LORD KRISHNA Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

On the holy Krishna Janmashtami, the ladies in South India decorate their houses
beautifully, ready to welcome the Lord. They prepare various sweetmeats and offer them to the
Lord. Butter was Krishna’s favourite, and this is also offered. From the doorway to the inner
meditation room of the house the floor is marked with a child’s footprints, using some flour mixed
with water. This creates the feeling in them that the Lord’s own Feet have made the mark. They treat
the day as one of very great rejoicing. There is recitation of the Bhagavatam, singing and praying
everywhere.
The Janmashtami is celebrated at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, with the following
programme of intense spiritual activity:
1. During the preceding eight days, Japa of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is done
intensely.
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KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI
2. Those who can, will recite the Bhagavatam during this period. Others will listen to it
being recited.
3. On the birthday itself everyone fasts and spends the whole day in holy communion.
4. Everyone greets others with the holy Mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
5. A grand havan is performed on that day.
6. There is continuous Satsang from 4a.m. early in the morning till night. Yogis, Sannyasins
and learned men discourse upon the glorious life and teachings of the Lord.
7. From sunset people assemble in the elaborately decorated temple and sing the Lord’s
Names and glories.
8. Many hymns and portions of the Bhagavatam, especially the Gopika Geetam, are recited.
9. Towards midnight, there is a grand worship of Lord Krishna. The Lord is bathed with
milk while His Name is chanted 108 times.
10. This worship concludes with offerings of flowers, waving of lights (Arati), and reading
of that portion of the Bhagavatam which deals with the birth of Krishna. This synchronises with
midnight, the hour of the Lord’s birth, at which time the murti of the Lord is rocked in a beautifully
decorated cradle. After this item, all the assembled devotees partake of the holy prasad or
sacrament, and then retire, filled with the Grace and blessings of Lord Krishna.
If you cannot read the whole of the Srimad Bhagavatam during these days, at least you
should recite the following four most important verses from the book. The leading two verses and
the closing verse are the prologue and the epilogue respectively:
“Hear from Me the most secret knowledge coupled with the essential experience and its
component parts.
“May you realise by My Grace, the knowledge of Myself and what form, qualities and
actions I am endowed with.
1. “Before creation I alone existed. There was nothing, neither existence nor non-existence.
I am that which remains after dissolution.
2. “Understand that to be Maya or illusion which is devoid of any purpose, which is not to be
found in the Self and which is unreal like light and darkness.
3. “As the primary elements are amalgamated, with one another and also separate from one
another at the same time, so I pervade the whole universe and am also separate from it.
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HINDU FASTS & FESTIVALS
4. “The aspirant should, by the method of positive and negative, know that thing which
exists always and everywhere.
“Experience this truth through the highest superconscious state so that you will not be
disturbed even by illusory objects”.
There is another beautiful verse in the Bhagavatam which you can recite daily: “In days of
yore, the Lord, born of Devaki, brought up in the house of Yasoda, killed the wicked Putana of
illusive form and lifted the Govardhana hill, killed Kamsa and the sons of the Kuru race, and
protected the sons of Kunti. Thus is recited the essence of the ancient Bhagavat Purana consisting
of the nectarine stories of the deeds of Lord Krishna”.
May the blessings of Lord Krishna and Sri Radha be upon you all!