Reetika Choudhury
Bhagwan Sri Krishna was a Yogi, a seer, a warrior, an administrator, a lover, and a philosopher, all at once. We might think we know Krishna, but not as much as we believe. People often debate about Krishna being a morally flawed character, which is probably due to what they have seen on television rather than studying the actual scriptures. Here we shall explore and debunk some myths about Krishna that offer valuable lessons for today’s generation.
1. Shree Krishna married 16,108 women in total:
There was a demon by the name of Narakasura who had captured 16,100 beautiful unmarried girls and kept them as sex slaves. When Shri Krishna killed Narakasura, he freed these 16,100 sex slaves of Narakasura. In ancient times, women who were captured and held by someone like Narakasura would face severe social stigma and would not have been accepted back into society or their families. To provide these women with protection and to restore their honor, Krishna married them symbolically. This act was more about providing them with a respectable status in society rather than a literal marriage in the human sense.
The women had pleaded Sri Krishna to accept them because nobody else was going to marry them and would rather treat them like trash. And if He didn’t accept them, then they would have no other option but suicide. Thus, Shri Krishna accepted all women as his wives so that they could live an honorable life, and nobody would dare to mock or disrespect them. This is the reason why Sri Krishna married them, and not because He was “hungry for more wives”.
2. Krishna Encouraged Deception and Trickery:
Krishna’s actions in the Mahabharata, such as his role in the deceptive killings of Karna and Dronacharya, lead some to believe he supported deceit. For example, during the battle, Krishna advised Arjuna to shoot Karna while he was fixing his chariot, which was against the traditional rules of warfare. Similarly, Krishna suggested making Dronacharya believe that his son Ashwathama had passed away to make him put down his weapons.
Firstly, it is to be remembered that Karna and the other Kauravas had ruthlessly murdered Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son through deception. You cannot fight honorably with those who fight dishonorably.
In both cases, Krishna’s guidance aimed to reduce unnecessary bloodshed and achieve a just outcome. His actions were focused on the bigger picture of restoring righteousness by defeating the Kauravas and protecting the greater good, even if it meant using unconventional methods. This showed that Krishna was not blinded by a false sense of “honor”; protecting Dharma meant the most to him.
3. Krishna was a Flirtatious Lover:
Love exchanges between Bhagwan and bhakta, even though it appears like mundane activities in the material realm, are not of the nature of the material world. They are fully transcendental and devoid of material lust. This is how the relationship between Krishna and the Gopis should be seen.
4. Sri Krishna spent most of his life in self-indulgence and fun:
Bhagwan Sri Krishna struggled and worked for the betterment of society for his whole life since childhood. He did mischief only till 8 years of age, which is how life should be. He went to Varanasi for Vedic studies much before going to Guru Sandipani’s ashram. During this time, Sri Krishna used to follow strict discipline. He took an interest in agriculture as well. He used to sleep for only a few hours, around three and a half hours at night, and even after he became king, he spent much of his time on public welfare.
5. Sri Krishna disrespected women:
It is said that he used to steal the Gopis’ clothes while they bathed in the river. But actually, he loathed the fact that women bathed naked in the river. Rivers are considered forms of the God of water, Varuna. Hence, he advised them not to disrespect the God by bathing naked.
Secondly, when women bathed naked, animals and people possibly around them would glance, and that was considered immoral at the time for an obvious reason. He had to steal their clothes so that the women would learn this lesson.
In the era of Kaliyuga, if there is somebody whom we can look up to, and whose footsteps we can follow in, it is none other than Sri Krishna. However, his life and actions are often misunderstood by those who look at things superficially. Only by delving into the scriptures and understanding the context, we can see that Krishna’s actions were always aligned with the principles of Dharma and righteousness. His marriages were acts of compassion and protection, his strategies in war were aimed at minimizing unnecessary bloodshed, and his playful interactions with the Gopis were expressions of divine love. No, Sri Krishna was not a self-indulgent figure, but rather He was a disciplined and devoted yogi and a leader dedicated to the welfare of his people. Through his life, Sri Krishna’s life teaches us the importance of understanding the deeper truths beyond the surface and the value of compassion, righteousness, and duty.
