Biography of Sri Krishna
KrishnaSri Krishna is the central figure of the Bhagavad Gita. Sri Krishna is widely considered by Hindus to be an Avatar, a direct descent from God.
During the battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna gave Arjuna the immortal spiritual discourse from the Bhagavad Gita: Krishna taught a spiritual path of wisdom, devotion and discrimination.
Photo Pixabay
Sri Krishna also popularized devotional bhakti yoga through his time with Radha and the Gopis in Vrindavan.
Sri Krishna said in the opening section of the Bhagavad Gita:
“Whenever, O descendant of Bharata, justice declines and injustice prevails, I have manifested myself. «For the protection of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of religion, I come from age to age.»
Brief biography of Sri Krishna
Sri Krishna was born in northern India in approximately 3,228 BCE. The Puranas consider that the life of Sri Krishna marks the passage from the Dvapara era to the Kali Yuga (current era).
Krishna was born in prison to devoted parents: Devaki and Vasudeva. At the time of his birth, his life was in danger because the tyrant Kamsa was trying to kill him. It had been predicted that Kamsa would be killed by Devaki’s eighth son.
As Sri Krishna was the eighth child, he was smuggled out of jail to be raised by his foster parents Nanda and Yasoda in Gokula. Nanda lived a simple lifestyle and was head of the local cow herding community.
Young Sri Krishna is often depicted these days as a mischievous boy, who enjoyed playing pranks and having fun. Some worship Sri Krishna as the ideal son of innocence.
However, even in his young years, Krishna is reported to have killed the demons Trinavarta and Putana. It is also said that he raised a nearby hill – Govardhana to protect the villagers against Indra’s wrath.
In the early stage of his life, Sri Krishna is often depicted as playing the flute for his beloved gopis – female devotees. Of these Radha was the greatest devotee.
This episode in life was crucial in the development of the Hindu Bhakti devotional tradition. It is this tradition of bhakti that was important in the lives of future avatars like Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna.
Sri Krishna taught that there were many paths to reach the goal of self-realization, but devotion was the shortest path.
“However men try to reach me, I return their love with my love; whatever path they walk, it leads to me in the end.»
Sri Krishna and Bhagavad Gita
On his return to Mathura, Sri Krishna killed his uncle Kansa, after Kansa had tried several times to have Krishna killed.
In Mathura, he befriended Prince Arjuna Pandava. Sri Krishna became a counselor and friend of Arjuna.
The Kurukshetra war was a battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas (led by King Dhritarashtra).
Despite the Kauravas’ provocations, Sri Krishna tried to mediate to avoid a conflict. He asked the Kauravas to give the Pandavas only a small amount of land.
War
However, Dhritarashtra refused any compromise. Once war became inevitable, Sri Krishna offered his dearest friend Arjuna a choice: either he could choose Krishna himself, or he could choose Krishna’s armies. Arjuna chose the advice of Sri Krishna instead of his armies.
It was on the Kurukshetra battlefield that Krishna gave the immortal dialogue from the Bhagavad Gita, which was an exposition of Sri Krishna’s yoga and how an aspiring seeker might seek union with God.
Unlike Indian scriptures of the past, the Bhagavad Gita did not require worldwide renunciation, but instead encouraged worldwide acceptance.
The Bhagavad Gita and the life of Krishna were very important in making spirituality accessible to ordinary people, and not just yogis who renounced the world.
Sri Krishna’s central message was for man to engage in desireless action, motivated not by human ego, but by Divine Cause.
“You only have the right to action, never to its fruits. Don’t let the fruits of action be your motive, but don’t cling to inaction.»
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 47
During the battle, Krishna occasionally intervened to help Arjuna and the Pandavas win. Krishna broke his own word, proving that his love for his dearest disciple was greater than human moral appeal.
Krishna also revealed his universal form to Arjuna, showing Arjuna his full spiritual realization. After this, Arjuna became a disciple of Krishna, rather than a mere admirer and friend.
Krishna embodies both the human and the divine aspects. As an avatar, he played a human role, but, at the same time, he was a fully realized soul, one with God. During his lifetime, few recognized Krishna’s spiritual height.
eight wives
Krishna took eight main wives and had many children. However, his children were not spiritual and became more and more haughty and arrogant.
It is also said that Krishna took 16,100 more women that he had rescued from Narakasura’s Palace after killing Narakasura. It illustrates Krishna’s compassion for the downtrodden and unfortunate victims of society and ancient social traditions.
After the Battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna visited Gandhari to offer his condolences (Gandhari, Dhritarashtra’s wife, had lost 100 sons in the battle) Gandhari cursed Sri Krishna as he believed that he could have stopped the fighting.
Gandhari cursed that Krishna would die within 36 years, along with anyone from the Yadu dynasty. Sri Krishna was happy to accept this curse because his sons had misbehaved and he knew that his mission was coming to an end.
Sri Krishna in Dwarka
In later life, Krishna retired to Dwarka, where he lived for many years. Legend has it that Sri Krishna was killed by an arrow through his ankle when shot by a hunter who mistook Sri Krishna for a deer.
The ankle was the only area of weakness in Krishna’s body. He accepted death calmly, knowing his time on earth and coming to an end.
The philosophies of spirituality that avoided the world and of materialism that aspired to the world. He established on earth the «Dharmarajya», the Kingdom of Internal Law.
He restored the true spirit of Kshatriya heroism, motivated not by human ego, but by Divine Will, making man a devoted and active instrument of the Supreme.
«He brought into the consciousness of the earth the supreme Truth that earthly and earthly life, being inherently divine, must be outwardly divine, totally and totally, in every sphere, in every aspect.»
It may interest you:
Saint Francis of Assisi Biography – Miracles, Life and Saint
René Descartes Short Biography For Tasks – Phrases of his life
Saint Augustine Biography – Works, Writings, Books and Philosophy of life
Little Known Forms of Depression in Men: Signs and Tips
Lord Buddha Short Biography: [Siddharta Gautama] Birth
If you want to know other articles similar to Sri Krishna Biography Who was he? you can visit the category History.