Krishna in Hindu Myths
To begin to understand Krishna, who originated as the god of flocks and herds, we must first accept that Krishna is God, or Brahman. Unlike men who try to achieve the status of a deity through meditation, Krishna never “became” God. From birth, he, like Rama, was an avatar of Vishnu, one of the three major gods of Hinduism. Many of Krishna’s modern-day worshippers (and they are very numbered) follow the doctrine of bhakti, or worship through loving devotion. Awe-inspiring Hindu myths about him have been told and retold for centuries, and these myths show us that Krishna was a multi-faceted figure. His roles in these myths can largely be divided into three categories, each demonstrating a distinct personality, or a stage of evolution in Krishna’s path to becoming one of the most widely worshipped Hindu gods today.
Many tales tell of Krishna’s childhood, and especially mystical is the story of Krishna’s birth, whose details vary from version to version. According to legend, Krishna was born to the Yadava dynasty, which had its capital in Mathura on the banks of the river Yamuna; but his birth was an unusual one. Kamsa, king of the Yadavas, received a message from heaven that the eighth son of Devaki, his cousin, and Vasudeva, her husband, would grow up to kill him. In return for not killing Devaki on the very spot, every child that was born to Devaki was brought to Kamsa and murdered as soon as he was born. Six children had been successfully killed when Devaki bore her seventh child. This time, however, a miracle saved the child’s life- the seventh son, Balarama, was transferred from Devaki’ womb to that of Rohini’s, another wife of Vasudeva’s. Krishna, unfortunately enough, was the fated eighth son. He was born in a prison cell, and at his birth it was said that the entire world rejoiced. Krishna revealed himself first as his Godhead (or true divine form), telling his parents to bring himself to Nanda and Yasoda, the herdsman and his wife who had taken care of Rohini during childbirth. Then he changed into the form of a human child, and was exchanged with the newborn daughter of Nanda and Yasoda without their knowledge. Krishna’s childhood was full of adventures- as an infant, he foiled multiple attempts to murder him by demons, and was a known butter thief and troublemaker. One day, when Krishna refused to admit he had eaten clay while playing with his friends, his mother, Yasoda, forced him to open his mouth, upon which occasion she saw the “Three Worlds,” or Vishnu’s Godhead. Krishna, however, quickly veiled his true self and Yasoda thought it to have been an illusion.
Krishna is also well celebrated for his mischievous side as a lover. His love with the gopis, or the herd-girls, is symbolic of the relationship between god and the human soul. Krishna has a flute that represents the call of religion, and his love with the gopis demonstrates that anyone can reach salvation and have a relationship with god through bhakti, or worship through love. Social standing or lack of learning (jnānam) is no matter- any devotee can love and be loved by Krishna. The story of the Gita Govinda, or the song of divine love, tells of the relationship between Krishna and Radha, his favorite gopi, who is sometimes considered as his wife. Its narrative is relatively short but full of meaning. Krishna and Radha share a sweet love on the banks of the Yamuna until Krishna drives Radha away because of his playfulness with other gopis. He soon realizes how he unwittingly caused jealousy to burn within Radha, and finds himself inconsolable without her company. Eventually, he woos her back, and this happy ending is representative of the interdependence between god and the human soul. Krishna’s dark blue color in illustrations of the Gita Govinda is redolent of the night sky- he is all that is of the skies and of the gods, while Radha’s pinkish orange color represents the ripeness of the earth. The Gita Govinda is somewhat unique in that Krishna, the god figure, learns a lesson from Radha, a human woman. Far from the roles of a mentor and solemn hero he takes on, respectively, in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, Krishna in the Gita Govinda is represented as a free-spirited, uninhibited being who can be playful and even, some would say, fickle.
In the Gita Govinda, Krishna lives as, acts as, and has many of the same emotions as a human, but he fully embodies his role as a deity in the Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad Gita (the Gem of the Mahabharata), Krishna tells Arjuna that both he and Arjuna had many previous lives, but that only Krishna can remember all of them. This is how he differs from Arjuna, who, no matter how great a warrior and leader, is still a human being restricted to human capabilities. In illustrations of the Bhagavad Gita, we see Arjuna sitting at the feet of Krishna, waiting to receive instruction. This is Krishna’s essential role in the Bhagavad Gita- he is a mentor, a god who is omniscient and holds the key to the understanding of life. Krishna originally does not desire the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. However, when war becomes inevitable, he offers Arjuna, leader of the Pandavas, a choice: he can have either Krishna’s entire army or just Krishna himself on his side (under the condition that Krishna cannot directly participate in armed conflict). Arjuna, being the wise leader that he is, chooses Krishna, and Krishna becomes his charioteer, a role that does not involve physical participation in battle.
The aforementioned three facets of Krishna’s character are only the beginning of the explorations one can make into the complex deity that is Krishna. This diversity in character has fascinated generations upon generations of worshippers. Yet though Krishna is an invincible and omnipotent deity for all, he still represents different values for different people. His accessibility and openness to interpretation (to both Hindus and non-Hindus alike) have allowed tales about him that were conceived hundreds of years ago to still survive today.
Many tales tell of Krishna’s childhood, and especially mystical is the story of Krishna’s birth, whose details vary from version to version. According to legend, Krishna was born to the Yadava dynasty, which had its capital in Mathura on the banks of the river Yamuna; but his birth was an unusual one. Kamsa, king of the Yadavas, received a message from heaven that the eighth son of Devaki, his cousin, and Vasudeva, her husband, would grow up to kill him. In return for not killing Devaki on the very spot, every child that was born to Devaki was brought to Kamsa and murdered as soon as he was born. Six children had been successfully killed when Devaki bore her seventh child. This time, however, a miracle saved the child’s life- the seventh son, Balarama, was transferred from Devaki’ womb to that of Rohini’s, another wife of Vasudeva’s. Krishna, unfortunately enough, was the fated eighth son. He was born in a prison cell, and at his birth it was said that the entire world rejoiced. Krishna revealed himself first as his Godhead (or true divine form), telling his parents to bring himself to Nanda and Yasoda, the herdsman and his wife who had taken care of Rohini during childbirth. Then he changed into the form of a human child, and was exchanged with the newborn daughter of Nanda and Yasoda without their knowledge. Krishna’s childhood was full of adventures- as an infant, he foiled multiple attempts to murder him by demons, and was a known butter thief and troublemaker. One day, when Krishna refused to admit he had eaten clay while playing with his friends, his mother, Yasoda, forced him to open his mouth, upon which occasion she saw the “Three Worlds,” or Vishnu’s Godhead. Krishna, however, quickly veiled his true self and Yasoda thought it to have been an illusion.
Krishna is also well celebrated for his mischievous side as a lover. His love with the gopis, or the herd-girls, is symbolic of the relationship between god and the human soul. Krishna has a flute that represents the call of religion, and his love with the gopis demonstrates that anyone can reach salvation and have a relationship with god through bhakti, or worship through love. Social standing or lack of learning (jnānam) is no matter- any devotee can love and be loved by Krishna. The story of the Gita Govinda, or the song of divine love, tells of the relationship between Krishna and Radha, his favorite gopi, who is sometimes considered as his wife. Its narrative is relatively short but full of meaning. Krishna and Radha share a sweet love on the banks of the Yamuna until Krishna drives Radha away because of his playfulness with other gopis. He soon realizes how he unwittingly caused jealousy to burn within Radha, and finds himself inconsolable without her company. Eventually, he woos her back, and this happy ending is representative of the interdependence between god and the human soul. Krishna’s dark blue color in illustrations of the Gita Govinda is redolent of the night sky- he is all that is of the skies and of the gods, while Radha’s pinkish orange color represents the ripeness of the earth. The Gita Govinda is somewhat unique in that Krishna, the god figure, learns a lesson from Radha, a human woman. Far from the roles of a mentor and solemn hero he takes on, respectively, in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, Krishna in the Gita Govinda is represented as a free-spirited, uninhibited being who can be playful and even, some would say, fickle.
In the Gita Govinda, Krishna lives as, acts as, and has many of the same emotions as a human, but he fully embodies his role as a deity in the Mahabharata. In the Bhagavad Gita (the Gem of the Mahabharata), Krishna tells Arjuna that both he and Arjuna had many previous lives, but that only Krishna can remember all of them. This is how he differs from Arjuna, who, no matter how great a warrior and leader, is still a human being restricted to human capabilities. In illustrations of the Bhagavad Gita, we see Arjuna sitting at the feet of Krishna, waiting to receive instruction. This is Krishna’s essential role in the Bhagavad Gita- he is a mentor, a god who is omniscient and holds the key to the understanding of life. Krishna originally does not desire the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. However, when war becomes inevitable, he offers Arjuna, leader of the Pandavas, a choice: he can have either Krishna’s entire army or just Krishna himself on his side (under the condition that Krishna cannot directly participate in armed conflict). Arjuna, being the wise leader that he is, chooses Krishna, and Krishna becomes his charioteer, a role that does not involve physical participation in battle.
The aforementioned three facets of Krishna’s character are only the beginning of the explorations one can make into the complex deity that is Krishna. This diversity in character has fascinated generations upon generations of worshippers. Yet though Krishna is an invincible and omnipotent deity for all, he still represents different values for different people. His accessibility and openness to interpretation (to both Hindus and non-Hindus alike) have allowed tales about him that were conceived hundreds of years ago to still survive today.