10 Lesser-Known Facts About Lord Krishna

Lord Krishna is often remembered as the charming "Mohan," a name that means "bewitching" or "a charmer." While he's famously known as the playful butter thief and the wise charioteer who guided Arjuna during the Mahabharata, there’s so much more to Krishna than these familiar stories.

1. Krishna Has 108 Names: Krishna is known by 108 different names. Some of the most well-known ones include Gopal, Govind, Devakinandan, Mohan, Shyam, Ghanshyam, Hari, Girdhari, and Baanke Bihari.
2. Krishna Had 16,108 Wives: Krishna had a total of 16,108 wives. Among them, eight were his principal wives, known as the 'Ashtabharya': Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Bhadra, and Lakshmana, each of whom bore him ten sons. He also married 16,100 women whom he rescued from the demon Narakasura. These women chose to stay with Krishna as their families had refused to accept them back, and he married them to restore their honor. It is said, however, that he did not have any marital relations with them.
3. A Curse by Queen Gandhari Led to Krishna's Death and the Destruction of His Dynasty: After the Kurukshetra war, all of Gandhari’s 100 sons were killed. When Krishna visited her to offer his condolences, she cursed him and said that he and the Yadu dynasty would perish within 36 years. Krishna, who believed that the Yadavas had become morally corrupt, accepted the curse calmly, saying “Tathastu” (So be it).
4. Krishna’s Skin Color Was Dark, Not Blue: While Krishna is often depicted with blue skin, his actual skin color was dark. Many believe that his divine aura had a bluish hue, which is why he is commonly portrayed as blue in paintings and sculptures.
5. Krishna Resurrected His Guru's Son: After completing their studies under Guru Sandipani Muni, Krishna and his brother Balarama asked their teacher what he wanted as Guru Dakshina (a traditional gift to the teacher). The Guru asked them to bring back his son who had died in an ocean near Prabhasa. Krishna and Balarama retrieved the boy from a demon living inside a conch shell named Panchajanya and successfully brought him back to life.
6. Krishna’s Conch, Panchjanya, Was the Pandavas’ War Cry: The conch shell named Panchjanya, when blown by Krishna, sent out powerful vibrations across the world. He blew this conch to signal both the start of the battle of Kurukshetra and the victory of righteousness (dharma).
7. Krishna Was Related to the Pandavas: Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, was the sister of Vasudev, who was Krishna's father. This made Krishna and the Pandavas maternal cousins.
8. Krishna Killed His Cousin Eklavya: Eklavya, a skilled archer, was Krishna’s cousin. He was the son of Devsharavu, Vasudev’s brother. After being asked by Dronacharya to cut off his right thumb, Eklavya trained himself to be ambidextrous. He allied with Krishna's enemies, Jarasandha and Shishupala, and challenged Krishna during an attempt to kidnap Rukmini. In the ensuing battle, Krishna killed Eklavya. Some legends suggest Eklavya’s death was necessary to prevent future havoc in Hastinapur.
9. Radha's Existence in Ancient Scriptures Is Debated: Radha, Krishna’s beloved consort, is widely worshipped and appears in many depictions with Krishna. However, some scholars argue that Radha is not mentioned in ancient texts like the Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Mahabharata, or the Harivamsa. They suggest that her story emerged in later texts by Acharya Nimbark and poet Jayadeva, while others claim her presence is subtly referenced in the Rigveda and certain Puranas.
10. Krishna’s Death Was the Result of Multiple Curses and Past Deeds: Krishna's death was a culmination of several curses. Apart from Gandhari's curse, the sage Durvasa also cursed Krishna. When Krishna applied kheer (a type of pudding) on his body, he omitted Durvasa’s feet, angering the sage, who then cursed that Krishna would die from a wound on his foot. After the Yadava clan's destruction, Krishna went into a meditative state under a tree, where a hunter named Jara, mistaking his foot for an animal, shot an arrow at him. Krishna revealed that Jara was the reincarnation of Vali, whom Krishna, in his previous life as Rama, had wronged by killing from behind. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.