See also: Krishna in the Mahabharata
The earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the epic Mahabharata which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu.[40] Krishna is central to many of the main stories of the epic. The eighteen chapters of the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) of the epic that constitute the Bhagavad Gita contain the advice of Krishna to the warrior-hero Arjuna, on the battlefield. Krishna is already an adult in the epic, although there are allusions to his earlier exploits. The Harivamsa, a later appendix to this epic, contains the earliest detailed version of Krishna's childhood and youth.
The Rig Veda 1.22.164 sukta 31 mentions a herdsman "who never stumbles".[41] Some Vaishnavite scholars, such as Bhaktivinoda Thakura, claim that this herdsman refers to Krishna.[42] Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar also attempted to show that "the very same Krishna" made an appearance, e.g. as the drapsa ... krishna "black drop" of RV 8.96.13.[43] Some authors have also likened prehistoric depictions of deities to Krishna.
Chandogya Upanishad (3.17.6) composed around 900BC-700BC[citation needed] mentions Vasudeva Krishna as the son of Devaki and the disciple of Ghora
Angirasa , the seer who preached his disciple the philosophy of
‘Chhandogya.’ Having been influenced by the philosophy of ‘Chhandogya’
Krishna in the Bhagavadgita while delivering the discourse to Arjuna on
the battlefield of Kurukshetra discussed about sacrifice, which can be
compared to purusha or the individual.
Yāska's Nirukta, an etymological dictionary around 6th century BC, contains a reference to the Shyamantaka jewel in the possession of Akrura, a motif from well known Puranic story about Krishna.[47] Shatapatha Brahmana and Aitareya-Aranyaka, associate Krishna with his Vrishni origins.[48]
Connected with the festival Holi
Pāṇini,
the ancient grammarian and author of Asthadhyayi (probably belonged to
5th century or 6th century BC) mentions a character called Vāsudeva, son
of Vasudeva, and also mentions Kaurava and Arjuna which testifies to
Vasudeva Krishna, Arjuna and Kauravas being contemporaries.[28][49][50]
Megasthenes (350 – 290 BC) a Greek ethnographer and an ambassador of Seleucus I to the court of Chandragupta Maurya mentioned about Herakles in his famous work Indica. Many scholars have suggested that the deity identified as Herakles was Krishna. According to Arrian, Diodorus, and Strabo,
Megasthenes described an Indian tribe called Sourasenoi, who especially
worshipped Herakles in their land, and this land had two cities,
Methora and Kleisobora, and a navigable river, the Jobares. As was
common in the ancient period, the Greeks sometimes described foreign
gods in terms of their own divinities, and there is a little doubt that
the Sourasenoi refers to the Shurasenas, a branch of the Yadu
dynasty to which Krishna belonged; Herakles to Krishna, or
Hari-Krishna: Methora to Mathura, where Krishna was born; Kleisobora to
Krishnapura, meaning "the city of Krishna"; and the Jobares to the Yamuna, the famous river in the Krishna story. Quintus Curtius also mentions that when Alexander the Great confronted Porus, Porus's soldiers were carrying an image of Herakles in their vanguard.[51]
The name Kṛșṇa occurs in Buddhist writings in the form Kānha, phonetically equivalent to Kṛșṇa.[52]
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The Ghata-Jâtaka (No. 454) gives an account of Kṛishṇa's childhood
and subsequent exploits which in many points corresponds with the
Brahmanic legends of his life and contains several familiar incidents
and names, such as Vâsudeva, Baladeva, Kaṃsa. Yet it presents many
peculiarities and is either an independent version or a
misrepresentation of a popular story that had wandered far from its
home. Jain tradition also shows that these tales were popular and were
worked up into different forms, for the Jains have an elaborate system
of ancient patriarchs which includes Vâsudevas and Baladevas. Kṛishṇa is
the ninth of the Black Vâsudevas and is connected with Dvâravatî or
Dvârakâ. He will become the twelfth tîrthankara of the next world-period
and a similar position will be attained by Devakî, Rohinî, Baladeva and
Javakumâra, all members of his family. This is a striking proof of the
popularity of the Kṛishṇa legend outside the Brahmanic religion.[53]
According to Arthasastra of Kautilya (4th century BCE) Vāsudeva was worshiped as supreme Deity in a strongly monotheistic format.[49]
Around 150 BC, Patanjali in his Mahabhashya
quotes a verse: "May the might of Krishna accompanied by Samkarshana
increase!" Other verses are mentioned. One verse speaks of "Janardhana
with himself as fourth" (Krishna with three companions, the three
possibly being Samkarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha). Another verse
mentions musical instruments being played at meetings in the temples of
Rama (Balarama)
and Kesava (Krishna). Patanjali also describes dramatic and mimetic
performances (Krishna-Kamsopacharam) representing the killing of Kamsa
by Vasudeva.[54]
In the 1st century BC, there seems to be evidence for a worship of five Vrishni heroes (Balarama, Krishna, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samba) for an inscription has been found at Mora near Mathura, which apparently mentions a son of the great satrap Rajuvula, probably the satrap Sodasa, and an image of Vrishni, "probably Vasudeva, and of the "Five Warriors".[55] Brahmi inscription on the Mora stone slab, now in the Mathura Museum.[56][57]
Many Puranas tell Krishna's life-story or some highlights from it. Two Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, that contain the most elaborate telling of Krishna’s story and teachings are the most theologically venerated by the Vaishnava schools.[58] Roughly one quarter of the Bhagavata Purana is spent extolling his life and philosophy.
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