shrikrishn ke janmotsav ka din bari dhumdham se manaya jata hai. krishn janmabhumi par desh-videsh se lakhon shraddhaluon ki bhir umrti hai aur pure din vrat rakhakar nar-nari tatha bachche ratri 12 baje mandiron men abhishek hone par panchamrit grahan kar vrat kholte hain. krishn janmabhumi ke alava dvarkadhish, bihariji evan anya sabhi mandiron men iska bhavya ayojan hota hai, jinmen bhari bhir hoti hai. vishnu ke athven avtar bhagvan shrikrishn vishnuji ke athven avtar mane jate hain. yah shrivishnu ka solah kalaon se purn bhavyatam avtar hai.
shriram to raja dasharath ke yahan ek rajkumar ke rup men avtrit hue the, jabki shrikrishn ka prakatya atatayi kans ke karagar men hua tha. shrikrishn ka janm bhadrapad krishn ashtami ki madhyaratri ko rohini nakshatra men devki v shrivsudev ke putrarup men hua tha. kans ne apni mrityu ke bhay se bahan devki aur vasudev ko karagar men kaid kiya hua tha. krishn janm ke samay ghanghor varsha ho rahi thi. charon taraf ghana andhkar chaya hua tha. shrikrishn ka avataran hote hi vasudev-devki ki beriyan khul gain, karagar ke dvar svayan hi khul gae, pahredar gahri nidra men so gae. vasudev kisi tarah shrikrishn ko ufnti yamuna ke par gokul men apne mitra nandagop ke ghar le gae. vahan par nand ki patni yashoda ko bhi ek kanya utpann hui thi. vasudev shrikrishn ko yashoda ke pas sulakar us kanya ko le gae. kans ne us kanya ko patakakar mar dalna chaha. kintu vah is karya men asafal hi raha. shrikrishn ka laln-palan yashoda v nand ne kiya.
balyakal men hi shrikrishn ne apne mama ke dvara bheje gae anek rakshason ko mar dala aur uske sabhi kuprayason ko vifal kar diya. ant men shrikrishn ne atatayi kans ko hi mar diya. shrikrishn ke janmotsav ka nam hi janmashtami hai. gokul men yah tyohar ‘gokulashtami’ ke nam se manaya jata hai. bhagvan shrikrishn ka prakatya utsav û bhagvan shrikrishn hi the, jinhonne arjun ko kayrta se virta, vishad se prasad ki or jane ka divya sandesh shrimadbhagavadgita ke madhyam se diya.
û kaliya nag ke fan par nritya kiya, vidurani ka sag khaya aur govardhan parvat ko uthakar giridhari kahlaye.
û samay parne par unhonne duryodhan ki jangha par bhim se prahar karvaya, shishupal ki galiyan sunin, par krodh ane par sudarshan chakra bhi uthaya.
û arjun ke sarthi banakar unhonne pandavon ko mahabharat ke sangram men jit dilvayi.
û solah kalaon se purn ve bhagvan shrikrishn hi the, jinhonne mitra dharm ke nirvah ke lie garib sudama ke potli ke kachche chavlon ko khaya aur badle men unhen rajya diya.
û unhin parmdyalu prabhu ke janm utsav ko janmashtami ke rup men manaya jata hai.
shastron ke anusar shravan (amant) krishn paksh ki ashtami ko krishn janmashtami ya janmashtami vrat evan utsav prachlit hai, jo bharat men sarvatra manaya jata hai aur sabhi vraton evan utsavon men shreshth mana jata hai. kuch puranon men aisa aya hai ki yah bhadrapad ke krishn paksh ki ashtami ko manaya jata hai. iski vyakhya is prakar hai ki ‘pauranak vachnon men mas purnimant hai tatha in mason men krishn paksh pratham paksh hai.’ padm puran, matsya puran, agni puran men krishn janmashtami ke mahatmya ka vishisht ullekh hai. janmashtami vrat ‘janmashtami vrat’ evan ‘jayanti vrat’ ek hi hain ya ye do prithak vrat hain.
kalnirnay ne donon ko prithak vrat mana hai, kyonki do prithak nam aye hain, donon ke nimitt (avsr) prithak hain (pratham to krishnapaksh ki ashtami hai aur dusri rohini se sanyukt krishnapaksh ki ashtami), donon ki hi visheshtaen prithak hain, kyonki janmashtami vrat men shastra men upvas ki vyavastha di hai aur jayanti vrat men upvas, dan adi ki vyavastha hai. iske atirikt janmashtami vrat nitya hai (kyonki iske n karne se is kal men log janmashtami vrat karte hain n ki jayanti vrat. kintu jayanti nirnay ka kathan hai ki log jayanti manate hain n ki janmashtami. sambhavatah yah bhed uttar evan dakshin bharat ka hai. varah puran evan harivansh puran men do viradhi baten hain.
pratham ke anusar krishn ka janm asharh shukla paksh dvadshi ko hua tha. harivansh puran ke anusar krishn janm ke samay abhijit nakshatra tha aur vijay muhurt tha. sambhavatah in uktiyon men prachin paramparaon ki chap hai. madhyakalik nibandhon men janmashtami vrat ke sampadan ki tithi evan kal ke vishay men bhi kuch vivechan milta hai. krityatattva, tithitatva, samymyukh evan nirnay sindhu men is vishay men nishkarsh diye gaye hain. janmashtami manane ka samay nirdharan sabhi puranon evan janmashtami sambandhi granthon se spasht hota hai ki krishnajanm ke sampadan ka pramukh samay hai ‘shravan krishn paksh ki ashtami ki ardharatri’ (yadi purnimant hota hai to bhadrapad mas men kiya jata hai). yah tithi do prakar ki hai-
1. bina rohini nakshatra ki tatha
2. rohini nakshatra vali.
janmashtami vrat men pramukh kritya evan vidhiyan vrat vidhi vrat ke din pratah vrati ko surya, som (chandra), yam, kal, donon sandhyaon (pratah evan sayan), panch bhuton, din, kshapa (ratri), pavan, dikpalon, bhumi, akash, khachron (vayu dishaon ke nivasiyon) evan devon ka ahvan karna chahie, jisse ve upasthit hon, use apne hath men jalpurn tamra patra rakhna chahie, jismen kuch fal, pushp, akshat hon aur mas adi ka nam lena chahie aur sankalp karna chahie- ‘main krishnajanmashtami vrat kuch vishisht fal adi tatha apne papon se chutkara pane ke lie karunga.’ tab vah vasudev ko sambodhit kar char mantron ka path karta hai, jiske uprant vah patra men jal dalta hai. use devki ke putrajanan ke lie prasuti-grih ka nirman karna chahie, jismen jal se purn shubh patra, amradal, pushpamalaen adi rakhna chahie, agru jalana chahie aur shubh vastuon se alankaran karna chahie tatha shashthi devi ko rakhna chahie.
grih ya uski divaron ke chaturdik devon evan gandharvon ke chitra banvane chahie (jinke hath jure hue hon), vasudev (hath men talvar se yukta), devki, nand, yashoda, gopiyon, kans-rakshakon, yamuna nadi, kaliya nag tatha gokul ki ghatnaon se sambandhit chitra adi banvane chahie. prasuti grih men pardon se yukt bistar taiyar karna chahie. sankalp aur pranapratishtha vrati ko kisi nadi (ya talab ya kahin bhi) men til ke sath dopahar men snan karke yah sankalp karna chahie- ‘main krishn ki puja unke sahgamiyon ke sath karunga.’ use sone ya chandi adi ki krishn pratima banvani chahie, pratima ke galon ka sparsh karna chahie aur mantron ke sath uski pran pratishtha karni chahie.
use mantra ke sath devki v unke shishu shri krishn ka dhyan karna chahie tatha vasudev, devki, nand, yashoda, baldev evan chandika ki puja snan, dhup, gandh, naivedya adi ke sath evan mantron ke sath karni chahie. tab use pratikatmak dhang se jatakarm, nabhi chedan, shashthipuja evan namakaran sanskar adi karne chahie. tab chandroday (ya ardharatri ke thori der upranta) ke samay kisi vedika par aghrya dena chahie, yah aghrya rohini yukt chandra ko bhi diya ja sakta hai, aghrya men shankh se jal arpan hota hai, jismen pushp, kush, chandan lep dale hue rahte hain. yah sab ek mantra ke sath men hota hai. iske uprant vrati ko chandra ka naman karna chahie aur dandavat jhuk jana chahie tatha vasudev ke vibhinn namon vale shlokon ka path karna chahie aur ant men prarthanaen karni chahie. ratri jagaran aur pratah pujan vrati ko ratri bhar krishn ki prashansa ke sroton, pauranik kathaon, ganon evan nrityon men sanlagn rahna chahie.
dusre din pratah kal ke krityon ke sampadan ke uprant, krishn pratima ka pujan karna chahie, brahmanon ko bhojan dena chahie, sona, gau, vastron ka dan, ‘mujh par krishn prasann hon’ shabdon ke sath karna chahie. use yan devan devki devi vasudevadjijanat. bhaumasya brahmanon guptyai tasmai brahmatmane namah.. sujanma-vasudevay gobrahmanahitay ch. shantirastu shiv chastu..’ ka path karna chahie tatha krishn pratima kisi brahman ko de deni chahie aur paran karne ke uprant vrat ko samapt karna chahie. paran pratyek vrat ke ant men paran hota hai, jo vrat ke dusre din pratah kiya jata hai. janmashtami evan jayanti ke upalakshya men kiye gaye upvas ke uprant paran ke vishay men kuch vishisht niyam hain.
brahmavaivart puran, kalnirnay men aya hai ki-‘jab tak ashtami chalti rahe ya us par rohini nakshatra rahe tab tak paran nahin karna chahie’ jo aisa nahin karta, arthat jo aisi sthiti men paran kar leta hai vah apne kiye karaye par hi pani fer leta hai aur upvas se prapt fal ko nasht kar leta hai. atah tithi tatha nakshatra ke ant men hi paran karna chahie. udyapan evan paran men antar paran ke uprant vrati ‘on bhutay bhuteshvaray bhutptye bhutasambhavay govinday namo namah’ namak mantra ka path karta hai. kuch paristhitiyon men paran ratri men bhi hota hai, visheshtah vaishnavon men, jo vrat ko nitya rup men karte hain n ki kamya rup men.
‘udyapan evan parn’ ke arthon men antar hai. ekadshi evan janmashtami jaise vrat jivan bhar kiye jate hain. unmen jab kabhi vrat kiya jata hai to paran hota hai, kintu jab koi vrat keval ek simit kal tak hi karta hai aur use samapt kar leta hai to uski parismapti ka antim kritya hai udyapan.