From correspondents in Delhi, India, 05:30 PM IST
President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have greeted the nation on the occasion of Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, which will be celebrated Sunday.
"On the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, I extend my greetings and best wishes to everyone,' the president said in her message Saturday.
"The life and teachings of Lord Krishna have a universal message, as they signify the triumph of virtue over vice and righteousness over evil and constitute a rejection of intolerance and narrow mindedness," she said.
"On this day, may we strengthen our commitment to remain united in seeking to build a society based on respect for diversity.'
Vice President Hamid Ansari also greeted the nation and said the life and teachings of Lord Krishna are a beacon of light to humanity in times of moral decay, conflict and strife. 'We need to imbibe his teachings for the creation of a just and peaceful society.'
'I extend my heartiest greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami. The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna and is observed across the country with fervour and enthusiasm.
'Lord Krishna is the embodiment of the sublime and eternal values of life. The life and teachings of Lord Krishna are a beacon of light to the humanity in times of moral decay, conflict and strife. We need to imbibe his teachings for the creation of a just and peaceful society,' he added.
The prime minister said the teachings of Lord Krishna are of "immense significance in modern times and serve to guide us in the performance of our duties".
"The festival inspires us towards right conduct and to overcome all obstacles towards achievement of our goals," he added.
Most Recent Comments
As the Honorable President says, ''Lord Krishna is the embodiment of the sublime and eternal values of life. The life and teachings of Lord Krishna are a beacon of light to the humanity in times of moral decay, conflict and strife.' The message of Krishna is for all humanity, since progress in the moral and ethical sphere is cyclical in nature : growth of Dharma, decline, and restoration of the decayed order to Dharma, again, and the cycle eternally. Scientists too are veering round the ancient wisdom of India, as they find parallel in it for this process for our and other universes on the material plane. The Vedic wisdom is of eternal validity, not just for one or two or a few thousand years, but all times to no end, and our seers (Rishis) built up a dual theme for every truth and episode involving humanity, one in the material and the other in the spiritual sense. Our youth therefore will benefit both material and spiritual knowledge if interpreting the ancient wisdom with this spirit. It is not irrelevant to know that many Western scholars are finding it gratifying to study Vedic wisdom in this light, unlike some 19th century people who tended to take the Vedic literature in a purely material sense.
View all comments »