Janmashtami Quotes and Thoughts

In an article written on Janmashtami, Swami Chimayananda, symbolically explores the meaning of Sri Krishna Jayanti or Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna.

This supreme essence born as a mass of beauty, music and joy, dazzling in wisdom, noisy with laughter, ever a master of circumstances, a king of events, frisking about in life’s melancholy contentions, meeting challenges with daring and confidence, at once a hero and a child all rolled in one – this is the perfect God-man, the eternal child of Vrindavan.

Krishna is Truth. He was born in the quite heart-caves of the Rishis. Those Rishis gradually transmitted their knowledge to their disciples. Thus Krishna was removed from the prison to Yasoda’s house – the disciple’s. There is no pain in this unique delivery. The Guru gives out the child without the agony of labor pains.

While we are sleeping in fatigue and exhaustion, wearied in production and destruction, we know not, that there is born a baby, called knowledge – Krishna – in our bosom. Engaged perpetually in procuring, keeping and spending, we are fatigued, and in the deep sleep of midnight, the child is born, the senses are the gatekeepers who slept off when Krishna was born in the prison.

When we have fully enjoyed life in all aspects and find no peace out of them – in that quiet sleep, the maturity of understanding, the Light Dawns.

Swami Chimayananda

(Source: Excerpts from an article written by Swami Chinmayananda on Sri Krishna Janmashtami)