Basket Village USA
Krishna
This year Shri Krishna Janmashtami Nishita Kaal puja is to be performed between 12:03 a.m. and 12:47 a.m. on August 19.
Dhaynam – Connect your inner self to Lord Krishna by meditating and chanting his name.
Asana – Respectfully place the idol of Lord Krishna on the palna/jhoola. Those without a palna/jhoola can place the idol on a wooden platform (chowki) decorated with Rangoli or covered with an unused piece of yellow or white cloth.
Padya – To offer water at the feet of the Lord.
Argya – Offering water to the Lord.
Achaman – Drink water from your palm after offering it to God.
Snana – Offer water to the Lord for bathing.
Vastra – Offer a new piece of cloth / dress to baby Krishna. Make Baby Krishna idol wear the new dress.
Yagnopaveeth – Offer the Sacred Janeu. Place it diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right arm.
Gandha – Offering Chandan Paste
Abharanam Hastabhushan – Offer jewelry, mor mukut and flute.
Pushpa – Offer Tulsi flowers and leaves.
Dhoop – Offering incense sticks and dhoop
Deep – Offer an oil lamp (sesame or mustard oil). You can also light a ghee lamp (desi cow ghee).
Naivedhya – Offering Bhog, Panjiri, Panchamrit, fruits and Makhan
Tambulam – Offer a platter consisting of fruit, a whole coconut, paan and supari, haldi and kumkum.
Dakshina – Offering banknotes or coins
Aarti – Sing the “Kunj Bihari Aarti”.
Pradakshina or Parikrama / Circumambulate – Stand up and turn from your right.
Pushpanjali – Give flowers and do pranam.
Namaskar – Bow down to divinity
Kshama Yachana – Ask forgiveness for any mistakes you may have made while performing the puja.
The birth of Lord Krishna is a fascinating tale. Interestingly, Lord Vishnu appears on Earth whenever Adharma rises and causes massive destruction. Therefore, he incarnates as and when a need arises to restore the Dharma. And therefore, Lord Krishna took birth to eliminate Kansa, his maternal uncle, who had become greedy and unjust. Thereafter, he also offered the Bhagavad Gita to mankind.
Read on to know more about the birth of Krishna. Here’s how the legend unfolds…
Before the birth of Lord Krishna, Shri Vishnu requested Goddess Yogmaya (a manifestation of the Mother Goddess) to be born as the daughter of Yashoda. At the same time in Mathura, Shri Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudev (a couple held captive in a dark prison by Kansa).
With divine intervention, Vasudev (in an unconscious state) carried baby Krishna to Gokul even as rains hit Mathura and nearby Braj region on Ashtami’s stormy night. Therefore, Vasudev carried baby Krishna in a basket and held him on his head while crossing the Yamuna. And as a sign of respect, Shesh Nag, the faithful servant of Shri Vishnu, appeared to protect the baby from the rains by extending his seven-headed hood. In the end, Vasudev swapped the babies.
Afterwards, when Kansa learned of the birth of Devaki’s eighth child, he took the baby away. Unaware that the little girl was not Devaki and Vasudev’s eighth child, Kansa proceeded to kill her. And as he raised his gun in the air to kill him, the baby appeared in the sky to reveal his true form. Eventually Kansa made several attempts to find the whereabouts of baby Krishna, but in the end he was punished for all his sins.
