It is the Krishna avatara that has been the delight of Azhvars and of many poets, said M.A. Venkatakrishnan in a discourse. Krishna gave the world the Bhagavad Gita, which is full of advice on how to live life and on how to attain moksha. And yet, it is His pranks and playfulness as a child that have stolen our hearts.
In the Ramayana, we are told of the birth of Rama and then after a few verses, Valmiki jumps to the scene where Viswamitra comes to Dasaratha’s court. The sage asks the king to send Rama to kill the demons who have been tormenting the sages. So we get no details about Rama’s childhood. But in the case of Krishna, His mischievous deeds as a child and also His amazing acts such as the killing of Putana and Cakatasura are all described. We are filled with wonder at His simplicity in hiding His Supremacy and his mingling without reserve with the Gopas and Gopikas. Equally we are filled with amazement at the proof of His Supremacy, which we find in such acts as the lifting of the Govardhan hill and His surmounting all the dangers that come His way.
Kooratazhvan says that Krishna was lucky to have two of everything — two sets of parents and two wives. Rukmini and Nappinnai, the girl from Gokula, were His wives. Nappinnai is the daughter of Yasoda’s brother. Kooratazhvan says that Krishna deliberately chose to be born to Vasudeva and to grow up in Nandagopa’s house. Because Rukmini was a princess, she would be given in marriage only to royalty. So Krishna was born as Vasudeva’s son, for the latter was a king. Had He not grown up in Gokula as the son of Yasoda, Nappinnai would not have wed Him. So in order to wed both Rukmini and Nappinnai, He was born to one set of parents and grew up as the son of another set of parents!
