We all like a good story. It makes our day, inspires our heart, and we experience a gamut of emotions. When it comes to Krishna’s birth story he doesn’t disappoint. In Sanskrit, stories about God are called Lila. This is to remind us that His stories are not of the world, although sometimes taking place in the world.
There are many reasons Krishna comes here, and they converge, layer upon layer, story upon story, to create ”Lila”. For his birth Lila, Janmastami, we’ll pick up the action in the prison house of Kamsa, a paranoid selfish king, who created seriously dangerous conditions for the citizens of the world. Krishna’s parents, Vasudeva and Devaki, were imprisoned there – part of Kamsa’s reign of terror as prophecy told that their child would be the ruin of Kamsa. When it was time for Krishna’s birth, his mother was more beautiful than ever before and Kamsa, who was waiting to kill the child, knew that this was the one. His time of waiting was over, and he had his target under lock and key.
The saying “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans” is appropriate here. And Krishna says in the Gita, “Of cheaters, I am the greatest cheat.” So while Kamsa was sleeping, Krishna took birth quietly in the darkness of the midnight hour. To protect Him from Kamsa he was concealed in a basket and taken from the prison, carried across a wild and raging river, and brought to a small village called Gokul. There he was exchanged with a baby girl; she was returned to the prison house.
The baby girl, of course, was no ordinary one. This was Yogamaya, the powerful energy of Krishna. The following day, when Kamsa came to claim the newborn, she was ready. Being so fearful that this was the child who was destined to kill him, he took her from her mother and got ready to smash the delicate child on the ground. But Yogamaya slipped from his hands, took on her real form, and told Kamsa the real Krishna was elsewhere. Krishna was safe, Kamsa was devastated, and his parents elated.
More than just coming to remove the pride of the foolishly arrogant and greedy rulers, Krishna comes to delight, rescue, entertain and enliven his devotees. To those who depend on Him he brings Himself into their lives in thrilling scenes of last minute rescues and dramatic endings. This churns emotions and pulls the hearts of all who love Him. And we are also brought into these Lilas just by our very listening to them, our reflection and appreciation of them, and our growing affection for them.
Janmastami comes but once a year, but if we let the Lila sink in we can access the relationship that’s open to us with Krishna long after the bells are quiet and the midnight songs are sung. Being part of Krishna’s story will bring light and sunshine into our own. That’s the power of Lila.
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