Kathma By Krishna Study Guide

There are many different forms of god in the Hindu religion, and each has their own significance. In many Hindu traditions, the main form of god is said to be Vishnu and all other forms are an incarnation of Vishnu. The eighth incarnation of Vishnu, according to the Bhagavat Purana, is Shree Krishna. When the name of Lord Krishna is mentioned, more often than not, people automatically think of his childhood pastimes and lilas, as well as, his teachings in the Bhagavad Gita. All of the stories from Krishna’s descension onto this earth from his divine abode explain the loving qualities that a divine personality possesses and the selfless nature of god. Similarly, his dialogues with Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita explain the importance of devotion and provide a set of principles that can be used as the framework for devotion. Due to the affectionate nature of Krishna in the lilas he performed and his powerful messages from the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna Bhakti is extremely desirable throughout India.

The Bhagavat Purana contains many stories about the avatars of Vishnu and their various pastimes focusing primarily on the incarnation of Vishnu as Krishna. The tenth book of the Bhagavat Purana describes the pastimes and lilas of Krishna’s childhood. “The Puranas stories also deal with the life of Krishna, but here we do not see the mature advisor of the Gita or the peace-maker of the Mahabharata. Rather, we meet the infant child who has been the delight of Hindu devotion for centuries. We see a mischievous toddler who loves butter and steals it from the houses of the cowherd girls” (Oxtoby 41) In the Purana stories, we see the playful and mischievous nature of Krishna that is the basis of which many practices of Krishna bhakti are