Lord Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Shri Vishnu, the protector and preserver of this universe. Krishna is the God. He declared the same at different stages during His plays on this earth.


Krishna came to this holy earth to give pleasure to His devotees, which are very dear to Him. Krishna does a lot of lilas (attractive pastimes) for the pleasure of his devotees. Krishna means the one who is 'All-Attractive' . Krishna attracts his devotees so as to make them more and more immersed in His love. This love for Krishna takes them (devotes) to a level of joy where none else can reach. Spreading this joy is one of the prime objectives of Krishna's incarnation and pastimes. In fact each pastime of Krishna carries a deep meaning in it. One must try to get to this joy (and understanding of deeper meaning) with repeated listening of Krishna's pastimes.


Lord Krishna Himself says this to His devotee Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita :

“I manifest Myself personally, whenever there is a decline in righteousness and predominance of righteousness”

We must understand that if we become true devotee Krishna will take care of our needs and joy. We should leave everything to Krishna and involve ourselves in His love. It is sure that Krishna will take better care of us than ourselves.

1) Shravanam - Listening to the divine stories of Lord: Listening faithfully to the divine stories of Lord cleanses and infuses internal joy in the soul. It soothes the restlessmind and redeems the thirsting soul. The mind is pacified by listening to the divine stories and names of the Lord. Subsequently, one transcends the fear of death and worldly desires.

2) Kirtanam- To sing the glory of the Lord with ecstasy: Kirtanam means to sing the praises and glory of the Lord with devotion, humility and purity. Celebrated singing with devotion and ecstasy is an expression of love for the Lord. The great saint poets like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Narasinh Mehta, Mirabai, Raidas and Surdas have demonstrated the joys of kirtanam.

3) Smaranam- To joyfully remember the Lord in one's mind: To remember is to experience and learn again and again in one's mind. Remembering the Lord purifies one's soul. The power of smaranam can dissolve anxiety, frustration and base nature. It helps to wash off adverse impressions left on us by violence, glamour and gossip by today's mass media. It protects us from being morally and spiritually deformed.In this context remembering the Lord cleanses and pacifies the human mind and heart. Remembering the Lord with devotion propels the soul on its journey towards eternal peace and happiness.

4) Padsevanam- To serve the Lord and obey His command: Serving the Lord is called padsevanam. Service is potent form of devotion that cleanses the soul of all mundane impurities and desires. When a devotee performs service regardless of his own fatigue that becomes superior and he is blessed with vibrations of divinity.

5) Archanam-To profoundly worship the murti of the Lord: To worship the murti of the Lord through body, mind and soul is called archanam.The mind is restless and wavering. The essence of worshipping the murti of the Lord is to still the mind and imbue it with the joy of divinity.

6) Vandanam-to express reverence to the Lord: The Lord has gifted man with unique power of expression. We should use this power of expression to thank the Lord for everything He has given to us. Everything we have got, we have got from the Lord. Profound expressions of humility, respect and thanks for the Lord blesses one with vibrations of the divinity.

7) Dasyam- to humbly serve the Lord: Dasya bhakti is a 'means of liberation'. It is defined as worshipping the Lord as His servant. One who has an inclination for darshan after hearing His discourses, liking His nature qualifies for this type of devotion.

8) Sankhyam- Lord Krishna as one's best friend: To consider the Lord as one's best friend is called Sakhya Bhakti. This bond of friendship helps to create an open hearted relationship with the Lord. Arjuna had such a bond of frienship with Lord Shri Krishna. In Sankhya Bhakti the devotee freely enjoys the bliss of the Lord without being circumscribed by the formalities of speech and action.

9) Atmanivedanam- To engage oneself fully in the Lord: Atmanivedanam is the highest form of devotion in which the devotee fully engages his every breath , thought, feeling and action in the Lord. Thus Lord Krishna becomes the center and circumference of life. Atmanivedi bhakti totally engages a devotee in the Lord and excludes all mundane inclinations. This allows one to experience the pure nectar of divine happiness.