I am not able to understand what is so great about krishna, I go to all temples and I dont have any preference
There are so many Gods, like Rama, Ganesh, Siva, etc and each one has their own family God (ie who worship a particular god right from the begining of their family origin), that being the case why there is so much Emphasis on Krishan alone. is it because of Gita or something else,some one please clarify...

You're totally correct. What is there to revere in a cheater, drinker and womaniser? At least Shiva adheres to a semblance of asceticism, even though he is clearly very sex-driven too. As for Rama, well, Valmiki makes it clear that he ate venison whilst it the forest. Aside from this, anyone with a half-a-brain can infer that he regularly hunted from the simple fact that he pursued the so-called golden deer. Running after animals was in all evidence not an unfamiliar act to him. I don't have a problem with this, given that humans are naturally omnivorous and can and should consume non-vegetarian food for their wellbeing and health. But those who claim to be his followers probably would take strong exception to this.

What an offense at the lotus feet of Krishna. This person is asking a genuine, sincere question and your answer is neither helpful nor truthful. Krishna is special because of his sweet dealings with everyone. Lord Siva is the greatest Vaishnava- vaishnavanam yatha sambuh. He must be respected but one should not accept him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Ramachandra can eat venison because at that time he was living in the forest. It is also kshatriya dharma to hunt, it is like prepatory for war, and ever kshatriya never knows when he will have to go to war.

Also you must understand there are many different Krishna's. There is one Krishna who is the expansion of Lord Visnu in Vaikunthaloka. Then there is Dwarikanatha Krishna and Mathuranatha Krishna. In all these forms Krishna lives in opulence and people worship him in awe and reverence. But Krishna is not so much in want of awe end reverence. He likes love better. Therefore his form as Krishna of Goloka/Gokula is much sweeter.

Where is it in the sastra that Krishna drinks? How did he cheat? Didn't whatever "cheating" he did, wasn't it just for righteousness to prevail? And womanizing? If you are going to cite the gopis then I might as well get out of here because it is a great offense to hear blasphemy of great Vaishnavis like the gopis. The point is Krishna never had any lusty desires. For heavens sake, when he asked the gopis to come out naked out of the Yamuna to get there clothes, how old was Krishna then? He was only 8 years old. Can an 8 year old kid have lusty desires? The real reason he asked them to come out naked is because he was fulfilling their desires. The gopis had been performing austerities to Godess Katyayani and they were praying that they would get Krishna as their husband. And you should know, a woman can't be naked in front of anyone except her husband. So he was accepting them as his wives.

In this way there are many more pastimes that have tattva that is very deep that one may not be able to understand. Lord Brahma explains that Lord Krishna is the greatest:

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

"Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an
eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no
other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."
(Brahma Samhita)

Hope this helps. Hare Krishna.

Radhe Radhe! And Hare Krishna!
I once read one of the most beautiful meditations on this story. It said that we must come out of the cold waters of the world and appear naked (stripped of all desire and hatred) before God before we can be clothed by Him in bliss and enlightenment.
I guess this didn't have much to do with this discussion, but it's just such a beautiful meditation I felt like sharing it!

Wow, where did you read this?

Haribol! There's a publishing company called "Parabola Press". It has a book called "The Inner Journey: Views From the Hindu Tradition". It was a very beautiful book. The parts I personally enjoyed were the retellings of the legends, and then it would have a Hindu author explain the meaning. The one I mentioned was my personal favorite

Thanks.

Also if you try a book called Sarartha Darsini, that has very detailed explanations of the pastimes. It is basically 10th canto of the Bhagavatam with Vishvanatha Chakravarty Thakura's purports. It helps a lot.

It is nice how Krishna finally made them surrender by saying that they have offended Varunadeva by bathing naked in the water and that it is bad for women to keep their hair loose. So finally they had to tie up their hair and put their hands above their hands in obesiances to ask forgiveness from Krishna and Varunadeva. OMG, Krishna is so clever!

I love that story. I always get a little bit of a chuckle out of it Of course He's clever, He's Krishna! xD
Jai Sri RadhaMadhava!

Indulekha Dasi makes very good arguments for Lord Krishna. But, Lord Shiva, sex-driven? What do you mean? He's married to Parvati! He's never cheated on Her or anything like that! There's a parable about Him falling in love with Mohini, but I think that it's obviously only symbolic of Krishna's great power of Maya over all creatures, even the devas, and meant to show His supremacy.
Other than that, I really don't understand why you would even post in a discussion on Hinduism, esp. a discussion on Krishna, if all you have to say is blasphemy (even if you don't believe in Krishna, it's still blasphemy to His followers!). Oh, and Lord RamaChandra and Mother SitaDevi never ate meat in the forest ->> http://www.hindunet.com/forum/showflat.php?Number=9851

Perhaps this fellow doesn't even know that Lord Shiva had actually conquered Kamadeva. Maybe he just needs to do some research. It may not be his fault it may be the fault of his ignorance.

I suppose. I wish that everyone could experience the joy of a loving realationship with God, though. Hopefully Saraswati will enlighten him!

What is so great about Krishna?

To know Krishna, first we should learn about gods like Shiva, Brahma and other Gods. That is where, you'll find the difference between all other gods and Krishna alone. Krishna holds the multiple personality. He's a multidimensional god. He's like a mirror and reflects just what you want from him, which is unlike other gods. For example, Lord Rama can not be framed into a situation where he plays with girls and steals his clothes. He can only be framed in following the right path. But where as Krishna can be framed in both the sitatuation.

We can see him dancing and playing with girls (gopis) and teasing them. Also, we can see him as a great warrior when he fights with Jarasangh and other kings and demons. Krishna is a beyond personality, that those who claims they've known him, remain in more delusion.

Krishna is very much available for a child but very hard even to think about for a Gyani (intellectual).

So what is so great about Krishna? Krishna himself is a great phenomenon. Read more about him, and you will realise it one day.

This is a great offense to the Lotus Feet of Lord Shiva. Don't you know that Lord Vishnu incarnates as Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva? Since they are His incarnation (and Vishnu Himself is an incarnation of Sriman-Narayana), then the Trimurti are all equal and all deserve respect and worship. The proof for this (that from Vishnu incarnated Brahma and shiva) is in the Vishnu Purana's creation story and also from:

Om Tryambakam Yajaamahe
Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam
Urvaarukamiva Bandhanaat
Mrityor Muksheeya Ma-Amritaat
(Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7)

Let us worship Shiva (the three-eyed One), who is sacred (fragrant) and who nourishes all beings. Just as the ripe cucumber is automatically released from its attachment to the creeper, may we be liberated from death (our mortal body and personality) and be granted immortality. (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7)

and

"To those unaware of Your position understanding it the material way do You, by Yourself expanding Your maya, appear for the matters of creation as Me (Brahma), as Yourself for the purpose of maintenance and as Lord Trinetra (Shiva) in the end." (Bhagavata Purana 10.14.19)

Such greats as Sri Bhagavan Swaminarayan and Sri Ramaunjacharya have accepted this fact. In fact, this is the very reason why Ramanujacharya preferred the Name "Sriman-Narayana" or "Lord Narayana" to address the Divine in order to not confuse people into thinking that Vishnu the Preserver was better than the rest of the Trimurti.

Why can't the rest of Vaishnavas? Why must we twist the teachings of our Acharyas in order to fit our own "My-God-is-better-than-your's" beliefs?

Nice post Arjuna Haridas! The twist in the original philosophy is there because of the my sampradaya or my God over your God mentality. Some times we also call it churchianity. Each church hails itself over the other. Nothing much to do with the originality of God and his realization or realization of the self as Lord Krsna repeats in his Gita.
All glories to Lord Shiva and Lord Shri Krsna/Rama who are devoted to each other in all the three worlds and beyond! Not all Vaishnavas are able to comprehend this very special and highly exalted relationship. But just one side of it. They only remember that shambhu is a devotee of Krsna, but ignore Krsna's devotion to Shiva in his every incarnation.
Lord Shiva comes to help and serve Rama as Hanuman which is an example of bhakti and devotion in itself! And Rama worships Shiva!! Krsna also worshiped Shiva. As Lord Shiva tells Ramachandra after he is please with Rama's austerities to please Shiva, that his loving relationship with him (Rama) is the biggest secrets of all and no one fully comprehends it. Any devotee of Hari putting down Shiva as lower than him or any devotee of Shiva putting down hari as lower will go to Raurav narak.

I am new here so bear with me as I present my opinion....
The question the person was pertaining to was the fact that he sees the manifestation of God as a material entity. Your questions are justified because everyone of our judgements are clouded. We believe what we see and see what we hear. In such a visual society, when you hear of Lord Krishna's pasttimes and the adventures of Lord Rama and even the events in Lord Shiva's avatar we see the behaviors that our minds are subject too.
I guess rather than insulting your query, I would onlu suggest that you look upon these "incidents" with symbolic value. Look inside of you and you'll find that Krishna doesn't cheat, but 100% supports the soul that has surrendered to him. Lord Rama doesn't hunt, he kills the maya in the form of the golden deer. Lord Shiva is by no means lust driven, he turns lust personified into ashes. These incidents are evidence of our own nature and we should be thankful that these teachings of spiritual elevation and moral upbringing and even the proof of the Lord's presence in our lives were given to us by the Supreme himself who takes various avatars and becomes our saviour. I hope this helps you look at things a bit differently. Thing with your heart and not your mind and the messages will be crystal clear. I am sure we can all elaborate on particular incidences if you are curious but except them without a perverted mind.

Jay Shri Krishna

You are right that Lord Siva is an incarnation of Lord Visnu. This is another proof of his greatness. But Vaishnavas like to call him the greatest Vaishnava, because we accept Bhagavat purana as the greates authority in which it is said- vaishnavanam yatha sambuh. I cannot accept the trimurti as equal. When Narada muni came to Brahma to glorify him as the greatest Vaishnava, he at once covered his ears and said to go to Lord Siva and sing those praises. Both as the post and the person, Lord Siva is greater than Lord Brahma. Any jiva can assume the post of Lord Brahma, but no jiva can assume the post of Lord Siva.

When you yourself have quoted the Bhagavat puran, why are you refuting another quote from Bhagavata puran, vaishnavanam yatha sambuh? I am accepting the fact that Lord Siva and Brahma are incarnations of Lord Narayana, but why must you be so stubborn in your beliefs?

People who chant the maha mrityunjaya mantra (purely) eventually go to Mahesh dhama which is beyond the material world. They will not come back to the material world, so they are granted with liberation, as the prayer asks for.

Even in the spiritual world there are divisions. Above Vaikuntha is Ayodhya. But on the topmost level is Goloka Vrindavana. So you can say both Narayana and Rama are incarnations of Krishna. But then why is Ayodhya above Vaikuntha? Why is Goloka above Ayodhya? Because Krishna can incarnate as Narayana or Rama, but Narayana and Rama can't incarnate into Krishna. The same thing with Lord Siva. He is just as important an incarnation as Narayana and Rama but he cannot become Lord Krishna. Why can you not see the importance of the Lord's dear devotees? They are sometimes even higher then the Lord.

Jai Nitai!
indulekhadasi

And if I have made an offense at the lotus feet of Lord Shiva, then I beg his forgiveness with all sincerity . I am sure he will be kind enough to forgive me because he is very easily pleased.

I was fortunate of having darshan of Ekachakresvara Bhandisvara Patala Siva Mahadeva! He is so merciful. Jai Mahadeva!

Lord Shiva only gets mad at lusty cupids that try to interrupt His meditation! I'm sure He would never get mad at someone who's trying to praise His immense Devotion to Lord Krishna. I, myself, often praise Lakshmi Mata (Radha) for Her great devotion to Lord Shiva.
There is an extremely beautiful legend concerning Her immense devotion to Lord Shiva Ji. It is said that Lakshmi picks 1000 lotuses everyday to offer to Lord Shiva at night, and that one night, She was two short. Well, since it was already night, all the lotuses had closed their petals. She couldn't decide which was worse: offering less than She usually did, or not offering at all. But, suddenly, She remembered that Her breasts had once been described as lotuses in full bloom by Sri Narayana Dev. So, She cut off Her own breasts and offered them in place of the two missing flowers. Lord Shiva appeared with tears in His eyes and restored Her breasts, praising Her for Her immense devotion... I love that story! Not really sure of the historical accuracy, but it's still a lovely story!
Aum Namah Shivaya!

Nice story Radherade!
Hara Hara Mahadeva!

To answer your question in very simple terms govindarajaa, the reason Krishna is so great and there is much emphasis on his devotional service is because He is the supreme personality of Godhead!
There's no difference between Rama and Krishna.

Yes families tend to have particular deities that they worship due to tradition, namely Shiva, Parvati, Hanuman - but one should consider that without the sanction of Lord Krishna such service to demigods is not possible as stated in text 21, Chapter 7 of Bhagavad-Gita as it is.

Krishna says: "I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity"

Krishna also explains why demigod worship isn't the best either...

You should read the Srimad-Bhagavatam for more information or the Bhagavad-Gita. Swami Prabhupada's translation is excellent.

indulekhadasi's answer is great.