Krishna

Note: Krishna's life was analyzed accordingly to Raglan's Hero Pattern by Loren Petrich (petrich@panix.com) is published here with her permission.

1. His mother Devaki had several children before having him, thus making her very un-virginal; Devaki almost counts as royalty because her father Devaka was rich enough to afford a dowry of 400 elephants fully decorated with golden garlands, 15,000 decorated horses, 1800 chariots, and the hiring of 200 pretty young ladies to follow her.

2. His father Vasudeva was the son of King Surasena, but was not quite a king.

4. Devaki learned that she was pregnant with someone special when she became pregnant with Krishna; outside from that, her pregnancy and giving birth were normal.

5. Krishna is considered an avatar of the great Hindu god Vishnu.

6. The wicked King Kamsa had imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki, and had killed their previous offspring. He thus followed the footsteps of baby-killers Pharaoh, Herod, and Amulius, who came after Moses, Jesus Christ, and Romulus and Remus.

7. When he was born, he was switched with Yogamaya, daughter of Yasoda and Nanda (mother and father), thus frustrating Kamsa.

8. Yasoda and Nanda return to their home and raise Krishna there.

9. There are some childhood details, such as his learning to dance, his having fun with some gopis, and his fighting some wicked demons.

10. King Kamsa invites Krishna and a friend to a wrestling match, hoping that Krishna will be defeated.

11. But Krishna wins, prompting Kamsa to order Krishna's foster father and several others murdered. Whereupon Krishna kills Kamsa.

12. Krishna marries some beautiful princesses.

13. Krishna helps make a certain Ugrusena king; he himself becomes king after a while.

14.The  Kurukshetra War counts against this; Krishna also fights more demons, plays his flute, and has some fun with his gopi groupies. Krishna's fun loving is a rarity among religious prophets; only Jesus Christ comes anywhere close with his turning of water into wine for a wedding party.

15. Krishna delivers the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna at the beginning of that war.

16. Krishna's family misbehaves, giving Krishna a bad name.

17. Krishna's family and clan are destroyed in a civil war, leaving him to wander around.

18. Krishna shot in the foot by a hunter named "Old Age" (jara); his brother turns into a snake and goes into the sea.

19. Krishna dies in a forest by the seashore.

20. He had no successors.

21. He rose up into heaven.

22. Several places are described as his last resting place.

Krishna scores 21.