The cowherd, the mischievous child, the passionate lover, the wily strategist, the warrior, the cunning politician, the philosopher- One God, so many shades to him, Sri Krishna, and his birthday is celebrated as Janmashtami or Krishnasthami.

He is the naughty child, whom his foster mother Yashoda dotes on, and yet still frows on his pranks. He is the other half to Radha, though they never married, their names together are taken as a symbol of true love. He is the true friend who helps out Sudama, even though the latter asks nothing from him. He is the friend, philosopher and guide to Arjun in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. He is the well wisher to the Pandavas, protecting them at every stage, and giving them the guidance. I had written some answers on Quora related to Krishna, which I have compiled and posted here.

Why is Krishna so popular?

The popularity of Krishna, is due to the fact that he represents something to everyone.

For kids he is the Balakrishna, the playful child god, who breaks women’s pots, eats mud, steals butter and end of day saves his friends from demons. Children love Krishna, due to his child like antics, the way he protects his friends and people around him. They love his dancing on the serpent Kaliya, humbling Indra’s pride by lifting Mount Govardhan. Unlike Shiva’s more forbidding form or Ram’s staid nature, Krishna is someone they can identify with. Some one more accessible, someone in whose mischief they see themselves. Among the kids, Krishna is the most popular God, along with Ganesh and Haunuman.

For youngsters and romantics at heart, the eternal love between Radha and Krishna, is what they idolize. The love between Radha and Krishna as described in Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, is alternatively passionate, erotic, devotional, and rebellious. Radha never married Krishna, yet in temples all over India, they are worshipped as one, as the ideal of divine love, a love that transcends all earthly boundaries.

If you love politics and strategy, Krishna is the one person you would follow closely. He knew that war with Kauravas was inevitable, yet he wisely went to their court, calling for a peace treaty. He placed the ball in their court, he knew that it would fail, yet he ensured that Duryodhan would be held responsible here. And that is what precisely happened. Again during the War, the Kauravas had the larger army, had the better warriors compared to the Pandavas. It was well impossible to defeat an army comprising Bhishma, Drona, Duryodhan, Karna, Kripacharya by conventional means. And this is where Krishna strategically played on the weakness of each Kaurava commander. He knew their vulnerable points, where they could be defeated. He used Shikhandi against Bhishma, knowing well the backdrop of Amba being reborn as the eunuch. In the case of Drona, he took advantage of two factors, his love for his son, and Yudhistir’s reputation for not uttering a lie. He tricked Drona into believing his son Ashwatthama was killed, and then got Yudhistir to validate it.

Again in the final battle between Duryodhan and Bheem, he precisely knew the former’s weak point, and signaled where to hit. When a fallen Duryodhan, protested that in a duel, you are not supposed to hit on the thighs, Krishna pointed to Bheem’s vow in the court to break Duryodhan’s thighs, when the latter motioned Draupadi to come and sit on his lap.

And above all The Gita, the sermon delivered by Lord Krishna, that has become a study on ethics, philosophy, the concept of Karma( destiny) and Dharma( duty), that has been studied the world over, and now quoted in management schools too.

Lover, cowherd, warrior, strategist, politician, thinker, Lord Krishna was something to every one, and that reason accounted for his popularity.

Why is Krishna called the master of finesse?

When it comes to strategy, statecraft, tactics, Krishna has been the master. Consider this when Arjun and Duryodhan both go to Krishna for assistance before the battle, he gives them a choice, it is me on one side, and my Army on the other side. Duryodhan is apprehensive that Arjun having the first choice, would ask for the Army, but Arjun asks for Krishna as charioteer, even though the later explicitly states that he would not engage in active combat. Duryodhan is elated, thinking Arjun to be a fool.

Arjun was not a fool, the fact is while Duryodhan got all the hardware and software( Krishna’s army), Arjun ended up getting the man who could break any software, the brains of Krishna.

In fact if one sees Krishna’s tactics, many bear a resemblance to modern day management. Consider this.

When Shishupal was born, he was in a terrible state, with 3 eyes, 4 arms, jackals howling. His terrified mother, who was Krishna’s own paternal aunt, requested him for help. When Shishupal was placed on Krishna’s lap, he immediately became normal. However there was a rider, the person on whose lap Shishupal regains his normal self, would be the same one who kills him. Krishna reassured his aunt, that he would kill Shishupal only after a 100 mistakes. Later on, Shishupal frequently clashed with Krishna, to the extent that when the latter eloped with his bride to be Rukmini, it left him seething even more. The moment of reckoning came in the Rajasuya Yagna, when Shishupal outraged at Krishna being facilitated. He went into a diatribe against Krishna, and the latter remained silent, with the Pandavas wondering why. He counted Shishupal’s mistakes, and when it crossed 100, he reminded him of the vow to his mother, and then killed him. T alk of giving some one a long rope.

was born, he was in a terrible state, with 3 eyes, 4 arms, jackals howling. His terrified mother, who was Krishna’s own paternal aunt, requested him for help. When Shishupal was placed on Krishna’s lap, he immediately became normal. However there was a rider, the person on whose lap Shishupal regains his normal self, would be the same one who kills him. Krishna reassured his aunt, that he would kill Shishupal only after a 100 mistakes. Later on, Shishupal frequently clashed with Krishna, to the extent that when the latter eloped with his bride to be Rukmini, it left him seething even more. The moment of reckoning came in the Rajasuya Yagna, when Shishupal outraged at Krishna being facilitated. He went into a diatribe against Krishna, and the latter remained silent, with the Pandavas wondering why. He counted Shishupal’s mistakes, and when it crossed 100, he reminded him of the vow to his mother, and then killed him. T Again Krishna very well knew that peace negotiations with the Kauravas would fail, in spite of Yudhistir’s desire. But by going forth for the peace talks, Krishna shrewdly put the ball in the Kaurava’s court. It was a win-win situation, if the talks failed Duryodhan would be blamed for it, if they succeeded, the Pandavas would get the credit for it. Expectedly Duryodhan walked straight into the trap, refusing to part with even an inch of the land he had taken from the Pandavas. The Pandavas had no option now but for war.

very well knew that peace negotiations with the Kauravas would fail, in spite of Yudhistir’s desire. But by going forth for the peace talks, Krishna shrewdly put the ball in the Kaurava’s court. It was a win-win situation, if the talks failed Duryodhan would be blamed for it, if they succeeded, the Pandavas would get the credit for it. Expectedly Duryodhan walked straight into the trap, refusing to part with even an inch of the land he had taken from the Pandavas. The Pandavas had no option now but for war. Krishna was aware of Drona’ s love for his son Aswattama. So he got Yudhistir to utter a half truth, Aswattama Hatha Kunjara , which translated to “Aswattama the Elephant has been killed”, the Kunjara part deliberately drowned out in the din of the drums. Yudhistir having the reputation of being the most truthful, Drona took his word for granted, and grief stricken gave up his arms, making Drishtadyumna kill him.

was aware of s love for his son Aswattama. So he got Yudhistir to utter a half truth, , which translated to “Aswattama the Elephant has been killed”, the Kunjara part deliberately drowned out in the din of the drums. Yudhistir having the reputation of being the most truthful, Drona took his word for granted, and grief stricken gave up his arms, making Drishtadyumna kill him. Again in the final battle between Bhim and Duryodhan, the latter was a better warrior any day, and held the upper hand throughout. Duryodhan could not have been beaten in a straight combat. Also the story of his entire body being covered with his mother’s power that rendered Duryodhan practically invincible. But there was a catch here, while Duryodhan’s entire body was covered with the power, his pelvis area was not. It was said, that when his mother Gandhari was transmitting the power to him, he had to stand in the nude fully. Krishna taunted him on this, and Duryodhan out of shame, covered the pelvis part, a la Achilles. And when he saw Bhim was losing the battle, he signalled him to hit on the thigh, which he did so. When Balaram, Krishna’s elder brother was furious over the action, he reminded him of Bheem’s vow to break Duryodhan’s thighs, when the latter motioned Draupadi to sit on them during her humiliation in the assembly.

Why did Krishna become a charioteer to Arjun?

First things first, Krishna did not choose Arjun, it was the other way around. When Arjun and Duryodhan, had both gone to meet Krishna before Kurukshetra, the former went in later, and seeing the latter at his head, he sat at Krishna’s feet. Krishna woke up and then gave them the choice of either his entire Narayana Sena, or he himself as charioteer on a condition, that he would neither fight nor hold any weapon. And he gave Arjun, the chance to select first, who then choose Krishna as his charioteer. Duryodhan could not believe his fortune, he had wanted the Narayana Sena, and he got it on a platter, he felt Arjun was plain foolish. Little did Duryodhan realize that while he got the physical powers, the mental and spiritual power was with Arjun. There was a reason why Arjun choose Krishna, he was the person who provided the intelligence,the guidance, and he knew the weakness of every warrior in the Kaurava camp.

Apart from that the bonding between Arjun and Krishna, goes a long way back too. The entire concept of Nar and Naryana, and the former needing the guidance from the latter. While Krishna had always been the well wisher of the Pandavas, guiding them at all times, he had a special bonding with Arjun, both being great friends. He guided Arjun during the Khandava Dahanam, in his battle with the Gods, and later he ensured his sister Subhadra was married to Arjun, when his brother Balaram wanted to marry her to Duryodhan.

Arjun was the best warrior in the Pandava side, Yudhistir while being the most wise among them, was not exactly a “great warrior”, who could take on Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, it was only Arjun who was an equal match to them. Bheem was all brute force, and while that was needed, for physical and mace combat with the likes of Duryodhan and Dushashan, he could not have been effective in handling Bheeshma or Karna. Now while Arjun was the finest warrior ever, he also needed strategic advice, and that was where Krishna came in. Unlike physical combat, battle in archery needed quick reflexes, strategic thought, planning, and this is where Krishna was an invaluable asset.

Krishna knew that only Arjun could face Bheeshma or Karna or Drona on equal terms, but he also knew that he like any other human beings, had this internal conflict. Arjun faced an internal conflict over fighting with his beloved grandsire Bheeshma or his Guru Drona, to kill or not kill, and that is where Krishna came up with the entire Gita, the concept of Dharma, destiny and doing your duty. In the end it was Krishna’s guidance that made the entire difference to the Kurukshetra war.

Who was the greater lover or devotee between Radha and Meerabai?

anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa

udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ

sarvārambha-parityāgī

yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

“My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me.”- Bhagvad Gita 12.16

You cannot really make a comparison between Radha and Meera here. Both were two distinct personas, living in different eras, with different social mores. Radha was the free spirited village lass, who loved Krishna for eternity. She dallied with Krishna, spent endless days and nights on the banks of the Yamuna, enchanted by the very presence of the Lord. She never really sought anything from Krishna, except his unconditional love. When the time came for Krishna to leave Vrindavan, he had asked Radha to accompany him to Mathura. She however refused saying that the restricted confines of the palace were not for a free spirit like here. Much as she loved Krishna, she refused to give up on her freedom of choice, her desire to lead life on her own.

Meera on the other hand was a historical figure, some one who actually existed. She however inhabited a different era, compared to Radha, it was the medieval ages, a time when women had to surpress their identity for the family. Meera ‘s love for Krishna was since she was a child, when she believed that only Krishna would be her future husband. She refused to worship the family deity of the Rajputs, Durga, stating her mind was fixed on Krishna only.

Meera suffered even worse losses, the two persons in her life, who understood her feelings, her husband Bhoj Raj and her father in law Rana Sanga of Chittor, both passed away within a space of years. After the death of her father in law, she was left orphaned, with her mother in law, and other relatives harassing her. With no one to look forward to, she became more immersed in the worship of Krishna, and in her grief composed some of the finest hymns to the Lord. When the harrasment became unbearable, and her brother in law, Vikramaditya tried to kill her on various occasions, she broke away. She renounced everything, became an ascetic, and spent rest of her life in pilgrimage singing the praises of Krishna.

Meera in a way was a rebel, a free spirit, some one who broke the existing social mores and constraints, as she followed her own path. She was a woman, who converted her pain, into poetry, for whom every tragedy she faced in life, only strengthened her internally.

It is hard to compared Radha and Meera, since both in a way epitomized the true devotion and love, as enunciated by Krishna.

Why is Krishna such a great lover?

Krishna, the mischievous, flirty, passionate lover, who just needed to play on his flute, for all the women to forget everything and come to him.

And his passionate love with Radha, the cowherd girl, is to date considered the ultimate form of love. It was a love that motivated countless poets, writers, artists in India, to come out with their own works of art about it. Though in most interpretations of the Radha Krishna love, she was believed to be the Supreme Goddess, one who controls Krishna through her love. It is a love that ranscends the physical and moves into the spiritual realm. The love of Radha and Krishna, also symbolizes the union of the male and female divine energies, Shaktimaan and Shakti together. Radha in effect was Krishna’s soul, the very source of his Shakti, that controlled his thoughts and actions. As the saying goes “Atma Tu Radhika Tasya” (Radha you are his soul). It was a relationship of the equals, Radha adored Krishna, worshipped him, and Krishna in turn worshiped her with equal devotion.

What can you say of a love, that transcends the physical into a much deeper spiritual union of two souls? A love that is erotic, sensuous, yet when you look deeper into it, you see a spiritual dimension. It is no wonder that people worship Radha and Krishna together as the epitome of pure and spiritual love.