Krishna undoubtedly held the status of being ‘the dude’ in his era. His multitude of names includes ‘Mohan,’ signifying ‘bewitching’ and ‘charming.’ While commonly recalled as the mischievous butter thief or Arjuna’s charioteer in the Mahabharata, assisting the warrior in navigating the battlefield, Krishna’s essence extends far beyond these roles.
1. Krishna is known by 108 different names
Lord Krishna is attributed with 108 names, including well-known ones like Gopal, Govind, Devakinandan, Mohan, Shyam, Ghanshyam, Hari, Girdhari, and Baanke Bihari, among others.
2. Krishna was married to 16,108 wives.
Lord Krishna had a total of 16,108 wives, with eight of them being his principal wives known as ‘Ashtabharya.’ These primary wives were Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Bhadra, and Lakshmana, each of whom bore him 10 sons. Krishna rescued 16,100 women from the clutches of the demon Narakasura, who had forcibly kept them captive in his palace. Although he freed them, they all returned to Lord Krishna, as none of their families were willing to accept them back. In an effort to protect their honor, Krishna married all of them. However, it is believed that he maintained a platonic relationship with these wives and did not engage in any physical relations with them.
3. A curse from Queen Gandhari resulted in Krishna’s demise and the downfall of his dynasty
Following the devastating Kurukshetra war, all 100 sons of Gandhari met their demise. When Krishna offered his condolences to the grieving mother, she, in her grief, cursed him. The curse foretold that Krishna, along with the Yadu dynasty, would face destruction within 36 years. Krishna, sensing the moral decline within the Yadavas, acknowledged Gandhari’s curse with calm acceptance and responded with a serene “Tathastu” (So be it) as the conclusion of her declaration.
4.Krishna had a dark skin color, not blue.
Krishna’s charming appearance is often celebrated in folklore. Although he is frequently portrayed with a blue complexion in paintings and idols, it’s noteworthy that his actual skin color was dark. According to spiritualists, his encompassing and magnetic aura was believed to emanate blue hues, leading to the prevalent depiction of Krishna with a blue hue.
5.Krishna Restores Life to Guru Sandipani Muni’s Deceased Son.
After completing their education with Guru Sandipani Muni, Krishna and Balarama wanted to offer Guru Dakshina (a token of gratitude) to their teacher. Guru Sandipani Muni requested them to bring back his son, who had gone missing in an ocean near Prabhasa. Krishna and Balarama embarked on a journey to the location and discovered that their Guru’s son had been captured by a demon residing inside a conch named Panchajanya. They took the conch to Yama, the God of Death, and requested him to release the boy. Through their efforts, Krishna and Balarama successfully restored their Guru’s son to him.
6.The Resounding Conch: Krishna’s War Cry and the Pandavas’ Battle in Kurukshetra
When Krishna blew his mighty conch, Panchjanya, its powerful reverberations echoed throughout the world. He used the conch to signal the commencement of the epic battle of Kurukshetra, symbolizing the beginning of the struggle between good and evil. At the end of the battle, Krishna once again blew the conch, this time to signify the triumph of righteousness and the victory of dharma. The resounding sound of Panchjanya served as a powerful symbol of Krishna’s divine presence and his unwavering support for justice.
7.The Sacred Bond: Krishna’s Family Connection with the Pandavas
Kunti, who was the mother of the Pandavas, happened to be Vasudev’s sister, with Vasudev being Krishna’s father.
8.Eklavya, Krishna’s cousin, met his demise at Krishna’s hands.
Eklavya, a proficient archer, was the son of Devsharavu, who happened to be Vasudev’s brother (Vasudev being Krishna’s father). Following Dronacharya’s instruction for Eklavya to cut off his right thumb, Lord Krishna bestowed a boon upon him, allowing him to be reborn with the intent of seeking revenge. Eklavya reincarnated as Dhrishtadyumna, emerging from the yajna fire specifically designed to bring about the downfall of Dronacharya.
It is mentioned that Lord Krishna was responsible for Eklavya’s demise. Eklavya’s father, Devsharavu, was adopted by the king of hunters, Nishada Vyatraja Hiranyadhanus. Following Eklavya’s sacrifice of his right thumb, his desire to establish himself as the preeminent archer intensified, leading him to teach himself ambidexterity. However, he gradually deviated from the path of righteousness. Nishada Vyatraja Hiranyadhanus had longstanding ties with Jarasandha, who was Krishna’s adversary. When Krishna was carrying away Rukmini, Eklavya aligned himself with Shishupala and Jarasandha to thwart Krishna. In a confrontation with Krishna, Eklavya issued a challenge, prompting Krishna to hurl a rock at him, resulting in Eklavya’s death. Legend suggests that Eklavya’s demise was unavoidable, as he would have become a formidable force and posed a significant threat to Hastinapur.
9.Conflicting accounts exist regarding the inclusion of Radha, Krishna’s consort, in ancient scriptures.
Krishna’s profound love and devotion for his consort, Radha, are widely depicted, with numerous images portraying him in worship of her. However, intriguingly, various spiritualists assert that there is no mention of Radha in ancient scriptures such as the Shrimad Bhagvatam, Mahabharata, or Harivansham, which detail Krishna’s life. Some contend that her name surfaced for the first time in the works of Acharya Nimbark and poet Jayadeva. Conversely, others argue that her name might have been intentionally concealed in scriptures like the Rigveda and certain Puranas.
10.The association between Radha and Krishna has been utilized to justify premarital relations in contemporary India.
The association between Radha and Krishna has been utilized to justify premarital relations in contemporary India.
11.The demise of Krishna occurred due to a series of curses and his own violation of dharma in relation to Vali.
Krishna’s demise resulted from the convergence of several curses. According to the legend, Gandhari’s curse on Krishna predicted his death along with his entire clan within 36 years. Additionally, the sage Durvasa cursed Krishna a second time when the latter was instructed to apply kheer (sweet rice pudding) all over his body. Although Krishna followed the command, he omitted applying kheer to Durvasa’s feet, which were on the ground. In his anger, Durvasa cursed Krishna, foretelling that his death would be caused by a foot.
Following the self-destruction triggered by Gandhari’s curse within the Yadava clan, Lord Krishna entered into a state of yoga samadhi beneath a tree. A tragic misunderstanding unfolded when a hunter named Jara mistook Krishna’s foot for an animal and unintentionally shot an arrow into it. Realizing his error, Jara pleaded for forgiveness, but Krishna disclosed that in Tretayug, he had been Rama and had deceived Vali (Sugreeva’s brother) by shooting him from behind. Now, Krishna was facing the karmic consequences of that act. Vali had reincarnated as Jara and was fated to be the one to end Krishna’s life.