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Written by: Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Category: ARTICLES

Published: 05 September 2023

The half moon that shines on the eve of Janmashtami has a beautiful significance- it represents the perfect balance between manifest and unmanifest aspects of reality, the tangible material world and the invisible spiritual realm, signifying Lord Krishna's mastery of both worlds. His teachings are unique and relevant for the times we live in. They neither let you get drowned in material pursuits nor do they lead you to total withdrawal or apathy. When we celebrate this festival, we assimilate totally opposite yet complementary qualities in nature and manifest them, a skill that makes us like a lotus that grows in mud and yet whose leaves remain pure and untouched by it.

The meaning of Krishna is one who is the most charming and attractive being, the Self. Radhe - Shyam represent the union of the individual with the infinite. The Self in every being is who Krishna is. When we settle within in this space of who we really are, our personality blossoms, skills grow and abundance follows.

Krishna is known to have stolen butter.  What does this metaphor mean? Butter is what you get at the end of a process: the milk first becomes curd, then it is churned to give butter. Similarly, living involves the process of churning through happenings and events but finally when the churning is over, we get butter, the saintliness in us.

The whole essence of celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna is to learn to live in balance, to be happy, centered and joyful through adversity and good times. You can possess a big smile when everything in life is smoothsailing but if you can keep your smile when adversity meets you, then you should know you have achieved something great in life. We learn this just from Krishna's stance! He stands with one foot rooted in the ground and the other is raised. Only then the dance of life can happen. If both your feet are stuck to the floor then dance cannot happen.

If your mind is buried in worldly worries all the time, how can you dance? Become a witness. When you witness the disturbances in the mind without craving or aversions, you can rise above them. So when you are bothered by regrets and worries, instead of thinking how it should not have happened, you simply need to surrender. Then you will be able to dance through life's ups and downs, like Krishna.

Why are so many not able to reach Krishna? Krishna says, the reason is their minds are immersed in cravings and aversions. A person who craves intensely or has lot of hate, gets stuck in the trap of attachment or Moha. When such individuals are met with problems in life with respect to say money or realationships, their minds get imbued in it, spending endless hours, months or years worrying, without being able to overcome it, not knowing who Lord Krishna is. But for 'those whose meritorious actions (Punyas) begin to bear fruit, are freed of all their sorrow, and they begin to get drawn towards Me. Those whose sins are not cleansed remain stuck in ignorance and delusion,' Lord Krishna says.

When you start walking towards the Illumined one, the darkness of ignorance cannot stay. Sins do not let us begin on this journey. This is what brings us misery, suffering and pain. But when you understand you are not this body but pure Consciousness, then immense strength dawns in you. Once faith in the divine is born or realized, then you don't need to do much else. Do not doubt your faith one bit. This is what it means to know the Divine truly, and walk in its light.

Krishna symbolizes all possibilities, the complete blossoming of each aspect of being human, and the Divine. Janmashtami is the day when you remember and relive the virat swaroopa( the great form) of Krishna in this consciousness once again. Letting your true nature manifest in your day-to-day life is the real secret of Krishna’s birth.