Unique Attributes : Beauty, Strength,
Divinity, Mischievousness, Opulence, Knowledge.
Parents : Biological - Devaki and Vasudeva; Foster - Yashoda and
Nanda.
Other Names : Kanhaiya, Nanda lal, Keshava, Gopal, Kanha.
Consort : Rukmini
Primary Scriptures : Bhagwad Gita, Bhagwad Purana, Mahabharata,
Vishnu Purana.
Mula Mantra : Om Krishanaya Namah
Born in Mathura to Princess Devaki and Vasudeva, Krishna was actually
brought up by Yashoda and Nanda in Vrindavan. He is the eighth avatar
(incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna wields extensive influence
not only over Hindu Religion and its philosophy but also over Indian
culture, art, literature, sculpture, mysticism and folklore. Born nearly
five thousand years ago Lord Krishna is famous for his mischievous acts
and his love for makhan (butter). In fact Lord Krishna is fondly
referred to as Makhan chor. Since childhood the young Lord astonished
everyone with his divine acts, some of the famous acts being lifting of
the Govardhan Parvat (Mountain) and overpowering the Kaliya Nag in the
Yamuna River. Lord Krishna took immense pleasure in performing Rasa-lila
(the dance of love) with the Gopis. With his Radharani and other Gopis
the Lord danced to glory in the autumn and Monsoon months amid the
melodious flute played by him.
Bhagwad Gita is Krishna's greatest knowledge and message given to
Arjuna at the battlefield of Mahabharata; it is the supreme knowledge
passed on to the mankind to live life righteously. When asked by Arjuna,
"What are the virtues of a man of knowledge?" The lord replied
to this, absence of egotism, dispassion for sense objects and absence of
seeing misery and evil in birth, death and old age and disease - all of
this are the virtues found in a man of knowledge. Lord Krishna like
other gods born in human form is known for his acts of destroying the
evil and protecting his believers and virtuous men. The birth of Krishna
as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu was in fact planned to overcome the
evil forces like his uncle Kansa of Mathura whom he exterminated to
relieve Mother Earth from malevolence.
The affectionate god Krishna is particularly famous in Mathura,
Vrindavan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. With the starting of the Hare
Krishna movement pioneered by ISKCON - International Society for Krishna
Consciousness, the fame and reverence for Lord Krishna has spread widely
across the globe. Now, one finds several beautiful temples of Lord
Krishna all over the world. Every year on the eighth day of the dark
half (Krishna Paksha) in the Hindu month of Shravan, 'Janmashtami' is
celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna on Earth. Janmashtami or
Krisnashtami is celebrated all over India and beyond with utmost vigor
and joy. Many people fast on this occasion and break it after midnight
on the birth of Lord Krishna. The celebrations however start with
'Dahi-handi' during forenoon, a custom of breaking a highly placed small
pot filled with butter as the makhan chor himself did.