Krishna | |
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God of Compassion, Tenderness, Love and Beauty | |
Krishna statue at the Sri Mariamman temple, Singapore
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Devanagari | कृष्ण |
Sanskrit transliteration | Kṛṣṇa |
Affiliation | Svayam Bhagavan, Paramatman, Brahman |
Abode | Goloka Vrindavana, Gokula, Dwarka |
Weapon |
Sudarshana Chakra Kaumodaki |
Texts | Bhagavata Purana, Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita) |
Festivals | Krishna Janmashtami, Holi |
Personal Information | |
Born | Mathura, Kingdom of Surasena (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
Consort | Radha, the Ashtabharyas, 16,000-16,100 other junior queens |
Parents | Devaki and Vasudeva, Yashoda (foster mother) and Nanda Baba (foster father) |
Siblings | Balarama, Subhadra |
Krishna (/ˈkrɪʃnə/; [ˈkr̩ʂɳə]; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, IAST: Kṛṣṇa) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of compassion, tenderness, and love in Hinduism, and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar.
Krishna is also known by numerous names, such as Govinda, Mukunda, Madhusudhana, Vasudeva, and Makhan chor. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as Krishna Leela. He is a central character in the Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana and the Bhagavad Gita, and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and as the supreme power. His iconography reflects these legends, and show him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute, a young man with Radha or surrounded by women devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to Arjuna.