On Shri Krishna Janma-ashtami.

"om ajnana timir-andhasya jnan-anjana shalakaya, chaksur un-militan-yena tas-may
shree guruve namah."
"I pay my obeisances to my Gurudev by whose causeless mercy my eyes have been
opened and the darkness of ignorance has has been removed by the divine light of
transcendental knowledge."

"ishvarah paramah Krishnah, sat-cid-ananda vigrahah, anadir-adir-govindah, sarva
karana karanam." (Brahma Samhita).
The Supreme Lord Govinda, who is full of eternal sovereignty ("sat"), eternal
knowledge ("cit") and eternal bliss ("ananda") , the all attractive (Kr-ishna)
is the cause of all causes .

Can the Supreme One be born among human beings ? Why should He come at all ?
Isn't He the Supreme One and capable of making anything happen anywhere at the
wink of an eye ? Can God take birth and play among human beings ?

So many questions come up in the mind . If the Supreme One must take birth just
in order to do something in this world, how can He claim to be the Supreme One ?

When we have doubts, we should ask an expert. Even in ordinary worldly
transactions, we ask experts. But in spiritual matters, we are too egoistic : "I
know everything" types. So we don't seek guidance of someone who is more
qualified than ourselves. It is only by the causeless mercy of a Guru (an
authorized representative of God) that we can know about God. Only one who has
been to London can teach us about London, isn't it!

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We have heard since our childhood times, about the birth pastime of Lord Krishna
,in a prison in Mathura. How is He born ? This is described in the Shrimad
Bhagvatam (10th canto) by Sage Vyasa.

The Lord appeared in a four handed form (as Vaasudeva-Krishna ) in front of His
parents, Devaki and Vasudev, who were in prison!
His parents prayed to Him and then He assumed the form of a newborn and didn't
cry at all !
He instructed His father to deliver Him to the residence of Nand Baba in
Gokul,and to bring back the daughter who according to Him had just been born to
Yasoda Maiya.
The prison gates opened, the guards fell asleep! It was raining torrents
outside, so Vasudev ji took the baby Krishna in a basket and started walking
across the Yamuna to Gokul!The Yamuna was in spate, for Yamuna ji wanted to touch the feet of the Lord!
The Lord extended His lotus feet and touched Yamuna ji. That very moment, the
Yamuna provided a passage for Vasudev ji to cross.The Shesh Nag provided
"chhatra chhaya" to save them from the rain.

When Vasudev ji reached Gokul to the residence of Nand Baba, everybody was fast
asleep!! Vasudev ji placed the baby near Yasoda and picked up the newborn
daughter , who was none other than YogaMaya, the Divine Potency of the Lord.
Yasoda, Nand Baba and all others remained fast asleep, this was arranged by the
YogaMaya (potency) of the Lord!

Vasudev ji returned to the prison with baby girl (YogaMaya) and as soon as he
entered his cell, the girl started crying! Kamsa came running, for he had been
expecting the 8th child of Devaki to be born that day. He wanted to kill the
child immediately but the girl escaped into the sky and a loud akash-vani was
heard........

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The birth of God is not like that of ordinary beings like ourselves. He appears
always in a transcendental "sat-cit-ananda" form, untouched by the material
energy (Maya).
Although in the Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta He says
"yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata..abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamyaham...."
I appear whenever there is decline in dharma.

But that is not the primary cause for His appearance on earth as a child! All
His pastimes are for the pleasure of His dear devotees only. This is the
confidential reason for Him taking birth, it cannot be understood by somebody
who has not received the mercy of a true Guru. With a material mind one cannot
understand Krishna.

In this case, it is the devotees Nand Baba, Yasoda, Braj Gopa / Gopis, Vasudev/
Devaki and countless such noble associates of His, for whom He appeared and
enacted His pastimes.

The appearance and disappearance of Krishna and His pastimes is like the
appearance and disappearance of the sun....just as the sun is ever present but
sometimes manifest and at other times un-manifest...same is true of Lord Krishna
and His divine pastimes.

It is stated in the Shrimad Bhagvatam, that although there are innumerable
avatars, Krishna is the "avatari" or the One who incarnates!
"e-te chamsakala pumsah Krishna-stu Bhagavan Swayam, Indrari vyakulam lokam
mridayanti yuge yuge." (Shrimad Bhagvatam)
After description of different incarnations like Meen, Kurma, Varah, Nrisimha,
Chatuhsana, Rishabh, Kapil, Parsuram, Shri Ram , Balaram, Krishna etc the great
sage Suta ji clarifies : "Krishna is the Supreme Bhagavan Himself, who takes
avatar to save the world from the asuric / demoniac atrocities."