Names
- Krishna — black, dark; the dark-complexioned, all-attractive one1
- Govinda — he who gives joy to the cows1
- Gopala — protector of cows1
- Vasudeva — son of Vasudeva; the indwelling divine1
- Keshava — of beautiful hair; slayer of the demon Keshi1
- Madhava — consort of Lakshmi; the sweet, spring-like one1
- Hari — remover of sins and suffering1
- Damodara — he who was tied at the waist with a rope1
- Jagannatha — lord of the universe1
Family
- Parents
- Devaki, Vasudeva
- Consorts
- Rukmini, Satyabhama, Radha
- Siblings
- Balarama, Subhadra
Born to Devaki and Vasudeva, he was raised by Nanda and Yashoda; Radha is his beloved in most Krishna traditions.1
Sources
The Mahabharata, which contains the Bhagavad Gita, gives the earliest detailed portrait of Krishna; the Harivamsa, a later appendix, tells his childhood, and the Bhagavata Purana is a major source. Worship of Vasudeva is dated to the fifth–sixth centuries BCE from Panini.1
How traditions differ
Vaishnavism
Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu.1
Krishnaism
Krishna is Svayam Bhagavan, God himself, worshipped as supreme in his own right.1
Where to go next
Sri Krishna Matha, UdupiMadhvacharya’s Krishna shrine, seen only through a nine-holed window and served in turn by eight mathas.
AI-created illustrationKanakadasa’s windowWhy devotees at Udupi see Krishna through a window in the western wall.- AI-created illustrationThe birth of KrishnaBorn in Kamsa’s prison and carried across the Yamuna to Gokul.
AI-created illustrationKrishna JanmashtamiThe birthday of Krishna, celebrated at midnight.
AI-created illustrationUdupi ParyayaThe handover of Krishna’s worship from one of Udupi’s eight mathas to the next.
Sources
- Encyclopedia Krishna — Wikipedia · accessed 2026-11-08
Researched 2026-11-08 from the cited sources. Community corrections are welcome; traditions differ, and differences are shown rather than resolved.