Krishna the Lover

It may be said that Krishna, through his exploits, is as infamous as he is famous. According to the various scriptural accounts in the Puranas and the Mahabharate, Krishna had Radha as a secret lover while still a youth. Later he had two wives, Rukmini and Satyabhama. If this was not enough, he is also said to have had ecstatic union with sixteen thousand gopis (milkmaids). This hardly sounds like the definition of love. Rather, Krishna appears to be a charismatic playboy who uses his charm to gain the affections of many. His behaviour seems depraved at worst, oppurtunistic at best. Such multifarious amorous activities can only cause agony, right? Well, that's not how the story goes. According to the scriptures, the gopis were all completely satisfied. Krishna's lover, Radha, found a way to his side and his wives were not harmed by their husband's widely shared affections, although there was plenty of drama, as we shall see.

The confusing and conflicting stories of these love relationships become clearer when we understand that there are different manifestations of love for each relationship. To begin to unravel the differing kinds of love, we must return to Krishna's previous incarnation as Rama, where he made a promise that could be kept only in the future.

Krishna's Predecessor: Rama

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