According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, we have the Mahabharata, which consists of many stories, not just about Krishna, but about many godheads, demons, kings, and people in these stories because of sage Vasudeva’s compassion for us, who cannot understand the Vedas. The Srimad Bhagavatam says,
“Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahabharata for women, laborers, and friends of the twice-born.”
And we study and learn the stories from the Mahabharata, including Bhagavad Gita; we are learning the lessons of the Vedas. When Vasudeva wrote them, he wrote them to pass on helpful knowledge from the Vedas to people in a way that they could understand.
“Fully surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna”
According to the Mahabharata, Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu and the eighth child of Devaki, was born on the eighth day of Shravana (July 30, 2022) to parents Devaki and Vasudeva. King Kansa of Mathura, Devaki’s brother was told by a voice from the heavens that Devaki’s eighth child would kill him. This fear drove Kansa toward the child and put the child in constant danger. Because of this situation, Vasudeva decided to give the child to Nanda, Vasudeva’s cousin in Gokul. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna’s parents were Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda Mata.
While many godhead figures are given gifts from the gods to become like the gods through Tapasya, self-control, rituals, devotions, and prayer, Krishna was not this type of god. Krishna was Vishnu incarnate since his birth. And even though Krishna was unique, Nanda and Yasoda always seemed to have treated him like any other child. He was mischievous and fun and did not seem to have a care in the world. There are many amazing stories from his childhood.
One story is when Kansa figured out where baby Krishna was and sent Putana to kill Krishna. She disguised herself as a gorgeous heavenly woman and went to meet Krishna. She then tried to feed Krishna, and Krishna sucked all the life force from her body.
As Krishna was growing up, he acquired a taste for milk and butter, and there are many stories of him stealing and eating butter, playing tricks, and getting in trouble with his mother, who punished him like any other child. There’s one story when Krishna and his friends find the Gopis swimming in the water naked. Krishna takes their clothes and refuses to give them back until he’s had enough fun teasing them.
But at the same time, as he’s growing up, Kansa was always trying to kill him by sending demons, and there are fantastic stories of great battles with demons. Stories like when Krishna grows his body as large as a mountain to combat the fierce demon Trinavarta, or when he fights Kesi, who takes the shape of a horse, and Krishna defeats him by sticking his hands in his mouth and choking him to death. Other stories include when he has to fight the woman stealing jewel head Sankhasura or battles Aghasura, the giant snake demon, by entering his mouth and expanding his own body until the serpent is choked to death. The battles continue on and on, Kaliya the many-headed poison snake, Bakasura, the giant bird he had to battle, and many more.
One of my favorite stories so far is when Krishna is outside with his friends, and one of his friends tells his mother Yasoda that he’s eating dirt. She asks him, “Are you eating dirt?” He says, “No.” So she makes him open his mouth and show her. Reluctantly he opens his mouth, and inside his mouth is the entire universe.
“She saw the entire universe: the mountains, the oceans, the planets, air, fire, moon, and the stars in his small mouth.”
As we read further into the life of Krishna, we find a ton of amusing facts. Fun fact number 16,108. 16,108 is how many queens Krishna has. All with their own palaces. What’s even more impressive than his ability to keep up with 16,108 ladies is that one of his superpowers is that he can be one or all simultaneously. The Srimad Bhagavatam describes this as the ability to create as many “plenary expansions as there were queens and palaces and enter in every one of them simultaneously and separately.”
And with that story we are one step closer to understanding transcendental Yoga philosophy where time may not be linear, duality becomes “we are one”, and there really is nothing to worry about because worrying wouldn’t change a thing.
I’m pretty sure this is Krishna’s favorite song:
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Rama
Hare Hare