Janmashtami, birth celebration of the unborn

Janmashtami, celebrated as the birth of Lord Krishna, paradoxically honors the one who is unborn—Ajah. Sri Adi Shankaracharya captures this essence in his explanation, where he refers to Krishna as "Ajah," the one without birth, emphasizing the eternal nature of the divine. The Rig Veda echoes this, asserting that the divine is never born, nor will ever be born. The Mahabharata’s Santi Parva strengthens this concept by stating, "I was not born, nor will I ever be born. I am the soul in all beings; hence, I am called the Unborn."

In celebrating Janmashtami, one is drawn into a paradox: How does one celebrate the birth of the unborn? This seemingly contradictory idea symbolizes a profound truth. Krishna, like the sun that rises but is not born, manifests in the world yet remains beyond birth and death. His appearance in the world is a divine play, an incarnation to guide humanity. 

Thus, Janmashtami becomes a celebration not of Krishna’s birth but of his timelessness, his eternal presence in the world, and his role as the soul in all beings. It’s an acknowledgment that though Krishna may take form, his essence transcends time and space, embodying the ultimate reality beyond the cycle of birth and death.