Krishna is a divine being, an incarnation of the Godhead, an avatar,
and he is one of the most celebrated Indian heroes of all time.
He has captured the imagination and devotion of Hindus
everywhere in his many forms, whether as a frolicking, mischievous child,
as the lover of shepherdesses, or as the friend and wise counsellor of
the mighty warrior Arjuna.
Krishna is known as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, the Second
person of the Hindu Triad. His story is told in the Bhagavad Gita, the most
popular religious work of India, composed between the fifth and second
centuries B.C. and part of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
Bhagavad Gita means “Song of God.” It is written as a dialogue
between Krishna and Arjuna.
Krishna describes himself as “the Lord of all that breathes” and
“the Lord who abides within the heart of all beings,”
meaning one who is in union with God, one who has attained that union
that is God. He says: “When goodness grows weak, when evil increases,
my Spirit arises on earth. In every age I come back to deliver the holy,
to destroy the sin of the sinner, to establis righteousness.
Arjuna is Krishna’s friend and diciple.
______________________________________________________
Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura, India to Devaki
and Vasudeva in the jail cell of the tyrant Kamsa. The place of His birth is known
as Sri Krishna Janmasthan.He appeared with His brother Balarama in
response to the demigods’ prayers for protection from the widespread influence
of demonic administration on earth.
Previously, the demigods and demons had been at war in the heavens. When
the demons were defeated by the demigods, they decided to instead attack
this planet earth. Thus, they invaded the earth by discretely taking birth as
princes in powerful royal families of the time.
And as the earth became overrun by militaristic activities of these kingly
demons, the demigods including the Earth goddess earnestly sought Lord
Visnu’s protection. Seeing the deteriorating social and political conditions and
hearing the prayers of the demigods, the all-compassionate Supreme Lord Sri
Krishna decided to descend for the benefit of all.
The Supreme Lord descends from time to time in this material world to
reestablish the teachings of the Vedas. In His Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna
promises: “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O
descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion–at that time I
descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as
to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear milleniumm after
millenium.”
Although eternal the Lord appears in specific circumstances out of mercy for His
devotees. In fact, His principal biography, the Srimad Bhagavatam states, “the
learned men describe the births and activities of the Unborn and Inactive.”
Therefore, although He appears within the material dimensions of time and
space, He is most definitely not of it.
Historically, Lord Krishna appeared on the midnight of the 8th day of the dark
half of the month of Sravana. This corresponds to July 19th 3228 BC. He
exhibited His pastimes for a little over 125 years and dissappeared on February
18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. (His departure marks the
beginning of the current age of corruption known as Kali.)
The great scholar Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti neatly outlines Lord Krishna’s
activities in this way: the first three years and four months were spent in
Gokula, then equal lengths of time in Vmdavana and Nandagram, eighteen
years and four months in Mathura, and finally ninety-six years and eight months
in Dvaraka totalling 125 years of manifest pastimes. See the Krishna-lila chart.
Lord Krishna’s early pastimes are briefly summarized at the website Krishna’s
Adventures in Vraja”During this childhood time , He grew up as the son of His
foster parents Nanda and Yasoda in the midst of the idyllic beauty of Gokula,
Vrindavana, and Nandagram. Not only did He destroy numerous demons, but
also performed His famous rasa dance.
Krishna enjoyed the dance of love (rasa-lila) with the gopis many of whom are
expansions of His own internal energies. The supreme gopi known as Srimati
Radharani is the object of Krishna’s highest devotion. This beautiful dance
would occur in the autumn season at night under a full moon when Lord Krishna
would captivate the young gopis with the extraordinary music of His flute .
These esoteric pastimes constitute the most confidential expression of divinity
ever revealed.
Usually the conception of sprirtual perfection consists of overwhelming feelings
only of awe and reverence at God’s majesty. However, in these pastimes each
devotee loves God either as a master, a best freind, a mischievous son, or even
as an intimate lover, thus revealing the infinite possibilities of divine love. These
early pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrindavana illustrate the extraordinary intimacy
that one can have with God. These pastimes are described in detail by Sri
Visvantha Chakravarti in his Sri Krishna Bhavanamrta Mahakavya
When Krsna and Balarama were older, They were invited to Mathura, where Karnsa, Their demonic uncle, was planning Their death in a wrestling match against two large and powerful wrestlers. When Kamsa saw his wrestlers defeated, he ordered his friends to drive the brothers out of Mathura, plunder the riches of Their cowherd friends, and kill Their fathers, Nanda and Vasudeva. However, Krishna immediately killed Kamsa and Balarama killed his eight brothers. Lord Krishna then established the pious King Ugrasena as the emperor of several kingdoms.
In Mathura, both Krishna and Balarama were initiated by Gargamuni in the Gayatri mantra. Later They went to live under the care of Sandipani Muni who instructed Them in all the Vedic arts and sciences in sixty-four days and nights especially in military science, politics and spirituality. As an offering (guru-daksina) to Their teacher, They recovered his son from death. Although God does not need instruction from anyone else, Lord Krsna and His brother set the perfect example : one must accept instruction from and serve a bona-fide spiritual master to advance in spiritual life.
For the next eighteen years, They continued to live in Mathura halting the impending threat of many demonic kings. Later in Their pastimes Lord Balarama married a princess named Revati. Lord Krsna married many queens, the foremost among them being the extraordinarily beautiftil Queen Rukmini. (See Sri Rukmini website for the story of Their marriage). Both Krishna and Balarama established Their palaces in Dvaraka off the coast of western India, where They enjoyed married life for many years. Although They were married, Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama exhibited the quality of detachment from material life perfectly.
When They were about ninety years old, the great world war of Kuruksetra took place. This climactic battle brought together all the major world leaders. Lord Krsna took the role of a charioteer on the side of the pious Pandavas, while Lord Balarama refusing to participate went on a pilgrimage tour thereby blessing the entire land of India.
At the start of the war, Lord Krishna displayed His stupendous Universal Form delivered His famous message known as the Bhagavad-gita, literally the Song of God. This Song contains the essence of all knowledge having been spoken by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Himself. This war concluded with the destruction of the demonic kings and the reinstatement of the righteous Pandava princes.
Run Bhumi
Bhagwan Krishan Maha Roop
Bhisham Pitamah Vadh
and he is one of the most celebrated Indian heroes of all time.
He has captured the imagination and devotion of Hindus
everywhere in his many forms, whether as a frolicking, mischievous child,
as the lover of shepherdesses, or as the friend and wise counsellor of
the mighty warrior Arjuna.
Krishna is known as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, the Second
person of the Hindu Triad. His story is told in the Bhagavad Gita, the most
popular religious work of India, composed between the fifth and second
centuries B.C. and part of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
Bhagavad Gita means “Song of God.” It is written as a dialogue
between Krishna and Arjuna.
Krishna describes himself as “the Lord of all that breathes” and
“the Lord who abides within the heart of all beings,”
meaning one who is in union with God, one who has attained that union
that is God. He says: “When goodness grows weak, when evil increases,
my Spirit arises on earth. In every age I come back to deliver the holy,
to destroy the sin of the sinner, to establis righteousness.
Arjuna is Krishna’s friend and diciple.
______________________________________________________
Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura, India to Devaki
and Vasudeva in the jail cell of the tyrant Kamsa. The place of His birth is known
as Sri Krishna Janmasthan.He appeared with His brother Balarama in
response to the demigods’ prayers for protection from the widespread influence
of demonic administration on earth.
Previously, the demigods and demons had been at war in the heavens. When
the demons were defeated by the demigods, they decided to instead attack
this planet earth. Thus, they invaded the earth by discretely taking birth as
princes in powerful royal families of the time.
And as the earth became overrun by militaristic activities of these kingly
demons, the demigods including the Earth goddess earnestly sought Lord
Visnu’s protection. Seeing the deteriorating social and political conditions and
hearing the prayers of the demigods, the all-compassionate Supreme Lord Sri
Krishna decided to descend for the benefit of all.
The Supreme Lord descends from time to time in this material world to
reestablish the teachings of the Vedas. In His Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna
promises: “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O
descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion–at that time I
descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as
to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear milleniumm after
millenium.”
Although eternal the Lord appears in specific circumstances out of mercy for His
devotees. In fact, His principal biography, the Srimad Bhagavatam states, “the
learned men describe the births and activities of the Unborn and Inactive.”
Therefore, although He appears within the material dimensions of time and
space, He is most definitely not of it.
Historically, Lord Krishna appeared on the midnight of the 8th day of the dark
half of the month of Sravana. This corresponds to July 19th 3228 BC. He
exhibited His pastimes for a little over 125 years and dissappeared on February
18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. (His departure marks the
beginning of the current age of corruption known as Kali.)
The great scholar Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti neatly outlines Lord Krishna’s
activities in this way: the first three years and four months were spent in
Gokula, then equal lengths of time in Vmdavana and Nandagram, eighteen
years and four months in Mathura, and finally ninety-six years and eight months
in Dvaraka totalling 125 years of manifest pastimes. See the Krishna-lila chart.
Lord Krishna’s early pastimes are briefly summarized at the website Krishna’s
Adventures in Vraja”During this childhood time , He grew up as the son of His
foster parents Nanda and Yasoda in the midst of the idyllic beauty of Gokula,
Vrindavana, and Nandagram. Not only did He destroy numerous demons, but
also performed His famous rasa dance.
Krishna enjoyed the dance of love (rasa-lila) with the gopis many of whom are
expansions of His own internal energies. The supreme gopi known as Srimati
Radharani is the object of Krishna’s highest devotion. This beautiful dance
would occur in the autumn season at night under a full moon when Lord Krishna
would captivate the young gopis with the extraordinary music of His flute .
These esoteric pastimes constitute the most confidential expression of divinity
ever revealed.
Usually the conception of sprirtual perfection consists of overwhelming feelings
only of awe and reverence at God’s majesty. However, in these pastimes each
devotee loves God either as a master, a best freind, a mischievous son, or even
as an intimate lover, thus revealing the infinite possibilities of divine love. These
early pastimes of Lord Krsna in Vrindavana illustrate the extraordinary intimacy
that one can have with God. These pastimes are described in detail by Sri
Visvantha Chakravarti in his Sri Krishna Bhavanamrta Mahakavya
When Krsna and Balarama were older, They were invited to Mathura, where Karnsa, Their demonic uncle, was planning Their death in a wrestling match against two large and powerful wrestlers. When Kamsa saw his wrestlers defeated, he ordered his friends to drive the brothers out of Mathura, plunder the riches of Their cowherd friends, and kill Their fathers, Nanda and Vasudeva. However, Krishna immediately killed Kamsa and Balarama killed his eight brothers. Lord Krishna then established the pious King Ugrasena as the emperor of several kingdoms.
In Mathura, both Krishna and Balarama were initiated by Gargamuni in the Gayatri mantra. Later They went to live under the care of Sandipani Muni who instructed Them in all the Vedic arts and sciences in sixty-four days and nights especially in military science, politics and spirituality. As an offering (guru-daksina) to Their teacher, They recovered his son from death. Although God does not need instruction from anyone else, Lord Krsna and His brother set the perfect example : one must accept instruction from and serve a bona-fide spiritual master to advance in spiritual life.
For the next eighteen years, They continued to live in Mathura halting the impending threat of many demonic kings. Later in Their pastimes Lord Balarama married a princess named Revati. Lord Krsna married many queens, the foremost among them being the extraordinarily beautiftil Queen Rukmini. (See Sri Rukmini website for the story of Their marriage). Both Krishna and Balarama established Their palaces in Dvaraka off the coast of western India, where They enjoyed married life for many years. Although They were married, Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama exhibited the quality of detachment from material life perfectly.
When They were about ninety years old, the great world war of Kuruksetra took place. This climactic battle brought together all the major world leaders. Lord Krsna took the role of a charioteer on the side of the pious Pandavas, while Lord Balarama refusing to participate went on a pilgrimage tour thereby blessing the entire land of India.
At the start of the war, Lord Krishna displayed His stupendous Universal Form delivered His famous message known as the Bhagavad-gita, literally the Song of God. This Song contains the essence of all knowledge having been spoken by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Himself. This war concluded with the destruction of the demonic kings and the reinstatement of the righteous Pandava princes.
Run Bhumi
Bhagwan Krishan Maha Roop
Bhisham Pitamah Vadh
