KRISHNA JANMĀSTHAMI

 Krishna Janmāsthami 

Krishna Janmāsthami (also known as Janmāsthami or Gokulāshtami) is festival celebrated all across the world by the Sanātanis. This festival celebrates the eighth avtār (demi God) of Lord Vishnu who was born to Devki and Vasudev in a prison at Mathura in ‘Dwāpar Yug (age)’. The festival is observed on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the ‘Krishna Paksh’ which as per Gregorian calendar falls in the month of August or September. It is an important festival especially for the ‘Vaishnav cult’ of the Sanātanis and for those Sanātani households especially who bear the ‘Gopāl Shilā’ or ‘Laddu Gopāl’ at their worship place.

Since lord Krishna was born at mid-night, therefore the celebrations start from that time period. The sweets are offered to lord Krishna first and then its leftover is distributed among the devotees as ‘prasād’. The devotees observe fast for the entire day. Only after offering sweets and fruits to lord Krishna and consuming his prasād, they consume ‘Sātvik’ meal (vegetarian food devoid of sea-salt, onion and garlic). Thereafter, the devotees keep night vigil (Rātri Jāgaran). The houses and temples are beautifully decorated with ‘Asokā’ leaves and flowers. The celebration also involves the decoration in the form of ‘Jhānki’ (small views of various events in lord Krishna’s life) by using various landscapes, statues and models. Religious chants, devotional songs and dance by the devotees are also practised at various places. The worship places are also decorated with beautiful Indian lamps (Diyā). Incense sticks are lit along with them. 

It is celebrated particularly in Mathurā and Vrindāvan, along with major Vaishnava and non-sectarian communities found in Manipur, Assam, Bihār, West Bengal, Odishā, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthān, Gujarāt, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Keralā, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and all other states of India.

It is celebrated particularly in Mathura and Vrindavan, along with major Vaishnava and non-sectarian communities found in Manipur, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and all other states of India.

It is also very interesting to note that number eight is very much associated with lord Krishan. As shared by Dr. Rajesh Purohit (Former Director Indian Museum Kolkata) as The Rasamandala has eight Krishnas and eight Gopis. Chaitanya Mahapabhu's 'Here Rama Hare Krishna' 'Mahamantra' has eight times chanting of Rama and Krishna. The Chakra or the disc contained eight spokes which also represents the Astha-prahar or twenty-four hours, each prahar is of three hours (3x8 = 24). Thus, eight as a number also represents Kala or time. Eight is also the number representing Maya or Illusion. Interestingly however Krishna has been seen in the Mahabharata a key person who is associated with the number Nine such as Eighteen Parvas or books, Eighteen-day long battle, Eighteen ‘Akshouhini sena’ or army.

If you analyse these two numbers it is numerically quite significant.

Take for example of Number of Maya or Illusion '8' it always decreases as you multiply with a number from its previous number.

8x1= 8

8×2 = 16 (1+6) =7

8×3 = 24 (2+4) = 6

8x4 = 32 (3+2) = 5

8x5 = 40 (4+0) =4

8x6 = 48 (4+8) =12(1+2) =3

8×7 = 56 (5+6) =11(1+1) = 2

8x8 = 64 (6+4) =10 (1+0) = 1

But the moment you multiply the Maya or 8 with 9 than the sum total becomes the magic number of epics that is Nine.

Example 8x9 = 72 (7+2) = 9

When you multiply nine with any digit or any longest or shortest digit the total remains Nine only.

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