Sri Krishna's Avatar

Question 1: What is the purpose of Sri Krishna's avatar (=incarnation)?

Answer 1: "Avatara is a DESCENT of God for the ASCENT of Man. A RAY from the Hiranyagarbha descends on earth with mighty powers to keep up the harmony of the universe. The work done by the Avataras and their teachings produce a benign spiritual influence on human beings and help them in their upward divine unfoldment and Self-Realisation.... Many Avataras have discharged one function, but Krishna's activities were MANY-SIDED. He is styled as the Purnavatara, or the Complete Incarnation." (pgs. xxiii-xxiv, Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings by Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh)

Question 2: Did Sri Krishna have any sons?

Answer 2: Yes, he had 16,108 wives, and each of them begot him 10 children.

Question 3: If I want to find out more about Sri Krishna, where could I get that information from?

Answer 3: Bhagavata. The author of this book is Vyasa... There are many commentaries on this book. Sridara Swami's commentary is the most famous and AUTHORITATIVE one. (pg. xxxv, Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings by Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh)

Question 4; There are some people who say that Lord Krishna is ONLY an ordinary man. Some even find fault with his life and character. They even go to the extent of saying that he is not the Lord of the Universe, not an avatara but a passionate cowherd boy who lustfully played with the Gopis.

Answer 4: "Those who find fault with the Lord have NO idea of His greatness and glory, as they have not practised Yoga, as THEIR faults have not been purged by the practice of Yama and Niyama, and as they have NOT taken recourse toSatsangs with sages. They have NO REAL insight into Adhyatmic science. (pg. xlii, Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings by Swami Sri Sivananda maharaj of Rishikesh)

Question 5: So, what is the fate of those find fault with the Lord, calling Him names, and deriding Him as a passionate man?

Sri Krishna answers: "Those devoid of reason think of Me as an ordinary human being having taken a body from the unmanifested state on account of Prarabdha. They know NOT My supreme nature, imperishable, most excellent. [Gita 7:24].

"The foolish disregard Me, when clad in human semblance, IGNORANT of My supreme nature, the great Lord of beings. empty of hope, empty of deeds, empty of wisdom, senseless, they verily are possessed of the DECEITFUL, BRUTAL, DEMONIACAL nature [Gita 9: 11-12].

"They, ENWRAPPED in darkness, think wrong to be right and see things in perverted light. These men know neither action nor renunciation, neither purity nor right conduct, neither truth nor unrightness. They do NOT know what ought to be done and what ought NOT to be done. DELUDED, birth after birth, they WANDER in the worldly mire of Samsara, SUFFERING innumerable ILLS AND MISERIES, and NEVER attain salvation." (pgs. xlii-xliii, Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings by Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh)

Question 6: Is there a condensed version of the Bhagavata, especially for busy people?

Answer 6: "It is very difficult for busy people to go through the whole of Bhagavata. Therefore, I have CONDENSED Sri Krishna's Life, Lilas and teachings in (my book "Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings") in a MOST palatable and tasteful form. Even if you study ONE or TWO pages DAILY, you WILL develop devotion towards the Lord and attain eternal peace, bliss and immortality." (pg. xliii, Lord Krishna, His Lilas and Teachings by Swami Sri Sivananda Maharaj of Rishikesh)