Hindu Feasts, Fasts and Ceremonies/Chapter 16
16. The Srijayanti or Krishnashtami
LORD KRISHNA’S birthday, Srijayanti or Krishnashtami, is the most popular festival in the whole of India. These two
are the names by which this
festival is called by the Vaishnavas, while among the
Smartas it is known as Gokulashtami, and in
Northern India as Janmashtami. By whatever
name it may be known, this festive celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna is kept as a holy day by all Hindus throughout India.
Accerding to the Puranas, Krishna was born on the 8th lunar day (Ashtami) of the waning moon of the month of Sravana at midnight, upon the moon’s entrance into Rohini asterism. On account of this sacred occasion a fast is held on the day preceding the date of his birth, the fast being broken as usual by a feast on the
following day. The observance of the fast
varies with different sects. The followers of the Smriti—Smartas—commence their fast with the commencement of the lunation whenever that takes place; the Vaishnavas and the Madhvas regulate their fast by the moon’s passage through the asterism of Rohini.
Krishna is the most popular deity throughout the whole of India and is considered as the eighth Avatar or incarnation of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinity, and the following is a brief account of Krishna’s history as collected from the several Puranas.
In days gone by there reigned in Mathura, the modern Muttra, a most wicked and unpopular king, named Kamsa, who had a cousin named Devaki married to Vasudeva, of the lunar race. On the date of the latter’s marriage, Kamsa, the tyrant, drove the car in which Devaki and Vasudeva were conducted in procession. As the procession Was passing along the streets an unknown voice deep as thunder came from above. "Oh you fool, Kamsa! The eighth child of the lady in the car that you are now driving will put an end to your atrocious life." As soon as Kamsa heard this ominous voice, he became greatly enraged and attempted to put Devaki to death thereby preventing the possibility of the birth of his future enemy. But Vasudeva argued with the tyrant and pacified him by promising to deliver into his hands all the children that Devaki may bring forth. Kamsa satisfied with this assurance desisted from putting his threat into execution, and true to his promise Vasudeva’ handed over to Kamsa’s custody the first six children that were born to Devaki. Balarama, the seventh child of Devaki, was saved by divine interference and Krishna was the eighth son. Of course Kamsa had placed strict guard throughout the palace to prevent the eighth son from being in any way saved. How then was Krishna saved? Vasudeva, as soon as the eighth child was born, took it and went out. The guards placed over the place were all charmed by Yoganidra—a kind of hypnotic sleep.. Rain was pouring down in torrents that night, and to protect the baby from the heavy rain, Sesha, the many-headed serpent, followed Vasudeva and spread his hood over the child’s head. The Jumna was flowing full and it had to be crossed. Though the river was usually deep and dangerous with whirlpools the waters at that time went down, running only knee deep. Thus by divine favour the several obstacles were overcome and the other side of the river was reached. There was a cowherd there named Nanda, whose wife Yasoda had brought to bed a female child. Vasudeva placed his son in the daughter’s place, while Yasoda was also under the spell of magic sleep, and quickly returned home carrying away the female child. When Yasoda awoke she found that she had been delivered of a son and she rejoiced at it.
Yasoda’s female child was now placed by Vasudeva in the bed of Devaki, no suspicions being aroused in anybody’s mind. The guards who were set to watch by Kamsa were awakened by the cry of the new-born babe and starting up they sent word at once to their master. Kamsa immediately repaired to the mansion of Vasudeva and seized hold of the infant. In vain did Devaki entreat him to spare her child; but the tyrant ruthlessly dashed it against a stone, when lo! it rose into the sky and expanded into a gigantic form and laughed aloud, striking terror into the on-lookers, and addressed Kamsa in a thundering voice—"What avails it thee, Kamsa, to have thus dashed me down with the belief that thy enemy is destroyed? He is born that shall kill thee, the mighty one amongst the gods." Thus saying the being vanished.
Kamsa was greatly alarmed. He called a big council and ordered active search to be made for whatever young children there may be on earth and ordered that every boy in whom they observed signs of unusual vigour be put to death without any remorse. Notwithstanding all these precautions, Balarama and Krishna were growing up at the abode of Nanda, where they were roaming in the woods and joining in the sports of herdsmen’s sons and daughters. When he attained to Man’s estate Krishna proceeded to Gujarat, built Dvaraka and transferred to that place all the inhabitants of Muttra, after killing Kamsa in a combat.
Krishnashtami is the festival which is celebrated in honour of the birthday of Krishna. At about midnight, on the Ashtami night (September 8th), a clay image of Krishna in the form of a baby is made in every Hindu house and worshipped. Several dishes of sweets are offered to the god, to be consumed afterwards by the inmates of the house. Apart from its importance from a religious point of view the feast is very popular with Hindu children on account of the sweets that are distributed to them on the occasion. A superstitious belief is current amongst the Hindus that as Krishna, who was born in the asterism of Rohini, was the cause of the death of his maternal uncle Kamsa, the birth of a male child in that asterism forbodes evil to the maternal uncle of that child; and there were instances in old days in which such children were put to death. But this superstitious belief is fast dying out.
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