Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Krishna - A Brief Biography

Lord Krishna was the eighth incarnation of the Supreme Lord, born in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh at midnight on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Shravana, approximately five thousand years ago.

Lord Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki. A sage had prophesised that their eighth child would kill Devaki's evil cousin Kansa, a demonic King and tyrant, who had forcefully taken the throne of his father, King Ugrasena, and imprisoned him. Fearful of this prophecy, he imprisoned the couple, and killed the first six sons, doubting each one of them. It appeared as if the seventh child was miscarried, but Balarama was miraculously transferred from Devaki's womb to that of Rohini, Vasudeva's youngest wife. Their eighth child then appeared to them in the form of Lord Vishnu and said He would become their son Krishna. The Lord instructed Vasudeva to exchange Him for the girl Yogamaya born to his friend Nanda and his wife Yashoda in Gokula. Vasudeva miraculously escaped from jail and carried out this instruction. Kansa tried to kill Yogamaya, thinking her to be the eighth child, but she escaped and revealed to him her identity as Durga, the personification of material energy.

For eleven years, Nanda and Yashoda were oblivious to Krishna's divine identity, or to the fact that He had been born to Devaki. Krishna was brought up amongst the cowherds, the Gopas and milkmaids, the Gopis in Gokula. Krishna had a very adventurous childhood. When Kansa learned of Krishna and Balarama's escape, he made many attempts to kill Them through a series of demons, but every time the demons were killed by Krishna. He was a mischievous yet loveable boy. He was a maestro with the flute. One of his favourite pastimes was raiding the dairies of the Gopis and mother Yashoda, stealing curds and butter, raiding orchards for fruit, and blaming the other children for his mischief! The most celebrated part of Krishna's life among the cowherds is His amorous pastimes with the Gopis, headed by His beloved Radha.

At the age of eleven, Lord Krishna went to Mathura to fulfil the prophecy and kill his uncle, Kansa, for his wicked crimes, and restored Kansa's father Ugrasena to his rightful throne. He also brought back to life His six brothers from the underworld. Thereafter He moved to Dwarka, killed many demons, married 16,108 Gopis (with Radha being His true consort) and ruled Dwarka.

When Krishna's paternal first cousins, the Pandavas, were about to commence the Mahabharata war on the Kurukshetra battlefield with their first cousins, the Kauravas, Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita (song of God) to Arjuna (a Pandava brother) and manifested Himself to him in His universal form, Vishvarupa. Lord Krishna served as Arjuna's charioteer throughout the war, won by the Pandavas.

Sometime after the war had ended, Krishna, as well as His brother Balarama, departed from this world. That day the ocean engulfed Dwarka and the Kali Yuga commenced.

Krsna leaves Mrityulok

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Excellent Summary of Lord Krishna.

Dipa said...

Dear all,
I received this email, and thought I would share it with you. Can our SitaRam Parivaar please comment as well?
Dipa


Dear Devotees,

A few clarifications in the yesterday write-up. My Lord Krisna NEVER married any Gopi. Lord Krisna was married only once and that was to Rukmini, only one wife he had. Radha ji was not His wife but a spiritual devotee, whose love He immensely enjoyed and cherished. Gopis were His devotees, who loved God more than their lives. A true love indeed at the spirit level.

Now three more things to share with you all:

As there are three bodies (physical, astral and causal) encaging soul, the level of consciousness of a person can be easily seen by:

1. If a person is involved in sensual pursuits of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste... he is a materialistic person.

2. If a person is energetic... he is an astral person.

3. If he is an intellectual... his consciousness is exalted at Subtle body level.

In another words, if a person is excited about looks, he is a materialistic person, if he excited about the inner strength and mind, he is an astral person, and if he is excited about the intellect, his consciousness is playing at the subtle body level.

God's blessing to you all. Jai Radhae-Krisna... Govind Madhav Hari Hari bol, Radhae Krisna Hari Hari bol...

Dipa said...

To the devotee who wrote that Lord Krsna never married any Gopi - below is an article I found. Can others please help clarify the issue:

How could Krishna have 16108 wives?

When Lord Krishna comes to this world He exhibits transcendental activities. He is exhibiting the activities from the spiritual world here. To be really the friend of all living entities Krishna has time for unlimited living entities. Not that in the spiritual world we have to make an appointment and can see Him every one billion years for two seconds. In order to be always with us in the material world He expands himself as the Supersoul in everyone's heart and accompanies us through millions of forms, trying to convince us to come home. In the Spiritual world there is no 'paramatma' feature. Instead, Krishna expands Himself there into unlimited forms according to the nature of the souls there to communicate with them all the time. And just like in the spiritual world Krishna expands Himself in so many forms to give us His association all the time, so when He comes down He exhibits the nature of the spiritual world by expanding Himself in so many husbands (in Dvaraka) or so many lovers (in Vrindavan) or so many dancers as there were in kirtan parties (as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri).

This is the superexcellent power and mercy of the Supreme Lord. What concern for each and every one! What incomparable kindness to all! Yet in our mundane conception we mistake the wonderful exhibits of His kindness to be mundane. With our impure mind we are misunderstanding His wonderful activities by projecting our mundane conceptions on Him.


Source: www.iskconbangalore.org/contents/faq/faq4.html#7