Professor M.M. Goel*
(Asian independent) The birthday of Lord Krishan (Janmashtami )is celebrated on the eighth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrava Ashtami. May Lord Krishan steal all our worries and give us happiness on the holy occasion of Krishan Janmashtami. It is a day of celebrations and perfect time to greet our relatives and friends. Let there be love and laughter in our lives with the blessings of Lord Krishan during the covid crisis and thereafter.
Krishan Janmasthami is to be utilised as holyday by all of us, the people with faith. A person fasting on Janmashtami will always gain health, wealth, peace, progress and prosperity. It is believed that Krishan Janmashtami fasting is much more powerful than Ekadashi fasting.
On Janmashtami day, I wish to greet the people for getting the enlightenment for real empowerment to serve humanity.
Being a native, student, researcher living in Kurukshetra and a disciple of Gita, the heart of Krishan, I am making honest efforts to understand, analyse, interpret, adopt and promote Bhagvad Gita as ism neutral religion free treatise on management and welfare economics with lessons for everyone as consumer, producer, distributor and trader .
To move on the ladder of success in every aspect of life with morality, opulence, victory and empowerment, we have to believe that Lord Krishan and Arjun is with us. This is the crux of Bhagvad Gita called Eka Sloki Gita , the last sloka out of 700 slokas in the 18th chapter.
The fasting is of two kinds as practised by the devotees. ‘Nirjal’ fast is a total abstinence from food and water by the devotees for showing complete oneness with the divinity of Lord Krishan and to seek forgiveness for past sins. At midnight, devotees fasting on Janmashtami perform puja and aarti, and offer ‘prasad’ to Lord Krishan, seek His blessings and breakfast by eating the holy ‘prasad’.
On the day of Janmashtami, the devotees also observe ‘Phalahari Fast’ which involves taking fruits and liquids such as fruit juices throughout the duration of the fast. Intake of salty food items and grains are strictly prohibited. The fasting devotees sing the virtues of the inspiring aspects of Lord Krishan throughout the night in addition to reciting the maha-mantra of His holy name. The positive vibration of mantras chanted energizes the atmosphere and fills the soul with divine bliss and deep contentment.
It is pertinent to mention that the incarnation of Lord Krishan signifies the end of all darkness and the eradication of the evil from the earth. Fasting is an important Vedic traditions followed by the devotees around the world. The fasting on Janmashtami has spiritual implications with positivity on all the devotees. The significance of fasting is that it brings the soul closer to the Supreme Being which falls in the domain of spiritual mathematics ( 1+1=1). Janmashtami fast is associated with the attainment of nirvana/ moksha or salvation, freedom from the cycles of birth and death. We have to strive hard for becoming the best version of the self. Silence fasting is the first step in spirituality.
According to sloka no 5 of chapter 06 of Gita “Uddharedaatmanaatmaanam naatmaanamavasaadayet . Aatmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva ripuraatmanaha “ (Uplift yourself by yourself, do not deprecate yourself. For only you are your friend, and only you are your enemy). Lord Krishna gives us a powerful message in this shloka that in order to progress in the spiritual path, in fact, any undertaking, we have to lift ourselves by our own efforts. We are our own friend if we do so, and if we don’t, we become our own enemy. In other words, our success and failure is entirely in our hands. No other person can help or hurt us. Lord Krishan urges us to gently but firmly bring our mind into control, and orient it towards the intellect and our higher self.
May Lord Krishan give us strength and inspire us to face all the problems in life including covid created economic crisis with great courage. May Lord Krishan always be with us and protect all of us.
* Former Vice Chancellor and Needonomist Professor retired from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. Enjoy surfing the website www.needonomics.com
