On this special day of Janmashtami, people pray to Krishna so that their life becomes auspicious. Many of us pray to Krishna asking him to fulfil our material desires. We think that once Krishna sanctions our material wishes then we will be able to live happily.
And what are our desires? We want a beautiful house to live, sufficient money in the bank account so that we feel financial security, loving and helping spouse, obedient children, happy family members. And also, good health so that we can enjoy all this.
Everyone’s material needs are taken care.
But for all these material desires, is it so important to go to Krishna? If we look around us, we will find that those who are not worshipping Krishna also has all these. Not just that even atheist or those who dislike Krishna has lots of material facilities. When we read scriptures, we find that all the demons were rich, powerful and had good family.
Ravana’s Lanka was made of gold and his wife Mandodari was extremely beautiful and chaste. Not just that Ravana had many other beautiful wives. Similarly, Kamsa was very powerful, had complete control on his kingdom and his wives were beautiful and chaste.
In present times also there are people who speak bad about the Lord but still they are not being deprived of any material necessities. What to speak of humans, even animals have the facility to satisfy their hunger and quench their thirst.
Scriptures say that in this world we do not plan for suffering but still suffering comes. Similarly, even if we do not plan for good fortune, still good fortune will come if its there in our karma.
So, now the question is if Krishna is providing everything required for living in this world, then why should we ask it from Krishna?
What pure devotees pray to Krishna?
If we read the lives of great devotees, we find that they did not ask anything from the Lord so that they can live happily in this world.
After hearing Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna completely understood that Krishna is the Supreme Lord. But we never find Arjuna praying to Krishna to make him victorious in the war and help him in getting the kingdom. Uddhava never prayed to Krishna for anything material. When the demon, Hiranyakasipu, was torturing Prahlada then Prahlada did not pray to the Lord to kill the demon and protect him.
What did they ask from Krishna?
Arjuna said to the Lord that I will act as per your wishes – kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, Bhagavad Gita 18.73.
Uddhava desired to become a blade of grass in Vrindavan so that he can smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of the gopis.
And Prahlada boldly said to Lord Narasimhadeva, “I do not want anything from you, my Lord. Also I do not care whether I am in hell or heaven because wherever I am, I will always remember you and chant your names.”
So, we see that all these devotees while worshipping Krishna, while praying to Krishna, while chanting the names of Krishna never wanted anything of this world from Krishna for their personal enjoyment. But they always wanted to serve Krishna and be always with Krishna. Suffice to say that they wanted only Krishna in their life.
3 questions we should ask ourselves
- Are we convinced that nothing in this world can give us happiness?
- Have we realized that the more material desires we have the more miserable we become?
- And does our heart always desire to have Krishna in our heart?
For most of us the answer to the above three questions will be in negative. For me its in negative.
And this is the reason that still you and me are suffering in this world.
If we develop the desires like the pure devotees, then we will never be miserable in this world. But if we carry material desires in our heart then we will never feel satisfaction and joy in our heart.
Can anyone or anything make us happy here?
In this world everything is flickering – power, position, wealth, health and relationships. We always look for loving reciprocation from others. But we find that sometimes people reciprocate with our feelings and sometimes do not.
Sometimes people like us, sometimes dislike us. Sometimes people love us, sometimes hate us. Sometimes people appreciate us, sometimes ignore us. This is how all the relationships are there in this world. Why to think others are being unfair to us. Others may also think that we have been unfair to them. And it could be possible too. Because we are minute, and we may not be able to please everyone.
So, in this world neither anyone can make us happy, nor we can make others happy.
But it is only Krishna who can always reciprocate with our desires and satisfy our hearts always. Krishna is always there with us. He never leaves us. In rasa lila pastime of Krishna, we see that Krishna was simultaneously present with all the gopis and each of the gopis experienced great bliss.
Similarly, each of the cowherd friends (gopas) always felt that Krishna is always with them and they enjoyed every moment of their life.
What to pray to Krishna this Janmashtami?
This Janmashtami, let us offer following prayers to Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Let us pray to Krishna this Janmashtami that we give up all our material attachment and do our best to develop attachment with Krishna.
- Let us pray to Krishna to purify our consciousness so that we are always conscious of Krishna.
- Let us pray to Krishna to give us intelligence so that we stop looking for bliss in material accomplishments or material relationships but should seek bliss in doing something for Krishna and developing relationship with Krishna.
- Let us pray to Krishna to give us determination so that we stop serving our mind and senses but start serving Krisna wholeheartedly.
- Let us pray to Krishna to give us spiritual strength so that we utilize all our talent and skill in serving Krishna.
- Let us pray to Krishna on this wonderful day of Janmashtami to bless us so that we use every moment of our life in serving Krishna.
Nothing in this world belong to us. Even our body does not belong to us, so we should always be prepared to give up everything material.
But we should never be prepared to give up anything related to Krishna.
Our relationship with Krisna is eternal. Our devotion to Krishna is eternal. We do not belong to this world, but we belong to Krishna.
On this wonderful day of Janmashtami, let us repeat this beautiful prayer composed by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura.
marobi rakhobi-jo iccha tohara/nitya-dasa prati tuwa adhikara – Slay me or protect me as You wish, for You are the master of Your eternal servant.
