Lord Krishna कृष्ण

Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and, for many traditions, the Supreme Lord himself. The Bhagavata Purana narrates that he was born in a prison in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva, was carried across the Yamuna to Gokul, and grew up among cowherds under the care of Yashoda and Nanda. His childhood pranks, flute and dances with the gopis in Vrindavan are celebrated in devotional poetry, while the Mahabharata shows him as the statesman and charioteer of Arjuna.

At Kurukshetra he speaks the Bhagavad Gita, the teaching on duty, detachment and devotion that has shaped Hindu thought for centuries. Different communities carry his worship in their own ways: Gaudiya Vaishnavas and ISKCON chant the names of Hare Krishna, Pushtimarg tradition emphasises loving seva of the child form, and the Sri Vaishnava tradition honours him within the worship of Vishnu. Radha, Rukmini and Satyabhama are among the figures linked with him.

Janmashtami, observed at midnight on the eighth day of the dark half of Bhadrapada, is the main festival, with fasting, singing and the rocking of the infant deity. A common mantra is ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय, and many read a chapter of the Gita each day.