2 September 2018, Amritapuri
(Excerpts from Amma’s 2018 Sri Krishna Jayanti Message)
Ashtami Rohini, the eighth day of the waning moon in the August-September month of the Hindu calendar, is the sacred day when the birthless, deathless Supreme Consciousness took birth as a human child in the city of Mathura. From the moment of his birth to the time he left his mortal body, each leela Sri Krishna enacted was sweet. They were beacons of light, guiding the path of the world. The Lord himself says that those who realise the principle behind his divine birth and actions will be freed from the bondage of samsara—the endless cycle of birth and death. When we, like Vasudeva, move forward, holding God close to our hearts, all obstacles on our path will fall away and we will attain our goal.
To make devotees happy, to uphold dharma, to define the dharma befitting the times, to impart wisdom to uplift the spiritual sensibilities of society, to shelter and nourish culture in all possible ways, to enact divine leelas to inspire even future generations—these are some of the duties of a divine incarnation. Lord Krishna fulfilled all these in an exemplary way. Two things are particularly noteworthy about Krishna’s life: His sweet face never lost its pleasant smile and he engaged wholeheartedly in different roles but always with total detachment. Like an actor who plays many diverse roles, performing them each to perfection, Krishna turned this world into his theatrical stage. He took upon each costume with grace and shed it with grace as well. He did not get attached to any of them, yet he made each one beautiful.
It is when one transcends the mind completely that one becomes complete. Lord Krishna was able to do this. This is why the incarnation of Lord Krishna is called a Purnavatara—a complete incarnation. With a smile on his face, he moved from circumstance to circumstances as easily as if moving from room to room. Wind moves everywhere freely, but it never stops. It touches and caresses everyone, but no one can contain it. Krishna was like this. His life was a song with a delightful rhythm and beautiful melody, sung with perfect pitch.
The completeness that is visible in the Lord’s life is also evident in his teachings. His teachings are relevant for people of all walks of life, showing them the way to advance materially as well as spiritually.
God, the sun of love, is ever blazing. If you shut the doors and windows of your house, how will you be able to experience the light of that love? We should open the door of our ego and come out. Then we will be able to experience the sweetness and coolness of Krishna’s love. We are at present imprisoned by our minds. The birth of little Krishna or the Paramatman should happen within our heart. Then all forms of bondage will disappear.
