Thursday, November 13, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The End of Kamsa
Kamsa's demons harassed children throughout the region for fifteen years. Magically, Krishna and Balarama killed them all as part of their divine play, or lila. Thus, the inhabitants of Vrindavana were thankful, remembering their guru's prediction about Krishna. After Krishna killed the arista (bull) demon, the great sage Narada Muni went to Kamsa's palace and told him that Krishna and Balarama were the seventh and eighth sons of Vasudeva. Narada described the events that took place on the night of Krishna's birth and confirmed that Kamsa would meet his death at Krishna's hands.
On hearing this news, Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva again and renewed his vow to kill Krishna and Balarama. He called for the Keshi demon, and other great demons, and just in case that didn't work, he planned to draw the boys into a wrestling match with two of his strongest wrestlers. He sent his servant Akrura to bring the boys back to Mathura. This would be Krishna and Balarama's transition into adulthood, because they never again return to the lighthearted pastimes of their youth, playing in the pastures or dancing with the young gopis.
Kamsa was delirious with fear waiting for Krishna to arrive, and unable to sleep through the night because of bad dreams. He saw his headless body in a mirror, everything appeared double, and he saw the covering of the sky as pierced. He saw holes in his shadow and left no footprints when he walked.
Krishna and Balarama entered the splendorous city with their friends. By and by they came to the wrestling ring and accepted the challenge to fight Kamsa's demons. After fighting for a few moments, Krishna and Balarama easily killed their opponents. Everyone except Kamsa rejoiced at the wonderful defeat. The evil king stopped the celebration and shouted: "Drive the two wicked sons of Vasudeva out of the city! Confiscate the cowherds' property and arrest that evil man Nanda! Kill that ill-motivated Vasudeva! Also kill my father, Ugrasena, along with his followers, who have sided with our enemies."
Krishna jumped into the stands, seized Kamsa, knocked off his crown and dragged him to the wrestling mat by his hair. There He easily killed Kamsa, striking him with His fist. Kamsa's eight younger brothers attacked Krishna and Balarama, but Balarama easily killed them with his club. Krishna and Balarama met their parents, but Devaki and Vasudeva were struck with awe seeing the prophecy fulfilled, and because of a feeling of reverence they were afraid to embrace their sons. After that incident, Krishna and Balarama entered the gurukula and became princes in the court of Yadu.
[Source: http://www.surrealist.org/gurukula/storymatters/krishna.html].
Krishna Lifts Govardhana Hill
Vishnu in his many forms is an icon of protection and Krishna was (among other things) an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. It is said that the residents of Vrindavana were sometimes aware of this and at times depended on Krishna to protect them. A good example was when Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill. Every year the residents of Vrindavana worshiped Lord Indra for supplying rain. One year when Krishna was a youth, He asked Nanda to worship Govardhana Hill instead of Indra. Krishna argued, "We do not derive any special benefit from Indra. Our specific relationship is with Govardhana Hill and Vrindavana forest. Let us have nothing to do with Indra." (Krishna Book, p. 170) 
King Nanda finally agreed with Krishna and prepared to offer the sacrifice to Govardhana Hill. This made Lord Indra angry and jealous. Forgetting the divine position of Krishna, Indra reasoned, "These cowherd men in Vrindavana have neglected my authority on the advice of this talkative boy who is known as Krishna. He is nothing but a child, and by believing this child, they have enraged me." (Krishna Book, p. 174) Indra then sent a storm to devastate Vrindavana. All the people and animals came to Krishna for shelter, and in a miraculous show of strength, Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill with one finger to make the mountain into a huge umbrella. Everyone crowded underneath it and remained safe until the rains stopped. Later, Lord Indra realized his mistake in attacking Krishna and apologized. This is an example of one of the demigods behaving like a demon. Krishna Book explains, "Indra became angry because he thought that he was all in all within this universe and that no one was as powerful as he." (p. 180)
[Source: http://www.surrealist.org/gurukula/storymatters/krishna.html].
Lord Brahma Kidnaps the Cowherd Boys
When Aghasura died, the demigods offered prayers, threw flowers, and beat drums. Hearing the commotion, Lord Brahma arrived on the scene. At that time Brahma kidnapped the children children, an offense unbecoming of a demigod. Krishna was unhappy because due to Brahma's misdeed, because He would have to go back to the village alone. Instead, He decided to expand himself into substitute boys and calves that looked exactly like the originals, and he returned to the village with them. No one could tell the difference, but families showed increased spontaneous affection to their sons (who were actually expansions of God). Balarama, Krishna's brother, noticed the parents' behavior and asked Krishna what was going on. Krishna explained how Lord Brahma had kidnapped the real boys and calves.
Brahma made a mistake in trying to test Krishna's power. Life went on like this for a year before Brahma returned. Brahma's time passes much more quickly, so it seemed to him only a moment. However, when he returned he was shocked to see the boys and calves playing with Krishna, as though nothing had happened. Krishna knew Brahma was perplexed so He transformed all the boys and calves into four-armed Vishnu forms. Brahma heard music and saw many Brahmas, Shivas, demigods and jivas (souls) singing God's names and dancing. Brahma's mind opened at first to the vision, but then he became bewildered, so Krishna ended the dazzling scene.
When Brahma woke up, he realized that he was face to face with Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was enacting His eternal pastimes as a cowherd boy in the spiritual land of Vrindavana. Brahma immediately got down from his swan-carrier and fell prostate at Krishna's feet to beg forgiveness. After offering glorious prayers and penance for his behavior, Brahma circumambulated Krishna three times and returned to his planet.
Exactly one year before, Krishna had left his friends eating lunch on the bank of the Jamuna River. When he returned, they had just begun the meal, and thought Krishna had only been gone for a second. None of the boys realized that a whole year had gone by and that they had been kidnapped, asleep in a cave. When the children returned to their homes and told their parents about the aghasura demon, the demon's corpse had decomposed so the parents thought it was just a wild tale from the children's imagination.
Krishna Kills the Snake Demon Aghasura
One day the cowherd boys were playing their games, such as imitating peacocks and running after birds' shadows on the ground, when they came upon a mountain cave. This was actually a demon-brother of Putana's, who had expanded himself into an eight-mile long snake to kill the boys. The opening to the cave was his mouth. The boys felt a hot wind blowing that smelled like fish, or the serpent's intestines. 
The scriptures say that when the boys walked into the cave Krishna became momentarily aggrieved because He knew it was one of Kamsa's tricks. He considered for a moment, then decided to enter the cave Himself. Demons all over the world became joyful when Krishna went inside. The demigods, who had been hiding among the clouds to see what would happen, became distressed. For a time it seemed as if the snake-demon had killed Krishna, but when Krishna heard the demigods' pleas He grew larger and choked the demon to death. Aghasura's life air burst through a hole in his skull and waited there for Krishna to come out, then it merged into His body. Krishna showed His benevolent nature by rescuing His friends and giving liberation to Aghasura.
Krishna Kills the Witch Putana
Kamsa enlisted a demon named Putana to kill newborn babies. The demon dressed as a beautiful woman and flew on her broom to Krishna's nursery, hoping to kill Him with the poison she had smeared on her nipples. Krishna's mother innocently let Putana pick the baby up and put it to her breast. Krishna closed His eyes and sucked out her life air, killing her, without taking her poison. When Putana's soul departed, her body returned to its real form: a gigantic witch that smashed trees as it fell, stretching twelve miles across the landscape. Putana's soul attained liberation due to the benevolent act of offering her breast milk to Krishna and the inhabitants of Vrindavana cremated the body.
After Krishna killed Putana, the elder gopis (women of the village) picked Him up and performed auspicious rites for His protection and purification. They bathed Him and chanted religious mantras to prevent further attacks. Srila Prabhuapda explains in Krishna Book: "The elderly gopis of Vrindavana were so absorbed in affection for Krishna that they wanted to save Him, although there was no need to, for He had already protected Himself. They could not understand that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a child." (p. 47)
Krishna's parents treated children lovingly, celebrating their birthdays and other rites of passage. They acted in a kindly way to correct their children when they got into mischief, for example sometimes Krishna and Balarama would get into the cow shed, catch the tail of a calf and stand up. The calves would drag them around and they would be covered with mud. Rather than become angry, the mothers would call their friends to watch the fun. Mother Yasoda never hit Krishna, but once tied Him to a grinding mortar when He stole butter and fed it to the monkeys. The scriptures explain that as she tried to tie him, the rope was too short. She kept using a longer rope, but it always came up too short. Srila Prabhupada explains that "Krishna appreciated the hard labor of His mother, and being compassionate upon her, He agreed to be bound up by the ropes." (Krishna Book, p. 66)
Krishna tried to crawl and the mortar stuck between two Arjuna trees in the courtyard. The trees fell and two splendorous demigods emerged and offered prayers to Krishna. Narada Muni cursed had the souls to stand as trees for one hundred years and Krishna freed them.
When the boys got a little older, they spent their days playing with the calves in a nearby field. Their mothers cooked the noon meal and called them from the fields, or they would pack lunches for them. Children were considered the wealth of the family and were protected from abuse. However, rather than the parents protecting Krishna, it is the child who protects the village and all the people in it.
Krishna's Childhood in Vrindavana
When Yasoda and Nanda found Krishna as their son, they performed all the religious ceremonies in secret, to avoid Kamsa's wrath. The family astrologer, Gargamuni, told the family, "Your son Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He will protect you from Kamsa's persecutions, and by His grace only, you will surpass all difficulties. Therefore raise Him carefully, because many demons will try to attack him."
This warning proved true because throughout His childhood, Krishna fought Kamsa's demons, along with all the other demons and jealous and misguided demigods who approached Him.
[Source: http://www.surrealist.org/gurukula/storymatters/krishna.html].
108 Names of Lord Krishna
The Following are the sacred 108 Names of Lord Krishna , these names can be Chanted to get the blessing of Lord Krishna . The Parents Can select these Names for their new borns and get the blessing by chanting the name.
NAMES== MEANING
Achala== Still Lord
Achyuta== Infallible Lord
Adbhutah== Wonderful God
Adidev== The Lord Of The Lords
Aditya== The Son Of Aditi
Ajanma== One Who Is Limitless And Endless
Ajaya== The Conqueror Of Life And Death
Akshara== Indestructible Lord
Amrut== One Who Is Sweet As Nectar
Anaadih== One Who Is The First Cause
Anandsagar== Compassionate Lord
Ananta== The Endless Lord
Anantajit== Ever Victorious Lord
Anaya== One Who Has No Leader
Aniruddha== One Who Cannot Be Obstructed
Aparajeet== The Lord Who Cannot Be Defeated
Avyukta== One Who Is As Clear As Crystal
Balgopal== The Child Krishna, The All Attractive
Bali== The Lord Of Strength
Chaturbhuj== Four-Armed Lord
Danavendra== Granter Of Boons
Dayalu== Repositiory Of Compassion
Dayanidhi== The Compassionate Lord
Devadidev== The God Of The Gods
Devakinandan== Son Of Mother Devaki
Devesh== Lord Of The Lords
Dharmadhyaksha== The Lord OF Dharma
Dwarkapati== Lord Of Dwarka
Gopal== One Who Plays With The Cowherds, The Gopas
Gopalpriya== Lover Of Cowherds
Govinda== One Who Pleases The Cows, The Land And The Entire Nature
Gyaneshwar== The Lord Of Knowledge
Hari== The Lord Of Nature
Hiranyagarbha== The All Powerful Creator
Hrishikesh== The Lord Of All Senses
Jagadguru== Preceptor Of The Universe
Jagadisha== Protector Of All
Jagannath== Lord Of The Universe
Janardhana== One Who Bestows Boons On One And All
Jayantah== Conqueror Of All Enemies
Jyotiraaditya== The Resplendence Of The Sun
Kamalnath== The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
Kamalnayan== The Lord With Lotus Shaped Eyes
Kamsantak== Slayer Of Kamsa
Kanjalochana== The Lotus-Eyed God
Keshava== One Who Has Long, Black Matted Locks
Krishna== Dark-Complexioned Lord
Lakshmikantam== The Lord Of Goddess Lakshmi
Lokadhyaksha== Lord Of All The Three Lokas (Worlds)
Madan== The Lord Of Love
Madhava== Knowledge Filled God
Madhusudan== Slayer Of Demon Madhu
Mahendra== Lord Of Indra
Manmohan== All Pleasing Lord
Manohar== Beautiful Lord
Mayur== The Lord Who Has A Peacock Feathered-Crest
Mohan== All Attractive God
Murali== The Flute Playing Lord
Murlidhar== One Who Holds The Flute
Murlimanohar== The Flute Playing God
Nandgopala== The Son Of Nand
Narayana== The Refuge Of Everyone
Niranjana== The Unblemished Lord
Nirguna== Without Any Properties
Padmahasta== One Who Has Hands Like Lotus
Padmanabha== The Lord Who Has A Lotus Shaped Navel
Parabrahmana== The Supreme Absolute Truth
Paramatma== Lord Of All Beings
Parampurush== Supreme Personality
Parthasarthi== Charioteer Of Partha - Arjuna
Prajapati== Lord Of All Creatures
Punyah== Supremely Pure
Purshottam== The Supreme Soul
Ravilochana== One Who Eye Is The Sun
Sahasraakash== Thousand-Eyed Lord
Sahasrajit== One Who Vanquishes Thousands
Sahasrapaat== Thousand-Footed Lord
Sakshi== All Witnessing Lord
Sanatana== The Eternal Lord
Sarvajana== Omniscient Lord
Sarvapalaka== Protector Of All
Sarveshwar== Lord Of All Gods
Satyavachana== One Who Speaks Only The Truth
Satyavrata== The Truth Dedicated Lord
Shantah== Peaceful Lord
Shreshta== The Most Glorious Lord
Shrikanta== Beautiful Lord
Shyam== Dark-Complexioned Lord
Shyamsundara== Lord Of The Beautiful Evenings
Sudarshana== Handsome Lord
Sumedha== Intelligent Lord
Suresham== Lord Of All Demi-Gods
Swargapati== Lord Of Heavens
Trivikrama== Conqueror Of All The Three Worlds
Upendra== Brother Of Indra
Vaikunthanatha== Lord Of Vaikuntha, The Heavenly Abode
Vardhamaanah== The Formless Lord
Vasudev== All Prevailing Lord
Vishnu== All Prevailing Lord
Vishwadakshinah== Skilfull And Efficient Lord
Vishwakarma== Creator Of The Universe
Vishwamurti== Of The Form Of The Entire Universe
Vishwarupa== One Who Displays The Universal Form
Vishwatma== Soul Of The Universe
Vrishaparvaa== Lord Of Dharma
Yadavendra== King Of The Yadav Clan
Yogi== The Supreme Master
Yoginampati== Lord Of The Yogis
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Appearance of Krishna
Krishna was born at the stroke of midnight in His four-armed Vishnu form, dressed in silk and jewels, carrying the four weapons: the conch, disc, club and lotus. His parents prayed for Him to turn Himself into an ordinary baby so they could hide Him from Kamsa. The Lord advised Vasudeva to take him to Vrindavana and exchange him with a girl that had just been born there. Then He turned Himself into a baby.
Magically, the guards in Kamsa's prison fell asleep, and all the iron shackles, chains and locks automatically opened. Without questioning this, Vasudeva took the child and departed for Vrindavana. Like the story of Moses, the story of Krishna also includes a parting of the waters, allowing Vasudeva to carry Krishna across the Jamuna River to Vrindavana. When Vasudeva reached the house of Nanda, all the cowherds were asleep. Thus he placed his own son on the bed of Yasoda, picked up her newborn girl and returned to the prison of Kamsa.
There was a chance Kamsa would spare the child because the omen said it would be the eighth son that would kill him. Devaki pleaded with him, but Kamsa pulled the baby girl from her arms and dashed her against a stone. The girl slipped from his hands and rose above his head as the eight-armed form of Goddess Durga, dressed in fine garments and jewels. She said, "The enemy you contemplate is living somewhere else. You are a fool to hurt innocent children. Krishna will kill you."
Kamsa became remorseful and begged Devaki and Vasudeva to forgive him for his sins. He released them from their shackles and fell down on their feet, crying tears of regret. The next day, however, Kamsa's ministers advised him to give up his sentimental attitude and take action to kill all newborn children in the region. They also advised him to disturb the demigods and saintly people. There is a parallel to this story in the New Testament. When Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Herod killed all newborn children in the area, in what is known as the Massacre of the Innocents. Based on a dream, Joseph took the baby Jesus to Egypt, and returned only after Herod was dead.
[Source: http://www.surrealist.org/gurukula/storymatters/krishna.html].
The Advent of Lord Krishna
The Tenth Canto of the holy purana Srimad-Bhagavatam tells the story of Krishna's appearance and activities in this world. Hindus all over the world celebrate the birth of Krishna, as it is described in these ancient scriptures. Srila Prabhupada wrote the Krishna Book, a summary study of the Tenth Canto, which includes all these stories and more.
The Advent of Lord Krishna
Krishna was born in a tense historical period preceeding a devastating war. The warring factions built up so many weapons that the burden on the earth became unbearable. Finally the goddess of Earth took the form of a cow and prayed to Lord Brahma for relief. Lord Brahma called all the demigods to the shore of the Milk Ocean to hear Mother Earth and to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma fell into trance reciting the Vedic hymns known as the Purusa-sukta and heard the voice of Lord Vishnu. Then he announced, "O demigods, hear from me the words of God. He is aware of the distress on Earth and wants you demigods to incarnate as sons and daughters in the Yadu dynasty. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, will personally appear as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore you will all have the benediction of joining the eternal pastimes of Lord Krishna."
Lord Brahma consoled the cow and sent her home, then returned to his planet, Brahmaloka. The demigods then began to take birth in the Yadu dynasty, awaiting the appearance of Lord Krishna. The members of the Yadu dynasty, headed by Vasudeva and Devaki, along with their friends, relatives and well- wishers were all demigods. The residents of Vrindavana, headed by King Nanda, Queen Yasoda and Queen Rohini, were also demigods.
King Kamsa was another relative in the family, however he was not a demigod. He usurped the throne of his father, Ugrasena, and put him in prison. When Devaki, a member of Ugrasena's family, married Vasudeva, she received a large dowry of elephants, horses, chariots and servants. After the wedding, Kamsa took the reins of the wedding chariot and started to escort the couple home. Along the way, a voice from the sky addressed him: "You foolish king, the eighth son of Devaki will kill you!" 
Kamsa pulled Devaki down by her hair, drew his sword and prepared to kill her on the spot, but Vausdeva begged for his bride's life and promised to let him kill the eighth child, so that the oracle would not be fulfilled. Kamsa agreed to spare her life, but locked Vasudeva and Devaki in a stone prison. Thereafter, he mercilessly killed the first six sons of Devaki. Devaki's seventh son miscarried but mystically transferred to the womb of Queen Rohini in Vrindavana. This became Krishna's older brother, Balarama. Soon thereafter, Devaki became pregnant with her eighth child.
[Source: http://www.surrealist.org/gurukula/storymatters/krishna.html]
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hare Krishn Hare Krishn
Hare Krishn Hare Krishn
Krishn Krishn Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram
Ram Ram Hare Hare
OM NAMO NARAYANA
OM JAI SRIRAM
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