Janmashtami 2025

Long ago, in the city of Mathura, there lived a tyrant king named Kansa. He was cruel and feared by all. One day, he heard a prophecy that the eighth child of his sister Devaki would be the cause of his downfall. Terrified, Kansa imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudeva, killing each of their first six children at birth. The seventh child, Balarama, was mysteriously transferred to another womb by divine intervention.

When the eighth child, Lord Krishna, was born at midnight on the dark night of Ashtami, a miracle occurred. The prison doors opened on their own, the guards fell asleep, and the chains binding Vasudeva broke. A divine voice instructed him to carry the newborn to Gokul, across the stormy Yamuna River, and exchange him with the newborn daughter of Yashoda and Nanda.

Protected by Adisesha, the serpent, and guided by divine grace, Vasudeva successfully completed the journey. When Kansa tried to kill the baby girl (who was actually Goddess Yogmaya), she slipped from his hands and vanished into the sky, warning him that his destroyer had already been born.

Lord Krishna grew up in Gokul, endearing everyone with his divine charm, miraculous deeds, and mischief. His childhood tales — like stealing butter, lifting Govardhan Hill, and dancing with the Gopis — are still cherished and retold on Krishna Janmashtami, celebrating the victory of good over evil and the arrival of divine love on Earth.