The festival of Krishna Janmashtami commemorates the birth of Lord Vishnu's eighth avatar. Jhankis are decorated on this day by Krishna devotees. Gokulashtami and Shri Krishna Jayanti are other names for Krishna Janmashtami.
In Gujarat, Janmashtami is observed as Satam Atham in Gujarat and Ashtami Rohini in South India, particularly in Kerala.
Early in the day is when Krishna Janmashtami festivities start. At midnight, after Kanha Maakhan's birth, devotees decorate Jhula and offer him mishri. Moreover, Dahi Handi celebrations are held around the nation.
In this blog, I'll talk about Lord Krishna's life and the principles that still make sense today.
Sadhguru brilliantly narrates the amazing tale of Lord Krishna. The stages begin by revealing to us Krishna's distinct personality and talking about what it takes to follow Krishna's path, the road of the playful and brahmacharya.
Who is Lord Krishna?
The essence of Krishna is an indefatigable child, a terrible prankster, an enchanting flute player, a graceful dancer, an irresistible lover, a truly valiant warrior, a vicious victor over his enemies, a man who left a broken heart in every home, an astute diplomat and kingmaker, a thorough gentleman, a yogi of the highest caliber, and the most colorful embodiment.
Lord Krishna has been perceived in different ways by different people. For example, according to Duryodhana, Krishna is a "smiling thief if there ever was one." He is capable of eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. He can play with young children, make love, quarrel, and engage in elderly women's gossip. Who says he is God? That was what Duryodhana believed.
Krishna is with me, Radhe, the childhood love of Lord Krishna, who grew to such greatness that you cannot discuss Krishna without Radhe. We don't say "Krishna Radhe," we say "Radhe Krishna." Wherever he is, he is with me always. He is still with me, whoever he may be with. That was what she believed.
The list could go on. Different individuals recognized various sides of his personality. He is God to some. Some believe he is a thief. He is a lover of some people. He is a fighter for some. He is a lot of things.
According to Sadhguru, we need Leela if we want to experience the core of what we mean when we refer to Krishna and if we want to be connected by the consciousness that we call Krishna. Leela translates to "the road of the playful," meaning that we tackle life's most profound and serious issues in a lighthearted manner. Krishna won't be there if it doesn't happen. A large portion of the world's population has missed out on some of life's most profound qualities because they cannot have fun.
You need a heart full of love, a happy mind, and a lively body to delightfully explore this route. There is only Leela. You must be willing to play with your consciousness, imagination, memory, life, and death to whimsically explore the most profound facets of life. Only then is Leela possible if you're ready to experiment with everything. Leela doesn't just refer to dancing with someone. It indicates your readiness to dance with life. You are prepared to dance with anyone—your enemy, the person you love, or even yourself—right up until the moment of your demise. There is Leela .
The Happy Child: Krishna Leela
There are several ways to view the happy child in Lord Krishna and his play:
Butter Tales
When he was younger, Krishna was known for stealing butter, which kept the Gopis continually on their toes. This shows how well-prepared and competent Krishna was in his efforts!
The Endearing Thief
Krishna's frivolous antics as a child were the very soul of him, and yet his radiating happiness won everyone around him.
The Women in Krishna's Life
Sadhguru talks about Krishna's relationships with the numerous beautiful ladies that entered his life, such as Yashodha, Radhe, and Putana herself—who converted to devotion at the last minute.
Radhe Krishna
Without Radhe, there is no Krishna. The word "Radhe" is derived from the word "Ras," which implies love or life's juice. "The giver" is what the word "dhe" signifies. No one could separate them, to the point where even thousands of years later, we are unable to conceptualize them as two distinct individuals. She said it herself, "I live in him." I am home to him. And that is it. He is only with me, therefore it makes no difference where he is or who he is with. He is unable to be anywhere else. Radhe does not believe in the world. Only Krishna is real. She is an incredibly vibrant immortal being, but she is not a great social human being.
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The Dance of Passion: Raas Leela
On the banks of the Yamuna, as Krishna played his flute, the Gopis performed the amazing, ecstatic dance known as the Raas.
"Krishna And The Gop Utsav"
Around the age of 15, Krishna persuaded his tribe to participate in the Gopotsav, a festival honoring life. His status as the community's leader started to grow at this moment.
In addition to his endearing character and endearing disposition, Lord Krishna has other personas. He was once a Brahmachari and a beggar. Let's have a look at his trip as a mighty beggar.
As a Brahmachari, Lord Krishna is the Magnificent Beggar.
After executing Kamsa at the age of 16, Krishna gained respect as a leader. But his Guru Gargacharya told him, "You now need education for what you are destined to be." Everything else is available to you, but you must practice a certain discipline. Aspire to learn from Sandipani. Thus, Krishna acted. Balarama and a couple of the other princes who had accompanied him laughed as they remarked, "You have lived such a lively life, how can you become a brahmachari?"In certain circumstances, I did what I did," Krishna stated. I've always been a brahmachari, though. You'll see that I'll take this oath seriously and keep it.
Krishna lived as a brahmachari for six years, learning numerous skills and other subjects under Sandipani's tutelage and blessing. He mastered how to use all arm types and specialized in the discus throw. A discus is a metal disc that, when used properly, may be a lethal weapon. Krishna took it to a very different level.
At that time, Krishna behaved like any other brahmachari and begged for food on the streets. You don't get to pick your food when you go out begging. You simply consume it with devotion, regardless of whether the food that they placed in your dish is good, rotten, or in any other way. Never should a brahmachari consider the type of food being served to him. He shouldn't decide what to eat and what to avoid. You are on the divine path when you identify as a brahmachari. While eating is necessary, food is not the only source of nourishment.
Lord Krishna, therefore, evolved into a flawless brahmachari. Krishna, who had previously worn a diadem, peacock feathers, and silk clothing, was suddenly only wearing a strip of deerskin and was entirely focused on his new sadhana. Never had the world seen a more magnificent beggar. People were in awe of his beauty and the grace, commitment, and focus with which he roamed the streets in search of the meager amount of food he needed for the day. He had the option to become an emperor at any time, yet he spent the last six years of his life begging on the streets.
The Life-Changing Teachings of Lord Krishna
The value of karma or concentrating on your duties
In the Gita, Lord Krishna instructs us to control our emotions and focus on our moral obligation, or dharma, anytime we are faced with a moral conundrum of any kind.
Weakened by emotions, we often stray from the right path. The dharmic path is objective, but love, hate, jealousy, and attachment are subjective emotions. Emotions shouldn't take precedence over the dharma path.
According to Lord Krishna, the only way the mind may be at peace is if we consider Kurukshetra, which is our battleground, to be our dharamkshetra, or place of duty.
Everything happens for the good.
According to Lord Krishna, everything happens for a reason. There must be a reason for both your good and bad phases, even if you are now experiencing success. So, it is a loop that you must quietly accept.
Both the past and the future are unimportant, so stop worrying about them. However, you can only control the present moment. Because of this, it is claimed that you can only control the present, so make the most of it.
No work is big or small.
According to Lord Krishna, there is no such thing as a big or small duty. Regardless of how big or small the task is, you should always love what you do and give it your all.
Work occupies a significant portion of life, and the only way to be fully content is to appreciate and embrace all types of jobs.
Goodwill is always appreciated.
"The doer of good never comes to grief," says Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna will provide safety for anybody who performs their duties. Additionally, he asserts that people are rational beings with freedom of choice.
Our destiny will be determined by the decisions we make in life. Those who select the route of adharma to perish as a result of their own wrongdoing, whereas those who follow the path of goodness are safeguarded by Lord Krishna.
Everyone needs a genuine friend
Lord Krishna and Draupadi have a mutually dependable and united connection. She was getting dressed in the royal palace when Lord Krishna came to her aid like a genuine friend.
Like Draupadi, we should keep Krishna in mind anytime we are going through a difficult time or the most trying time of our lives, because we can be confident that he will show up to save us. The chains of our karma can be broken by him.
The friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama is well known to us all. Even his companion was in need, but there was something to be learned from the way Krishna handled Sudama. He showed us that the key components of a lasting friendship are respect and love.
Conclusion:
Many traditions and belief systems have developed numerous strategies for preparing a person for a higher possibility. One approach is Brahmacharya. Leela is unique in her way. In Leela, everything that you think to be "me"—including your body, mind, and emotions—is used to entice you. Whatever you do, whether it's chanting, dancing, eating, or singing, just dedicate yourself to it. You have to be feminist energy( despite any gender ) like Lord Krishna.
According to Sadguru, the feminine is by definition one who surrenders, merges, and receives. The moon is without inherent qualities. It is merely reflecting the sun, but look at how lovely it has turned out to be. It wouldn't be like that if the moon took independent action. That is distinct from the sun, which sustains and gives life. However, the moon is playing a far bigger role than the sun in terms of allowing you to experience something ethereal, sparking some poetry or love in you because it is only a reflection and lacks any inherent qualities.
The only way to know the divine is to be devoid of all personal qualities. You merely turn into a reflection. What will you reflect on if you turn into a reflection? the only Ultimate.
It is possible to think of Lord Krishna as a charming child, lover, brahmachari, or king. He takes amusing paths, which teaches us to enjoy life and take things lightly, but he also chooses the brahmacharya road to acquire discipline. This shows that enjoying nature doesn't excuse you from responsibility. Enjoy life, but be accountable for your actions.