This chapter describes the Janmastami festival and the uniqueness of Krishna’s images.
This chapter describes the Janmastami festival and the uniqueness of Krishna’s images.
Sri Narayan Muni said:-
O sons! Of all the religious observations those told by Sri Vitthalesh Goswami are commonly acceptable. But those followed by Uddhav cult are special. I am now going to tell you the special facts about them. 1.
Of those observations, the festival which has more importance will be told to you because Lord Shri Krishna is the great - Brahman - Paramatma. Thus, observing the festival of Lord Krishna is important and I will explain this ‘Tithi’ in detail. 2.
When on previous day the Rohini constellation occurs along with Wednesday, the previous night (Purva Ratri) is Ashtami, and Saptami is covered by Ashtami, it should be taken as Astami for all religious observations (Vrata). The Parana should be observed next day after the astami tithi is over. 3-4.
Especially, if Ashtami occurs along with Saptami, then that Ashtami should be taken as recommended by Agnipurana. 5.
In the latter half, when Ashtami occurs with the Rohini constellation, a capable man should observe fast for two days but an incapable man should fast for one day only. 6 - 7.
When it is a Wednesday and the first-half of the night is in the Rohini constellation, it cannot be considered as Ashtami. 8.
When it is not a Wednesday but there is Rohini constellation, it should be considered as pure Ashtami. 9.
If the day is Navami and it occurs without Rohini constellation, it can be observed as Ashtami; if Ashtami with Rohini constellation is affected by Saptami, it should not be considered. 10.
If the Krishna shtami occurs with Pala, Ghati or Muhurta Navami, it should be considered, but it should not be considered if it is with Saptami. 11.
Some Vaisnavas are if the opinion that if it occurs along with an addition or subtraction on Ashtami, it also can be considered as observable. 12.
According to Sri Vitthalesh, if it is affected with addition or subtraction, then the Navami should be considered. 13.
If at sunrise, it is Ashtami (unaffected) or occurs with Saptami, it should be considered good or auspicious for Janmastami festival. 14.
If it is pure Astami pervading most part of the day, then it should be considered for celebrating Janmastami. 15.
On such Astami, fast should be observed and Lord Krishna should be worshipped. A movable or immovable image of Lord Krishna should be worshipped. 16.
If there is an idol of Radhikaji in the temple, she should be dressed as the idol of Laksmi, and worshipped. 17.
If there is only one idol of Lord Krishna in the temple and not Radha or Laksmi with him, the image of Lord Krishna should be considered as it is with Radha or Laksmi invisibly. 18.
This can be considered as a common ritual during the festival in all the temples. 19.
Now the ritual of the festival is discussed further.- Devotees should get up early in the morning on the Janmastami day and take a holy bath. hey should sweep and clean the temple very well with water. 20.
Then the servants should decorate the temple with various colors and types of flowers and leaves like yellow, red and others. 21.
The imperial throne of the Lord and other apparatus of worship, oil lamps etc. should be replaced and/or cleaned thoroughly. The throne should be covered with a new shining cloth. 22.
Devotees should collect the material of great offerings (Mahanaivedya) and other things. New fresh flowers and clothes also should be collected. 23.
Costumes of the Lord should be stitched personally or should be sewn by a tailor. The costumes should be very well embroidered and suitable for the Lord, 24.
In the courtyard of the temple, there should be placed the beautiful trunks of plantains. 25.
It should be decorated with colorful costumes, flowers, leaves and in order to give a very beautiful and attractive look. 26.
The decoration should be of different colors like yellow, red, bluish- grey or green colors. New pots (Kalash) decorated with flowers and leaves, incense and fragrant sticks etc, should also be placed. 27-28
In the centre should be placed a labor-room for Devaki along with Dhitri and scissors for symbolically cutting the Nala (umbilical cord) 29.
Then in the middle, a beautiful cot should be placed (Manchak) on which an idol of Devaki feeding Krishna should be placed. 30.
Another similar place should be set up for Yasoda in Gokula where she would deliver a daughter. 31.
With an Idols of Nanda, Gopa, Gopis, cows, a bullock, calf with children should also be arranged according to the capacity. 32.
Idols of Lord Krishna made of gold or other precious materials should be placed. All this should be done with deep devotion, faith and respect. 33.
Drums and other rhythmic instruments should be played, indicating the auspiciousness of the occasion. 34.
Cooked items, especially items cooked with clarified butter, should be prepared for offerings to the Lord during the day time and other food varieties like vegetables can be cooked at night for Mahanaivedya. 35.
During the first phase of night worshipping should commence behind the certain. At that the static idol of Lord Krishna should worshipped. 36.
If it is possible an idol should be installed which can be bathed by milk, curds, sugar, honey and clarified butter (Panchamruta). Also hot and cold water should be used. 37.
If it is not possible to use liquid materials for bathing, then only the hymns or mantras should be chanted while observing the bathing ritual. The idol should then be decorated with –beautiful costumes. 38.
The idol which is regularly used for worship and is small in size should be bathed by Panchamruta. During all other festivals the method should be followed. 39.
If the idol is black colored, the costumes should be of yellow, red or white; that would make it beautiful. 40.
If the idol is white in color, then blue or red costumes should be used so as to make it look very beautiful and attractive. 41.
The idol should be decorated with various precious jewels or pearls. A valuable crown of precious stones like rubies diamonds should be placed on the head. Other ornaments on arms, wrists also should be used for decorating. 42.
Rich people should use precious jewelry or ornaments and poor people should use only beautiful fragrant flowers for decorating. 43.
At the night of Ashtami, the devotees should enter the labor room of Devaki and an idol of small/infant Krishna should be taken in a basket. 44.
Then the idol should be placed for a short while in the bed of Yashoda. It should then be worshipped with Panchamrut. 45.
Various auspicious instruments should then be played on and various songs of Balakrishna should also be sung. 46.
Then following the rituals of worship: idols of God, Lord Krishna, Devaki and Vasudev should be worshipped with Panchamruta, along with idol of Balakrishna. 47.
Then on the next day to establish in cradle the idol of Balakrishna should be clothed with costumes and ornaments, both small and big idols should be worshipped. 48.
Balakrishna then should be clothed with long coat and a head cover (cap) embroidered beautifully. 49.
The idol should be decorated with proper clothes and ornaments to make it look beautiful and attractive. 50.
Sandal paste, and other fragrant should be applied to the idol. Also, beautiful, fragrant flowers of various colors should be strewn at His feet. 51.
Everywhere in the temple and its surroundings, rose water, scented oil and perfumes should be sprayed so as to fill the entire atmosphere in the temple with fragrance. 52.
Then beautiful, smooth touching garlands and flowers of various colors and scents should be offered. The idol should be worshipped along with Tulsi leaves and then scented Dhoop and lamps of ghee (clarified butter) should also be lit on. 53.
Then Mahanaivedya should be placed on a wooden square stool (Chaturanga). The Mahanaivedya should consist of sweet foods like sweet soup, laddoos etc. All the food items must be made from pure ghee (shuddha) clarified butter. 54.
Then the offer in the labor room of Devaki and Yasoda, Ajamo ( the kind of herb) ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and raw sugar should be placed in five pots. 55.
While ringing the bell, the hymns of Naivedya should be sung. Lord Krishna should be worshipped and water should be spread clockwise round the food items. 56.
All the food offered as Naivedya should then be taken into the kitchen and it should be sanctified for serving. 57.
Then betel leaves with spices like betel nut and anise seed, should be offered along with coconut and other fruits available at the time. 58.
Then after rising the curtain, oil lamp should be shown to God ,hymns and songs should be sung along with various sounds of bells, conchs and others. 59.
After praying and praising the God, auspicious stories and tales of Lord Krishna, should be listened to. 60.
At night, before Lord goes to sleep the heavy costumes, crown and others ornaments should be taken off the idol and it should be covered with simple, light costumes. 61.
At midnight, the sacred water of the Lord’s pair of feet should be taken and not any other food. Devotees should keep awake in singing songs and tales in praise of Lord Krishna. 62.
In the morning, after taking bath, again the Lord should be worshipped, Payas (milk mixed with sugar) should be offered to the Lord. 63.
Then the devotees should circumambulate the oil lamp clockwise in front of the idol and offer bed to the Lord. Devotees can then play with each other in the temple spreading and sprinkling water, milk, curds and other things. 64 - 65.
Married women should put on their bodies red power mixed with turmeric, curds and milk and sprinkle it on other women and play. 66.
Widows being inauspicious should not participate in it. Similarly, hermits and unmarried youths (Brahmacharis) should not participate in it. 67.
If at all any items mentioned above happen to fall on their bodies, they should take bath and repeat the eight word mantra of Lord Krishna. 68.
If the widows and have-nots take part in play, they should observe fast and should chant the devotional songs all through the night. 69.
At the end of the play, the devotees should take bath and then celebrate the next day’s ritual named as ‘Parana’. Thus, I have described the Janmastami festival which is the annual ceremony. 70.
After the celebrations are over, every day in the morning and in the evening, you should worship Balakrishna and rock the swing with his idol placed on it until Arjunotsava. 71.
There are five types of Temple of Lord Shri Krishn, narrated by preceptors Sri Ramanad swami in this Uddhav cult tradition. 72.
All these five types are not different though they are described separately just like the Lord is one, there are differences in the idols. 73.
The cause of all the three worlds, Lord Shri Krishna came first to his abode from Golok as the son of Devaki and Vasudev in Mathura. 74.
In divan form of childhood he got the names Vasudev Balamukund, and also Navnitdhar the holder of butter. 75.
He then came to Gokul as the son of Nanda. He was brought up and raised by Yasoda; he performed various Lilas, attracting many people. 76.
Shri Krishna himself is also known as ‘Gopinath’, ‘Radhapati,’ ‘Vrndavanvihari’ and ‘Madan mohan.’ 77.
His idols are seen with Radha in the temples. He is seen holding a flute made out of bamboo. 78.
The same Lord came to Mathura with his brother Balabhadra and is loved by Yadavas. So he is also known as Ramakrishna. 79.
He is known as Mathuranatha, the Lord of Yadavas. His idols can also be seen with Rama (Balaram) in the temples. 80.
The Lord came to Dwarika with Rukmini. As he is the king of kings, he is known as Laksmi Narayan. 81.
He, the Dwarikanatha is also known as the Yadupati, his idols are also seen with Laksmi in the temples. 82.
Similarly, he is known as the loving God of Pandavas and the brother of Draupadi. His idols are also seen with Arjun in temples. 83.
Therefore he is known as ‘Narnarayan’ and ‘Pandavpriya’ on the earth. He is seen with Arjun in various temples. 84
His idols are made of five metals which are seen having either four hands or two hands. 85.
At some places the idols are with Parshada or without Parshada - some are with weapons and some are without weapons. 86.
But there is no difference in these forms of Shri Krishna. Though the idols are of five types, the festivals everywhere are celebrate in the same fashion. 87.
Wherever there is something special in the celebration of the festival, I’ll tell you ‘O learned ones, about the rituals of worshipping. 88.
So, ‘O sons, I have told you about the Janmastami festival of Uddhav tradition or cult. The main rituals of it should be performed in every temple. 89.
Thus ends the fifty fifth chapter entitled ‘desoribes the rituals of Janmastami festival’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 55
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