Sri Sathya Sai on: Advent of Krishna and Significance

ADVENT OF KRISHNA 

Krishna was born on the 20th of July, 3228 years before the Advent of Christ. If this has to be put in our calendar, it will be in the year Srimukha, month by the name Shravana, fortnight by the name Bahula, and the day of Ashtami. The star will be Rohini and the time will be 3:00 a.m. after midnight. If we count backwards from today, the day on which Krishna gave up His mortal body will work out at 5078 years. If we want to check this, we see that 3102 B.C. and 1976 add up to 5078 years. Thus, since the Kali Yuga has started, we have now gone through 5078 years. That is also the time when Krishna gave up His life, and that is also the day when the Kali Age commenced. This day is also the first day of the KaliYuga and we call it Ugadi. 

- “The Human Body is like a Water Bubble on the Surface of Water”, Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976, Ooty

Krishna was born on Ashtami (the eighth day of the Lunar month). From the moment of birth, He was subject to troubles. But whoever cherished the name of the Lord in the heart was free from bondage. 

- “Inscrutable are the Ways of the Lord”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 26, August 10, 1993, Brindavan

Krishna was born during the Krishnapaksha, the dark fortnight of the month. The effulgence of the Lord is seen with greater effect, when it is dark. In a world of disorder, Krishna was born to establish order. He was born on Ashtami day. Ashtami is associated with trouble and difficulties. When do troubles arise? When righteousness is forgotten. Krishna’s advent signifies the dispelling of darkness, the removal of troubles, banishing of ignorance and teaching mankind the Supreme Wisdom. 

- “Role of the Avatars”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 23, August 14, 1990, Prasanthi Nilayam

Krishna is said to have been born in Gokula, He grew up in Brindavan, He proceeded to Mathura and He established His home finally at Dwaraka. The significance of this to the Sadhaka is, “Let Krishna be born in the Gokula of your Mind; let Him grow and play prankishly in the Brindavan of your Heart; let Him then be fixed in the Chitta of Mathura; and, finally, let Him rule over the agitationless Consciousness as the Lord and Master of Dwaraka”. Krishna is described as blue in physical colour, for, He is as deep and inscrutable as the sky; the blue is the colour which the eye comprehends, though the sky has no colour at all. So too, Krishna has no colour or attributes but, in order to comprehend Him, the mental eye attributes a colour.

- "Krishna Trishna", Sathya Sai Speaks,

Volume 6, Madras

Krishna wears the Tilak of Kasturi (the dot of musk) on His forehead indicating the attainment of Jnana. He wears the pearl of purity, on His nose, the point where Dhyana is concentrated. He has on His wrist four sacred red strings wound round, to indicate the pledges He has taken for the sake of living beings – to save the good, to punish the wicked, to foster righteousness, and to rescue from sin all those who surrender unconditionally to Him.

- “Counsel for the Chosen”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 09, October 11, 1969, Prasanthi Nilayam

What sort of personality is Krishna? Although He moved amongst all kinds of persons, sported and played with all, He was not attached to anyone. He was ever content, ever blissful. He transcended all qualities. He was free from egoism. He was a sovereign without a crown. 

Though He conquered many kingdoms, He did not rule over any of them. He enjoyed witnessing others rule over the kingdoms. He was totally free from all desires. Whatever He sought was for the sake of others. In this way, He revealed His Divinity.

- “Krishna’s Prema Tatwa”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 22, August 24, 1989, Prasanthi Nilayam

Krishna draws the mind away from sensory desires; that is a way in which the draw operates. He pulls the mind towards Him and so, they are pulled away from everything else, for everything else is inferior, less valuable. He satisfies the deepest thirst of man, for peace, joy and wisdom. That is why He is Megha Shyama – dark-blue as the rain cloud. The very sight of the rain-laden cloud is so refreshing. He is lotus-eyed, lotus palmed, lotus-soled; the lotus is reminiscent of cool, calm, deep lakes of limpid water, the water that quenches thirst. 

When Krishna-Trishna is quenched, the highest Ananda is attained; there is no more need, no more want, defect or decline. The urge to drink inferior drinks, that only feed the thirst, disappears when once the sweetness of Krishna Nama and Krishna Bhava (name and thought of Krishna) are tasted. Sense objects are like sea water that can never allay thirst.

- “Krishna Trishna”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 06, Madras

Krishna had the nature by which He radiated happiness, irrespective of whether He was in a battlefield, or a cremation ground, or in a peaceful place. This was a great quality of His. This is the reason why even in the midst of a battlefield, He taught the Gita to Arjuna. Gita means and stands for a song. We sing only in our happy moments, but Krishna was singing even in a battlefield and was radiating happiness.

- “Dharma Never Declines. It is the Practice of Dharma that Declines”, Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, 1976, Ooty

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ADVENT

Krishna declared, “There is nothing I need in this world for which I must strive. Nevertheless, I am continuously engaged in action because if I, who am to stand out as an example to the world, do not perform actions, the people of the world will renounce activities”.

- “The Bliss of Divine Love”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 17, July 14, 1984, Prasanthi Nilayam

The Lord of Lakshmi and the Lotus-Naveled Lord

For the Krishna Avatar, the Pandits have offered different interpretations from the name alone. The letters in the word Krishna Ka, ra, sha, na and a – have been interpreted as signifying the glorious attributes of Krishna. ‘Ka’ represents ‘Kamalakanta’, the Lord of Lakshmi. Other meanings given to the letter are: ‘Kamaleshwara’ and ‘Kamalagarbha’ – the Lord of the lotus and the one from whose navel the lotus has issued. He is also known as ‘Kamalabandhavudu’ the kinsman of the lotus. The inner significance of these interpretations is that when Divinity manifests within us, the heart blooms like a lotus before the sun. ‘Ka’ thus symbolises the sun principle also. ‘Ra’ represents the principle of delight. ‘Sha’ represents Vishnu, the source of all wealth and prosperity. ‘Na’ signifies the Narasimha Avatara, the combination of man and animal in an integral unity. ‘A’ reveals the Akshara Swarupa of the Lord, His imperishable and eternal quality.

- “The Lord and the Devotee”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 19, August 27, 1986, Prasanthi Nilayam

We must understand properly the meaning of the term Krishna. The word has three meanings. One is “Krishyati Iti Krishnah” (The one who cultivates is Krishna). What is it that has to be cultivated? The Hridayakshetra (field of the heart). Krishna cultivates the field of our hearts by removing the weeds of bad qualities, watering it with love, ploughing it with the use of Sadhana, and sowing the seeds of devotion. This is how Krishna cultivates out hearts.

The second meaning of the word is: “Karshati Iti Krishnah”. (The one who attracts is Krishna). Krishna attracts you by His eyes, His speech, His sports, and by every action of His. By His words, He softens and calms the hearts of even those filled with hatred and makes them rejoice.

A third meaning of the word Krishna is “Kushyati Iti Krishna” (one who is always blissful). Krishna was always in a state of bliss. It was because He had these various qualities, the sage Garga named Him Krishna. The ordinary meaning of the word Krishna is “one who is dark”. But people think only of this meaning and forget the deeper and truer meanings of the Lord’s name. The essence of Krishna’s life is, He proclaimed the Truth to the world, propagated the eternal verities and delighted the world by His Leelas.

- “Role of the Avatars”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 23, August 14, 1990, Prasanthi Nilayam

Kunti addresses Krishna as Madhava. ‘Ma’ means Lakshmi and it also means Maya. The word ‘Dhava’ means master. In this sense, Krishna is the master of Nature, Lakshmi and Maya.

- “God is not Happy unless He gives You some Occasional Sorrow”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1978, Brindavan

An Artist's Imagination of Krishna and Mother Yashoda

The Krishna whose advent you should celebrate is not the cowherd boy who charmed the village folk with His flute, but the Krishna, the indefinable, inscrutable, Divine Principle, that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as the product of the Divine Energy (Devaki), that is then transported to the mouth (Gokulam) and fostered by the tongue (Yashoda) as its source of sweetness. Krishna is the visualisation of the Atma, that the repetition of the Name grants; the Vision that was gained by Yashoda. You must foster that Krishna on your tongue; when He dances on it, the poison of the tongue will be ejected completely, without harming any one, as happened when as a child He danced on the hoods of the serpent Kalinga.

- “The Footprints of God”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 08, August 16, 1968, Prasanthi Nilayam

Source: Krishna, Chapter 5, Sai Vani: Avatar on Avatar Purushas