Krishna is a beloved and one of the most important deities in Hinduism. He is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. His dharma, Karma, and devotion teachings are etched in Bhagavad Gita. Krishna also had an important role in the epic Mahabharata, where he served as an advisor and charioteer to the warrior Arjuna.
When you think about Krishna, the first thing that flashes in mind is his flute and gopis. Of course, Krishna attracted ladies by his charm, stole butter when he was young, and guided Arjuna in the Kurukshetra war as an advisor. Krishna made an indelible impression on humanity.
We all know Krishna’s story and how he is associated with Mahabharata to an extent. But many facts are hiding behind his life story. Here the secrets and truths are revealed about his life.
Krishna and His 108 names
The number 108 is revered in Hinduism. Like Shiva, Krishna is also called by 108 names. Some of the famous names are Govinda, Gopala, Vasudeva, Madhava, Radhakanta, Muralidhara, Nandakumara, Hari, Damodara, Madhusudana, Shyam, Ghanshyam, Mohan, Manohar, Girdhari, Baanke Bihari, Nandlala, Devakinandan, Krishna, Kanhaiya and Kishan etc.
Krishna’s Conch
Panchjanya, the conch of Sri Krishna, was an alarm in Kurukshetra. It had powerful reverberations all over the world when blown. Krishna blew his conch to signal the start of the war Kurukshetra and at the end to symbolize the victory of dharma (righteousness).
Krishna was Dark
People call Krishna Shyam or Ghanshyam because of his dark colour. He is called as dark as the dark clouds but is often pictured as blue in photos. Blue is often used to show his dark and dusky skin colour. The name ‘Krishna’ also means dark. Krishna Paksha and Shukla Paksha are in the lunar calendar, where Krishna Paksha depicts the waning moon.
Krishna’s Wives
Krishna had 16100 wives. Eight were his principal wives: Rukmani, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti, Bhadra, Kalindi, Lakshmana, and Mitravinda. Rukmani was the incarnation of Lakshmi Devi. Krishna married Rukmani to save her from relatives. The demon Narakasura abducted all his junior wives and kept them in his place. Krishna killed the demon and released them from his place.
Krishna’s Relatives – Eklavya and Draupadi
Draupadi is believed to be the incarnation of Parvati, while Krishna is the incarnation of Vishnu, the brother of Parvati. That is why it is believed that Krishna and Draupadi were siblings. Eklavya was a skilled archer who was the son of Devsharavu, the brother of Vasudev (Krishna’s father).
Krishna granted a boon to Eklavya to be reincarnated to avenge Dronacharya, who made Eklavya cut off his right thumb. Eklavya reincarnated as Dhrishtadyumna from the Yagna fire, made for the sole purpose of beheading Dronacharya.
Curse for Krishna
In the Kurukshetra war, all hundred sons of Gandhari were killed. When Krishna approached Gandhari to pay his condolences, the frantic mother spitefully cursed him that he and his Yadu dynasty would perish in 36 years. Krishna felt that the Yadavas were already transforming into a morally debauched race to perish. So, he calmly said “Tathastu” as an acceptance of her declaration.
Krishna, a crush of all beautiful girls, stole hearts with his handsome appearance and flute. People across the world celebrate Krishna Janmashtami with great pomp. Knowing the hidden facts, we shall celebrate the joyful, devoted festival to welcome Bal Krishna.