Facts about Krishna
Krishna later married Rukmini, the princess of Vidharbha, as well as several other wives.
The Vishnu Purana, written during this time period, is the first text to proclaim Krishna to be an avatar of Vishnu.
Vasudeva-Krishna was likely the deity of the Vrishnis of the city of Mathura, Krishna’s supposed birthplace.
Yashoda and Nanda raised Devaki’s eighth child and named him Krishna (‘dark one’).
The Harivamsa relates many stories of Krishna defeating demon-animals, such as Kaliya, the snake who repeatedly poisoned the village water supply, and Hastin, the mad bull.
Devotion to Krishna has had an enormous impact on the Indian arts.
Arjuna describes Krishna’s true form as encompassing the sun and moon, with all the deities merging into one.
Kristallnacht changed the nature of persecution from economic, political, and social to the physical with beatings, incarceration, and murder; the event is often referred to as the beginning of the Holocaust.
On this day, Krishna is worshiped and philosophical debates about the Bhagavadgita are held.
The eighteen chapters of the sixth book of the Mahabharata contain the advice Krishna gave to Arjuna on the battlefield, which eventually formed the Bhagavadgita.
One prominent theory suggests that the Krishna figure originated with the combination of two deities: Krishna-Gopala and Vasudeva-Krishna.
The Harivamsa also contains a detailed description of Krishna’s childhood and youth.
Arjuna prays to Krishna, and begs his forgiveness for failing to realize his divinity earlier.
Mistaking his foot for the mouth of a deer, a hunter shot Krishna with an arrow, and killed him.
The legends of Krishna are of utmost importance to the religion, art, music, and literature of India.
Following the battle, Krishna returned to Dwaraka and lived there for many years.
Krishna is also the subject of innumerable Indian paintings and sculptures, which are ubiquitous throughout India.
The Bhagavata Purana outlines the avatars of Vishnu, with a large portion dedicated to Krishna.
The major sources of information about Krishna are the Mahabharata epic and its appendix, the Harivamsa, and the Puranas.
From this figure come the much-loved stories of Krishna’s youth as a cowherd.
Krishna (meaning "dark" or dark-blue"), also known as Govinda ("cow-protector") among many other names, is one of the most beloved and widely worshipped of all the Hindu deities.
Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna with fasting, bathing idols of Krishna, singing, and dancing.
Arjuna, the third of the five Pandava brothers and Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava brother asked Krishna for assistance before the war began.
The Puranas, particularly the Bhagavata Purana, have contributed greatly to the mythology associated with Krishna’s childhood.
Krishna-Gopala was likely worshiped by the nomadic Abhira clan, a group of herdsmen.
Krishna offered Arjuna and Duryodhana a choice of either himself unarmed, or his entire army.
Krishna is arguably the most popular deity in the Hindu pantheon today.
During the dance, Krishna would multiply himself and dance with all the gopis, an action later interpreted to symbolize God’s complete love for each and every human being.
Different dance forms such as Odissi, Manipuri, and various folk dances have developed to commemorate the Rasa lila of Krishna and the gopis.
The gopis, drawn by the sound of Krishna’s famous flute, are said to have left their homes in the evenings to join Krishna in a Rasa Lila (joyful dance).
Krishna is an important character in the epic, acting as a mediator between the two groups, and serving as Arjuna’s charioteer during the famous war between the Pandavas and Kauravas.
Vasudeva-Krishna was worshiped for defeating the evil king Kamsa and for serving as a counselor in the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas, described in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata.
Arjuna begs Krishna to return to his human form, as his divine manifestation is too difficult to behold.
Countless bhajans (devotional songs) have been composed by devotees of Krishna in various Indian languages.
Gita Jayanti celebrates the day Krishna spoke the words of the Bhagavadgita to Arjuna.
Krishna felt it was time to leave his earthly body, and retired to the forest.
During the fifth century C.E., the Harivamsa (Genealogy of Hari, another name of Vishnu) was added to the Mahabharata as an appendix, identifying Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu.
According to Vedic astrology, Krishna is believed to have been born during the thirtieth century B.C.E.