This Janmashtami, Honor Bhagwan Krishna through Bhakti and Action

Krishna: The name itself invokes the heavens and reminds us of His divine leela. From slaying mad King Kansa to protecting the Pandavas from Gandhari’s curse, Krishna reminds us that upholding dharma is our utmost responsibility, done in ways unique to us. On Janmashtami, the anniversary of his birthday, we remember His greatness, reminding us in new ways how we might be able to serve dharma and grow as individuals. 

To me, Janmashtami will forever be marked as an important date. Without doubt, it is one of the holiest days of the year for my family and me. Though we didn’t always celebrate it, we never forgot its importance and always marked the occasion—whether it would be through reading children’s stories about Krishna or doing a simple aarti. 

In recent years, Janmashtami has taken on a new meaning, with a new way to celebrate. We now go to a close friend’s home and celebrate with their family. They always welcome us warmly and even let me help design the little scene about one of Krishna’s many leelas. One year, it was the friendship of Krishna and Sudama, the next it was about Krishna and Arishtasura. These stories were more than just the simple fables of Indian society but reminders of a begone era, the days in which the divine personification of Good and Righteousness would descend into the lives of the meek and vulnerable. 

Often, this was a saddening experience to think about. I remember wondering why Krishna came in that era but not this—when evil and hatred still run rampant across the Earth, affecting even the smallest of children. Even now, in the midst of periods of sadness and anger that so defines our existence, I question. When the news shows the oppression of Hindus globally, I question. When another case of Hinduphobia emerges, I question. 

That questioning, that doubt in the Divine is universal; even Arjuna himself doubted at the outset of the Kurukshetra War. And even with that doubt, Sri Krishna came to him, comforted him, and guided him away from his depression and into strength and success. The path was not easy, and the 18 days at Kurukshetra were filled with sacrifice and sadness. Even then, the Blessed Lord accompanied Arjuna through it all, guiding him both physically and mentally through the clash and din of battle. 

Sri Krishna represents an ideal, a belief that is often hard to wrap our minds around. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps – to borrow from independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s iconic Tryst with Destiny speech (which is rather apt as we celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day) – He is still awake, protecting the righteous and defending the innocent. He comforts us through the worst of our experiences, guiding us through them in an effort to ensure that we can see the bright light of joy and bliss on the other side. He celebrates with us our victories, never straying from us. That, to me, is Krishna: the Beloved Friend who neither abandons us at the depths of our misery nor at the highest of our joys. 

In the context of our fight to protect dharma, we must remember that powerful message. Though the battle is a challenging endeavor, we must stand resolute in our demands, in our commitment to ensuring that our fellow brothers and sisters as well as our beloved country will benefit from our effort. We are honored to be recognized, honored to be chosen by a Power beyond ourselves to take the lead in the fight against dharma.

To be in the fight is to be devoted to Krishna. That in itself is an admirable commitment, but the work is not done. On this Janmashtami, as we take time to celebrate the birth of our Beloved Lord, understand that our faith needs you to take a stand. Whether it be through simple talks with your children to more widespread efforts like the work done by CoHNA, we must take the initiative to not only worship Krishna with bhakti, but with dedicated action as well. As Krishna once took birth to protect the world, I implore you to take on the form of defenders of dharma, the protectors of an ancient tradition that dates back thousands of years. Take part in the resurgence, so that one day, when our names are forgotten, our deeds will not be. 

Dhan Dhan Tu Mata Devaki — Jahiye Grahe Maiya Kamalpati!

Ladle Lal ki Jai!

Madhusudhana Bhagwan ki Jai!

Krishna Kanhaiya Lal ki Jai!

Sri Radhe Krishna Bhagwan ki Jai!

The author, Sagar Patel, is a high school student and a CoHNA youth volunteer.