Lord Krishna, one of the most loved Hindu deities, is said to be the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the world as per Hindu beliefs. Shri Krishna was born on Janmashtami (28th of August this year) which is celebrated with religious fervor by Hindus all over the world.
It is said that Lord Vishnu comes to the mortal world in the form of incarnations when Mother Earth is ravaged by evil. In case of Shri Krishna as well, the reason was the same. During his life time, Lord Krishna delivered the world from many evil men like Kamsa, the King of Mathura, and was instrumental as the chief strategist for the Pandayas winning the battle of Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata fame.
Over centuries, times have changed but the relevance and importance of Shri Krishna in the Indian society has not diminished, in fact his charismatic influence has actually increased over time. So, what might be the reasons for this, I wondered, and in search for an answer, I had a very interesting chat with my father and the following points cropped up during our discussions.
1) Shri Krishna was a "Doer"- Shri Krishna throughout his life has been depicted as somebody who is a doer, a man of action. In his childhood he was known as a "butter thief" as he used to steal home made butter and eat it. In his adolescence, he was notorious for his lover boy image and the fact that he used to tease girls in his village. In his youth he became famous for standing up to what he felt was right and was revered for it. India today has a very young population and the youth can easily identify with the different stages of Lord Krishna which embodies naughtiness of childhood and adolescence and level headed maturity and determination of youth.
2) Shri Krishna was "Practical"- Though he always followed the righteous path, Lord Krishna was also very practical in nature. In my opinion, he felt that the End always justifies the means.
A little deception in life is not wrong, especially if the deception could lead to more welfare for the general masses at large.As the chief adviser to the Pandavas, Sri Krishna was instrumental in advising the use of deceit during the course of the battle of Kurukshetra which resulted in the annihilation of many of the stronger Kaurava generals like Dronacharya and also Karna.
3) Shri Krishna was a "Motivator", par excellence- In today's fast paced materialistic life, when constant pressures both professional as well as personal take a heavy toll on individuals, the teachings of Lord Krishna, especially the discourse that he gave to the Pandava prince Arjuna prior to the start of the battle of Kurukshetra, all documented in the sacred book of the Hindus, the "Bhagwat Gita", are a great motivator and stress buster and enhance the popularity of Krishna amongst the youth.
4) Shri Krishna was "Unorthodox"- The life of Shri Krishna is full of paradoxes. On one hand he used to tease the womenfolk of his village in his adolescence and on the other he was the person who saved the honor of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas from the Kauravas. He is believed to have wedded 16000 women in his life time but is the same person who is known for his devoted love towards "Radha", his consort. He was righteous but at the same time not averse to occasional aberrations for the general good. All in all, he was not what one would call "perfect" and this very reason makes him endearing in the eyes and hearts of the Hindus.
These are just a few reasons I could fathom out, which in my opinion are the reasons for the continued relevance and popularity of Shri Krishna, even today among Hindus not only in India but the world over.
Wishing all a very Happy Janmashtami! Jai Shree Krishna!!!
It is said that Lord Vishnu comes to the mortal world in the form of incarnations when Mother Earth is ravaged by evil. In case of Shri Krishna as well, the reason was the same. During his life time, Lord Krishna delivered the world from many evil men like Kamsa, the King of Mathura, and was instrumental as the chief strategist for the Pandayas winning the battle of Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata fame.
Over centuries, times have changed but the relevance and importance of Shri Krishna in the Indian society has not diminished, in fact his charismatic influence has actually increased over time. So, what might be the reasons for this, I wondered, and in search for an answer, I had a very interesting chat with my father and the following points cropped up during our discussions.
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| Glimpses of the life and times of Shri Krishna |
1) Shri Krishna was a "Doer"- Shri Krishna throughout his life has been depicted as somebody who is a doer, a man of action. In his childhood he was known as a "butter thief" as he used to steal home made butter and eat it. In his adolescence, he was notorious for his lover boy image and the fact that he used to tease girls in his village. In his youth he became famous for standing up to what he felt was right and was revered for it. India today has a very young population and the youth can easily identify with the different stages of Lord Krishna which embodies naughtiness of childhood and adolescence and level headed maturity and determination of youth.
2) Shri Krishna was "Practical"- Though he always followed the righteous path, Lord Krishna was also very practical in nature. In my opinion, he felt that the End always justifies the means.
A little deception in life is not wrong, especially if the deception could lead to more welfare for the general masses at large.As the chief adviser to the Pandavas, Sri Krishna was instrumental in advising the use of deceit during the course of the battle of Kurukshetra which resulted in the annihilation of many of the stronger Kaurava generals like Dronacharya and also Karna.
3) Shri Krishna was a "Motivator", par excellence- In today's fast paced materialistic life, when constant pressures both professional as well as personal take a heavy toll on individuals, the teachings of Lord Krishna, especially the discourse that he gave to the Pandava prince Arjuna prior to the start of the battle of Kurukshetra, all documented in the sacred book of the Hindus, the "Bhagwat Gita", are a great motivator and stress buster and enhance the popularity of Krishna amongst the youth.
4) Shri Krishna was "Unorthodox"- The life of Shri Krishna is full of paradoxes. On one hand he used to tease the womenfolk of his village in his adolescence and on the other he was the person who saved the honor of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas from the Kauravas. He is believed to have wedded 16000 women in his life time but is the same person who is known for his devoted love towards "Radha", his consort. He was righteous but at the same time not averse to occasional aberrations for the general good. All in all, he was not what one would call "perfect" and this very reason makes him endearing in the eyes and hearts of the Hindus.
These are just a few reasons I could fathom out, which in my opinion are the reasons for the continued relevance and popularity of Shri Krishna, even today among Hindus not only in India but the world over.
Wishing all a very Happy Janmashtami! Jai Shree Krishna!!!
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