Lord krishna is one of the most widely worshipped and most popular of all Hindu deities. Krishna in Hinduism and Indian mythology, the eighth avatar, or incarnation, of the god Vishnu. None of the other incarnations of Vishnu has attracted as passionate and widespread a devotion in India as Krishna. Shri Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was born in the Dwapara Yuga as the eighth son of the Yadava prince Vasudev and his wife Devaki. According to tradition, Vishnu appeared as Krishna to rid the world of a tyrannical king named Kansa, the son of a demon. Of all the incarnations, Lord Krishna is revered as a full and complete incanation (purna avatara) of Lord Vishnu. He commands love, respect, and adoration from all Hindus of all walks of life.
Krishna is technically the black god, since the Sanskrit word Krishna means "black." However, he is generally depicted with blue skin. Worship of the Lord Krishna, either in the form of deity Krishna or in the form of Vasudeva, Bala Krishna or Gopala can be traced to as early as 4th century BC.
Lord Krishna was the eighth son born to Devaki and her husband Vasudeva in Mathura. However Krishna raised by his foster parents Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul a small village called Brindhavan. The birthday of Krishna is called Janmashthami, a special occasion for Hindus that is celebrated around the world. The birth of Krishna is in itself a transcendental phenomenon that generates awe among the Hindus and overwhelms one and all with its supra mundane happenings.
According to a famous legend, Krishna drove away the monsterous serpent Kaliya from the river to the sea. Krishna, according to another popular myth, lifted the Govardhana hill up with his little finger and held it like an umbrella to protect the people of Vrindavana from the torrential rain caused by Lord Indra, who had been annoyed by Krishna.
As a child, Krishna was extremely mischievious, stealing milk and butter. That's the reason he is also referred as "Maakhan Chor" meaning butter thief. He had a strength far beyond ordinary man. Once when Yashoda caught him eating mud, she forced him to open his mouth; within she saw the entire universe. Krishna's magic made her forget the incident.
The consort of Krishna is Radha. His love for her is an allegory of the union of The Supreme with nature. Krishna is also considered to be an ultimate playboy who was responsible for charming all gopikaas (cowherdesses) around him, Krishna the focus of devotion (the lover, the all-attractive, the flute player). He is frequently shown playing the flute, attracting and bewildering the gopis (the cowgirls) of Brindavana.
The stories of his play with the gopis (milkmaids) of Brindavana, especially Radha (daughter of Vrishbhanu, one of the original residents of Brindavan) became known as the Rasa lila and were romanticised in the poetry of Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda. These became important as part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna.
After the death of Kansa, Krishna becomesan ally of the Pandavas. In the famous battle of Kurukshetra Lord Krishna took the role of a charioteer on the side of the Pandavas. As the charioteer and preceptor to Arjun, he revealed to the world the supreme truths of life. He displayed his stupendous Universal Form delivered his famous message known as the Bhagavad-gita. The Festival of Holi, celebearted in spring, in which people from all backgrounds play on the streets and squirt each other with water colors, is associated with him.
Krishna had eight princely wives, also known as Ashtabharya: Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Bhadra, Lakshmana) and the other 16,000 (number varies in scriptures), who were rescued from Narakasura. They had been forcibly kept in his palace and after Krishna had killed Narakasura, he rescued these women and freed them. Krishna married them all to save them from destruction and infamity.
Like all other avatars of Lord Vishnu, Krishna must die as he is in the form of a human. While in the forest doing Yoga, he is accidentally pierced in the foot with a spear by a hunter who mistook his foot for deer's foot. Krishna blesses the man who threw the spear that will take him to heaven. Krishna's disappearance marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga (present age)
