18/19 August: 8th Descending Moon Phase, Birthday of Lord Krishna
According to the Eastern scriptures, Lord Krishna was born at midnight of the eighth descending moon phase of the lunar month Sravana (not to be confused with the Nakshatra Sravana). Therefore, the birthday of this sublime being is celebrated during this moon phase.
And this year, the corresponding 8th descending moon phase is between 18th and 19th of August. Krishna is also seen as the 8th avatar though he is more than an avatar.
As per the solar calendar, the date changes each year: Krishna’s birth happened at midnight between 19th and 20th of July, 3228 B.C.
For the eternal consciousness, this is an illusionary fix point in eternity. Krishna himself says, “I, the ‘I AM’ in all, have no births. … Still I localise into My Nature and I AM being born as you all.” (Mandra Scripture, 4-6)
There were many speculations on the birth of Lord Krishna. A voice was heard in the sky some time before his birth that the Lord would descend but no one knew where and when he would be born.
The Sage Narada informed Parasara, the then-world teacher, that the divine would descend onto earth. For 7 days, Parasara performed a ritual for 7 days together with his disciples and other Masters to form a subtle body for the Lord with pure, super-mundane elements. On the last day of the ritual, Parasara had to sacrifice himself.
The Lord descended into this extremely pure body and later he embedded himself onto the body of the child growing the womb of Devaki, his mother. The Lord appeared to his parents before the birth and advised them to shift the child.
Later after the child is born, and on the advice of the Lord, who appeared before to the couple before the birth of the child, the child is shifted to the village, where Nanda and his wife Yashoda lived. There, Krishna grew up for 12 years.
over the Yamuna River, protected by AdiShesha, the serpent of time.
Painting by Raja Ravi Varma
The incidents around Lord Krishna’s extraordinary birth were given by Master EK in the book “The World Teacher. Advent of Lord Krishna“. A major part of the book was translated by Master KPK, published 10 years ago.
The happenings themselves are described in chap. 22, but the entire book deals with the situation at the time of the birth of Lord Krishna.
You might like to read more in a previous blogpost from 2019.
