Sri Krishna: His Birth and Activities

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Sri Krishna: His Birth and Activities

Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura, India

to Devaki and Vasudeva in the jail cell of the tyrant Kamsa. The place

of His birth is known as Sri Krishna Janmasthana. He appeared with His

brother Balarama in response to the demigods' prayers for protection

from the widespread influence of demonic administration on earth.

 

Previously, the demigods and demons had been at war in the heavens.

When the demons were defeated by the demigods, they decided to instead

attack this planet earth. Thus, they invaded the earth by discretely

taking birth as princes in powerful royal families of the time.

 

And as the earth became overrun by militaristic activities of these

kingly demons, the demigods including the Earth goddess earnestly

sought Lord Visnu's protection. Seeing the deteriorating social and

political conditions and hearing the prayers of the demigods, the

all-compassionate Supreme Lord Sri Krishna decided to descend for the

benefit of all.

 

The Supreme Lord descends from time to time in this material world to

reestablish the teachings of the Vedas. In His Bhagavad-gita, Lord

Krishna promises: "Whenever and wherever there is a decline in

religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of

irreligion--at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to

annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of

religion, I Myself appear milleniumm after millenium."

 

Although eternal the Lord appears in specific circumstances out of

mercy for His devotees. In fact, His principal biography, the Srimad

Bhagavatam states, "the learned men describe the births and activities

of the Unborn and Inactive." Therefore, although He appears within the

material dimensions of time and space, He is most definitely not of it.

 

Historically, Lord Krishna appeared on the midnight of the 8th day of

the dark half of the month of Sravana. This corresponds to July 19th

3228 BC. He exhibited His pastimes for a little over 125 years and

dissappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of

Phalguna. (His departure marks the beginning of the current age of

corruption known as Kali.)

 

The great scholar Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti neatly outlines Lord

Krishna's activities in this way: the first three years and four

months were spent in Gokula, then equal lengths of time in Vmdavana

and Nandagram, eighteen years and four months in Mathura, and finally

ninety-six years and eight months in Dvaraka totalling 125 years of

manifest pastimes. See the Krishna-lila chart.

 

Lord Krishna's early pastimes are briefly summarized at the website

Krishna's Adventures in Vraja"During this childhood time , He grew up

as the son of His foster parents Nanda and Yasoda in the midst of the

idyllic beauty of Gokula, Vrindavana, and Nandagram. Not only did He

destroy numerous demons, but also performed His famous rasa dance.

 

Krishna enjoyed the dance of love (rasa-lila) with the gopis many of

whom are expansions of His own internal energies. The supreme gopi

known as Srimati Radharani is the object of Krishna's highest

devotion. This beautiful dance would occur in the autumn season at

night under a full moon when Lord Krsna would captivate the young

gopis with the extraordinary music of His flute . These esoteric

pastimes constitute the most confidential expression of divinity ever

revealed.

 

Usually the conception of sprirtual perfection consists of

overwhelming feelings only of awe and reverence at God's majesty.

However, in these pastimes each devotee loves God either as a master,

a best freind, a mischievous son, or even as an intimate lover, thus

revealing the infinite possibilities of divine love. These early

pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrindavana illustrate the extraordinary

intimacy that one can have with God. These pastimes are described in

detail by Sri Visvantha Chakravarti in his Sri Krishna Bhavanamrta

Mahakavya

 

When Krsna and Balarama were older, They were invited to Mathura,

where Karnsa, Their demonic uncle, was planning Their death in a

wrestling match against two large and powerful wrestlers. When Kamsa

saw his wrestlers defeated, he ordered his friends to drive the

brothers out of Mathura, plunder the riches of Their cowherd friends,

and kill Their fathers, Nanda and Vasudeva. However, Krishna

immediately killed Kamsa and Balarama killed his eight brothers. Lord

Krishna then established the pious King Ugrasena as the emperor of

several kingdoms.

 

In Mathura, both Krishna and Balarama were initiated by Gargamuni in

the Gayatri mantra> Later They went to live under the care of

Sandipani Muni who instructed Them in all the Vedic arts and sciences

in sixty-four days and nights especially in military science, politics

and spirituality. As an offering (guru-daksina) to Their teacher, They

recovered his son from death. Although God does not need instruction

from anyone else, Lord Krsna and His brother set the perfect example :

one must accept instruction from and serve a bona-fide spiritual

master to advance in spiritual life.

 

For the next eighteen years, They continued to live in Mathura halting

the impending threat of many demonic kings. Later in Their pastimes

Lord Balarama married a princess named Revati. Lord Krsna married many

queens, the foremost among them being the extraordinarily beautiftil

Queen Rukmini. (See Sri Rukmini website for the story of Their

marriage). Both Krishna and Balarama established Their palaces in

Dvaraka off the coast of western India, where They enjoyed married

life for many years. Although They were married, Lord Krsna and Lord

Balarama exhibited the quality of detachment from material life perfectly.

 

When They were about ninety years old, the great world war of

Kuruksetra took place. This climactic battle brought together all the

major world leaders. Lord Krsna took the role of a charioteer on the

side of the pious Pandavas, while Lord Balarama refusing to

participate went on a pilgrimage tour thereby blessing the entire land

of India.

 

At the start of the war, Lord Krishna displayed His stupendous

Universal Form delivered His famous message known as the

Bhagavad-gita, literally the Song of God. This Song contains the

essence of all knowledge having been spoken by the Supreme Lord Sri

Krishna Himself. This war concluded with the destruction of the

demonic kings and the reinstatement of the righteous Pandava princes.

 

Having completed Their mission, Balarama and Krsna resumed Their life

in Dvaraka where They spent some thirty-five more years before ending

Their earthly manifest activities The foremost description of Lord

Krishna's activities occurs in the Srimad Bhagavatam, literally "the

Beautiful Book of God."

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