Krishna is perhaps the most celebrated of Vishnu's avatars and is the central figure of the Mahabharata. Krishna (Sanskrit: कृष्ण) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love. And is widely revered among Hindu divinities.
The worship of Krishna is part of Vaishnavism, a major tradition within Hinduism. Krishna is considered a full avatar of Vishnu, or one with Vishnu himself. However, the exact relationship between Krishna and Vishnu is complex and diverse, with Krishna of Krishnaite sampradayas considered an independent deity and supreme. Vaishnavas accept many incarnations of Vishnu, but Krishna is particularly important. Their theologies are generally centred either on Vishnu or an avatar such as Krishna as supreme.
Krishna is born to Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, of the Yadava clan in Mathura. Devaki's brother is a tyrant named Kamsa. At Devaki's wedding, according to Puranik legends, Kamsa is told by fortune tellers that a child of Devaki would kill him. Kamsa arranges to kill all of Devaki's children. When Krishna is born, Vasudeva secretly carries the infant Krishna away across the Yamuna. When Kamsa tries to kill the newborn, the exchanged baby appears as the Hindu goddess Yogamaya, warning him that his death has arrived in his kingdom, and then disappears, according to the legends in the Puranas. Krishna grows up with Nanda and his wife, Yashoda, near modern-day Mathura. Two of Krishna's siblings also survive, namely Balarama and Subhadra. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami.
The legends of Krishna's childhood and youth describe him as a cow-herder, a mischievous boy whose pranks earn him the nickname Makhan Chor (butter thief), and a protector who steals the hearts of the people in both Gokul and Vrindavan. Krishna lifts the Govardhana hill to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavan from devastating rains and floods.
Krishna plays a pivotal role in guiding Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war, delivering the Bhagavad Gita, a spiritual discourse that lays out paths to liberation. According to the epic poem Mahabharata, Krishna becomes Arjuna's charioteer for the Kurukshetra War, but on the condition that he personally will not raise any weapon. Upon arrival at the battlefield and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, and his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna is moved and says his heart will not allow him to fight and kill others. He would rather renounce the kingdom and put down his Gandiva (Arjuna's bow). Krishna then advises him about the nature of life, ethics, and morality when one is faced with a war between good and evil, the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul and the good, duties and responsibilities, the nature of true peace and bliss and the different types of yoga to reach this state of bliss and inner liberation. This conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is presented as a discourse called the Bhagavad Gita.
Krishna Stotram - https://youtu.be/NreDVG4MnYo?si=lx2_E_C8nhEAUXzH
वन्दे नवघनश्यामं पीतकौशेयवाससम् ।
सानन्दं सुन्दरं शुद्धं श्रीकृष्णं प्रकृतेः परम् ॥
राधेशं राधिकाप्राणवल्लभं वल्लवीसुतम् ।
राधासेवितपादाब्जं राधावक्षःस्थलस्थितम् ॥
राधानुगं राधिकेष्टं राधापहृतमानसम् ।
राधाधारं भवाधारं सर्वाधारं नमामि तम् ॥
राधाहृत्पद्ममध्ये च वसन्तं सततं शुभम् ।
राधासहचरं शश्वद्राधाज्ञापरिपालकम् ॥
ध्यायन्ते योगिनो योगान् सिद्धाः सिद्धेश्वराश्च यम् ।
तं ध्यायेत् सततं शुद्धं भगवन्तं सनातनम् ॥
सेवन्ते सततं सन्तोऽशेषब्रह्मेशसञ्ज्ञिकाः ।
सेवन्ते निर्गुणं ब्रह्म भगवन्तं सनातनम् ॥
निर्लिप्तं च निरीहं च परमात्मानमीश्वरम् ।
नित्यं सत्यं च परमं भगवन्तं सनातनम् ॥
यं सृष्टेरादिभूतं च सर्वबीजं परात्परम् ।
योगिनस्तं प्रपद्यन्ते भगवन्तं सनातनम् ॥
बीजं नानावताराणां सर्वकारणकारणम् ।
वेदवेद्यं वेदबीजं वेदकारणकारणम् ॥
योगिनस्तं प्रपद्यन्ते भगवन्तं सनातनम् ।
इत्येवमुक्त्वा गन्धर्वः पपात धरणीतले ॥
नमाम दण्डवद्भूमौ देवदेवं परात्परम् ।
इति तेन कृतं स्तोत्रं यः पठेत् प्रयतः शुचिः ॥
इहैव जीवन्मुक्तश्च परं याति परां गतिम् ।
हरिभक्तिं हरेर्दास्यं गोलोके च निरामयः ॥
पार्षदप्रवरत्वं च लभते नाऽत्र संशयः ॥