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Sri Krishna is the central figure of the Bhagavad Gita. Sri Krishna is widely considered by Hindus to be an Avatar – a direct descent of God. During the Battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna gave Arjuna the immortal spiritual discourse of the Bhagavad Gita – Krishna taught a spiritual path of wisdom, devotion and discrimination. Sri Krishna also popularised devotional bhakti yoga through his time with Radha and the Gopis in Vrindavan.
 * Krishna

Sri Krishna said in the opening section of the Bhagavad Gita:

“Whenever, O descendant of Bharata, righteousness declines and unrighteousness prevails, I manifest Myself. For the protection of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of religion, I come into being from age to age.” – Sri Krishna

Short bio of Sri Krishna

Sri Krishna was born in northern India in approximately 3,228 BCE. The Puranas consider Sri Krishna’s life to mark the passing of the Dvapara age in to the Kali Yuga (current age)

Krishna was born in prison to devout parents – Devaki and Vasudeva. At the time of his birth, his life was in danger because the tyrant Kamsa was seeking to kill him. It had been foretold that Kamsa would be killed by Devaki’s eighth child. Since Sri Krishna was the eighth child, he was smuggled out of prison to be raised by his foster parents Nanda and Yasoda in Gokula. Nanda lived a simple lifestyle and was a chief in the local Cow-herding community. The young Sri Krishna is often depicted in these days as being a mischievous child, who enjoyed playing pranks and having fun. Some worship Sri Krishna as the ideal child of innocence.

However, even in his young years, Krishna is reported to have killed demons Trinavarta and Putana. He is also said to have lifted a nearby hill – Govardhana to protect the villagers against the wrath of Indra.

Sri Krishna in Brindavan

In the early stage of his life, Sri Krishna is also often depicted playing the flute for his beloved gopis – female devotees. Of these Radha was the greatest devotee.

This life episode was crucial in the development of Hindu Bhakti devotional tradition. It is this tradition of bhakti which was important in the lives of future avatars such as Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Krishna taught that there were many paths to reach the goal of self-realisation, but devotion was the shortest path

“However men try to reach me, I return their love with my love; whatever path they may travel, it leads to me in the end.”

— Chapter 4, verse 11

Sri Krishna and Bhagavad Gita

On his return to Mathura, Sri Krishna killed his uncle Kansa – after Kansa had tried several times to have Krishna killed.

In Mathura, he befriended the Pandava Prince Arjuna. Sri Krishna became a counsel and friend to Arjuna.

The Kurukshetra war was a battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas (led by King Dhritarashtra). Despite the provocations of the Kauravas, Sri Krishna tried to mediate to avoid a conflict. He asked the Kauravas to give the Pandavas just a small amount of land.

However, Dhritarashtra refused any compromise. Once war became inevitable, Sri Krishna offered a choice to his dearest friend Arjuna – either he could choose Sri Krishna himself, or he could choose Krishna’s armies. Arjuna chose the counsel of Sri Krishna rather than his armies.

It was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra that Sri Krishna gave the immortal dialogue of the Bhagavad Gita, which was an exposition of Sri Krishna’s yoga and how an aspiring seeker might seek union with God. Unlike Indian scriptures of the past, the Bhagavad Gita did not require world renunciation but encouraged world acceptance. The Bhagavad Gita and the life of Sri Krishna were very important for making spirituality accessible to ordinary people – and not just yogi’s who renounced the world. The central message of Sri Krishna was for man to take part in desireless action – motivated not by human ego, but for the Divine Cause.

“You are only entitled to the action, never to its fruits.