Facts about Krishna
- 14
A 12-string musical instrument called the sarangi became central to Krishna worship traditions, with 108 ragas in classical Indian music dedicated to depicting his divine exploits and romantic pastimes.
- 13
Five major incarnations of Vishnu preceding Krishna's birth are enumerated in the Bhagavata Purana as Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, and Dwarf across four yugas of cosmic time.
- 12
According to the Mahabharata, Krishna's strategic counsel during the 18-day Kurukshetra War resulted in the Pandavas' victory over the numerically superior Kaurava army of 11 divisions.
- 11
Krishna's 12-year reign as king of Dwarka is described in the Bhagavata Purana as a period establishing 4 primary religious principles of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.
- 10
Vasudeva, Krishna's father, carried his newborn son 58 kilometers from Mathura prison to Gokul on the night of his birth to protect him from King Kamsa's infanticide decree.
- 09
Janmashtami, celebrating Krishna's birth, falls on the eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, typically occurring in August or September.
- 08
At age 16, Krishna defeated the serpent demon Kaliya in the Yamuna River, a pivotal event in the Bhagavata Purana marking his transition from child to divine warrior.
- 07
Gopis numbering 16,000 in Vrindavan are described in the Bhagavata Purana as Krishna's devoted cowherd girls who participated in the circular Rasa Lila dance during autumn full moons.
- 06
Mathura, Krishna's birthplace, is located 58 kilometers south of Delhi in present-day Uttar Pradesh and remains a major pilgrimage site attracting over 1 million Hindu devotees annually.
- 05
Devaki, Krishna's biological mother, was imprisoned by her brother King Kamsa for 10 years in a palace dungeon after a prophecy foretold that her eighth child would kill him.
- 04
Radha, Krishna's beloved in Vrindavan devotional poetry, appears in the Bhagavata Purana only once by name despite becoming central to 15th-century Bengali and 16th-century Braj Bhasha literature.
- 03
In Vaishnavism, Krishna's flute playing at Vrindavan is described across 10 major Sanskrit texts as a metaphor for divine attraction and spiritual transcendence.
- 02
Eight cowherd companions of Krishna in Mathura are collectively named the Ashta-Sakha, each representing distinct virtues within Hindu devotional tradition.
- 01
The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna's teachings to Arjuna, comprises 700 verses across 18 chapters within the Mahabharata's Bhishma Parva.