Janmashtami, birthday of Sri Krishna

Janmashtami is a major festival of the Hindus which remembers the birth of Sri Krishna, the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. As it commemorates the birthday of Sri Krishna, it is also known as Krishna Janmashtami. Grammatically, the word ‘Janmashtami’ is a combination of two words – ‘janma’ (birth) and ‘ashtami’ (the eighth lunar day). As Sri Krishna was born on that day, it is observed on the eighth tithi (lunar day) of the waning moon (commonly known as Krishna Paksha  or dark fortnight) in the month of Bhadra or Sravan according to Bengali almanac   which falls in the months of August and September of the Gregorian calendar. In two earlier years Janmashtami was celebrated on the 10th Bhadra, 1423 / the 25th August, 2016 and the 21st Sravan, 1422 / the 5th September, 2015, but this year the scheduled date is the 30th Sravan, 1424 / the 14th August 2017.  Krishna was born in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, India) around 5200 years ago in the 28th year of Dwapur Yug in jail of Knagsha, his maternal uncle. His father was Vasudev, and his mother was Devaki. Kangsha was a cruel and tyrannical king. His tyranny crossed all limits; he did not spare the sages even. At one stage his tyranny became so terrible that gods could not tolerate any more and, in a dream, Kangsha was told that his evil reign would be brought to end by son of Devaki, his sister and that son of Devaki would kill him. Though tyrant, actually Kangsha was mentally a coward and being afraid of that divine message he immediately imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudev so that he could kill the sons of Devaki easily.
In captivity Devaki gave birth to seven sons who were instantly killed by Kangsha. When the eighth son of Devaki was born the new born baby immediately transformed itself into the form of Vishnu and ordered Vasudev to carry him to the house of Nanda and place him at Jashoda’s side. Under the influence of Lord Vishnu, guards of the prison fell into deep sleep that night, and doors were unlocked. In that opportunity Vasudev slipped out of the prison at midnight with that divine child to place him to the safety of Nanda who was the ruler of Gokul, a neighbouring kingdom of Mathura on the other side of the river Jamuna and Vasudev did not even know the way. Just at that time a jackal appeared from somewhere and guided Vasudev towards the accurate direction. It was a stormy night with rain and thunder. The tide of the river Jamuna was high and tumultuous, which was very difficult to cross. In that night of calamity Vasuki, King of Serpents, came forward and spread his seven hoods like an umbrella over the head of Vasudev to protect Vasudev and his child from the rain and storm. In that way he crossed the river Jamuna and placed the infant Krishna beside Jashoda, who gave birth to a girl child that night. King Nanda was well aware of everything and gladly handed over his newborn daughter to Vasudev. He carried that baby girl back to prison and placed her on the lap of Devaki as if she delivered that girl child. During this time the guards awoke and informed Kangsha of the childbirth. Seeing the baby girl Kangsha was a bit perplexed because he apprehended, as earlier, a boy child though out of anger he threw the girl child on the wall to smash her but at his utmost surprise the girl escaped from his hands and flew away out through the open doors of the prison foretelling those deadly words -Your killer is growing up in Gokul.
Sri Krishna was growing up under the protection of King Nanda in Gokul. Though Vasudev and Devaki were his biological parents, actually Nanda and Jashoda were his foster parents.  As per the custom of that era, kings had huge numbers of cowherds. Gradually, in childhood, Krishna grew up as a king of cowboys and a flute player. Being enchanted by his flute playing, gopis (young girls) used to dance, and the cows flock around him.
Like other divine characters (Shiv, Durga, Kali, etc.), Krishna is also known by many other names. He was liked and loved by all and almost every one of them, his foster parents, peers, sages (Bhrigu, Patrashar, Durbasha, Kashyap, Shukracharya etc.), Sumantra (Finance Minister of King Dasharath in Ramayan) and others gave him names which touched the number 108. Every name contains a distinct meaning but only a few of those are commonly known viz. Rakhal Raja (king of cowboys as he looked after the cows of King Nanda), Nanichora (pilferer of butter as he stole butter from her mother’s temple), Kalosona (black gold as he was black complexioned but looked like gold), Banamali (gardener of forest), Parthasarathi (as he was the charioteer of Partha i.e.  Arjun in Kurukshetra war), Shyam (black), Bangshibadan  (one who has a flute on his mouth), Jagannath (Jagat means the world and Nath means lord i.e. lord of  the world ), Dayanidhi (source of kindness), Mahaval (the great warrior), Brajeswar (god of Braja, an area in Uttar Pradesh, India where Krishna passed his childhood), Madanmohon (one who surpasses even Madan, the Hindu god of love), Muralimanohar (in Hindi Murali means flute and Manohar means good looking i.e. one who is good looking with a flute), Naol Kishore (in Hindi Naol means new and Kishore means  teenaged) and few others.
There was and there is still a trend in orthodox Hindu families to name their new born boys after one name of Sri Krishna viz.  Shyamshundar (Krishna the beautiful), Ghanashyam (dark Krishna), Shyamlal, Shyamcharan etc. One person being called in 108 names is certainly an exaggeration of love, devotion and affection. Moreover, some of the names are almost similar to one-another in meaning and there is duplication also but it is established that Krishna had 108 names which is an important topic of Padabali Kirtan (melodious songs written and sung by Vaishnavs, an important and a very popular stream of Indian music). There are many images of Sri Krishna but among all those Krishna with his flute, leaning on the back of a beautiful cow is the most noted one followed by another image where Krishna is accompanied by Radha or child Krishna stealing butter from an earthen pot. (Reprinted)
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The writer is a former Commissioner of Taxes