Story of Krishna
RELIGION, 11 Sep 2023
Dr. Ravi P. Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service
Gopal Krishna
7 Sep 2023 – India is a country with many regions — Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and some other smaller religions with their different followers. In the Hindu faith, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna are the most popular Gods although there are others whom we treat as Gods.
Today, 7 September, is an important day for Hindus — it is called Krishna Janmashtami — the birth of Lord Krishna and the several aspects that are known and believed about his birth. Janam-ashtami indicates the eighth day of the Moon.
His mother Devki was kept in prison by her cruel brother Kans and he would kill the child born of his sister because he was told that he would be killed by her child. When Krishna was born, his father Vasudev managed to take him to safety in Gokul. There he was looked after by Yashoda as his mother.
As a toddler he would go to neighbours homes and eat any butter that was available. Nobody objected to this since he was a beautiful loveable kid.
As a child he was naughty and still loved by everyone with whom he came in contact. He played the flute beautifully and many women — Gopis (daughters of cowherds) were attracted by his flute playing. One young woman Radha loved him but their relationship was not a physical one — a spiritual one.
Another person that Krishna came in contact was Arjun whose mother was Kunti. She was aunt of Krishna. The two often travelled together in a cart in which Arjun used to ask some basic questions of life and religion which Krishna used to try to answer. These questions and answers form the Bhagwad Geeta or just Geeta.
Krishna is an expert in answering questions posed by Arjun.
One question that Arjun asked was,
‘I am a weak person like one who has started practising Yoga but cannot continue because I am weak and fickle minded due to my attachment to worldly objects.’
The answer is,
‘When a person is born in a family of transcendence, he tries to revive the divine consciousness but such a person is a rare one. He must continue to remain truthful and gradually he will feel satisfied.’
In India and even abroad where there are Indians, people love Krishna who is like a friendly neighbour. We treat him like our own family member. We talk to him as a friend, as part of the family. Even his photograph adorns our home and looking at him we feel satisfied and at peace.
Such is Lord Krishna. We feel him to be not just a God but a friend and a person whom we want to be with us all the time.
Oh Krishna, I love you, I need you.
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Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment, an educationist, Gandhian scholar and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. His new book, A Garland of Ideas—Gandhian, Religious, Educational, Environmental was published recently in Delhi. ravipbhatia@gmail.com
Tags: Hare Krishna, Hinduism, Krishna Consciousness, Krishna Janmashtami, Religion
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 11 Sep 2023.
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