The 8th incarnation of Vishnu is easily recognized by his representations and holds a popular place in the heart of millions of people not only Hindus from India but from people of my faiths and beliefs around the world .
Krishna is usually shown with blue skin, with a flute in the hands, a peacock feather in the crown/ hairs and cows around him. He is the main character of the epic of Mahabharata. Grew up in the pastoral family around 5,000 years ago. While tending to his herd of cows, he would play the flute to keep them happy. His pranks as a child, his love affairs with gopis, the cow maids of Vrindavan and many other tales and stories are told and retold in literature, art, music dance and drama.
Krishna is pictured with his gopi (a girl friend) Radha, and they are worshiped together as Radha Krishna. Krishna is also depicted and worshipped as a small child (Bala Krishna, meaning the child Krishna, crawling on his hands and knees or dancing, often with butter or Laddu (Indian Sweets) in his hand being Laddu Gopal.
With over 1,00,000 stanzas the Mahabharata is an ancient great Indian epic where the main story revolves around Lord Krishna with two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, battle for the justice, truth and throne of Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about people dead or living, and philosophical discourses. One side 5 brothers Pandavas and other side 100 brothers Kauravas waiting to go for the war with their big armies.
However the bravest of the Pandavas brother Arjuna is hesitant about waging war against his cousins and that is when Lord Krishna delivers him the teachings about the Dharma,Duties, Karma, Moral Ethics and Righteousness to Arjuna, which forms one of the religious book known as Bagwad Gita. It can be seen as the man literary support for the great religious civilizations of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. It is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual Wisdom.
Please Note: One must read Bhagavad Gita-as it is an English translation by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada .
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