On the occassion of Shrikrushna Janmashtami - Did you know about these aspects of Bhagawan Shrikrushna ?

1. Related to society

1A. A valiant personage, who did not tolerate injustice : Shrikrushna Himself fought or helped others fight to overcome the injustice meted out by Kansa, Jarasandh, Kauravas and others.

1B. One who was vigilant about responsibility towards society : Realising that the 16,000 young maidens freed from Narakasur’s captivity would not get a place in society and calamity may befall them, Shrikrushna married them.

1C. One who acted for the welfare of others : Some people criticise Shrikrushna’s behaviour, but He did everything for the welfare of others. He even broke rules for the sake of others; for example, killing Jarasandh, kidnapping Subhadra so that Arjun could marry her, etc.

1D. One who guided for the benefit of society : His objective was to protect society, and He had realised that to achieve this, it was necessary to completely destroy those causing obstacles and committing misdeeds.

Aware of the fact that human history is full of unhappy instances where the destruction of those committing misdeeds was never achieved through Truth and virtues alone, He was convinced of the need to put an end to the influence of evil in day-to-day life, so as to protect Truth and virtues.

He was sure that in the immoral world, wicked people would gain control and society would face ruin. Hence, He often gave the following advice – ‘Many a time, speaking a white lie is superior to speaking the Truth’, ‘When evil prevails over good, it is necessary to overlook Dharma and fight’, ‘If Bhimsen fights righteously, he will not win; fighting through extreme means would then be justified.’

1E. Expert diplomat

1E 1. Excellent oratory : By His matchless oratory, Shrikrushna was able to create a feeling of closeness for the Pandavas in the minds of many.

1E 2. Excellent ambassador : Shrikrushna pleaded the case of the Pandavas most brilliantly in the court of the Kauravas, but because of Duryodhan’s obstinacy, He could not convince them.

2. Related to battle

A. Well-versed in battle skills

Skilled in archery : Shrikrushna won the hand of Lakshmana by piercing the eye of a fish, just as Arjun had done to win Draupadi.

Skilled in use of the mace : Shrikrushna killed Vakradant using the mace in battle.

Skilled in wrestling : Shrikrushna killed Chanûr in a wrestling match.

B. Valiant and courageous : Shrikrushna annihilated many evil kings and demons.

C. Steadfast : Even when two powerful kings, Jarasandh and Kalayavan, attacked at the same time, Shrikrushna protected the Yadavas courageously.

D. Excellent charioteer : In the legendary battle of Kurukshetra (Mahabharat), Shrikrushna performed the role of Arjun’s charioteer to perfection

3. Some other exceptional qualities

A. Unselfish : Although Shrikrushna killed Kansa and many other kings and He built the city of Dvarka with gold, He Himself did not become the king. Yet, He was the uncrowned Emperor of that era.

B. Humble : During the Rajasuya Yajna (The royal sacrifice, performed only by a paramount ruler) of the Pandavas, Shrikrushna washed the feet of the Brahmans (Priests) and He also picked up the used leaves on which food had been eaten.

C. Great philosopher : The philosophy propounded by Shrikrushna is explained in the Geeta. In this philosophy, He has appropriately demonstrated the relationship between Pravrutti (Getting involved in the world) and Nivrutti (Getting detached from the world). He accepted all – the adherence to the Vaidik rituals by followers of the Vedas, the adherence to knowledge of those following the Sankhya philosophy, the opposing of the tendencies of the subconscious mind as practised by the followers of Yoga and the belief in Sanyas according to Vedantists.

However, Shrikrushna dismissed the claim of these philosophers that their path was the only correct one. Giving due respect to the different philosophies and bringing about a harmony amongst all of them, He utilised the synthesis for establishing His new philosophy on duty, i.e. action which is devoid of the expectation of the fruit of action.

The Scriptures only help us decide on what is our duty, but Shrikrushna has beautifully explained how man should perform it. How to change Pravrutti into Nivrutti and after having gone beyond Pravrutti, continue to perform actions (necessary for one’s existence in the world) with detachment – this is what He has explained to Arjun in the Bhagawadgeeta.

D. Guru : Shrikrushna destroyed Arjun’s doubts by explaining the Geeta to him in words and also gave him experiences through a medium that was beyond words. During the battle of Kurukshetra, Shrikrushna was in Dnyanmudra (An inner state of imparting Knowledge).

E. Love for all Creation : When the bear king, Jambuvant requested Shrikrushna to marry his daughter Jambavati, Shrikrushna complied despite opposition from all. Nobody can even think of doing such a thing.

(Reference : Sanatan’s Holy text – ‘Shri Vishnu and His Forms’)

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