IMAGINE taking birth knowing that there are enemies waiting to kill you, that you will be on the darkest of the nights, the moment you take your first breath you would be separated from your parents and raised elsewhere. This my dear friends was the life of Shri Krishna. As per the story there was a King of Mathura called Kansa who was terrorising his people with his dominance. He had a sister Devaki whom he got married to Vasudeva with all the rituals and norms. On the day he was bidding a goodbye to her sister, a divine announcement (Aakashvani) happened claiming that the eighth child would kill the King. Afraid and irritated with such an announcement, the king was going to kill her beloved sister to bring this prophecy to an end. His husband begged that he shall not kill her wife and that they would give away all their children to him one by one. Now agreeing to this, Kansa locked his sister and brother-in-law in a dungeon.

 

One by one he kept on killing each child until …. In the Bhadrapad month, midnight, on the darkest waning night of the eighth day of Krishna Paksha, a divine child took birth in the darkness of the dungeons, where his parents were shackled. His divine force was so massive that the dungeons were suddenly lit by an enormous light, no wall could contain this light. In the mother Devaki's arms was a child which had skin like a rain filled cloud, eyes like lotus petals and a divine charm. The moment this child took birth the dungeon doors opened, shackles were broken on its own, the guards fell asleep themselves and Vasudeva, the father knew what he had to do. As per divine instruction, he had to take the child to Gokul and place him in the arms of Yashoda. It was the night of the Rohini Nakshatra, it was raining stones and pebbles. Vasudeva stepped in the Yamuna river holding the child in a basket to cross the river and a shesha Naga rose up to shelter the child from rains.

 

Step by step, he crossed the path and reached Gokul. Silently placed the child next to Yashoda and took her princess-like daughter back to the dungeon. In the prison, Vasudeva entered and quickly locked himself up with this child. The next morning Kansa came and held this girl child to kill her. But as we all know this child rose up to divine light and said “The one you fear is already safe “. This princess-like girl was none other than the divine goddess yoga maya. And after this we all know about the Kansa and how Lord Krishna killed Kansa after Kansa’s multiple failed attempts to kill the eighth child. But this story is not just a religious folktale.

 

There is deep symbolism here. We all have Kansa within us, in the form of ego, greed, illusion, who wants to control and dominate every bit of the input to the outcome. Devaki is nothing but the symbolism of the mind and Vasudeva, the symbol of morals and virtues. The moment Kansa (ahamkara) within us dominates, we all are shackled in the darkest of the dungeons, in complete unawareness and lack of knowledge, killing the children is nothing but the ego or ahamkara consuming all are potential qualities of joy, peace, living in the present, playfulness, our potential and our relationships. The eighth child is nothing but Lord Krishna: the embodiment of pure consciousness, boundless joy and wisdom. His birth in the midnight signifies the transition from fear to freedom. The Lord was not born under perfect circumstances, nor did He get a chance to choose where He was born, where He would live etc. yet he gave us many learnings on Janmashtami.

 

■Learn to live with divine detachment

Take your responsibilities seriously, but refuse to let external factors crush your joy. Just like the Lord himself, learn to dance through the circumstances rather than crying over them.

 

Stop trying to control every outcome Just like Kansa’s, ahamkara consumed him and led to his downfall. Similarly trying to micromanage every outcome will only lock you up in the darkest dungeons of mind, one can unlock their power by submitting to the divine conscience.

 

■Not all darkness means negativity

The birth of Krishna in midnight is a symbolism of transition from darkness to immense light. Sometimes the darkest phase of your life is where inner transformations are born.

 

■You may not choose your circumstances but you can choose your response

Krishna didn’t choose to be born in the dungeons, or have multiple enemies, yet He chose to lead life with wisdom, joy and courage. One can always choose how to respond to the circumstances with a charming smile and bright eyes.

 

■Not every battle needs a weapon

 

Sometimes wisdom and patience take the throne more than any other strategy. The Lord was born as a child with zero abilities to fight or negotiate. Yet He was sheltered safely till Gokul.

 

■Doing right is not always easy, but it’s always worth making the decision

 

Vasudeva and Devaki saw all their children mercilessly being killed in front of their eyes, yet they did their duty to see eighth child transform the universe.

 

■When you are aligned with purpose, the path can begin to open

When something is destined for you even nature will make way. Just like Yamuna rose to bow to the child. This Janmashtami lets rise over our ahamkaras and give birth to Krishna within: wisdom, courage, compassion, joy, peace, detachment, self awareness and faith! Happy Janmashtami! ■