Lord Krishna and his Leadership

Krishna’s Birth

Lord Krishna was born in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, located about 150 kilometres south of Delhi and 50 kilometres west of Agra in India. His father’s name was Vasudev (pronounced as Vasudev while Lord Krishna as Vaasudev) and mother’s name as Devaki. Vasudev and Devaki both were from the royal families. Devaki was the daughter of Devak, younger brother of king Ugrasen of Mathura. Kansa was son of Ugrasen and loved a lot to his cousin sister Devaki.

Kansa was very ambitious, dominant and powerful from his childhood. When he became young, he wanted to become king without waiting of his turn after his father so he usurped the throne of his father, and became king of Mathura putting his own father in the prison.

King Kansa solemnised the marriage of Devaki with Vasudev and gave them outstanding reception. After the wedding, he drove the wedding chariot himself as a respect and love to the new couple. On the way to Vasudev palace, a voice came from sky (akashvani) that though he loved Devaki and was driving chariot himself, her eighth son would kill him.

Hearing this, Kansa tried to kill Devaki as he was a ruthless king, but Vasudev begged for his new bride’s life and promised him to hand over their eighth son. Kansa agreed but put them in the prison taking no chance of slippage. He made arrangements for effective communication to get immediate news of the birth of their eighth baby.

Kansa believed in anarchy. Normally leaders who follow the path of anarchy are merciless, non believers of relations, ruthless, short lived and die their unnatural death while leaders following democratic path have opposite qualities. As he was ruthless, he mercilessly started killing Devaki’s new born babies thinking any one of the child may be eighth child and thus killed their first six children. Devaki’s seventh son was mystically transferred to the womb of queen Rohini, Vasudev first wife in Gokul who was named as Balram, Krishna’s elder brother.

Vasudev and Devaki were upset due to killing of their babies but were helpless. So they also Started believing on akashvani and wanted that their eighth son remain alive and take revenge from Kansa for the sin committed by him, of killing their six new born babies. Now they were waiting for their eighth son to take birth. After the discussion they decided to save his life at any cost and send him to Gokul.

Krishna, their eighth son, was born around midnight in the prison. When Krishna took birth, the guards went asleep, doors, chains and locks got automatically opened. Krishna did not cry. Vasudev was surprised and considering it God’s miracle he took the child and started for Gokul to his friend Nand house. On the way he crossed river Yamuna.

When Vasudev reached Nand house, all were asleep. He saw a new born girl on the bed and considered it also a miracle. Then he placed his own son on the bed, picked up new born baby girl and returned to the prison without informing anyone.

When Vasudev returned, all of a sudden everything was in its place as nothing had happened. Now the child cried, guards awoke and rushed to inform their king Kansa about the birth of the child. Kansa came running but was surprised to see the baby girl. Devaki pleaded him to spare her life being a baby girl, but Kansa was so afraid of Devaki’s eighth child that he pulled the baby from her arms and dashed her against a rock. But the girl slipped from his hands and turned into eight-armed form of goddess Durga. She then smiled and said that his killer had already taken birth and was very much alive.

King Kansa could not believe it as he had taken all the precautions. But he knew that what has just been told is absolutely correct. He also understood that he would require considerable efforts to search him now. Kansa became sure that great leaders survive even in very difficult situations and the born baby was one of them.

A question is most frequently asked whether great leaders are born or made. Even researchers have tried to find out the answer of this question but debate still goes on, and everyone has his own answer. No doubt, in universities, students are taught management theories and leadership qualities but question remains - how many of them become great leaders? And then, all great leaders do not emerge from such management institutes so then how do they get leadership qualities? Hence this gives the room for thought whether leaders are born? Whatever may be the conclusion, we will see Lord Krishna as a great leader who had shown his leadership qualities from the childhood and thus was a born leader.

Krishna Gets Victory over Demons

Kansa knew by sure that his killer (Krishna) has taken birth and so also his ministers as the news of goddess had spread in Mathura. Therefore, his ministers advised him to search for all new born babies in his kingdom and kill them as it was difficult to identify Krishna from so many new born babies. King Kansa agreed to the idea and invited his demon aids and friends to kill such babies without directly involving himself or his soldiers to avoid public outrage.

In the process, Kansa came to know about Krishna in Gokul at the residence of Nand and Yashoda born on the same day Devaki gave birth to the baby girl. So he decided to eliminate him by sending a devil named Putana. Putana, dressed as a beautiful woman, went to Yashoda (Krishna’s foster mother and Nand wife) and asked for water. Krishna was in the lap of mother Yashoda so Putana asked to hand over him to her.

Yashoda went in, handing over Krishna to Putana. Seeing nobody in the vicinity, she picked up Krishna and put his mouth in her nipple smeared with the poison. Krishna showed his charisma and in place of taking poison into his body, pushed into her body. As poison went into Putana’s body, she felt his throat chocking and started crying. Since the effect of poison was instant, she died then and there while Krishna was still on her body. Before dying she came in her real form: a gigantic one. Hearing her choking voice Yashoda came running. When she saw the dead body of Putana and Krishna lying over her, she was afraid. She picked up Krishna from her body and saw Krishna smiling. Nand and others also came running there. They were surprised how Krishna survived from such a devil.

When Krishna grew up a little, he became sweet and naughty. After the incident of Putana, Yashoda never handed over Krishna to the unknowns and wanted Krishna to remain inside the house. She had instructed Krishna accordingly. One day Yashoda offered him butter, asked him to sit down in the courtyard and went in for some work. When she came out, she saw Krishna sitting out with monkeys and feeding them butter. So she brought him in and tried to tie him with a rope attaching to a grinding machine in order to keep him inside the room. When she tried to tie, she found the rope a little short so she brought a bigger one and tried again to tie him, but the rope was still a little short. Every time she brought a longer rope, it remained a little short. Mother Yashoda was tired so sat down. Krishna stood, picked up one of the ropes lying there, and tied around him. Mother Yashoda was surprised to see that the rope was longer than it was required to tie him. When Yashoda saw him tying himself, she just loved Krishna.

Another charisma shown by Krishna was the incidence of felling of two big trees outside the house. Once, Yashoda tied Krishna with mortar (okhali) but he crawled with okhali and moved between the trees in such a way that it stuck between those two big trees and pulled it. The trees fell down with a roaring sound on both sides of Krishna without hurting him. Hearing the sound, Yashoda, Nand and others came running and were surprised to see that such big and heavy trees had fallen down on both sides of Krishna without injuring him. Surprisingly, Krishna was smiling tied with the okhali. It is said that two angels had taken birth in the form of trees due to a curse and Krishna freed them.

When Krishna grew further, he took up work being performed by his family i.e. cattle grazing. He and Balram along with other village boys started going to the mountains and forest taking cows for grazing. Normally during very hot days, they took shelter inside the caves. Though Kansa was able to kill many new born babies, but not Krishna so he suspected him as the one, goddess had mentioned. Since Krishna was now going out of home, he thought to kill him when he was out. So he directed his devil aids to kill him when he was on the mountains or in the forest.

One day the cowherd boys were playing on the mountain when they saw a new cave. This was actually mouth of demon brother of Putana named Aghasur, who had expanded himself into long snake to kill Krishna and his friends. The boys could not realise and entered into it mistaking a cave through the mouth of Aghasur. Krishna realised foul play and prevented the boys not to adventure the new cave as he had not seen it before, but the boys walked into it to take shelter being very hot outside.

A leader believes on new things after testing them so when Krishna saw the entrance minutely, he understood that it was the mouth of a snake. But Krishna did not want to leave his friends in trouble as he was a leader of all the boys so entered into the mouth of Aghasur to protect his friends. Once Krishna in, Aghasur tried to close his mouth, and boys started feeling suffocation. Krishna then broke the snake’s head and skull which led to bursting of his body. Thereafter, Krishna came out with his friends showing his strength and charisma to his friends.

King Kansa got the news of death of Aghasur, so he sent another demon known Arishtasur. He took form of a bull, mixed up in the cattle herd and started attacking cattle and boys with his horns. When Krishna saw him, he understood that he was not a real bull so he came there and challenged him telling his name. Arishtasur ran towards him to kill but Krishna caught him from the horns and removed them. Bleeding Arishtasur again tried to overpower Krishna but Krishna jumped on him and killed Arishtasur.

King Kansa had now firm belief that Krishna was not an ordinary boy, and might be Devaki’s eighth son and incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So he sent another demon named Kesi who came in the form of a horse. From his strength and attacking to innocents, Krishna understood that he was a demon. So Krishna challenged him who ran towards him and attacked with his legs. Krishna caught his legs and threw him away. Kesi became unconscious. After gaining consciousness, he again attacked Krishna opening his mouth as wanting to chew him. Krishna inserted his hand into his mouth and with both hands tore his mouth, killing him then and there.

King Kansa then sent Vyomasur to eliminate Krishna. He reached mountain Govardhan when Krishna was playing with his friends. They were playing a game of hiding from one another. Vyomasur had the power to fly. He mixed up with the boys and lifted them one by one during the play and hid them into a cave closing the entry with a rock. When Krishna saw the boys disappearing one by one and none returning, he realised some foul play and recognised Vyomasur as a new boy. He kept an eye on him and as he lifted another boy, he caught him and killed. Thereafter, he released all the boys from the cave.

Krishna also killed demons like Sakatasur, Trinavart, Vatsasur, and Bakasur who were sent by Kansa.

Krishna always led from front, never left his followers in trouble and helped them being a great leader. He had charismatic qualities though it is also argued whether great leaders have charismatic qualities but it is true that Krishna had them.

Lord Brahma Tests Krishna

Great leaders are said to seal the deal in the first impression. Krishna was such a personality and had shown charisma to the villagers, demons as well as to the demigods. When great demons died, Lord Brahma realised that Krishna might be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He thought to test himself and one day kidnapped his friends along with their herd. When Krishna saw all the children and herd disappearing suddenly, he understood that it was not an act of a common man or demon. When he meditated, he realised that it was due to Lord Brahma wanting to test his powers so he also showed charisma to Lord Brahma. He created those many children and cattle looking exactly like the original, and returned to the village with them. No one could realise the difference except his elder brother, Balram. He asked Krishna what was going on. Krishna explained how Lord Brahma had kidnapped the boys and cattle so he had to resort to such an action.

Life went on like this for a year and when Lord Brahma returned to Vrindavan (Nand had moved to Vrindavan when Lord Brahma had kidnapped the boys) to check the situation, he was surprised to see the children playing with Krishna and cattle grazing as nothing had happened. Lord Brahma apologised to Krishna and returned all the boys and cattle.

By now, Krishna was considered a leader not only of the boys but also of the villagers. They had seen the charisma of Krishna and thus began to feel secured with him. And what was the age of Krishna, just about 7 years.

This is another quality of great leaders that their followers feel secured with them even when they are in deep trouble.

Krishna Worships Govardhan

Krishna, was of the view that for the villagers, mountains and forests were the lifeline and so they should get due credit of the same. A great leader always gives due or more credit to the deserving ones. So he asked the villagers to worship mountain Govardhan as it was feeding them and their cattle directly by providing grass, fruits, grains, wood, water and shelter etc. and indirectly supporting them by providing milk, butter and other necessary routine objects from the feed provided to their cattle.

Villagers used to worship Indra for his support provided to fulfil their requirements, particularly rain for their livelihood. In fact, Indra was considered king of all demigods so villagers always had a great fear of him and offered him milk, butter and fruits and never thought of disobeying or even making him angry. When Krishna suggested Nand and the villagers to worship Govardhan, source of their livelihood in place of Indra, they agreed only due to Krishna’s advice as by this time he was their undisputed leader. He convinced them by describing the usefulness and importance of Govardhan to them. This is how a great leader works. He removes fear even of a very powerful