KRISHNA – The Greatest Inspiration

Indians across the globe celebrated Shri Krishna Janmashtami on 17^th August 2014 with lot of fervor as is done every year as per the star.

It would do world of good for all of us to understand his appearance in the human form almost more than 5125 years ago, especially for all those who are presumably struggling in life in spite of having several daily comforts of living.

His Birth – He was born in the most unexpected of places, in a jail, where his parents were placed in miserable conditions by his own uncle to kill their every offspring to protect himself from the reported danger to his life as per the oracle from the sky. Troubles started for Him the moment he appeared. His father Vasudev had to carry Him on his head in the middle of a cyclonic night in fiery circumstances to Vrindavan to save Him from the hands of Kamsa.

His childhood – At a time when every kid lives in the cozy comforts of his home and the care of parents, He was always under constant threat to be killed by the demons sent by Kamsa. In the midst of all the threats, He continued to live happily with all His friends and neighbors regaling them and surprising them most of the times with His divine acts and deeds. He killed several demons that came in the garb of normal friendly forms like a beautiful woman, etc. Under normal circumstances, it is the elders of the village who protect the place but it was Krishna who protected Vrindavan and its people at all times.

His Adulthood and later – Just as He was becoming an adult, he had to fight the strongest wrestlers unleashed on Him by Kamsa. After killing them, He pulls Kamsa into the wrestling ring and kills him with bare fists thereby ending his cruel rule of Mathura. Later on too, He was insulted by Kauravas before the Kurukshetra war started. He bore all of them with a smile on His face.  

In His entire life, Krishna had circumstances that were completely against Him. People may say, He is the Lord, so He can do anything He wanted. We should not forget that He came in a human form only to show people that irrespective of the resistance we face from different people and situations, we should face them with grace and intelligence instead of running away from them. Problems could come disguised in the form of a pleasure give but we should develop the intellect to understand them is what He taught in the killing of Putana.

Though he grew up as a Prince and foster son of King Nanda in Vrindavan, He never had any great assumptions about Himself. He played and mingled with all other boys in the village as if He was one among them. This highlights the importance of how the high and mighty should conduct themselves while living in a society.

By fighting the demons, He showed to all that it requires great courage and not necessarily a muscular physique to fight the demons within and outside of us that are always on the prowl to destroy us.

By being with the Pandavas at all times, He showed that if one lived in the right path, God will always stand by them and help thereby proving the adage that God helps those who help themselves. What is needed is patience and perseverance in the midst of all sorts of difficulties that one encounters in life.

In the middle of a Great War zone, He acted as a great guide and teacher to Arjuna to dispel his illusions and gave us The Gita.

Krishna is just not a name and a form. He is an embodiment of simplicity, intelligence, courage, love, righteousness, beauty, truthfulness and several other characteristics. Several books have not been able to write completely

about Him and the few words written here are just a short brief.  

Worshiping Krishna means imbibing at least a few of his qualities and following them religiously at all times. There is no greater inspiring personality than that of Krishna.