Janmashtami and its significance

The appearance/incarnations of the Supreme Lord have a definitive purpose:

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself. – Bhagavat Gita 4.7

And

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium. – Bhagavat Gita 4.8

This is the main purpose of His multifarious incarnations.

But what is so unique about Lord Krishna as an incarnation?

It is stressing the concept and importance of Surrender, Surrender and only Surrender as a means of deliverance from the clutches of Maya in this material world.

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
oksayisyami ma sucah

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. – Bhagavat Gita 18.66

And

The utter futility of life without surrender –

“After wandering throughout 8,400,000 species, the soul eventually takes a human birth. But that human birth is rendered worthless by those miserable fellows who are so proud of their bodies that they refuse to take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Govinda.”

[from Srila Bhakti Rakshal Sridhar Maharaja’s Prapanna Jivanamrita, 2.8-9]

In this regard, I would like to reproduce a conversation that I had with my mother (Amma) on this subject today:

Me: People face lot more problems compared to us. if we begin to think this way we will always be happy.

Amma: Yes, we all know that.

Me: Then why we think our problems are great?

Amma: Lord Krishna is with us to solve our problem.

Me: Okay. But when problems do come, do we think about Lord Krishna that time? We still worry as if we are going to solve it. Then is it real surrender?

Amma: Lord Krishna will not come immediately. We are all normal human beings.

Me: Don’t we think we should go beyond our problems and take everything impartially?

Amma: We should just surrender to Him without expecting anything.

Me: That’s what i am saying…how do we develop that quality?

Amma: We should develop that state of mind.

Me: That is what is called the stage of self-realisation…it is actually a yogic state.

Amma: But for a samsari (family person), family is important.

Me: But lot of examples where samsaris has attained that state even while living a family life. By following their ideals everyone can attain it. Only by this the end result is moksha…there is no other way. So, we got to slowly get away from mine I me you etc. realising everything is temporary, otherwise it is a circle. Human beings are meant to realise that, not live like animals that eat sleep defend reproduce and think that is only life.

…Listening to this song…from movie aboorva raagangal… “ezhu swarangalukul ethanai paadal” (In just seven notes, there are infinite songs…)

Amma: Whenever more and more problems…just surrender to Him…Everything becomes easy….

Full lyrics (Tamil): http://thamizhpaadalvarigal.blogspot.com/2015/06/yezhu-swarangalukkul.html

Me: நாளை பொழுது என்றும் நமக்கென வாழ்க – அதை

நடத்த ஒருவன் உண்டு கோவிலில் காண்க

வேளை பிறக்கும் என்று நம்பிக்கை கொள்க – எந்த

வேதனையும் மாறும் மேகத்தை போல

(Thinking tomorrow is going to be for us,

See the one that is conducting it is in the temple,

Have belief that good times will come,

Miseries will disappear just like passing cloud…

Amma: These two lines are my motivation…Can’t explain the concept of surrender better.

Thus, surrendering to the Lord and aspiring to follow the ideals of Shrimad Bhagavat Gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam is the best recourse of action we can do on this Janmashtami day.