KRISHNA
When we say “Krishna,” we’re talking about God. Many people—especially outside of India—have never heard of Krishna before. They may think Krishna is a “different God” from the one they worship. But there’s only one Supreme Person, and Krishna is one of His names.
The name Krishna literally means “all-attractive.” So, not only is Krishna/God all-powerful and all-knowing, He’s also the most beautiful Person.
The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna appeared on this Earth on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadrapada. This occasion is celebrated as Janmashtami. In New Vrindaban we celebrate Janmashtami with great pomp and enthusiasm. The temple has scheduled devotional activities for the entire day, culminating with the Maha Abhishek wherein the sponsor of the Kalash, along with his family members, gets the unique opportunity to personally bathe Their Lordships Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra
Food For Life volunteers have provided food for the poor and homeless during several recent disasters. 2008 – Food For Life served freshly cooked vegan meals to survivors of Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike in the southern United States. 2007 – Food For Life volunteers were on the ground to feed many of the hundreds of thousands of survivors who were left homeless after the deadliest cyclone to hit Bangladesh in a decade. 2005 – Following the earthquake in Pakistan, Food For Life volunteers worked side-by-side with local military and police personnel, distributing drinking water, food, tents and blankets. 2005 – When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with deadly force, Food For Life volunteers were among the first responders, distributing up to 800 freshly cooked meals daily to needy families in Mississippi and Texas. 2004 – 2005 A killer Tsunami wreaked incomprehensible devastation in South Asia, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200,000 people. Food For Life volunteers joined the relief effort on the very day of the disaster, providing thousands of meals daily, along with medical care, clothing, and shelter in Sri Lanka and India. 1990s – Food For Life volunteers risked their lives in the war-torn countries of Chechnya, Bosnia and Abkhazia, distributing food to needy and frightened civilians.
In the Western countries , when someone sees the cover of a book such as Krishna, he immediately asks, “Who is Krishna? Who is the girl with Krishna?” etc.The immediate answer is that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How is that? Because he conforms in exact detail to descriptions of the Supreme Being, the Godhead. In other words, Krishna is the Godhead because He is all-attractive.
From practical experience we can observe that one is attractive due to (1) wealth (2) power (3) fame (4) beauty (5) wisdom and (6) renunciation.One who is in possession of all six of these opulences at the same time, who possesses them to an unlimited degree, is understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These opulences of the Godhead are delineated by Parashara Muni, a great Vedic authority.
There are various classes of men in the world who speak of God in different ways. But the Vedic literature and the great acharyas, the authorized persons versed in the knowledge of God in all ages, like Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Vishnuswami, Lord Caitanya and all their followers by disciplic succession, all unanimously agree that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator and maintainer of this cosmic manifestation. He has created this world in order to offer the rebellious souls a chance to rectify their mentality of trying to enjoy this world independent of Krishna. Instead, He invites us to enjoy eternal life and bliss with Him in the spiritual world. Most people in this world have no idea of who they are, what the goal of life is, and who God is.
Atheists think that there is no God whereas some modern philosophers like Neitsze would have us believe that God is dead! Again, other philosophers like the medieval Christian philosophers and scientists such as Leibniz and Newton believed that God created a clockwork universe which went on without His intervention once He had created it. Still others known as impersonalists think that God has no form. The appearance of Lord Krishna on this earth is the answer to all such speculative theories about God.
A common objection that many voice is that if Lord Krishna is God, then why does he take birth like an ordinary human being? Lord Krishna Himself gives the answer in the Bhagavad Gita. The Lord says that His appearance, birth and activities are all transcendental and that one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. His appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinary man, who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds. He appears out of His own sweet pleasure. The Srimad Bhagavatam records that when the time was mature for the appearance of the Lord, the constellations in the sky became very auspicious.
Astrology is a bonafide Vedic science and a competent Vedic astrologer can make predictions about eclipses, forthcoming events and the influence of the stars on a person’s destiny. At the time of Lord Krishna’s appearance, the astrological influence of the star known as Rohini was predominant. This star is considered to be very auspicious and is under the direct supervision of Lord Brahma. According to the astrological conclusion, besides the proper situation of the stars, there are auspicious and inauspicious moments due to the different situations of the different planetary systems.
The word avatar means “One who descends,” and in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. The expansions of Lord Krishna who come to the material creation are called avataras, or incarnations.
In the spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and from these planets the expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead come into this universe.
There are unlimited numbers of avataras, it is not possible to count their number, they are just like waves coming and going in the ocean. Krishna is also known as advaita which means that though myriads of avataras emanate from Him, still He remains intact as the undivided whole “indivisible truth and who is knowledge absolute.”
Nanda Maharaj bathing Krishna Everybody loves to celebrate a festival, don’t they? Especially in India, with its diverse and rich culture, festivals are myriad. But with Indians increasingly losing touch with their own culture, festivals have become at most social obligations which have to be fulfilled, and more often than not, a break from work and business to be spent in relaxation and merry-making.
But traditionally in Vedic culture, festivals had a much deeper significance. They were usually related either to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna or some of the demigods.
More significantly they reminded the people of the Goal of Human Life, which was to get out of the material world and go back home to Godhead. Of all the festivals, Krishna Janmashtami is the most popular in India. People, irrespective of caste and creed celebrate Janmashtami.
Devotees of Lord Krishna fast completely, even from water, up to midnight on the day of Janmashtami. This fasting is of great significance. For devotees of Krishna, the perfection of mediation is to remember Krishna, the more the better. But the senses, when they are fed sumptuously, become very active and restless, preventing the mind from mediating on its desired object. Fasting diminishes the strength of the senses, especially the tongue, the belly and genitals. Consequently the devotee finds it easier do his devotional service, whether it is to chant Krishna’s names, to mediate on His pastimes, to preach Krishna’s glories or distributing transcendental literature like Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. As the devotee progresses in devotional service, his bodily urges also diminish and ultimately become nil. Initially of course fasting may cause some discomfort, but with practice it becomes second nature.
Devotees observe fasting on important days like the appearance days of the Lord and His incarnations. Another important fasting day is Ekadashi, on which devotees abstain from grains, beans and pulses.