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Hari. Yes! Call Him Hari, not only because He is born under the sign of Cancer in the zodiac; but because He will lessen evil from society. His skin is slightly dark so you can name Him Krishna. People will combine both the names and call Him Harikrishna.” Markendey Muni beamed while staring at the baby. Markendey Muni was a noble sage and a renowned astrologer. He was at Dharmadev’s home answering his question, “What should we name our son?” Bhaktimata looked adoringly at her son, while she eagerly listened to Markendey singing the boy’s glory.
“Everyone will lovingly call Him Ghanshyam, because He is so affectionate. And like the bright afternoon sun, He will surely brighten all our lives with happiness. Your son possesses noble virtues like austerity, purity, morality and honesty, so He will also be known as Nilkanth. He has all the signs of a great personality, who will lessen the miseries of the people and restore religious values on earth.
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He will establish a unique path of devotion, one that this world has never seen before. He is the supreme God incarnate.” As he spoke, Dharmadev and Bhaktimata remembered the night and the moment Ghanshyam was born….
That night it looked like the divine abodes had descended to the village of Chhapaiya. The moon shone brightly and the stars sparkled their best. The wind blew a cool and gentle breeze. The rivers and lakes rippled as if smiling. The trees swayed lightly and shed flowers to decorate the earth. Even the earth radiated with warmth and fragrance. Not to be left out, the parrots, nightingales and peacocks filled the atmosphere with their melodious music.
It was an event worthy for everyone’s heart to express joy. The Brahmin priests recited mantras and hymns from the Vedas. Small children danced in the streets and sprinkled coloured powder on everyone. Some boys played music with bansuris, pipes and drums; while others lit fireworks. Some girls decorated houses with flowers and lighted rows of divas; while others created colourful rangoli patterns on porches. Some women sang folk songs, while others sprinkled rice grains and popcorn for the birds. Men distributed sweets and praised the family of Dharmadev and Bhaktimata. It was an atmosphere filled with joy, peace and divinity.
As the father of the radiant baby boy, Dharmadev’s heart leaped in bliss. He sat on the porch and welcomed the continuous flow of visitors. He distributed ornaments, sweets, clothes and coins to the people. He also donated cows to the Brahmins. He sent sweets, milk and fruits to be offered in all the mandirs. Inside the house, Bhaktimata was so content with Ghanshyam, that she just gazed constantly at His beautiful form! All the ladies that came admired the newborn: “He is so peaceful!” “He has an enchanting smile!” “He looks blissful!” “He is so divine!” “What divine lustre!” They were short of words to describe Him. They were just wonderstruck! Their eyes remained glued to the baby and each one of them had to be literally moved away, to make room for others to come in. The darshan of God as a baby was mesmerising for all who were present.
It was also the same for the many devas, such as, Indra, Brahma and Shiv, who had come to witness the most historical moment in human history – The birth of Bhagwan Parabrahma Purushottam Narayan Himself on this earth for the very first time! The auspicious date was V.S. 1837 Chaitra sud 9 (3 April, 1781) and the time was 10.10 p.m. Bhagwan Swaminarayan had incarnated.
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