A Wild Abandon called Krishna, writes Disney Brar

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Krishna is an intelligent statesman, a wise charioteer, a flamboyant cowherd, a dharma saviour, a compassionate teacher, an omnipresent friend, the ultimate divine lover, a master story-weaver and more…

I am never lost to one who sees all beings in me and who sees me in all beings, nor is that person ever lost to me-Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

In the mystical land of Vrindavan which resounded with the sweet notes of the flute, the echo of the coy giggles of the gopis prancing around in the bucolic interiors of this sacred land, the playfulness of the Raas Leela which enchanted the onlookers and the soulfulness of Radha’s undying love which uplifted one’s spirits, once lived Krishna…

 A Rendezvous With Krishna
Krishna who grew up amongst cowherds and cowherdesses, is characteristically depicted as having blue-black skin, often adorns a sunshine yellow loincloth and proudly wears a crown of peacock feathers, nestled a multi-layered personality inside his pristine being. He is a conundrum which is hard to solve and understand. One can find the power of the spiritual, the colours of the sensual, and the ecstasy of the erotic all in Krishna’s life which unfolded with panache in the times when he lived his story on this earth.
His metamorphosis from the Balakrishna-crawling on his hands and knees, a toddler juggling a generous dollop of butter between his lips, to a young lover caressing a flute in his hands surrounded by a circle of adoring gopis, a wise charioteer lending priceless counsel to Arjuna to finally a universal teacher delivering philosophical teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, is mind-boggling and astounding.

Can there be a Krishna without his Radha?
Radha and Krishna are essentially the union of the soul with the divine. Their story was first charted in the Bhagavata Purana, a text dated between the fifth and the 10th centuries and later elaborated in the Sanskrit devotional poem Gitagovinda authored by Jayadeva who lived in the 12 century, Eastern India. Radha is not a mere companion, but Krishna’s spiritual energy-Hladini Shakti which is the very embodiment of divine ecstasy and love. If you believe in the concept of Twin Flames, then Radha and Krishna were one, two sparks of the same divine soul, always searching for their other half, moving universes and planets to find each other in every lifetime, often manifesting in lovers across the different species representing life on this planet. Theirs was the kind of love which transcended the chasms of life and death to finally rest in peace in each other’s arms. They are an inseparable entity and the highest known love which has ever existed on this plane and beyond.

Krishna’s Leela
In Vaishnava theology, the gopis represent the many souls that dwell in the universe while Krishna is the supreme being often considered as the incarnation of the deity Vishnu. The Raas Leela, symbolises the divine dance between Krishna and the gopis which in turn symbolises the souls yearning for union with the divine. Radha’s separation comes when Radha pretends to be angry with her Krishna, which shows devotion is not just a ritual but involves emotional depth as well. Krishna’s flute symbolises him calling the gopis to him which is an apt representation of how the call of the divine brings the soul closer to god. In the end comes Radha’s surrender which symbolises Radha’s unconditional love for Krishna, also symbolic of how true devotion is based on surrender and trust. The gopis here metaphorically represent the prakrti matter and our impermanent body.

Keeping Krishna Alive

Krishna is not just another idol that we worship in the temples, he is as alive now as he was when he walked the paths of this land, a pulsating energy in the hearts and homes of his devotees who believe that Krishna still walks with them as a guide and a messenger from beyond…
Starting with Akinchan Prabhu, communication director, Iskcon-International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Chandigarh, who informs about the Janmashtami themed activities planned prior to the D-Day, “we start hosting Janmashtami themed competitions at Iskcon a fortnight before Janmashtami where students from different schools participate in our Krishna themed drawing and painting competitions, besides fancy dress competitions where children dress up as Krishna in innovative ways. We also have nagar kirtans daily in different sectors of the city and special katha sabhas are hosted everyday in the temple premises in the evenings,” says he.
While Amrit Chaitanya Das, team leader with Infosys at the Chandigarh IT Park describes Krishna as the know-all of this universe, talking to The North News, he says, “Krishna is the ultimate god-head, the supreme divine being for me from every angle right from spiritual to the scientific. Like an ordinary human being who aims to reach the top in his life and career, I aim to reach bhagwan. Krishna is the final destination for me and the be-all and end-all of my world.”
Radhika Ahuja, a librarian who resides in Sector 22, adores Krishna as a friend and mentor, she says, “Krishna is a god-child and a miracle. He has been a spiritual guide for me ever since I was a child and I seek his approval in everything I do. For me he is like a member of my family. I look out for him every single day of my life.” For Deepti Sharma, a student of Panjab University, Krishna holds different perspectives, “Krishna is a prankster, a divine lover and a superhero for me,” she quips.
While Janmashtami for Hemant Kumar, a banker with a private bank in Sector 9, Chandigarh is all about forming human gymnastic pyramids to break open handi’s hung high in the air to grab hold of butter, often spilling it all over the group, Informs Kumar, “right from my childhood when we were staying in chawls in Mumbai, Janmashtami was all about organising dahi handi’s in my neighbourhood. Even now when I live here in Chandigarh, I organise open handi’s in my colony and we all have a lot of fun and frolic bringing alive Krishna’s inherent naughtiness and mischief as a makhan chor.”

A final Conversation with Krishna

Whenever one is looking for a solution to a pressing problem in hand or one needs general direction in life, the Bhagavad Gita is the jewel to reach out for. One just needs to randomly open the Gita and the page which opens up holds the answer to the problem in hand. The profound discourse of the Gita between Krishna and Arjun holds the key for all of us to navigate through life effortlessly. If you are standing on a road with a fork end which tosses up multi-variegated choices in front of you, turn to the Bhagavad Gita for your answer. The Gita talks about the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul, the nature of life, our duties, responsibilities as humans, the ways to reach the state of eternal bliss and attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
In the words of Krishna, “Whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, I descend.” So if you are on the right path in life, be assured that Krishna walks right besides you tossing that golden halo of his divine light right onto you.

Happy Janmashtami.