Krishna

Attributes

Iconography

Depicted with blue skin, wearing yellow silk (Pitambara), a peacock feather in his hair, garland of flowers (Vaijayanti), holding a flute to his lips. Sometimes shown as a child eating butter (Bala Krishna), as the cosmic form revealing the universe (Vishwarupa), or as the charioteer of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita (Parthasarathi).

The Story

Lord Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in the prison of King Kamsa of Mathura, who had been told that Devaki's eighth child would kill him. At midnight, as a violent storm raged, the guards fell asleep and the prison doors opened. Vasudeva carried the newborn Krishna across the Yamuna river to Gokul, where he was raised by Yashoda and Nanda. As a child, Krishna performed countless miracles — slaying demons like Putana, Trinavarta, and Kaliya the serpent, and lifting the Govardhan Hill to protect his people from Indra's wrath. As a youth, his Rasa Lila with the Gopis (especially Radha) became the symbol of divine love. Returning to Mathura as a young man, Krishna and his brother Balarama killed the tyrant Kamsa. Later, he became the king of Dwaraka and a central figure in the Mahabharata — serving as Arjuna's charioteer and delivering the Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Through his life, Krishna taught the path of bhakti (devotion), karma (selfless action), and jnana (knowledge) — culminating in the universal message: "Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja" (Abandon all dharmas and surrender to me alone).

Significance

Krishna is the eighth and most complete (Purna) avatar of Vishnu, considered the supreme deity in his own right by Vaishnavas. Unlike Rama who embodies dharma through maryada (boundaries), Krishna embodies dharma through lila (divine play) — teaching that the divine is both transcendent and immanent, both awesome and intimate. The Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Krishna to Arjuna, is the most influential Hindu scripture — synthesizing the paths of karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga. Krishna's life encompasses all aspects of human experience: the playful child, the romantic youth, the brave warrior, the wise king, and the supreme teacher. His worship through bhakti (devotion) is central to ISKCON, the Gaudiya tradition, and countless others. The name "Krishna" means "the all-attractive" — drawing all souls toward the divine.

Famous Temples

Festivals

Stotras & Mantras