The childhood stories of Shri Krishna are a precious part of Indian culture; these tales are collectively called “Krishnabalakatha.” Filled with wonder, innocence, adventure, and divine magic, these stories depict Krishna’s early years in Gokul and Vrindavan. You’ll discover the various personalities of Shri Krishna; sometimes you’ll enjoy the sweet bond between a young child (Kanha) and his mother (Yashoda Maiya), and sometimes you’ll contemplate how this young boy, with his divine power, battled demons. Each story offers gentle lessons in courage, love, kindness, and the quiet strength that lies within every heart.
Table of Contents
The Magical Birth of Little Krishna
The night of Krishna’s birth was divine. Mathura, under the rule of the cruel King Kamsa, was usually quiet and terror-stricken. Inside the dark prison, Devaki and Vasudeva, chained, awaited the birth of their eighth child. When the divine child was born, something extraordinary happened.
The cell was filled with a bright light. The iron chains were released. The guards fell into a deep sleep. And the heavy prison doors quietly opened. Vasudeva saw the newborn. His face was radiant with divine charm.
Vasudeva was directed by the Divine to take this child to Gokul, to Nanda’s home. Vasudeva clutched Krishna close and stepped out into the storm. It was raining heavily outside. The lights were flashing out. The Yamuna River flowed widely. Everything on this earth welcomed the divine energy.
But when he approached, the river gently parted at the touch of the feet of this tiny, divine child, creating a safe passage for him. A giant serpent, Sheshnag, followed behind, spreading its hood above baby Krishna to shield him from the rain. Reaching Gokul, Vasudeva placed Krishna beside Yashoda, who slept peacefully, unaware that her life was about to change forever. The next morning, Yashoda woke up to a beautiful sight: a baby smiling softly in her lap.
Lesson: Even in the most difficult circumstances, divine hope finds a way to shine through.
Krishna and Putana—The Demoness Freed
Putana came to Gokul in the form of a beautiful woman. There was a spark of kindness in her eyes and a gentle smile on her face, and she walked like a loving mother, about to bless a child. But behind this beauty lurked a cruel demoness sent by Kamsa, who had only one purpose: to destroy the baby Krishna.
Putana wandered from house to house, blessing children and trying to win their trust. When she reached Nanda’s house, baby Krishna was lying quietly in his cradle playing with his toys. Putana, feigning affection, bent over the child and picked him up in her lap. The innocent and calm Krishna looked at him without any fear.
She offered him her breast, on which she had applied deadly poison, attempting to kill Krishna. But as Krishna began to drink, her fake smile vanished. She faltered, her eyes widening, as Krishna’s divine power absorbed her evil energy.
She screamed in her true form, revealing a huge demoness with wild eyes and burning skin. Yet Krishna remained gentle, holding her. With one final scream, Putana collapsed. The villagers ran in panic and saw the child Krishna laughing beside her, unharmed and his eyes shining faintly.
From that day on, they understood that this child was protected by some divine power, and no evil could touch him.
Lesson: No harm can come to a heart that is pure and protected by truth.
Krishna Defeats Shakatasura—The Cart Demon
Shakatasura was one of the demons sent by Kansa, whose aim was the same—to kill the young Krishna. It was a festive day in Gokul; music was playing, women were laughing, and men were decorating the village. Yashoda was finishing her preparations, and the child Krishna, barely able to walk, lay under a heavy wooden cart. Near the cart, Shakatasura, a powerful demon disguised as this simple wooden structure, lay hidden. He waited silently, ready to crush the little boy at any moment.
However, Krishna was engrossed in his own playful world. He stamped his feet joyfully, trying to reach the pots hanging above. One of his tiny feet hit the cart, and then something incredible happened.
There was a loud noise. The entire cart overturned. The pots shattered. The wooden wheels rolled. And the demon hiding inside screamed as he was instantly destroyed. The villagers ran toward the child Krishna and were shocked again. They saw him smiling and clapping, as if he had deliberately overturned the cart.
No one could believe that a child’s playful kick could have so much power. But the children of Gokul understood better. They loved Krishna deeply and knew he was no ordinary child. But to Maiya Yashoda, little Krishna was her tiny and innocent child.
Lesson: Innocence holds great power—sometimes greater than any force in the world.
Krishna Shows the Universe—The Mud Episode
Yashoda often felt that she understood her son completely—his laughter, his mischief, and his innocence. But one afternoon, Krishna was playing in the fields with his friends, rolling in the dust and chasing little butterflies. In a moment of playful curiosity, he picked up a handful of mud and put it in his mouth. His friends were shocked and ran towards Yashoda.
Yashoda, anxious, asked him to open his mouth. Krishna slowly complied. But what she saw left her speechless. Inside his tiny mouth was the entire universe. Planets revolved in divine order. The endless sky, the rising and falling oceans, the steep mountains, and the dimly shining stars—and she even saw herself standing beside her child, gazing into his infinite space.
For a moment, time stopped. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the scene vanished. Krishna looked at him with gentle, childlike tenderness as if nothing had happened. Yashoda took him in her arms, her heart humbled by the enormity of what she had seen.
At that moment she understood that her little boy was the child she loved and that he was the infinite divine presence wrapped in human form.
Lesson: The divine often hides in the most familiar faces, waiting for a heart pure enough to see it.
Krishna and Kaliya: The Serpent of the Yamuna
The Yamuna River once turned dark and poisonous. Deep inside its water lived a poisonous snake, Kaliya, whose poison had turned the entire river black and lifeless. Animals refused to drink from it, and villagers avoided its banks.
One afternoon, Krishna was playing with his friends near the river when he noticed unusual movement in the water that was threatening his friends. Without hesitation, he leaped into the river. The wave rose, the sky darkened, and Kaliya emerged with his multiple hissing heads. He grabbed Krishna in his tight coils, thinking he had defeated the little boy. But the next moment, the river began to blow.
Krishna slipped free from his coils and rose above the water, balancing gracefully on Kaliya’s head. The serpent twisted, but Krishna danced with the divine grace, each step weakening Kaliya’s anger and pride. At last, defeated, he bowed before Krishna.
Krishna commanded Kaliya to leave Yamuna forever. Kaliya did the same; he left Yamuna with his family. The river slowly turned to its crystal clarity, and life in Gokul blossomed again.
Lesson: True strength lies not in destruction, but in restoring balance and offering forgiveness.
