Source: Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly:"Janmashtami"
This video from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly depicts Hindus of the Rajdhani Mandir Temple in Chantilly, Va., celebrating the birthday of Lord Krishna on the holy day of Janmashtami. Krishna is the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, a god of the Trimurti. During Janmashtami, Hindus often recreate the story of Krishna’s beginnings with a celebration involving a live baby in a cradle. They also rotate a flame clockwise around a Krishna statue and receive offerings made of butter and milk.
Download and ShareHinduism Glossary (Document)
In Hindu tradition, gods appear on earth whenever there is chaos, to restore order. Janmashtami, the holy day that celebrates Lord Krishna’s birth, acknowledges the deity's entrance and divine purpose in the world. Lord Krishna is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu, a god of the Trimurti. Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day of Sravana, the tenth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, which usually falls sometime in August or September.
The origins of the Janmashtami celebration stem from the story of the baby Krishna. According to one legend, Vishnu -- tired of the tyrannical king Kamsa -- announced Kamsa's rule would come to an end with the birth of the son of Vishnu's sister, Devki. Determined to prevent this, Kamsa imprisoned Devki and her husband, Vasudev, and then killed six of their newborn sons. Devki’s seventh child, Balarama, was moved from her womb to the womb of Rohini, the consort of Vasudev. When the eighth son, Krishna, was born, Vasudev smuggled him away at midnight in a basket balanced upon his head. The grown Krishna later returned and killed Kamsa, freeing the world of his evil deeds.
Hindus observe Janmashtami over two days at temples, community centers and homes. Devotees fast for 24 hours before the celebration, which begins at midnight when a statue representing the deity is placed in a cradle and bathed in panchamrit, a mixture of milk, ghee (clarified butter), honey, gangajil (water from the Ganges River) and tulsi leaves. The panchamrit is later given to devotees as a prasad. While bathing the deity, devotees chant Krishna’s name 108 times. Sometimes, a live baby is placed and rocked in a cradle, then carried through the crowd. Some of the devotional practices that take place during the celebration include chanting kirtans, reciting Sanskrit verse, performing aarti, waving lights, presenting flowers, and ringing bells.
Krishna leaves perhaps his most indelible impression on Hindus in the role he plays in the Bhagavad Gita, a poem that is part of an epic war text called the Mahabharata, written between 400 BCE and 400 CE. The Gita is written in the form of a dialogue between Krishna and Prince Arjuna who agonizes over decisions he must make about a war against his own kinsmen. Krishna, as teacher, companion and divine charioteer, presents the essential components of warrior-king behavior to Arjuna: dharma (duty), yoga (discipline), karma (action), jnana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion). Disciplined action without attachment to outcome, and executed with complete devotion to Krishna, are fundamental ideals of the Gita, as well as the goals of many Hindus to this day.
NIDHI SINGH (Rajdhani Mandir Temple, Chantilly, Virginia): In Hinduism we believe in one God. However, our one God has several forms — Brahma, who’s the creator, Vishnu, who is the preserver, and Shiva, who’s the destructor of all evil. Lord Krishna is a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. The teachings that Lord Kirshna imparted in the “Gita” I can take from that and incorporate into my life and find hope, guidance, spirituality, peace, comfort, many different things.
The devotees come here to participate and celebrate Lord Krishna’s birth. When we celebrate Lord Krishna — and there’s a lot of singing and dancing because that’s what he used to do when he as younger. There’s loud chanting, and people are singing and getting very excited about the midnight hour, and we’re getting ready to welcome Krishna. As the midnight hour approaches, we dim the lights.
The priest comes out and actually brings a live baby in a cradle, carrying him on his head, depicting how it truly happened with Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna was carried in a cradle by his father on his head to safety, to keep him safe from the evil king.
What we do is called “ardi,” which means we take a flame, rotate it clockwise around the God, and worship him with that flame, and then that flame is offered to the congregation to take the blessings.
The priests start handing out “prasad,” which is God’s offerings — food items, typically milk-based products, because Lord Krishna was very fond of milk and butter.
I come here with all my worries, my thoughts from the outside world, everything that’s on my mind. I’m giving up my ego. I’m leaving behind my worries and being reminded of God’s love, of not feeling defeated by any hardship that I might be facing and getting strength to continue to do my dharma as Krishna taught — continuing to do the right things, not questioning why or what I’m going to get in return for it.
Loading Standards
Background Essay
Print Background Essay
