Krishna is the eight incarnation of lord Vishnu and was born in the Dvarpara Yuga as the "dark one". Krishna is the embodiment of love and divine joy, that destroys all pain and sin. Krishna is the protector of sacred utterances and cows. Krishna is a trickster and lover, an instigator of all forms of knowledge and born to establish the religion of love.
Krishna was born as the 8th child of Devaki, sister of the cruel demon king Kamsa. The sage Narada had predicted that Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed Devaki´s first six children. The 7th, Balarama escaped and the 8th, Krishna, was secretly exchanged for a cowherds daughter.
Krishna was brought up in a cowherds family. As a child, Krishna had great love for his foster-mother Yashoda.
Click for a larger image of Krishna and RadaLater Krishna loved to play the flute and to seduce the village girls. Krishna is the deity of Hasya or Humour and a messenger of peace. His favorite was Rada. This is known as the Krishna Leela.
After Krishna killed Kamsa, he became king. In the great Mahabaratha epic, Krishna spoke memorable words on the essence of Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of Devotion. They are at the centre of the Bhagavad Gita.
