Shri Krishna Stories

Stories of Shri Krishna

Krishna, one of the avatars of Vishnu is the most glamorous and talked-of character in Indian mythology. Starting from the tales of his amorous acts with gopikas and Radha, to his story of valour and wisdom in the battles with Kansa etc, and his great preachings to Arjuna in Bhagvad-Gita. The story of the birth of Krishna goes as follows:

Once upon a time there lived an evil, wicked and ambitious king by name of Kansa in Mathura. He plundered the kingdom left and right and lawlessness prevailed in his state. On one of the days a heavenly prophecy from the sky came and echoed, "Kansa! Your end is near! The eighth son of Devaki, your sister, will be the one responsible for your death." Kansa was enraged beyond control and imprisoned Devaki, his sister and Vasudeva her husband. Then he killed every child of the couple as they were born. But just the midnight when the eighth child was born, the skies roared and Lord Vishnu advised Vasudeva to take the child across the river Yamuna to the other side to the village of Gokul and exchange with the daughter of Yashoda in Gokul, who was born on the same day. Vasudeva accordingly put the child in a basket, and as he went out the doors of the prison parted for him as if in a magic. The river parted into two to allow for Vasudeva to cross. Vasudeva then crossed into Gokul and exchanged his son with the daughter of Yashoda who was born the same day and came back. The baby uttered cries which awakened Kansa, and then happily he went to the prison chamber and snatched the girl baby and as he lifted her in the air, the baby, who was an incarnation of the Devi herself, laughed in glee "Kansa, your real enemy is still alive. The son of Devaki is alive and well and will come back to kill you", and then disappeared. Kansa was outraged beyond wits and started a killing spree of all boys at that age in his kingdom. It was a terror outbreak.

Krishna led a very pampered and amorous life in the Gokul, along side thousands of gopikaas, the cowherdesses who were all entralled at his beauty and were thrilled whenever he played the flute. There are numerous playful instances of Krishna, playing mischief with the gopikaas including breaking their butter pots. Many a poets, literarians have described these amorous and mischievious acts as Raas-Lila of Krishna. Among all the gopikaas, one Radha was special to Krishna. There are numerous amorous tales of Radha and Krishna together. Krishna is also known to be a very mischievious child who annoyed Yashoda a lot. A lot of dohas (poems) described by Mirabai, an ardent devotee of Krishna, are very popular which describe the naughty acts of Krishna. Among them the one titled "Maiya Mori Main nahi makhan khayo" is an all-time favourite. It describes the excuses which Krishna gives to his mother yashoda explaining that he was not responsible for stealing of the butter from the gopikaas.

Krishna incarnated in this world to eliminate evil elements from this world. There are numerous tales of his bravery since his childhood. Many of the stories are related to the attempts by Kansa, to kill Krishna after Kansa came to know that Krishna was in Gokul alive. Some of the tales are given below

As Krishna grew older he left the heavenly Gokul, and the idyllic life alongside Gopis, to go and kill Kansa. He killed Kansa, and then settled in Dwaraka along with his brother Balram and learnt the traditional arts of fighting including archery. He arbitrated in the fight between the Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata. During the war he is well known for his monologue to Arjuna on the battlefield, which is together termed as the Bhagvad Gita. There are many stories of Krishna, starting from his childhood to his death including his role in Mahabarata war, his rule over Dwaraka, his childhood amorous acts with gopikaas including Radha, his winning of wives like Satyabhama etc.

The Story of Krishna and Putana
The story of Krishna, and Putana is very well known. Kansa, the evil uncle of Krishna, had hired the services of Putana, the Rakshasi (female demon), to kill Krishna. Putana was a magician and could take any form she wanted. She disguised herself as a Gopikaa, a cowherdess, and entered Krishna's house. Krishna was still a baby then. She fed Krishna on her own milk which was poisoned. Krishna, though a baby, knew of the real form of her and sucked her so hard that he extracted her life along with the milk. Before dying she assumed her original form and died. So Krishna possessed divined powers since his childhood days.

The Story of Krishna and Kaliya
The story of Krishna, and Kaliya the serpent is very well known. Kaliya, a naga (a serpent), had been occupying the river Yamuna and its banks.It had poisoned the waters of the Yamuna and also dried the forests nearby by the poison airs breathed by it. Krishna jumped into the water to kill the serpent. He was coiled around by Kaliya, the serpent king and he lay at the bottom of the river. But then he soon was reminded of his divine powers and exercising his powers he uncoiled himself from the serpent and danced on the head of the serpent and wanted to kill it. But on imploration from the wives of Kaliya, he left it alone and asked them all to leave the shores of Yamuna. So they left and Yamuna and its shored regained their normal form. This feat is termed as Kaliya-Daman.

The Story of Krishna and Bakasura
Bakasura is again one of the asuras contracted by Kansa to kill Krishna. Bakasura was the brother of Putana, whose story is given earlier. Bakasura took the form of a giant bird and terrorised the cowherds and cowherdesses of Gokul. Krishna, in an act of bravery entered the beak of the bird, and then the bird closed its beak. But Krishna wriggled round and round inside so as to make Bakasura uneasy and ultimately Bakasura had to vomit Krishna out and he died on the spot.

Similar to Bakasura, his brother Aghasura was similarly deputed by Kansa. But Krishna again vanquished him too who took the form of a giant serpent, by going inside and wriggling his body.

Jai Shri Radhe....

Jai Shri Radhe....

Radhe Radhe Kahat hee, sab Biyadha mitjay

koti janm kee aapada, shri Radhe kahe se kat jay

Radha - The Goddess
Radha has attained the status of goddess in the Hindu Religion. Radha's immense love and dedication towards lord Krishna got her this position, which she truly deserves. Radha is the heavenly queen of Krishna's celestial world. Today, Radha is worshipped like any other goddesses in temples.

Radha Gayatri Mantra :-

Aum Vrashbhanujaye Vidmahe
Krishnapriyaye Dheemahi
Tanno Radha Prachodayat

Srimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess. She is most always seen with Lord Krishna. It is described that She is the Chief Associate and devotee of Lord Krishna, and topmost of all Goddesses. Her name means the She is the most excellent worshiper of Lord Krishna. However, She is also an expansion of the Lord's energy. Since She is also an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God. Thus, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, God is both male and female. They are One, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes. If They remained as One, then there is no relationship, there are no pastimes, and there can be no dynamic exchange of love. (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 4.55-56) Actually, if we all remained merged or amalgamated into one single force or light, then there is no further need of anything else. There certainly would be no need for the material manifestation to provide the innumerable conditioned souls with the means to seek out the way to satisfy their senses, minds, emotions, desires for self-expression, intellectual pursuits, and on and on.

Radharani has many names according to Her qualities and characteristics :

GKrishnamayi

Govinda-mohini

Govinda-sarvasa

Govinda-anandini

Shiromani Sarva-kanta
So, similarly, the spiritual world is the manifestation wherein all souls have the opportunity to engage in a multitude of pastimes in loving relationships in full spiritual variety, without the many hindrances we find in this material world. The only difference is that the spiritual world is centered around the Supreme Being. And that Supreme Personality has expanded Himself into Radharani for exhibiting the supreme loving relationship, in which so many others assist Them.
In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows:

devi krishna-mayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva
kantih sammohini para

"The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Radha Rani is also known as Sarva-kanti , which indicates that all beauty and luster rest in Her body, and all the Lakshmis derive their beauty from Her. Sarva-kanti also means that all the desires of Lord Krishna rest in Srimati Radharani. As Lord Krishna enchants the world with His beauty and charm, Sri Radha enchants Him. Therefore She is the Supreme Goddess. Sri Radha is the full power, and Lord Krishna is the possessor of full power. Thus, the two are non-different, as the sunshine is nondifferent from the sun, or as the energy is non-different from the energetic or source of energy.

Radhe tu bad bhagini, Kyon tapsya keen

tenn lok taran tarad ,tere hee Adheen

To explain further, Srimati Radharani is also the source of the other goddesses, who are expansions of Her. Just as Lord Krishna is the source of all other expansions and incarnations of God, Radharani is the source of all other expansions of the energies of God, the shaktis, or other goddesses. Thus, Vishnu, Rama, even Shiva are all expansions of the one Supreme Being, and similarly Lakshmi, Sita, and even Durga are all expansions of this Supreme Feminine form of God, Radharani.
It is explained that the beloved consorts of Lord Krishna are of three kinds, namely the goddesses of fortune or Lakshmis, His queens, and the milkmaids of Vraja called the gopis. All of them proceed from Radharani. The Lakshmis are partial manifestations, or plenary portions, of Srimati Radharani, while the queens in Vaikuntha and in Dvaraka are reflections of Her image. The Vraja-devis or gopis are Her expansions and assist in the increase of rasa, or the divine loving pastimes. Among them there are many groups that have various sentiments and moods, which help Lord Krishna taste the sweetness of the rasa dance and other pastimes. (Cc.Adi-lila. 4. 75-81)
"Among the gopis of Vrindavana, Srimati Radharani and another gopi are considered chief. However, when we compare the gopis, it appears that Srimati Radharani is most important because Her real feature expresses the highest ecstasy of love. The ecstasy of love experienced by the other gopis cannot be compared to that of Srimati Radharani." (Ujjvala-nilamani 4.3 of Srila Rupa Gosvami)
Radharani has many names according to Her qualities and characteristics. Some of the names that Radharani is known by include Govinda-anandini--She who gives pleasure to Govinda [Krishna]; Govinda-mohini--She who mystifies Govinda; Govinda-sarvasa--the all-in-all of Lord Govinda; Shiromani Sarva-kanta--the crown jewel of all the Lord's consorts; and Krishnamayi--the one who sees Krishna both within and without. She is also called Radhika in the Puranas because Her worship [aradhana] of the Lord consists of fulfilling His desires. Aradhana is the root of the name Radharani, which indicates one who excels in worshiping the Lord. She is also called Sarva-lakshmi, the original source of all the goddesses of fortune. This also means that She is the supreme energy of Lord Krishna, and represents His six opulences, which include fame, fortune, strength, wealth, knowledge, and detachment. She is also known as Sarva-kanti, which indicates that all beauty and luster rest in Her body, and all the Lakshmis derive their beauty from Her. It also means that all the desires of Lord Krishna rest in Srimati Radharani. As Lord Krishna enchants the world with His beauty and charm, Sri Radha enchants Him. Therefore She is the Supreme Goddess. Sri Radha is the full power, and Lord Krishna is the possessor of full power. (Cc.Adi-lila, 4.82, 84, 87-96) Thus, the two are non-different, as the sunshine is nondifferent from the sun, or as the energy is non-different from the energetic or source of energy.
In this way, without Radha there is no meaning to Krishna and without Krishna there is no meaning to Radha. Because of this, in the Vaishnava tradition we always pay respects first to the Lord's internal energy in the form of Radha, and then to the Lord. Thus They are referred to as Radha-Krishna, or in other names as Sita-Rama, Lakshmi-Narayana, and so on. In this way, Radha and Krishna are one, but when Lord Krishna wants to enjoy, He manifests Himself as Radharani. Otherwise, there is no energy in which Krishna can attain pleasure outside Himself.
To understand Himself through the agency of Radha, or the hladini-shakti, the Lord manifests Himself as Lord Chaitanya, who is Lord Krishna but with the super-excellent emotions of Radharani's love toward Lord Krishna. This is because the Lord accepts a position and the emotions of a devotee in order to fully taste His own sweetness.
It is also described that the potency of love of God is called hladini, the Lord's pleasure potency. Whenever the Lord wants to enjoy pleasure, He exhibits His own spiritual potency known as hladini. And the essence of that love is in the emotion called bhava. The ultimate development of that emotion is mahabhava, or great bhava. Mahabhava is full of the pleasure potency, and it is an exhibition of the highest love for Lord Krishna. Sri Radharani is the embodiment of that transcendental consciousness found in mahabhava. Her mind, senses and body are steeped in that highest sort of love for Krishna. She is as spiritual as the Lord Himself. In fact, being the personification of the hladini-shakti, the pleasure giving energy of the Lord, She is the only source of enjoyment for the Lord. This pleasure potency manifests spiritually as Radharani in a way that attracts even Lord Krishna. He takes no pleasure in anything material. The Lord could never enjoy anything that is less spiritual than Himself. Therefore Radha and Krishna are identical. Then She expands Herself into different forms, known as Lalita, Visakha, and Her other confidential associates that increase the mood of divine love. However, being the Lord's hladini feature, She is also the ultimate source of all happiness for all the living beings. In other words, everything that gives pleasure and happiness within the spiritual or the material worlds is because of Her and the energy that emanates from Her. (Cc.Adi-lila.4.68-72) That same pleasure potency expands and spreads throughout the spiritual worlds, and then descends into the material creation into the many forms of happiness that is experienced by the conditioned soul, though it may be called by different names and perceived in assorted ways. Since we are all parts and parcels of the Lord, we also have that pleasure potency within us to a minute degree. But we are trying to enjoy it in the material world. Therefore we are like sparks that are dying out because we have left our place which is in the blazing fire of Lord Krishna's association.
The descriptions of the beauty of Radharani are wonderfully poetic and descriptive. Actually, the residents of Vrindavana care more for Radharani than they do for Lord Krishna. They know that Krishna can be influenced through Radharani. They know that Radha can bring one to Krishna. She is also the compassionate nature of the Lord, and thus more easily approached than trying to reach Lord Krishna directly. And when we read these descriptions of Radha, it is no wonder why they are devoted to Her.

Srimati Radharani has unlimited transcendental qualities, of which twenty-five are principal.

These include:

1) She is very sweet.

2) She is always freshly youthful.

3) Her eyes are restless.

4) She smiles brightly.

5) She has beautiful, auspicious lines.

6) She makes Krishna happy with Her bodily aroma.

7) She is very expert in singing.

8) Her speech is charming.

9) She is very expert in joking and speaking pleasantly.

10) She is very humble and meek.

11) She is always full of mercy.

12) She is cunning.

13) She is expert in executing Her duties.

14) She is shy.

15) She is always respectful.

16) She is always calm.

17) She is always grave.

18) She is expert in enjoying life.

19) She is situated in the topmost level of ecstatic love.

20) She is the reservoir of loving affairs in Gokula.

21) She is the most famous of submissive devotees.

22) She is very affectionate to elderly people.

23) She is very submissive to the love of Her friends.

24) She is the chief gopi.

25) She always keeps Krishna under Her control. In short, She possesses unlimited transcendental qualities, just as Lord Krishna does. (Ujjvala-nilamani, Sri-radha-prakarana 11-15)
In describing Srimati Radharani, it is also said in the Vidagdha-madhava (1.32) by Rupa Gosvami, "The beauty of Srimati Radharani's eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold in a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening Vrindavana."
"Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20)
"When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid. Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorl of My heart." (Vidagdha-madhava 2.51)
There is much more to be known about Srimati Radharani, but this should suffice for now. Thus, the spiritual exchange of divine love between Radha and Krishna is the display of the internal energy of the Lord, and is very confidential and difficult to understand. No materialist can begin to understand this topic of the relationship between Radharani and Lord Krishna. But the more we awaken our dormant love for God, which is natural state of being for a fully awakened soul, then the more we can comprehend and actually enter into such spiritual loving exchanges.

Shri Krishna

Radha-Krishn is a Hindu Deity. shri Krishna is often reffered as a Svayam bhagwan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology.
Though known by many different names in many traditions,But there is only one God. Krishna is the original person. The word Krishna means the person who is attractive to everyone. Shri krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura,dist of state UP (India) to Devaki and Vasudeva in the jail of Kansa. Kansa was the king og mathura and mama ofthe loard krishna .The place of His birth is known as Sri Krishna JanmBhumi.
The Supreme Lord descends from time to time in this material world to reestablish the teachings of the Vedas. In His Bhagavad-gita, Sri krishna promises: "Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear milleniumm after millenium."

Although eternal the Lord appears in specific circumstances out of mercy for His devotees. In fact, His principal biography, the Srimad Bhagavatam states, "the learned men describe the births and activities of the Unborn and Inactive." Therefore, although He appears within the material dimensions of time and space, He is most definitely not of it.

Historically, Sri krishna appeared on the midnight of the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Sravana. This corresponds to July 19th 3228 BC. He exhibited His pastimes for a little over 125 years and dissappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. (His departure marks the beginning of the current age of corruption known as Kali.)

The great scholar Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti neatly outlines Sri krishna's activities in this way: the first three years and four months were spent in Gokula, then equal lengths of time in Vmdavana and Nandagram, eighteen years and four months in Mathura, and finally ninety-six years and eight months in Dvaraka totalling 125 years of manifest pastimes. See the Krishna-lila chart.
In Mathura, both Krishna and Balarama were initiated by Gargamuni in the Gayatri mantra. Later They went to live under the care of Sandipani Muni who instructed Them in all the Vedic arts and sciences in sixty-four days and nights especially in military science, politics and spirituality. As an offering (guru-daksina) to Their teacher, They recovered his son from death. Although God does not need instruction from anyone else, Lord Krsna and His brother set the perfect example : one must accept instruction from and serve a bona-fide spiritual master to advance in spiritual life.
For the next eighteen years, They continued to live in Mathura halting the impending threat of many demonic kings. Later in Their pastimes Lord Balarama married a princess named Revati. Lord Krsna married many queens, the foremost among them being the extraordinarily beautiftil Queen Rukmini. (See Sri Rukmini website for the story of Their marriage). Both Krishna and Balarama established Their palaces in Dvaraka off the coast of western India,
where They enjoyed married life for many years. Although They were married, Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama exhibited the quality of detachment from material life perfectly. When They were about ninety years old, the great world war of Kuruksetra took place. This climactic battle brought together all the major world leaders. Lord Krsna took the role of a charioteer on the side of the pious Pandavas, while Lord Balarama refusing to participate went on a pilgrimage tour thereby blessing the entire land of India.
At the start of the war, Lord Krishna displayed His stupendous Universal Form delivered His famous message known as the Bhagavad-gita, literally the Song of God. This Song contains the essence of all knowledge having been spoken by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Himself. This war concluded with the destruction of the demonic kings and the reinstatement of the righteous Pandava princes.
Having completed Their mission, Balarama and Krsna resumed Their life in Dvaraka where They spent some thirty-five more years before ending Their earthly manifest activities The foremost description of Lord Krishna's activities occurs in the Srimad Bhagavatam, literally "the Beautiful Book of God."