Who is Krishna?
The all-attractive one
Krishna’s name means “the one who attracts everyone”. He has every wonderful quality, without any limit.
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The sages say God is the person who has six qualities in full, and Krishna has every one of them.
- BeautyThe most beautiful of all
- StrengthHe lifted a hill like an umbrella
- WealthEverything belongs to Him
- FameHis names are sung everywhere
- KnowledgeHe spoke the Bhagavad-gita
- RenunciationNothing can bind Him, except love
God, in His original form
The Lord comes into this world in many forms, like Rama and Narasimha. All of them come from Krishna.
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The Srimad-Bhagavatam lists the Lord’s forms, then says something remarkable:
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
“But Krishna is the Supreme Lord Himself.”
Devotees love the four-armed Vishnu and all His appearances, but they see Krishna, the cowherd boy, as the original.
A cowherd boy in Vrindavan
Long ago, Krishna grew up in Vrindavan among cowherd families. They loved Him as their naughty son and their best friend.
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About five thousand years ago, Krishna appeared in India. The families of Vrindavan had no idea He was God, and He loved that most of all. He stole butter, herded the cows, and called them home with His flute.
The teacher of the Gita
Krishna taught His friend Arjuna that we are eternal souls, not just bodies. Real happiness comes from loving Him.
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Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It even says how simple loving Him can be:
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
“If someone offers Me even a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water with love, I accept it.”
Why devotees love Him
Devotees love Krishna like a dear friend, and He loves them back. Chanting His names brings you close to Him.
Hare Krishna Hare KrishnaKrishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare RamaRama Rama Hare Hare
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Devotees love Krishna not out of fear, and not for rewards, but the way Mother Yashoda and His friends did. About five hundred years ago, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught that the easiest way to come close to Krishna is His holy name, because Krishna and His name are not different. Try it once, out loud!