The first book to cover Krishna's entire life, from his childhood pranks to his final powerful acts in the Mahabharata war

• Draws from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and India's sacred oral tradition

• Shows how the stories of Krishna's life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings

• Provides a valuable meditative tool that allows the lessons of these stories to illuminate from within

Krishna, one of the most beloved characters of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many lights: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, an exemplary ruler, and the Supreme Being. In The Complete Life of Krishna, Vanamali, a leading Krishna expert from a long line of prominent Krishna devotees, provides the first book in English or Sanskrit to cover the complete range of the avatar's life.

Drawing from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and India's sacred oral tradition, Vanamali shares stories from Krishna's birth in a dungeon and early days as a merry trickster in Vrindavana, through his time as divine ruler at Dwaraka, to his final powerful acts as the hero Arjuna's charioteer and guru in the Kurukshetra war. She explains how Krishna became a mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, and attained complete mastery over himself and nature. By integrating the hero-child with the mahayogi, the playful lover with the divine ruler, Vanamali shows how the stories of Krishna's life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings.

This complete biography of the man who was also a god provides a valuable meditative tool allowing Krishna's lessons to illuminate from within.

Mataji Devi Vanamali has written seven books on the gods of the Hindu pantheon, including Hanuman, The Play of God, The Song of Rama, and Shakti, as well as translating the Bhagavad Gita. She is the founder and president of Vanamali Gita Yogashram, dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and charitable service to children. She lives at the Vanamali ashram at Rishikesh in northern India.

Foreword by Swami Krishnananda

Preface: The Historical Krishna

Introduction: Krishna the Supreme Incarnation

Part One
Bala-Lila--The Play of the Child

1 The Advent
2 The Birth of the Unborn
3 The Divine Infant
4 The Butter Thief
5 Bondage of the Boundless
6 Brahma Bemused
7 The Enchanting Flute
8 Krishna Lifts the Mountain
9 The Divine Lover
10 The Lord of Vraja

Part Two
Raja-Lila--The Royal Game

11 The Prophecy Fulfilled
12 Uddhava at Gokula
13 Lord of Dwaraka
14 Abduction of Rukmini
15 The Cursed Gem
16 The Pandavas
17 The Divine Husband
18 The Sons of Krishna
19 The Divine Ruler
20 The Rajasuya Sacrifice

Part Three
Uttama-Lila--The Game Supreme

21 The Gambling Match
22 The Exile
23 The Lord as Ambassador
24 Declaration of War
25 Srimad Bhagavad Gita
26 The Mahabharata War
27 The End of the War
28 The Advice of Bhishma
29 The Story of Sudama
30 Dharma Rules Supreme
31 The Curse of the Sages
32 Advice to Uddhava
33 The Death of the Deathless

Epilogue: Lila--The Cosmic Play

Appendix One. Alphabetical List of Mantras

Appendix Two. List of Characters

Glossary of Sanskrit Terms

Index