Janmashtami

Jai Shri Krishna,

Shree Krishna the supreme god, was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu .He was a symbol of happiness, love and prosperity .He was born in Mathura (Today a city in Uttar Pradesh) to Devaki and Vasudev from Yadava clan.Shree Krishna’s birth day  is celebrated as “Janmashtami” or “Gokulashtami‘ as he was born on the ashtami of the Krishna paksha of Bhadrapad month.His Birth Story represent the victory of love over arrogance , justice over injustice .

Kansa stole the throne of Mathura from his father Ugrasen who was a benevolent king.Kansa started harassing the people of mathura ,meanwhile his sister Devaki  married the Yadava prince Vasudev .Kansa learned that their eighth child would destroy him and therefore he decided to kill devaki when they entered the kingdom of mathura to seek his blessing.Vasudev pleaded to kansa to not kill devaki saying that he would handover their child to him after their birth.

After every child’s birth Kansa would kill that child .Before the birth of the Seventh child Vasudev took the help of yogmaya and transferred the seventh child from the womb of the Devaki to the womb of his other wife Rohini .The seventh child growed up to be Balarama, the elder brother of Shree Krishna.Kansa was told that Devaki had suffered from miscarriage and Kansa was elated but was also awaiting to kill their eighth child.During the birth of Eighth child i.e. Shree Krishna ,the chain of Vasudev fell off, the gate of the jail went open, the guards in and out of palace fell asleep.Even Kansa fell asleep.

                      

Thus helping Vasudev to take Shree Krishna covered with a cloth in the basket to his friend Nanda in gokul .While Vasudev was taking Shree Krishna there was a heavy rainfall and the water level in the Yamuna river had risen .Therefore to protect the baby from the rain the great eternal snake Vasuki become their umbrella.Shree krishna had placed one of his foot outside the basket and the water in the Yamuna almost formed a guard for Vasudev which reduced the water level thus enabling him to walk smoother .Vasudev had  reached gokul and handed over Shree Krishna to Nanda and in turn took his daughter back with him to mathura.

As soon as Vasudev entered the prison ,everything went back to what it was as if the nothing had happened .He got chained again and the door behind them got locked.The guards and kansa woke up to the cry of Baby girl.Kansa was shocked to see a girl but was also ready to kill her ,Devaki pleaded him to not do so but again but like always he didn’t listen to her .The baby girl slipped of his hand and a goddess appeared from her informing him that he will soon be destroyed.