Janmastami: When Unborn Was Born!!

By: Nandagopal Jivan das
(Narender Nolakha)


About 5,000 years ago, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Cause of all Causes, Adi Purusa Lord Sri Krsna Chandra made His divine appearance on this planet earth on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of Hrsikesa or Bhadra-pad (this day varies between months of July- September). Since then it is being celebrated as Janmastami throughout the country and now, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, in the whole world with lots of enthusiasm and millions of people visit the temples of Krsna on this auspicious day to get the special blessings of the Lord on this special day.

Janma means “birth”, but Vedic Scriptures tells us that Krsna is ajam which means one who is unborn. He is neither born nor does He die at any moment. Although, He appears and then also disappears but it is all due to His Supreme Will which no one can change. These appearances, disappearances and activities are known as Pastimes (Lila) because they are not forced on Him by any other person. Krsna is not born like us. We are conditioned souls in this material world and we are forced by our own deeds and desires to take repeated births here. But Krsna is above the workings of the material energy. He is the master of this energy and He comes and goes by His own sweet will. He only seems to be born like us.

This is just like a King visiting a jail in His Kingdom but not coming under its rules and regulations because all the rules and regulations are made by the King Himself. Similarly, all the rules and regulations of this material world are made by Krsna Himself but When He Himself visits this material world, He is not impelled to follow the rules and regulations. Although, sometimes His activities seems to be that of an ordinary person but He do this just to confuse and deceive the non-devotees. Both His Birth and Activities are divyam, transcendental (BG4.9). But reward of seeing this truth is only gained by those who are not envious of Him, like His pure devotees.

Queen Kunti, Mother of Pandavas and a great devotee of Lord Krsna, who appeared with Him around 5,000 years ago, prays to Lord Krsna (SB 1.8.32-36) as follows:

Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the Malaya hills.

Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devaki prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.

Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, Brahma, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.

And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.

O Krsna, 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.


So, Krsna comes here to attract the mind of the fallen and conditioned souls (i.e. we) by manifesting His divine and transcendental pastimes and giving them a chance to Go back home, Back to Godhead.

Thus sings His Divine Grace Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinode Thakura:

gopinath, tumi krpa-parabara
jivera karane, asiya prapance,
lila koile subistara

“O Gopinath, You are the ocean of mercy. Having come into this phenomenal world, You expand Your divine pastimes for the sake of the fallen souls.”

So, even if only one soul understands the transcendental and divine nature of Krsna’s appearance and pastimes by hearing it from an authorized Spiritual Master, who is coming in the line of disciplic succession starting from the Lord Himself, then Lord Krsna’s Mission or the mission of His pure devotee is fulfilled. When Sri Jesus Christ said that I and My father are one then He actually meant that His own purpose, i.e. to help the fallen souls to go back to Godhead, and the purpose of His father, i.e. God is one.

Similarly, HDG Srila Bhaktisiddantha Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada used to say that on the cost of all the Temples and Maths I have, if I am able to create just one soul a pure devotee of Krsna then my mission will be successful. Because just one pure devotee of the Lord is enough to change the face of the world and turn the most fallen souls into the pure devotees of the Lord. It is seen in the life of Srila Prabhupada-- How he single handedly went to the western countries, where He didn’t even knew whether to turn right or left, and turned the most fallen souls in so many rejected parts of the world into pure Vaishnavas. Such is the power of a pure devotee.

Lord Krsna Himself declares in Bhagavad- Gita 4.9 that:

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving this body, takes his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”

So, to attain Krsna, we have to know Him in truth, and that correct understanding can be achieved only under the guidance of scriptures, as well as Krsna Himself and His pure representative. Lord Krsna appeared in a Jail which was full of darkness. Similarly, our heart is also in darkness due to its contact with the material nature from the time immemorial. If we take advantage of His message and the teachings of His Pure devotees then it will help us to attain the highest goal of life—pure love for Him. As a ISKCONIST, if we follow the teachings of Srila Prabhupada then gradually all our doubts will be cleared and our natural love for Him will shine through. So, on this most auspicious day, Janmastami, we pray to the Lord that He may remove our darkness and enter our heart, so that we may clearly see who we are?, Who is Krsna? And what is our relationship with Him? Hare Krishna!!