Lord Krishna’s appearance in this world is all-auspicious, meant for the upliftment of all living beings, granting them the opportunity to return home, back to Godhead.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami is one of the most important and joyously celebrated festivals in India and across the world. Every year, millions of devotees across the world come together to commemorate the auspicious appearance of Lord Sri Krishna.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami, observed with great enthusiasm and devotion, marks the advent of Lord Krishna on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the waning phase of the month of Shravana, which occurred about 5,000 years ago. His descent into this world from His eternal abode is not an ordinary birth but a transcendental event meant for the spiritual upliftment of all living beings.
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The Purpose of Krishna’s Descent
Krishna’s appearance is not governed by material laws but is entirely divine. He comes in every millennium to protect the devotees, vanquish the miscreants, and re-establish the principles of religion, as He declares in the Bhagavad-gita (4.8). He gives humanity a clear direction to lead a righteous and Krishna-conscious way of life.
Great acharyas such as Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya unanimously accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a truth repeatedly confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other Vedic scriptures.
Krishna – The All-Attractive Lord
The very name “Krishna” means “all-attractive”, and rightly so. Lord Krishna possesses all the six opulences in full—strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. These qualities, combined with His sweet, loving nature, make Him supremely attractive to all living beings.
His transcendental pastimes are filled with wonder, affection, and mystical charm. They are not only meant to captivate the heart but to reveal His greatness, mercy, and boundless love for His devotees. As He says in Bhagavad-gita 4.9, His birth and activities are ‘divyam’, or transcendental. They are not ordinary historical events but are filled with spiritual potency, meant to liberate the soul.
Hearing Krishna’s Pastimes Leads to Liberation
Devotees derive immense joy and satisfaction by hearing, chanting, and remembering the divine pastimes of Lord Krishna. His activities are filled with sweet reciprocations of love in various relationships—friend, child, beloved, protector, and more.
As Queen Kunti prays in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.8.36):
“O Krishna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.”
In essence, Krishna’s appearance is an opportunity for us to reconnect with Him, to purify our hearts, and to progress on the path back to Godhead.
Transforming Our Consciousness through Bhakti
In the Bhagavad-gita (9.34), Krishna instructs:
“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me, and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”
The practice of bhakti-yoga involves training the mind to think of Krishna instead of the fleeting pleasures of this material world. By remembering Krishna, one becomes free from the contamination of lust, pride, and selfish desire, and progresses steadily in Krishna consciousness.
Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, rendered into English by Vishwa Guru Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, enumerates sixty-four regulative principles that elevate the practitioner to the highest perfection of bhakti.
One among them is that one should partake of various ceremonies with devotees—ceremonies like Lord Krishna’s birthday or Ramachandra’s birthday.
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila 22.126 Translation)
How We Celebrate Janmashtami
Sri Krishna Janmashtami offers an environment surcharged with devotion that engages the mind and all the senses in the service of the Lord. Devotees participate in a wide variety of enriching activities, including:
- Darshan and Arati of the beautifully adorned Deity of Krishna
- Abhisheka (ceremonial bathing of the Lord)
- Bhajans and Kirtans (singing devotional songs and congregational chanting of the holy names)
- Enlightening discourses
- Cultural performances depicting Krishna’s pastimes
- Feasting on Krishna prasadam
- Offering devotional service in various ways
These activities are not only joyful but deeply purifying, as they immerse the mind and heart in the wonderful qualities and pastimes of Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada writes in a letter:
“Our movement is for ananda, simply bliss, and the method of pushing this movement is chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophizing. So in our almanac there are many festivals in every month.”
(Letter dated 15 July 1969, Los Angeles)
Janmashtami perfectly embodies this joyful spirit of chanting, dancing, and so on – a festival that feeds both the soul and the heart, takes us closer to Lord Krishna and deepens our attachment towards His lotus feet.
We warmly invite you, along with your family and friends, to participate in the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations on 15 and 16 August, 2025 at any of the following locations:
For more details about the festivities, visit: spib.in/janmashtami
Related Links: Sri Krishna Janmashtami | Janmashtami Recipes
