Start here
Who is Krishna
For Vaishnavas, Krishna is God in person: the source of everything that exists and, at the same time, someone you can have a relationship with. His name means “the all-attractive one”.
A God with a face
Many people imagine the divine as an energy, a light or a consciousness without form. The Vaishnava tradition accepts that God also has that aspect, but teaches that it is not the highest. Behind the energy there is someone. That someone is called Bhagavān, “the one who possesses every perfection”: all beauty, all strength, all fame, all wealth, all knowledge and all renunciation.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna says it of Himself plainly:
I am the source of everything; everything comes from Me.
Bhagavad-gītā 10.8
His life on earth
According to the tradition, Krishna appeared in this world about five thousand years ago. His story is told in the tenth canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in the Mahābhārata.
Mathura: the birth
He was born in a prison in the city of Mathura, where King Kaṁsa had locked up His parents, Vasudeva and Devakī, for fear of a prophecy. That same night His father carried Him across the river Yamunā to keep Him safe.
Vrindavan: the childhood
He grew up in the cowherd village of Vrindavan, raised by Nanda and Yaśodā. This is the Krishna devotees love most: the child who steals butter, the youth who tends the cows and plays the flute, the friend of the cowherd boys and the beloved of the gopīs, the cowherd girls, with Rādhā first among them.
Dvārakā and Kurukṣetra: the king and the teacher
As an adult He returned to Mathura, ended Kaṁsa’s reign and later ruled from the city of Dvārakā. In the Kurukṣetra war He took up no weapons: He was the charioteer of His friend Arjuna, and before the battle He spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to him.
How He is depicted
- Dark blue skin, the colour of a rain-laden cloud. One of His names, Śyāmasundara, means “the beautiful dark one”.
- A flute in His hands, with which He calls those who love Him.
- A peacock feather in His hair.
- Yellow garments and a garland of flowers.
- Often, a cow or a calf by His side: He is Govinda, the cowherd.
His names
Each name recalls a quality or a story. These are some of the ones you will hear most in the mantras and prayers:
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Krishna | The all-attractive one |
| Govinda | The one who gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses |
| Gopāla | The protector of the cows |
| Hari | The one who takes away everything that stops us loving God |
| Mādhava | The husband of the goddess of fortune |
| Dāmodara | The one whose mother bound Him by the waist |
| Rāma | The source of all joy |
Rādhā
Krishna is almost never alone on an altar. Beside Him stands Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, His eternal companion. Vaishnavas consider her devotion in person: no one loves Krishna as she does. That is why one approaches her first. The word Hare in the maha-mantra is precisely the way of calling her.
Krishna, Vishnu and the avatars
The tradition teaches that God descends into the world again and again to protect those who seek Him and restore the right path. Each descent is called an avatāra. The best-known list has ten: Matsya (the fish), Kūrma (the tortoise), Varāha (the boar), Narasiṁha (the man-lion), Vāmana (the dwarf), Paraśurāma, Rāma, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki, who is still to come.
Vishnu, Rāma and Krishna are therefore the same person in different forms. The Gaudiya tradition adds a nuance: Krishna is not just one more avatar, but the original form from whom all the others come.
Frequently asked questions
Is Krishna one god among many?
Not for Vaishnavas. Krishna is the one Supreme God; the other deities of India are powerful beings who depend on Him, just as ministers depend on a king.
Why is Krishna blue?
The scriptures describe His skin as the colour of a rain cloud: a very dark blue. It is not a symbol invented by artists, but the way the tradition says He is.
Did Krishna exist historically?
The tradition places His life about five thousand years ago, in places that exist and can be visited: Mathura, Vrindavan, Dvārakā and Kurukṣetra. For a devotee it is not a myth but a fact: God was here.
What is Janmāṣṭamī?
It is the celebration of Krishna’s birth, the most important festival of the Vaishnava year. Devotees fast until midnight, the hour of His birth, and the temples fill with music and flowers. In this year’s calendar it falls on 4 September 2026.