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Unlock This CourseKrishna is one of the most loved figures in Hinduism. Hindus count him as the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Remember that an avatar is a 'descent' of Vishnu to earth to restore dharma. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, he comes into the world to protect the good and put things right (Gita chapter 4).
Hindus do not all see Krishna in the same way:
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The wicked King Kamsa hears a prophecy that the eighth child of his sister Devaki will kill him. He locks her and her husband Vasudeva in prison. When Krishna is born, the guards fall asleep and the prison doors open. Vasudeva carries the baby across the river Yamuna to a safe home, where Yashoda and Nanda bring him up in Vrindavan.
As a child Krishna is full of tricks. He steals butter and curd from the village homes and shares it with his friends. The villagers cannot stay cross with him. For devotees this shows God coming close, as a loved child.
A terrible storm threatens the villagers. Krishna lifts the hill Govardhan on one finger and holds it up like an umbrella, so that people and cattle shelter under it until the storm passes. The story shows that God protects those who trust him.
As a young man Krishna plays the flute, and the gopis leave their work to hear him. Radha is the gopi most closely linked with Krishna. Many Hindus see her as the best example of pure love for God.
When he is grown, Krishna defeats Kamsa. In the great war told in the Mahabharata, he becomes the charioteer of the warrior Arjuna. When Arjuna is full of doubt on the battlefield, Krishna teaches him. This teaching is the Bhagavad Gita, the most widely read Hindu scripture.
A manifestation of the Divine means a way in which God becomes visible to humans.
Many Vaishnavas say Krishna is God in person. In the Gita he teaches, protects and shows his great universal form to Arjuna, so they believe he shows what God is like.
Other Hindus say God has no single shape, and that Krishna is one of many forms through which Brahman is known. Some read the stories as teaching stories rather than history. For them Krishna is a great teacher, or a symbol of the soul's love for God.
Can a playful God be copied? Some Hindus say no. Krishna's tricks, such as stealing butter, are lila (the play of God), and ordinary people should not copy them. They say people should copy his teaching in the Gita instead. Others say the lesson of the butter stories is joy and love, which anyone can copy.
Krishna gives Hindus a picture of a God who is both close and wise. Hindus who follow him try to keep dharma, serve others without selfishness and fill daily life with prayer, singing and festivals. Whether they see him as the supreme God or as one form of Brahman, his stories and the Gita guide how they act.
Do not say that all Hindus believe Krishna is the supreme God, because views differ. Do not just retell a story: say why it matters to Hindus. Do not mix up Krishna (eighth avatar, teacher of the Gita) with Rama (seventh avatar, hero of the Ramayana).
(a) Outline two stories about Krishna which Hindus use today. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why Krishna is important for Hindus. [6 marks]
(c) 'Krishna is the best role model for a Hindu.' Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other (divergent) points of view and your own reasoned opinion. [10 marks]
(a) One story is Krishna's birth in prison (1), which Hindus remember at Janmashtami by staying up until midnight (1). Another story is Krishna as the butter thief (1), which devotees remember with murtis of baby Krishna and with human pyramids that break a pot of curd (1).
(b) Many Hindus believe Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu who comes to restore dharma (1). ISKCON devotees believe he is the supreme God in person, so they worship him in the mandir and chant the Hare Krishna mantra (1). He teaches Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, which guides Hindus on duty and devotion (1). His stories are celebrated at Janmashtami and in kirtan and dance, which brings communities together (1). Radha and the gopis show loving devotion to God, which Hindus try to copy (1). So Krishna matters both as God and as a teacher (1).
(c) Plan. For: the Gita tells Hindus to do their duty without attachment; Radha and the gopis show bhakti; Krishna protects the good, so he shows how to live. Against: other Hindus follow Rama as the model of dharma, or Shiva as the supreme God; Krishna's playful acts, such as stealing butter, should not be copied; Hindus on the knowledge path may look to the Upanishads more than to one figure. Conclusion: Krishna is a very strong role model through the Gita and bhakti, but not everyone calls him the best, because Hindus follow different paths.
In a 'Discuss' question, name a divergent Hindu view, such as Shaivas who place Shiva highest, and finish with your own reasoned opinion.