"Birth of Lord Shri Krishna"|| Who is God Shri Krishna? || About God Shri Krishna ||

■ Today's offering on the occasion of Janmashtami "Birth of Lord Shri Krishna"

■ Lord Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He is also considered to be the incarnation of God and Lord Vishnu. It is said in the Gita that he comes to the earth for the destruction of evil and bad people and for the protection of religion and relatives. That is why it is called Avatar.  

● Earliest references to Krishna are found in Vedic literature.Krishna is mentioned several times (1/101,116-7,113) in Rigveda. There he is depicted as an Aryan warrior against Indra. Elsewhere he is called a sage and an asura. Chandogyopanishat (3.17.6.7) and Kaushitaki Brahmana (30.6) call Krishna the son of Devaki. His guru was Ghor-Angiras. Some say that this Krishna became Vasudeva Krishna in the Puranic period. The story of Krishna in the Mahabharata, various Puranas, Srimad Bhagavatam and Vaishnava poetry was born in the Drapara age. According to the prevailing tradition, Krishna was born on the eighth tithi of the month of Bhadra in the prison of Matul Kansa. Because of his birth this day is celebrated as *Janmashtami* every year.

   

◆ Krishna is also called by some as an Arya deity. According to them, this deity, the deity of the primitive people, later became closely associated with Brahmanism and around him Vaishnavism was introduced. There is disagreement as to whether Krishna can be called a historical figure. Some say he had no human existence, others say he was an ideal character, historical figure, preacher and reformer, and over time devotees elevated him to the status of deity, even God.           

◆ The character of Krishna is very diverse. In the stories that describe him in different texts, his three main forms can be observed:- Philanthropist, lover, and politician. Krishna is seen in the role of philanthropist from his childhood. To save him from Kamsa, his father Vasude left him in the house of Nanda-Yashoda in Gokula soon after birth, but when Kansa learned of this, he ordered the killing of all the children in Gokula. At the behest of Kamsa, the demon Putana started killing the children one by one by drinking the poisoned breast. One day when the child went to kill Krishna, he himself died at his hands. Thus baby Krishna protects children in Gokula. He successively destroyed the demons like Vatsasur, Aghasur, Bakasura, etc. He also benefited the public in many ways in his childhood by subduing Kaliya Naga at Kalidaha, getting Dabagni to save Vrindavan, holding Govardhangiri to save Gop Gan from Hindra's anger etc. Now let's talk about his strategic life. The work done by Krishna in his youth.

Notable in Tanndhya is *Kamsavadha* the tyrant Kasa was the king of Mathura. He seized the throne by imprisoning his father "Ugrasen". He even imprisoned his sister-in-law, Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki, and killed his sister's child to prevent the appearance of Krishna as the cause of his death, which is known in the prophecy. So Krishna came to Mathura and killed this evildoer, rescued his maternal grandfather and parents from prison and established peace in Mathura and later killed many more miscreants.

 Krishna's love form is identified in his Vrindavan Lila. Here he mingles with the common people of the society. Spent every moment with them. At this time, many unusual events are seen to happen with him. His love affair with Gopakanya and Gopastri Radha is the main inspiration of later Vaishnava literature. Sridama, Sudama, Udbhava, etc. are particularly notable among Krishna's friends. Arjuna is his friend and relative. With them Krishna behaves like a common man. The most brilliant and interesting aspect of Krishna is his political form, which can be traced back to the story of the *Mahabharata*.

Here he is identified as a king (King of Dwarka), political, diplomatic warrior and philosopher. Recommending diplomatic action on behalf of the Pandavas and the return of their rightful kingdom. Advised the Pandavas and won the battle of Kurukshetra. In the battle of Kurukshetra, he did not wield the weapon himself, but he basically led the war. Jarasundha slaughter and Shishupala slaughter are the events of this episode. In this way, Krishna destroyed the evil and suppressed the wicked, and observed the establishment and creation of religion. Some time after this, his own Yaduvansha lawlessness arose, but he suppressed it with a stern hand. By stratagem, he destroyed the Yadu family and himself left this world with a disease.

■ Finally, let me say one thing, whether there is historical truth behind this story of Krishna or not, whoever he is, the ideal form that he has developed in various books and in the minds and beliefs of devotees over the ages has influenced Hindu society and culture. This Sanskrit and medieval Bengali literature is also deeply influenced by the Krishna story.Jaideva's *Gitagovindam*, Baru Chandidas's *Srikrishnakirtan* and a large part of medieval Vaishnava literature contain Krishna stories. Padavali Kirtans, Palagans, etc. are folk songs composed based on the love story of Radha Krishna. These were once very popular in Bengali society and I think listeners will be mesmerized even today.

🖋️🖋️ Written by Mrityunjay Saha...