During the festival of Janmashtami, families often have traditions of making butter for Krishna or singing bhajans and praying to Him. As a common tradition in the southern region of India, on the eve of Janmashtami, little footsteps of baby Krishna are drawn leading from the entrance of the house to the prayer room. In some northern regions of India, one of the common traditions is for a fast to be observed for the entire day so as to commemorate the birth of Krishna.

Last night, I had the the chance to draw the footsteps of baby Krishna. I was also able to help prepare a prasad for the pooja, which was essentially butter and sugar mixed together known as navneet (hence his nickname, navneetachora — the butter stealer). After singing some bhajans and performing the puja, it occurred to me that for the most part, the festival of Janmashtami focused mainly on the young Krishna, which makes sense, since we are celebrating his birth and youth.

I’d like to, however, focus on other aspects of his life such as his love for Radha and his involvement in the Mahabharat.

His spiritual and loving relationship with Radha, one of the Gopis of Vrindavan, symbolised the true bhakti that a devotee has for the God that Radha saw in Krishna. The pure love that Radha had for her beloved Krishna was reciprocated, which made Radha Krishna’s favourite devotee. This is one of the reasons why Krishna’s idol is often seen with and idol of Radha next to him. From the spiritual relationship between Radha and Krishna, we can learn about how one can love God with the Bhakti that Radha had for Krishna.

A very interesting part of Krishna’s life is in his involvment in the Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and Kauravas, where he sides with the Pandavas because he believes that they represent dharma, or righteousness. Throughout the war, Krishna essentially cheats in the war countless times to give the Pandavas an edge on the battlefield. Examples of this can be seen in incidents such as when Krishna blocks the sun with a chariot wheel, making the Kauravas believe it is night time and that the battle has ended for the day. Another incident where Krishna cheats the Kauravas is when he asks Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas to reveal to Karna, a member of the Kauravas his true identity as the eldest brother of the Pandavas knowing fully well that this information will hinder Karna’s efforts to kill Arjuna on the battlefield. This brings up the question: does the end justify the means?

In the case of the Mahabharat, Krishna’s deceitful actions had to be done in order to prevent the Kauravas from being victorious in the war. However immoral Krishna’s actions were, it was all to ensure a golden era of peace for the future. We can learn a lot from Krishna’s decisions in the war and how they were made after careful thought. This is something we can apply to our own lives to help us through difficult decisions.

When I think of Krishna, it amazes me how so many different images of him show the different sides of his personality. The baby Krishna shows the face of a child that the mother cannot stop adoring. The young and playful Krishna shows the mischievous side that tells his stories of him stealing the butter or of him lifting a mountain above the people of Vrindavan to protect them from a roaring storm. An older, but still rather young Krishna is seen playing the flute with Radha as they sit together under a tree. Finally, the wise and uncompromising Krishna is seen as Arujnas charioteer, advising and guiding him through the battle. These many different aspects of Lord Krishna make him more human and real. I think it is because of this, that I consider him to be my favourite God.

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But throughout all this celebration, I did not know what the purpose or significance of the festival was. Nor did I ask — after all, I was busy enjoying the festivities! Thinking about it now, I realize that I’m generally ignorant about the significance of the various festivals and ceremonies that Dharma holds here at Harvard — yet I still manage to enjoy them all. Because we’re already on the subject, let’s take Holi as an example.

Given that I don’t know much about why we celebrate Holi, I checked Wikipedia, which provides a background and significance for the festival. I read the backstory, the associated protagonists and antagonists, a rationale for the name — and now I am better-informed about an event whose origin I’ve taken for granted.

Still, my mind doesn’t feel any fuller after getting this background. Now I have a backstory for Holi, but it is just that — a story. I could just as easily make up another story, with apparently equal authority if I narrate it to a friend. Does it matter that Holi celebrates the triumph of the righteous Prahlada over the demoness Holika? We who dedicate our time to making events like this happen must ask — what is the modern spiritual significance of this wonderful festival? If it’s just about community, why does it have any spiritual value at all?

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