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Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
On the holy Krishna Janmashtami, the ladies in South India decorate their houses beautifully, ready to welcome the Lord. They prepare various sweetmeats and offer them to the Lord. Butter was Krishna’s favourite, and this is also offered. From the doorway to the inner meditation room of the house the floor is marked with a child’s footprints, using some flour mixed with water. This creates the feeling in them that the Lord’s own Feet have made the mark. They treat the day as one of very great rejoicing. There is recitation of the Bhagavatam, singing and praying everywhere.
The Janmashtami is celebrated at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, with the following programme of intense spiritual activity:
01. During the preceding eight days, Japa of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
is done intensely.
02. Those who can, will recite the Bhagavatam during this period. Others will
listen to it being recited.
03. On the birthday itself everyone fasts and spends the whole day in holy
communion.
04. Everyone greets others with the holy Mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate
Vasudevaya.
05. A grand havan is performed on that day.
06. There is continuous Satsang from 4a.m. early in the morning till night.
Yogis, Sannyasins and learned men discourse upon the glorious life and
teachings of the Lord.
07. From sunset people assemble in the elaborately decorated temple and
sing the Lord’s Names and glories.
08. Many hymns and portions of the Bhagavatam, especially the Gopika
Geetam, are recited.
09. Towards midnight, there is a grand worship of Lord Krishna. The Lord is
bathed with milk while His Name is chanted 108 times.
10. This worship concludes with offerings of flowers, waving of lights (Arati), and
reading of that portion of the Bhagavatam which deals with the birth of
Krishna. This synchronises with midnight, the hour of the Lord’s birth, at
which time the murti of the Lord is rocked in a beautifully decorated cradle.
After this item, all the assembled devotees partake of the holy prasad or
sacrament, and then retire, filled with the Grace and blessings of
Lord Krishna.
If you cannot read the whole of the Srimad Bhagavatam during these days, at least you should recite the following four most important verses from the book. The leading two verses and the closing verse are the prologue and the epilogue respectively:
Hear from Me the most secret knowledge coupled with the essential experience and its component parts.
May you realise by My Grace, the knowledge of Myself and what form, qualities and actions I am endowed with.
01. Before creation I alone existed. There was nothing, neither existence nor
non-existence. I am that which remains after dissolution.
02. Understand that to be Maya or illusion which is devoid of any purpose,
which is not to be found in the Self and which is unreal like light and
darkness.
03. As the primary elements are amalgamated, with one another and also
separate from one another at the same time, so I pervade the whole
universe and am also separate from it.
04. The aspirant should, by the method of positive and negative, know that
thing which exists always and everywhere.
Experience this truth through the highest superconscious state so that you will not be disturbed even by illusory objects.
There is another beautiful verse in the Bhagavatam which you can recite daily: In days of yore, the Lord, born of Devaki, brought up in the house of Yasoda, killed the wicked Putana of illusive form and lifted the Govardhana hill, killed Kamsa and the sons of the Kuru race, and protected the sons of Kunti. Thus is recited the essence of the ancient Bhagavat Purana consisting of the nectarine stories of the deeds of Lord Krishna.
May the blessings of Lord Krishna and Sri Radha be upon you all!
Courtesy
Spread Hinduism
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