Interesting facts about Lord Krishna

The story of Krishna is spread across two epics: the BHAGVATA and the MAHABHARATA.

Bhagavata refers to Krishna as the flute-playing playful, lovable, mischievous, romantic cowherd who loves butter.

Mahabharata refers to Krishna as the conch-blowing city-builder, warrior, leader, philosopher, statesman...

Together these two create Krishna's wholesome manifestation of God.

But Krishna is an unusual god he challenges all conventional notions of divinity and appropriate social conduct. His name literally translates as black challenging the traditional Indian discomfort with the dark complexion, he is visualized as either cowherd or charioteer never as priest or king.

His mother is not his real mother, his beloved is not his wife and the women he rescues are neither his subjects nor members of his family, his lovemaking is really not his lovemaking, his war is not really war there is always more that meets the eye and only Krishna of all the Avatars of Vishnu does sports a smile a mischievous meaningful smile. There is more always that meets the eye when Krishna is around.

While Ram is called MARYADA PURUSHOTTAM, he who upholds the society at any cost, Krishna is called LEELA PURUSHOTTAM he who enjoys the game of life.

Unlike Ram who is serious and serene and evokes respect, Krishna is adorable and rakish and evokes affection. 

Ram's story takes place in the second quarter of the world, the Treta Yuga when the bull of Dharma stands on three legs. Krishna's story takes place in the third quarter of the world, the Dvapara yuga when the bull of Dharma stands on two legs.

Krishna's world is thus close to the world we live in, the Kali Yuga or the final quarter, and shares the murky morality and ethics we deal toady. In this world, the concept of dharma becomes even more difficult to express and institute. And this is most evident in the story of Yayati.

Yayati an ancestor of Krishna, is cursed by his father-in-law to become old and impotent when he is discovered having a mistress. Yayati begs his sons to suffer the curse on his behalf so that he can retain his youth. Yadu the eldest son refuses to do so because he feels his father should respect the course of time and not feed on the youth of his children. Puru, the youngest son, however, agrees to accept his father's old age. Puru's sacrifice makes Yayati so happy that, years later, when he has had his fill of youth, he declares that the younger Puru will be his heir and not the older Yadu. Further, he curses Yadu that none of his children or his children's children will be entitled to wear the crown. Krishna being Yadu's descendant, is therefore never the King. Kingship passes on to Puru's descendants, the Pandava's and the Kaurava's, even though time and again they demonstrate their unworthiness to wear the crown.

What seems a GOOD thing in Ram's Yuga becomes a BAD thing in Krishna's Yuga. Ram's unquestioning obedience of his father TRANSFORMS him into GOD. But Puru's unquestioning obedience results in COLLAPSE of SOCIETY. 

Dashratha REQUESTS Ram's obedience so that he can uphold his word. Yayati, however, DEMANDS obedience of his children for his own pleasure.

Yayati EXPLOITS the rule for his own benefit whereas Dashratha ENFORCES the rule so that the Royal integrity is never questioned. The rule (obey the father) resonates dharma in Dashratha's case, but not so in Yayati's.

Unlike Rama who submits to Dashratha and Puru who submits to Yayati, Krishna refuses to submit to Kamsa. This tale marks a shift in thinking where the younger generation refuses to suffer the tyranny of the older generation. This makes Krishna a radical Hero in Hinduism.