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Krishna Janmashtami 

THIS IS THE birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation. It 
falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada 
(August-September). This is one of the greatest of all Hindu festivals. Lord 
Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this 
day, which is broken at midnight.
Temples are decorated for the occasion. Kirtans are sung, bells are rung, 
the conch is blown, and Sanskrit hymns are recited in praise of Lord 
Krishna. At Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, special spiritual 
gatherings are organised at this time. Pilgrims from all over India attend 
these festive gatherings.
The Lord appeared when the moon entered the house of Vrishabha at the 
constellation of the star Rohini, on Wednesday, the 8th day of the second 
fortnight of the month of Sravana, which corresponds to the month of 
Bhadrapada Krishnapaksha according to the Barhaspatyamana, in the year of 
Visvavasu, 5,172 years ago (from 1945), which means 3227 B.C.
Study the Bhagavatam and the Pancharatras, which are equal to the 
Upanishads. You will know all about the glory of Lord Krishna, His Lilas and 
superhuman deeds. The eighth Avatara, Krishna, who has become the Beloved of 
India and the world at large, had a threefold objective: 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 
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. That man is 
wealthy indeed who loves Radha and Krishna. There is no sorrow other than 
lack of devotion to Krishna. He is the foremost of the emancipated who loves 
Krishna. There is no right course, except the society of Sri Krishna’s 
devotees. The Name, virtues and Lilas (divine pastimes) of Krishna are the 
chief things to be remembered. The Lotus Feet of Radha and Krishna are the 
chief objects of meditation.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 three 
regions. His unequalled and unsurpassed wealth of beauty amazes the animate 
and the inanimate beings. He adorns His friends with His incomparable love.
His palms bear the signs of a lotus and discus, the right sole of His feet 
of a flag, lotus, thunderbolt, an iron goad, barley seed, and the Swastika. 
His left sole has the rainbow, triangle, water-pot, crescent, sky, fish, and 
a cow’s footprint. His Form is composed of condensed universal 
consciousness and bliss. His Body pervades the entire cosmos.Devotion is the 
only means of attaining Lord Krishna. Bhakti kindles love for the Lord. When 
love is directed towards Krishna, man is freed from the bondage of the 
world.
Though Lord Krishna appeared in a human body, He had a divine body not 
composed of the five elements. He did not take any birth here in the usual 
sense of the term. He did not die. He appeared and disappeared through His 
Yoga Maya as He has declared in the Gita. This is a secret, known only to 
His devotees, Yogis and sages.
His enchanting form with flute in hand is worshipped in myriads of homes in 
India. It is a form to which is poured out devotion and supreme love from 
the hearts of countless devotees not only in India but also in the West. 
Millions of spiritual seekers worship Him and repeat His Mantra, Om Namo 
Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
Lord Krishna was great in knowledge, great in emotion, great in action, all 
at once. The scriptures have not recorded any life more full, more intense, 
more sublime and grander than the life of Sri Krishna.
Krishna has played various roles during His stay in the world. He was 
Arjuna’s charioteer. He was an excellent statesman. He was a master 
musician; he gave lessons even to Narada in the art of playing the veena. 
The music of His flute thrilled the hearts of the Gopis and everyone else 
He was a cowherd in Brindavan and Gokul. He exhibited miraculous powers even 
as a child. He killed many demons. He revealed His Comic Form to His mother, 
Yasoda. He performed the Rasa Lila, the secret of which can only be 
understood by devotees like Narada, Gauranga, Radha and the Gopis. He taught 
the supreme Truth of Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He had 
mastered every one of the sixty-four fine arts. For all these reasons He is 
regarded as a full and complete manifestation of God.Incarnations of God 
appear for special reasons under special circumstances. Whenever there is 
much unrighteousness, whenever confusion and disorder set in on account of 
unrighteousness and baffle the well-ordered progress of mankind, whenever 
the balance of human society is upset by selfish, ruthless and cruel beings, 
whenever irreligion and unrighteousness prevail, whenever the foundations of 
social organisations are undermined, the great Incarnation of God appears in 
order to re-establish righteousness and to restore peace.
An Incarnation is the descent of God for the ascent of man. A ray from the 
Cosmic Being in His potential state of manifestation descends on earth with 
mighty powers to keep up the harmony of the universe. The work done by the 
Incarnation of God and His teachings produce a benign influence on human 
beings and help them in their upward divine unfoldment and Self-realisation.
The Incarnation comes to reveal the divine nature of man and makes him rise 
above the petty materialistic life of passion and egoism.
The greatest manifestations are called Incarnations proper. Rishis, Munis, 
prophets, sons of God and messengers of God are minor manifestations.
The Incarnations usually come with their particular or favourite groups or 
companions. Lord Rama came with Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Lord 
Krishna came with Balarama, Devas and Rishis. Sanaka came with Sanandana, 
Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata. Some, like Sri Shankara and Ramanuja, come as 
teachers and spiritual leaders. Some, like Chaitanya, are born to instill 
devotion in the hearts of people and turn their minds towards God. The 
Incarnations proper, like Krishna, come only when there is widespread 
catastrophe in the world. 

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.
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.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! 

Dr. Sadagopan writes: 

> SrI: 
> 
> Dear Srimathy Saroja Ramanujam : 
> 
> Let me congratulate you on the successful completion 
> of the great Kaavyam of YaadhavAbhudhaya by 
> Swamy Desikan just before Sri Jayanthy . 
> 
> This is a great accomplishment with our Lord's
> anugraham . On behalf of Oppiliappan Group ,
> I extend my sincere thanks . 
> 
> NamO SrI VaasudEvAya ,
> V.Sadagopan  
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: sarojram18 
>   To: Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>   Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 10:02 PM
>   Subject: [Oppiliappan] Yadhavabhyudhaya concluded-chapter24 
> 
> 
>   The Final chapter- Chapter24-Krishna  the husband 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna returning to Dvaraka was intent in pleasing his wives who got him 
> as their husband due to the merits acquired in their previous lives. 
> 
>   He is described By Desika thus: 
> 
>    Krthuvidhiniyathah api akarmavaSyah 
> 
>   Parichitha kAmaraso api veetharAgah 
> 
>   Nagaravasathih api aSeshavAsah 
> 
>   kaThamiva kena sa vibhuh varNaneeyah 
> 
>   (YAD.24.2) 
> 
>  
> 
>   He was not bound by karma even though he was performing the sacrificial 
> rites according to kshathriyadharma. That is, his sacrifices were  not done 
> for the fruit ordained in the Vedas. He was enjoying married life but was 
> detached. That is, he was not influenced by desire. He was living in Dvaraka 
> but yet he was present everywhere. Hence, says Desika, how and by whom can be 
> described as being such and such?  
> 
>  
> 
>   His conduct and story of his life was like that of a rajarshi  and extolled 
> by the sages. Dvaraka became rich in treasures and superior to the three 
> abodes of the Lord described in the Vedas., namely, Vaikunta, ksheerasagara 
> and the region of the Sun.( This may be because His soulabhya, easy 
> accessibility out of love  excelled His parathva, supremacy. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna established dharma with the association of the sages. He looked 
> after the royal duties with the  help of those who were well versed in the 
> Vedas. With his superhuman power took many forms and  pleased his many wives. 
>  Desika says that even the yogis who have superhuman powers can do so but 
> their doings will be subjected to their karma and their enjoyment will be 
> dependent on their indhriyas. But Krishna, being the supreme purusha did not 
> need His indhriyas because he is atheendhriya, beyond the senses.(in 
> manthraraja padhasthothra it is said `sarvendhriyairapi vinA sarvam sarvathra 
> sarvadha yo jAnAthi namAmi Adhyam tham aham sarvathomukham ,'- that is, He 
> knows everything everywhere and always without the need of the indhriyas.) 
> 
>  
> 
>   Naturally Krishna being the one who gives everything and also moksha to 
> those who always contemplate on nothing but Him only, fulfilled all the 
> desires of His wives. Since he tok many forms and pleased his wives 
> simultaneously, says Desika, even Narada could not stage any of his kalahas 
> to create misunderstanding among his wives. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna not only gave them his love but also instill devotion which will 
> destroy the fear of samsara. 
> 
>   Krishna played with his wives who were fortunate, by making swings for them 
> from ropes(gunas) resembling the three gunas of his maya. The implication is 
> that like the motion of the swing up and down the Lord makes the good souls 
> ascend to heaven  and descend to be born in good wombs by the play of the 
> three gunas. 
> 
>   By drenching them with coloured water he created anuraga (red colour as 
> well as love ) on them in and out. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Anukrtha nija Sakthibhih priyAbhih  
> 
>   Saha gunabanDhavibhaktha sanniveSaih 
> 
>   Muhuriha nipathathbhih uthpathathbhih 
> 
>   karaNavaSairiva kanshykaih adheevyath 
> 
>   (Yad.24.32) 
> 
>  
> 
>   With his wives like his three shakthis, Sri, Bhoo and NeelA, Krishna played 
> with the balls tied to the ropes and which rose and fall. It was like His 
> leela with the jivas tied to the three gunas  which he enjoys with his three 
> consorts.  
> 
>   When Krishna, who hides in his three heavenly abodes  played hide and seek 
> with his wives he only bound their eyes but they never bound his eyes 
> thinking that to do so will create blindness to the three worlds. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna, who instructed the sages like Sanaka in his incarnation as 
> Hayagreeva and Hamsa, was also adept in  the instruction of love to his 
> wives. It was like Upanishad for the women whatever he told them in private 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna made himself many and was present in the house of every one of his 
> wives and they took away his footwear to prevent him from leaving them and 
> hence he could not move anywhere! 
> 
>  
> 
>   Describing the various ways in which the wives of Krishna enjoyed his 
> company, Desiks exclaims 
> 
>  
> 
>   Ajanishatha kutho nu bhAgaDheyAth 
> 
>   thribhuvanamangaldheepikAh SubhAngyah 
> 
>   yadhupathi sahadharmachArineebhih 
> 
>   sukham anagham bhuvi yAbhih anvabhAvi 
> 
>   (Yad.24.63) 
> 
>  
> 
>   Whatever was the good merit acquired by these women who were born to become 
> the wives of Krishna and experienced the unparalleled joy in this life! They 
> considered him as human not knowing that he wasthe supreme purusha whose 
> consort is Sridevi and who used to sleep in the bed of Adhisesha. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Yathibhih anububhooshithah sah thAbhih  
> 
>   yadhupathih adhbhutharoopavesha Seelah 
> 
>   nirupaDhika rasAmrthougha sinDhuh 
> 
>   sathatham aporvam apoorvam anvabhAvi 
> 
>   (Yad.24.67) 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna , with whom the sages who have controlled their senses wished to 
> enjoy, assumed wonderful forms and qualities and was the ocean of limitless 
> stream of the nectar of love, and was enjoyed by the women as though he is 
> ever new (nithyayuva). To see the glory of those women the yogis who have 
> achieved the superhuman powers ridiculed their achievement. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Desika describes the experience of the women as 
> 
>  
> 
>   Sarithah iva mrgeedhrsah tham ekam 
> 
>   Mahitha guNougha mahodhaDhim bajanthyah 
> 
>    avibharuh anapAyam aikarasyam  
> 
>   munigaNithascha sa eva mukthabhogah(Yad.24.69)  
> 
>  
> 
>   The wives of Krishna merged with him, who is the ocean of auspicious 
> qualities, in their love, like the rivers joining the sea and acquired the 
> state of ekarasya. That is, as the rivers leave their individual tastes and 
> become salty joining with the sea the women were filled with onlyone feeling 
> that is the love for Krishna. This, says Desika,  is what has been  described 
> as the state of sAyujya mukthi by the sages. 
> 
>  
> 
>   They proved false the common criticisms that are leveled against women in 
> general such as they are fickle, always oppose, harsh and insincere etc.  
> They were the beacons of madhurabhakthi in the world which devotees like 
> Meera and Andal followed. Desika says that even those who portray this  by 
> means of acting, dance, singing etc. also get engrossed in devotion of the 
> Lord.  
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna lived happily in Dvaraka as he was in Vaikunta with Rukmini and 
> Bhama as his divine consorts, Lakshmi and  Bhoodevi  and yadhavas sering as 
> the nithyasooris ,Sesha, Vishvaksens Garuda etc. and caused the joy of heaven 
> as well as moksha to those around him. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Desika concludes his kavya by these words: 
> 
>  
> 
>   nAreedhrshtyAniyamithaDhiyah nAkanATheSvarathvam 
> 
>   sambhoge cha pravaNamansahSASvatham brahmacharyam 
> 
>   athraikasyAm puri nivasathah sarvalokADhikathvam 
> 
>   niDhyAyanthah thvaritham atharandhustharAm thasya mAyAm 
> 
>   (Yad.24.93) 
> 
>  
> 
>   Krishna while he seemed to be bound by the beautiful eyes of his women, 
> remained the overlord of the devas, while enjoying the company of the women 
> he maintained his brahmacharya and thus displayed  his status of transience 
> and imminence as the Supreme Self, who, though seen in Dvaraka, was present 
> in all beings and was all pervading. Those who contemplate on the Lord thus 
> transcend His Maya which is otherwise difficult to transcend. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Gurubhih anaghachitthah AhithodhArabhoomA 
> 
>   Surabhitharasam ethath soonrtham venkateSah 
> 
>   Vyathanutha yadhuveerapreethim icchan prabhoothAm 
> 
>   kavikaTham kamrgendhrah kshemadham kAvyarathna 
> 
>   (Yad.24.95) 
> 
>  
> 
>   The glory of this kavya is described thus: 
> 
>   The contents of the kavya is the gift  of the great masters like Vyasa and 
> others to humanity. 
> 
>   It is composed by the mighty lion of debate and poet Venkatesa (Desika) to 
> please the Lord. 
> 
>   It is full of the fragrance of the essence of kavithva and devotion as it 
> abounds in richness of word and meaning and devotional fervour. 
> 
>   It is composed with the welfare of the world at heart and is beneficial , 
> pleasing and true. 
> 
>  
> 
>   Yadhavabhyudhaya , the eminent work of Sri Vedantha Desika is concluded. 
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vedicravi
9840787957
vedicravi@xxxxxxxxx
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Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan
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