The celebration of the auspicious Sri Krishna Janmashtami, the divine appearance day of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Lord who descended to protect the righteous and destroy evil, was held at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, at all our Ashrams and at some of the Society’s branches. Born at midnight in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva, Sri Krishna is the embodiment of love, compassion, wisdom and divine joy. Sri Krishna Janmashtami, marks the divine birth of Lord Krishna. Born to uphold righteousness, His life reminds us that whenever evil prevails, the Divine descends to restore Dharma. 

Ganga Arati at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, commenced at 5.30pm followed by Satsang, which concluded at midnight. The Satsang programme comprised a variety of spiritually elevating and inspiring items, namely, Kirtans, Bhajans, readings, an audio message by Pujya Swami Sahajananda, a children’s item, guest artistes, a play recording, a Bhagavad Gita recital, a video, a DVD and the cradle Bhajan, Jaya Nandalala.

A summarised version of the reading from Hindu Fasts and Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda, gives a succinct account of the Lord’s descent. The Master says that there are three reasons for His Divine Descent: to destroy the wicked demons, to play the leading role in the great war fought on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (where He delivered His wonderful message of the Bhagavad Gita), and to become the centre of a marvellous development of the Bhakti schools of India. There is no true science except devotion to Lord Krishna. Sri Swami Sivananda says that, that man is wealthy indeed who loves Radha and Sri Krishna, and that there is no sorrow other than lack of devotion to Sri Krishna. The holy Name, virtues and Lilas (divine pastimes) of Sri Krishna are the chief things to be remembered. The sacred Feet of Sri Krishna and Radha are the chief objects of meditation. The Master extols the nature and virtues of the Lord in, “Sri Krishna is the ocean of bliss. His soul-stirring Lilas, which are the wonder of wonders, are its waves. The honeyed music of His flute attracts the minds of His devotees from all the three regions. His breath-taking and unsurpassed beauty amazes both animate and inanimate beings. He adores His friends with His incomparable love.

The Lord’s admirable feats are captured by Sri Swami Sivananda in, “He taught the supreme truths of Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He mastered the sixty-four fine arts in sixty-four days. For all these reasons, He is regarded as a full and complete manifestation of God. Incarnations of God appear for special reasons and under special circumstances. Whenever there is the prevalence of much unrighteousness and confusion, and disorder set in on account of unrighteousness and hamper the well-ordered progress of mankind, whenever the balance of human society is upset by ruthless and cruel beings, whenever irreligion is prevalent on a large scale, whenever the foundations of social organisations are undermined, then the Lord Himself incarnates in order to re-establish righteousness and restore peace”.

The reading, “Departure of Uddhava, Part 1”, extracted from Sri Krishna’s Lila by Vanamali, gives a lucid account of Lord Krishna’s advice on His worship. He said, “There are many ways in which I may be worshipped, O Uddhava, but the safe rule is to offer everything to Me as I have already told you. But if you still wish to offer something, remember that whatever is offered with love I will gladly accept. Be it a leaf, a flower, some fruit or even water, if offered with love, I will be immensely pleased. The best Puja is that which is done without any desires, for then I Myself will decide what is best for the devotee. At the end of the Puja, if you renounce the sense of doership and offer your very soul to Me then the Puja will purify you”.  When Uddhava asked what he should do if he was in the desert and not even water is available, the Lord smiled and said, “So long as the water in your eyes is not dried up, My friend, do not fear. One drop from My devotee’s eyes is more precious to Me than the costliest diamond”.

Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio recording narrated the story of the poor Brahmin, Sudama, who met Lord Krishna after a while. He and Lord Krishna were childhood friends and fellow students at the Ashram of Guru Sandipani. Sudama was deeply devoted to God. Though Sudama lived a life of poverty, his heart overflowed with devotion, simplicity, and contentment. He and his wife often went without food. Despite their poverty, Sudama never once asked for help, not even from Lord Krishna, who by then had become the King of Dwaraka and lived in unimaginable prosperity. One day, at the urging of his wife, he visited Lord Krishna. As an offering to Lord Krishna, his wife tied a small bundle of rice which she got from neighbours. When Sudama reached Lord Krishna’s magnificent palace, the Lord embraced his childhood friend, washed Sudama’s feet and sprinkled the water on His head. Sudama felt shy and embarrassed about his humble gift, but Lord Krishna, with great joy, snatched the small bundle of rice and ate a handful with delight. When He was about to eat more, Rukmini gently stopped him, for with each mouthful, the Lord was granting Sudama untold prosperity. Sudama spent the night in bliss with Lord Krishna but never asked for wealth or help. His heart was filled only with love for his friend. When he finally returned home, his little hut had transformed into a grand palace, and he and his wife had untold riches. The Lord had silently blessed His friend with abundance, without Sudama ever asking. The story of Sudama and Lord Krishna teaches that true friendship is based on love, not wealth, that God values true Bhakti, devotion and humility over material offerings, and when one surrenders to God with a pure heart, blessings come unasked.

The theme of love of an ardent devotee for the Lord, was again amplified in the play reading, “Krishna’s Jewels” by Sri Swami Sivananda. Kala the robber received the Lord’s Darshan and vision because of his intense desire to see the Lord, although his intention was to rob the Lord and Balarama of their jewels. 

The delightful song by our Spiritual Darlings (children) of the Reservoir Hills Sunday School, was an apt offering on this occasion. Dressed as deities, their innocence and beauty captivated the hearts of all. The Bhagavad Gita recital with English meanings, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s Bhajans on Lord Krishna, the DVD – Message of Sivananda, and a video on Lord Krishna, all added to the celestial atmosphere of the occasion, and were deeply inspirational. The cradle Bhajan, Jaya Nandalala  was a fitting conclusion to this divine experience. 

The evening’s programme had several guest artistes. Dr Veena Lutchman and Sri Rajish Lutchman made their offering with their mellifluous renditions of soulful Kirtans and Bhajans. Both artistes are accomplished musicians with deep love for our Divine Master and Pujya Swami Sahajananda. The Natya Kalayalam Academy of Dance and Music, under the esteemed guidance of Guru Smt Kantharuby Munsamy, a highly respected Bharatanatyam teacher and choreographer, rendered a beautiful Bharatanatyam dance. The Kathak dance by Kashmira Bhajan a student of the Kala Darshan Institute of Indian Classical Music and Dance, paid obeisance to Lord Krishna. Kashmira’s dance was a prayer in movement, rhythm and grace.

Let us all find comfort and solace in Lord Krishna’s Divine Name, as He revealed the power of His Name to Uddhava, “He who listens to the story of My life, he who narrates it or explains it to others, will sanctify himself as well as his listeners. If even this is too difficult, O Uddhava, take a dip in the flowing river of My Names. The chanting of My Name alone is enough to attain liberation…They can be enjoyed and repeated by anyone regardless of birth or sex. Sweeter than honey is My Name, giving bliss to those who utter it as well as to those who hear it. It is the ripe, juicy fruit of the Vedas. Like a calf following its mother, I Myself will follow the one who calls on My Name, in order to see that no harm comes to him. Thus, listening to the tales about My life and, chanting My Names, you will definitely be victorious over death itself”. The Lord further advised Uddhava, “Go to the temples, O Uddhava! I will be residing there. And if you are in doubt as to where my temples are situated, I will tell you. My temples are in the hearts of My devotees. Therefore, go to where My devotees congregate. Wherever you hear My Names chanted and My stories recited, there will I also be. Seek for Me therefore amongst My devotees, for through them will I ever manifest Myself in this world!”