Guiding Light: The Lord as Teacher – Sri Krishna Avatar

Guiding Light: The Lord as Teacher – Sri Krishna Avatar

Lord Krishna was the perfect teacher, for He showed the perfect blend of intellect and spirit, philosophy and practical wisdom, action and attitude

Dada J. P. VaswaniUpdated: Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 02:15 AM IST
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Krishna Janmashtami 2022 | Ved Prakash Thawait/Pixabay

Traditions tell us that Sri Krishna came here 5,000 years ago. Born on a dark and rainy night, soon after His birth, His father, Vasudeva, carried the newborn infant and crossed the River Yamuna in spate, to reach the other shore and leave Him at Nand Gaon, where He grew up as the son of Nanda Gopa and Yashoda. He had two mothers who doted upon Him – Devaki who gave birth to Him, and Yashoda who had the privilege of bringing Him up. Gokul, the land of the cows, was indeed blessed by His arrival! He grew up in Brindaban, on the banks of the blessed Yamuna river. He tended the cows, and consorted with the simple and innocent gwalas of Govardhan. He was natkat Kanha, naughty Krishna; He stole butter and curds from the Gopis, and stole their hearts and souls along with the milk products!

The stories of His childhood are immortal. One of the all-time favourites is that one day He picked up a handful of mud and swallowed it one day. Appalled at this, Yashoda Ma ordered Him to open His mouth. He refused to open His mouth; when she forced Him to do so, He opened His rose-bud lips and inside His tiny mouth, the Mother saw all of Creation!

We can say that Sri Krishna was one who was fully aware of His Divinity from the moment He was born! In the Bhagavata Purana it is told that the Divine Babe revealed to His awestruck parents, His form as Maha Vishnu with four arms bearing His symbols, to reassure His parents that He would not allow himself to be killed by His wicked Uncle Kamsa.

Sri Krishna represents the very perfection of divine love especially Radha! She herself is considered as the incarnation of love and devotion.

Lord Krishna symbolises the perfect man! The colour of His skin is blue, which is the colour of royalty. Lord Krishna is the royal one!

Lord Krishna was the perfect teacher, for He showed the perfect blend of intellect and spirit, philosophy and practical wisdom, action and attitude. It was He who gave us that Bible of Humanity, the Song Celestial, the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is a song of life. It is a map of life, a treasure of wisdom, and Sri Krishna’s gift to all mankind. It’s a message, as Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani points out, is the message of courage; its call is a call to action: Uttishta! Arise! Awake! And rest not till your duty is accomplished! Swami Vivekananda took this as his clarion call to the youth of India.” The Gita provides a perfect guideline for a happy, well-lived, peaceful, and harmonious life.

*August 18, 2022 is Janamashtami

Dada JP Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader

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