Vasudevar,The king of the city Mathura married Devaki. Vasudevar and Devaki were taken to the Procession by Devaki’s brother Kamsa. Out of unconditional love towards his sister, Kamsa became the charioteer. As soon as Kamsa took the reins of the wedding chariot, a divine voice thundered from the sky, it prophesied that their 8th son would kill Kamsa. Upon hearing this, Kamsa jumped down from the chariot and tried to kill Devaki with a knife from his waist but vasudeva begged for mercy with a condition that each child would be handed over to kamsa on birth. Hence kamsa put both his sister and her husband in prison.
On the birth of every child, Kamsa slaughtered them one by one. When the 7th was slaughtered, the couple worried and sought protection for the 8th Child by pleading to Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna was born as the eighth chilld during Rohini Nakshatram (star) on the eight day (Ashtami) of the month of Sravana. As soon as baby krishna was born, Vishnu, the preserver appears in her prison cell. He informs Vasudeva that this child is an incarnation of himself and he will save the entire kingdom from Kamsa, the tyrant.
With a bolt of lightening, Vishnu destroys the locks and puts the guards to sleep. He gives Vasudeva precise instructions of what he should do next and then disappears in a flash of light. The prison doors opened by themselves and Vasudeva was relieved from his shackles. Vishnu had instructed him to cross the Yamuna into the village of Gokula and exchange the baby Krishna with the new born baby of Gokula’s chief – Nanda and his wife Yashoda. Vasudeva had to carry the baby Krishna over the river Yamuna and there was a heavy rain, but the five headed snake Aadhisheshan gave him shelter and the river split in to two parts to make way for Vasudeva.
That night as Kamsa heard the voice of crying baby, he rushed to the prison cell to kill the eighth child, who had been replaced by a girl baby. As soon as Kamsa tried to slaughter the baby it suddenly flew to the sky transforming into Goddess Durga devi and said that “the divine child had already been born and insisted that he will put an end to his life.”
As prophesied, Lord Krishna ended Kamsa’s life years later, making Mathura safe again.
Procedure to worship on Krishna Jayanti:
One should undergo fasting on Krishna Jayanti. The Krishna Ashtotram and Vishnu Sahasranama should be read with Bhajana along with various instruments and melodies.
Particularly in South India, small footprints are drawn using rice flour from the doorstep to the Pooja area, indicating that the Lord Krishna is coming to their home.
Benefits of Fasting during Krishna jayanti:
- Lord Krishna’s blessings
- Protection against evil forces
- Wealth and Success
- Peaceful life
- Sins (papas) done in 7 jenmas(7 lives) will be eliminated
- Can derive the same benefits of Aswamedha yaga
- Can derive the same benefits of Theertha Snanam (ritual bath)
