna Svena Sada Nirasta-Kuhakam Satyam Param Dhimahi.
To make easy for you to understand I got some synonyms for you.
1. Om: O my Lord,
2. Namah: Offering my obeisances,
3. Bhagavate: unto the personality of Godhead,
4. Vasudevaya: Unto Vasudeva (the son of Vasudeva), or Lord Sri Krishna,
the primeval Lord,
5. Janma-adi: Creation, sustenance
and destruction,
6. Asya: of the manifested universes,
7. Yatah: from whom,
8. Anvayat: directly,
9. Itaratah: indirectly,
10. Ca: and,
11. Artheshu: purposes,
12. Abhijnah: fully cognizant,
13. Sva-rat: fully independent,
14. Tene: imparted,
15. Brahma: the Vedic knowledge,
16. Hrida: consciousness of the heart,
17. Yah: one who,
18. Adi-kavaye: unto the original created being,
19. Muhyanti: are illusioned,
20. Yat: about whom,
21. Surayah: great sages and demigods,
22. Tejah: fire,
23. Vari: water,
24. Mridam: earth,
25. Yatha: as much as,
26. Vinimayah: action and reaction,
27. Yatra: whereupon,
28. Tri-sargah: three modes of creation, creative faculties,
29. Amrisha: almost factual,
30. Dhamna: along with all transcendental paraphernalia,
31. Svena: self-sufficiently,
32. Sada: always,
33. Nirasta: negation by absence,
34. Kuhakam: illusion,
35. Satyam: truth,
36. Param: absolute,
37. Dhimahi: I do meditate upon.
And here is the translation of above.
O my Lord, Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of
Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord
Sri Krishna because he is the absolute truth and the primeval cause of
all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested
universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all
manifestations, and he is independent because there is no other cause
beyond him. He is the only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto
the heart of Brahmaji, the original living being. By him even the great
sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the
illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water.
Only because of him who do the material universes, temporarily
manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear
factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord
Sri Krishna, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode,
which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material
world. I meditate upon him, for He is the Absolute Truth.
I hope you now understand why Krishna Janmasthami or Birthday of Lord
Krishna is celebrated. Once again before leaving I want to wish you all
a very Happy Krishna Janmasthami 2069.