We speak of Krishna’s ‘birthday’ (Janmastami) as His appearance in this world. As if the display of God’s vast cosmic manifestation was not astonishing enough, He enters within the very realm He creates, displaying His all-attractive form and His charming pastimes along with His entire transcendental abode, attracting the imprisoned-by-maya conditioned souls back to His eternal association.
This mystical feat of the Supreme Lord is compared in one verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam to a spider spinning his web from his own saliva, moving about the web as he pleases, then withdrawing the web back within his body. “There is nothing except the Lord, or the one supreme source of different diversities. The exact example is the spider and spider’s web. The web is created by the spider, and it is maintained by the spider, and as soon as the spider likes, the whole thing is wound up within the spider. The spider is covered within the web.” [SB 2.9.28]
Although this created realm has no existence apart from Krishna, there is a special deluding potency contained within the innocent-looking forms of matter. For those who covet the position of being the enjoyer of sense objects within this world, the deluding potency is activated by that very consciousness of separate enjoyment from Krishna. To such souls, Krishna’s all attractive Reality remains covered. Bound by the spell of delusion, the endless journey of seeking for happiness within a realm sans real happiness carries the unfortunate bewildered soul into the perpetual cycle of birth and death, samsara.
To attract us once again to the spiritual realm, Krishna descends, disclosing Reality in contrast to illusion.
Fortunate souls become acquainted with Krishna as a result of this special mercy, under the guidance of great devotees, gradually reawaking the now-dormant position of service to Krishna – the soul’s eternal constitutional happiness!
We celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami for this reason, recognizing our good fortune and worshipping Him to our heart’s content.
The example of the spider and the spider web is so poignant! I had never thought of Janmastami in this way! Thank you, Maharaj, for opening my eyes to this new layer of your heart-felt realization!
I hope to carry this mood throughout the year! Thank you for this meditation.