Krishna is perhaps the most approachable and endearing character in India’s godly pantheon. Unlike Shiva, he is not wild and distant. Unlike Rama, he is not perfect and inimitable. Though Krishna is divine, his mischief and pranks make him one of us. It is not surprising then that so much culture, song, and music & dance has evolved around the events of Krishna's life.

The most obvious trait of Krishna is his "blueness." Every depiction of Krishna has him invariably in blue. Why? There are many answers given by various people. I will quote yogi and mystic, Sadhguru, who in his article "Why is Krishna Blue" says "Blue is the color of all-inclusiveness. You will see in the existence, anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky. Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness. [...] There are many disputes about who Krishna is and what he is but his all-inclusiveness is one thing that no one can deny. So the theme of blue remained common, and in every corner of the country, Krishna is seen as blue."

Krishna of course, has atitude too! He's cool! And he has a striking sense of style. The peacock feather, the easy, confident stance, his exquisite ability with the flute, all this make him a favorite among many Indians. His butter stealing pranks as a child endear him to us, and his vishwaroopadarshan to Arjuna leave us in awe of him. His altogether multi-faceted nature accommodates everything we demand of a god.

In the west, Krishna is mostly known for the Gita. Spoken by Krishna to Arjuna, on the battlefield of the Kurukshetra, the Gita is the most important section associated with Krishna within the Mahabharata. Of all the Mahabharata stories, lore and legends, this portion is considered the most important. 

 

Here's a sample of Krishna's quotes from Bhagavad Gita:

That one is dear to me who runs not after the pleasant or away from the painful, grieves not, lusts not, but lets things come and go as they happen.

Just as a reservoir is of little use when the whole countryside is flooded, scriptures are of little use to the illumined man or woman, who sees the Lord everywhere.

They alone see truly who see the Lord the same in every creature, who see the deathless in the hearts of all that die. Seeing the same Lord everywhere, they do not harm themselves or others. Thus they attain the supreme goal.

 

Here's a watercolor I made based on a sculpture I came across during the festival of Janmashtami (Krishna's birth celebrations) in Karnataka, South India.

 

The Vishwaroopa Darshanam is of course the most important aspect of the Gita, when Krishna gives Arjuna an experiential glimpse of what he's been saying so far - that Krishna is all, and all is Krishna. He says, "Behold, Arjuna, a million divine forms, with an infinite variety of color and shape. Behold the gods of the natural world, and many more wonders never revealed before. Behold the entire cosmos turning within my body, and the other things you desire to see." Of course, Krishna is trying to make the point that the same is true for Arjuna too. Arjuna is all and all is Arjuna. 

 

It is said (here and there and not too often) that Krishna also took on this form once in the court of the Kauravas. The story in brief is that Krishna, before all-out was is declared, visits Duryodhana to convince him that this was is no one's best interest and he must call it off. Duryodhana of course has only abuse as a repy to Krishna's proposition. And Karna in his fury rushes with his sword drawn towards Krishna, who is unarmed since he came as a messenger. Krishna then takes on this form again, and Karna and Duryodhana are stunned, falling to their knees. Krishna then walks away.

 

Below is a (crayon-based) depiction of the Vishwaroopa Darshanam. Having absolutely no conception of how to depict this, I had to base it off something I found on the net.