To [those] who meditate on Me as their Very Own, ever united to Me by incessant worship, I supply their deficiencies and make permanent their gains.
God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita (IX:22)
Janmashtami 2024
Dear Ones,
Loving greetings on the sacred occasion of Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of the beloved Lord Krishna! As we celebrate this kingly avatar of divine love with our devotion and with joyous festivity, may our hearts thrill with intoxicating awareness of his omniscient blissful presence.
Our revered guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, shared a deeply personal relationship with Sri Krishna, whose life and timeless guidance for soul liberation are living scriptures for the ages. In Gurudeva’s God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, he leads us to cherish Sri Krishna both as the sublime Lord of Yoga — restorer of dharma and the eternal science of Kriya Yoga — and as our own soul’s divine Friend. The profound truths in the Gita, Guruji shows us, are vast enough to encapsulate the entire knowledge of the cosmos; and yet Krishna’s teachings are a personal guide for millions of devotees who have realized through them the intimate nearness and loving protection of the Lord.
Our daily lives present endless choices between the dharmic principles of the higher Self — goodness, kindness, righteousness, attunement with the Divine — and the way of the ego with its material desires, unwillingness to meditate, and short-sighted selfishness. Listening to Sri Krishna’s “Song Celestial” in our hearts, we can live in a higher reality than that of today’s fast-paced world, which incites hasty, self-serving decisions. God counts generously our daily inner strivings, reinforcing each courageous, selfless effort we make with His magnanimous blessings.
Great is the liberating, cumulative power of discriminative spiritual action when partnered with the Divine. Before the battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna offered his disciple Arjuna the choice of his entire army, or himself alone as his charioteer. May you realize, as did Arjuna, that to choose God — and an enlightened guru as His pure channel — is to choose victory.
At Janmashtami and throughout the year, the real way to honor Lord Krishna is to joyously embrace his royal yoga of wisdom, devotion, right action, and God-uniting meditation. As you do so, you will victoriously uplift your own consciousness, and also radiate to the world the harmonizing influence of divine love, beauty, and joy. That is my prayer for each of you.
Jai Sri Krishna! Jai Guru!
Brother Chidananda
The date of Janmashtami is determined according to the Hindu lunar calendar; this year it falls on August 26.
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“Our daily lives present endless choices…”
What significance this gives our daily lives, when the choices we make can remind us that our divine friend is ever ushering us closer to His divine presence!. This thought has to make things so much easier.
Jai Sri Krishna!! Jai gurudev!!
Krishna jinka naam hai,
Gokul jinka dhaam hai,
Aise planahar ko baram bar pranam hai!!
Hare Krishna!!
When I first found a copy of the Holy Bhagavad Gita at 19yrs of age, the thing that effected me most profoundly,
was the realization that even though Lord Krishna's time was several millennia before Jesus time, both of these
Avatars brought a spiritual teaching that was at the same level of advancement.
They truly complement one another!
Thank you for the wonderful message. We do need to remember that Bhagwan Sri Krishna wants us to do whatever we are doing with love, compassion, humility and devotion. Jai Guru.
Thank you SRF for the ongoing doses of inspiration and spirituality in daily life
Jai ParumGuru’s
Sr Jai Krishna
Blessed Spirit I an he
Blessed Spirit,I am he
Blessed Spirit, I AM :pray:
Thank you for this blessed message on the occasion of Sri Krishna’s birthday, which incidentally is also the day I was born. How lucky we are to have the guidance of our line of Gurus and SRF/YSS to follow in the path of Krishna’s love. Many blessings and Jai Sri Krishna!
Great-full, I AM :pray:
Life on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is not easy, yet Bhagvan Krishna is there to guide any Devotee to victory. A thousand years or till tomorrow, my Lord I want to see only you. Jai Gurudev, Param Gurus and SRF
It is a gift of love when you read words of love that were share to us by Lord Krishna~~ having just had surgery I know all to well the cochlear implant was indeed a gift my heart, body and soul knows as well. Thank you dear Lord Krishna, for you love, your understanding and your love from God to us through our avatar Paramahansa Yogananda ~~ you all were with me and are even now as I heal- thank you for your beautiful blessings Jai Lord Krishna
Loving greetings and blessed janmashtami to all my beloved and blessed spiritual family out there from east germany. God and Gurus Bless us all. Jai Lord Krishna.
JAI SRI KRISHNA! Jai Guurs!
May all beings know bliss.
Thank you Brother Chidanandaji. Our Jansmasthani greetings to you and all at Mother Center. May Bhagawan Krishna bless us all. Jai Sri Krishna. Jai Guru.
Thank you Sri Sri Chidananda for these beautiful words of inspiration, love, and joy from our beloved Lord Krishna. I will take them with devotion and joy into my meditation this morning. Jai Krishna :pray: Jai Guru :pray: Jai Sri Sri Chidananda :pray: Loving Pranams to all my brothers and sisters throughout the world :pray:♥️:pray:
Dear SRF! Thank you so much, from the deepest of my heart, for these words on Lord Krishna. Looking forward to celebrate Janmashtami August 26. here in Norway, though gratefullness to God and the Gurus is a daily practice. Jai Bhagavan Krishna! Jai Guru!
Pranams, Jai Krishna,, happy birthday, Jai Guru.
Thank you so much our beloved Br. Chidanandaji for such profound clarity on Lord Krishna & the celebration of Janamashtami. It’s very uplifting.
Jai Guru Jai Krishna
Jai Guru! Thanks for sharing the inspiring words! Hare Rama Hare Krishna!!
I’m newer on the path so this article is informative and very helpful to my understanding of Janmashtami. Thank you so much :pray::om_symbol:️
Thank you for these inspirational words.
Hare Krishna
I grew up so angry and not getting along very well with others. Yogananda's teachings have changed my life, these inspiring words of wisdom keep me focused on each day's blessings. Even my sister asked me how did I get so happy <3
Thank you for these inspiring words! JAI KRISHNA!
Am grateful to the masters for joining to the SRF/YSS spiritual journey i have never felt at peace like i do now God bless our spiritual leaders and give them wisdom to continue guiding us until Eternity. Thank you :pray: