Bhagavan Krishna

Sri Krishna was born on ashtami in the month of Shravan. ‘Ashtami’ is the eighth day of the waning moon in each lunar month of the Hindu calendar. ‘Janma’ means ‘birth,’ thus ‘Janmashtami’ means ‘the ashtami day of the birth (of the Lord).’

Devaki’s eighth child was born at the stroke of midnight. Strange omens preceded the birth. Flowers that had folded their petals at sundown bloomed again, filling the night air with sweet fragrance. Birds awoke and chirped joyfully. Peacocks spread their magnificent plumage and danced as clouds showered gentle rain on the parched earth.

Sri Krishna was raised in pastoral setting in Gokula and nearby Brindaban on the banks of the Yamuna River, having been secretly carried there by his father Vasudeva.

Each year at Janmashtami and Christmas, as the birth anniversaries of Bhagavan Krishna and Jesus Christ draw near, devotionally tuned hearts the world over feel a heightened inner joy—a rebirth of the eternally present unconditional love that each of these avatars bestowed on the world as a legacy for their age, our age, and all ages yet to come. (from SRF Magazine)

Sri Krishna's message in the Bhagavad Gita is the perfect answer for the modern age, and any age: Yoga of dutiful action, of nonattachment, and of meditation for God-realization. To work without the inner peace of God is Hades; and to work with His joy ever bubbling through the soul is to carry a portable paradise within, wherever one goes.

The path advocated by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is the moderate, medium, golden path, both for the busy man of the world and for the highest spiritual aspirant. To follow the path advocated by the Bhagavad Gita would be their salvation, for it is a book of universal Self-realization, introducing man to his true Self, the soul—showing him how he has evolved from Spirit, how he may fulfill on earth his righteous duties, and how he may return to God. (from God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita by Paramahansa Yogananda)

Janmashtami (Birth of Bhagavan Krishna)

The service includes prayers, chants, readings, meditation and the flower ceremony. Those who attend bring a flower as a symbol of devotion to Bhagavan Krishna and a donation in an envelop as an expression of loyalty to the SRF path. Since flowers are gifts for God, please keep them in your hands or on your lap rather than on the floor. Also, please do not smell your flower because even its scent is part of your gift to God.

To find the location of SRF centre near you follow this link.

* Commemoration services are primarily intended for SRF students or other devotees who regularly attend SRF services. However, all are welcome who are familiar enough with SRF teachings to appreciate the significance of the Guru–disciple relationship and to participate in the service with sincerity and reverence.

The Vibration of Blessing

The vibrations of blessing during special services are much stronger than on other days in the year, because in the astral world, also, a celebration is taking place. If you participate in this ceremony with sincerity and devotion you will reap spiritual benefits and will find your high resolutions strengthened.