Satyabhama

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you from  Albuquerque.   I am very much looking forward to the annual gathering here for the Summer Program August 5-10.  Places are still available. If you cannot come next month,  I hope you will put it on your calendar for Summer 2015.  

Krishna

Krishna  was born about 7,000 years ago in the Dvarpara Yuga as the "dark one."  Lord Krishna is the embodiment of love and divine joy, that destroys all pain and karma. He is the protector of sacred utterances and cows (Lakshmi.) Krishna is an instigator of all forms of knowledge and born to establish the religion of love.

Little Krishna

Krishna was born as the 8th child of Devaki, sister of the cruel demon king Kamsa. Sage Narada had predicted that Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed Devaki´s first six children. The 7th, Balarama, escaped and the 8th, Krishna, was secretly exchanged for a cowherd's daughter, who was really Durga. When Kamsa tried to kill her, she revealed her true form and told him he would be killed before long by Krishna.

Krishna was brought up in a cowherder family and loved to play the flute to entertain the other cowherders (gopas,) the milkmaids (gopis,) and the cows. As a child, Krishna had great love for his foster-mother Yashoda, and their relationship stands as a great example for the love between a mother and her child.  

Krishna and Bhakti in the Mahabharata

After Krishna killed Kamsa, he became king. He married Rukmini, who became his first queen.  He had 6 other wives, and after Rukmini died, he married Satyabhama.  

Krishna exacts a promise from Uddhava.

Uddhava was Krishna's cousin-brother, that is they were cousins, and Krishna was raised by Uddhava's mother, Yashoda.  Towards the end of his life, he told Uddhava and others that he had to leave the body, because the energy of the coming Kili Yuga* was too dense for him to be able to maintain a body.  Uddhava and others were astonished and cried out, "Adharma will predominate during Kili Yuga.  That is the time we will need you the most."  Krishna asked the group, "Since I cannot manifest a body, who will come for me to bless the people."  Uddhava volunteered to incarnate as an amsha avatar (partial avatar,) which he does regularly, so he is always here to uphold the dharma.

Krishna's Janmasthami (birthday) is celebrated annually in July-August.  This year it will be August 17, 18th in the US.  Statues of Krishna are placed in wooden chariots and paraded around each temple.  There are pujas and other ceremonies all over India and wherever Krishna is worshipped.  

*Kaali is time, the Goddess Kaali is the ruler of time (as is Shiva as Kala.)  Kili is dark, so the Dark Age is Kili Yuga.  The confusion is in transliterating  two different Sanskrit letters as the same Roman letter.