18 Childhood Stories of Lord Krishna for Kids

Storytelling helps parents bond with their kids and impart values in a fun and interesting way. There are many stories that parents can narrate to their children. The stories of Lord Krishna are narrated in every household, as children love him and adults adore him in all forms. Here we have mentioned some Lord Krishna stories for children that will help them learn important life lessons, and they’ll want to hear more. Your kids will surely love these stories from Lord Krishna’s childhood! Do let us know in the comments which story your little one liked the most and why!

Stories of Lord Krishna With Morals

Lord Vishnu is a Hindu god who appeared on Earth in nine avatars. Krishna is one of them. Till today, Krishna’s childhood escapades are fondly remembered. Here are short stories of Lord Krishna for kids.

1. The Divine Prophecy

Aeons ago, there lived a king named Ugrasena. He had two children – a son named Kamsa and a daughter named Devaki. Devaki was a good-natured person, but Kamsa had an evil mind. When he grew up, he dethroned his father and put him in jail.

Meanwhile, his sister Devaki married king Vasudeva. As Kamsa was escorting his sister to her in-laws’ place, a voice rang out from the skies – “The eighth son of your sister will grow up to kill you.” Kamsa wanted to put his sister to death to save his life. But Vasudeva begged Kamsa to spare his wife. He promised that he would hand over every child of theirs. Kamsa was pacified and put the couple behind bars.

Moral – You should never disrespect her parents.

2. Krishna’s Birth

Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva and ordered his soldiers to guard the cell. Every time Devaki gave birth to a child, Kamsa would visit the couple and take away their baby. Dashing it to the wall, he would kill it. When Devaki was pregnant for the seventh time, the foetus was miraculously transferred to Rohini’s womb in Vrindavan. Kamsa was told that it had been a stillbirth. Devaki and Vasudeva’s eighth child Krishna was born at the stroke of midnight. This special day is now celebrated as Janmashtami.

Moral – If you give your word, keep it.

3. Krishna’s Foster Home

As soon as Krishna was born, the guards manning Devaki and Vasudeva’s cell went into a deep slumber, and the locks fell open.

Placing baby Krishna in a wicker basket, Vasudeva left for Gokul. When he reached the Yamuna river, he saw that it was flooded due to the pouring rain. But he had to save Krishna’s life. So, without fearing for his own life, Vasudeva started walking across the river. With his every step, the waters receded, and Lord Vishnu’s serpent Adishesha protected baby Krishna from the rain.

When Krishna reached Nanda’s house, he saw that his wife Yashoda had given birth to a baby girl. Slowly, he picked the baby up and placed Krishna in her place. Then, he returned to the prison with the baby. Devaki and Vasudeva had hoped that Kamsa would spare the baby girl because the prophecy had mentioned Devaki’s eighth son. But Kamsa didn’t care. He snatched the baby from their hands and flung her against a wall. Miraculously, the baby transformed into Goddess Durga and informed Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth son was alive and would soon come for him.

Moral – Where there is a will, there is a way.

4. Krishna and Putana

Kamsa was desperate to kill Krishna, so he called for the fearful demoness Putana. He told her to assume the form of a beautiful, young woman and kill all the babies that had been born in the previous ten days. As this gave her an opportunity to instil fear in people’s hearts, Putana readily assented.

Putana entered Krishna’s village. When she heard everybody talking about Yashoda’s newborn, the demoness immediately knew that this was the child she had to eliminate. Distracting Yashoda, she made Krishna suckle on her poison-smeared nipples. The poison did nothing to him, but Putana died.

Moral – Never hurt a person or animal intentionally. You’ll end up paying for it.

5. Krishna’s Love for Butter

Krishna loved eating butter. As he grew older, Krishna started stealing butter from his own house and neighbours’. Yashoda hung up the butter so that Krishna wouldn’t be able to reach it. Slowly, other gopis also followed suit.

Krishna and his friends weren’t the ones to give up easily. They worked out a solution to this. The next time they raided a house for butter, Krishna made his friends form a human pyramid. He reached the top and broke the pot of butter. The friends relished it, much to the anger and disappointment of the gopis!

Moral – Focus on the solution and not on the problem.

6. Nalakuvara and Manigriva

Yashoda was so fed up of Krishna’s antics that, one day, she tied him to a mortar. To free himself, Krishna crawled to the two trees in his courtyard. Then, he proceeded to crawl through the passage between the trees. The mortar got stuck in the gap. Taking advantage of this, Krishna pulled the rope with all his strength. The trees came crashing down and two demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva emerged. Krishna had freed them from their curse!

Moral – Believe in miracles; they do happen.

7. What’s Inside Krishna’s Mouth?

Once when Krishna and Balarama were playing, the avatar of Lord Vishnu stuffed a handful of mud into his mouth. When Krishna’s friends complained to his mother. Yashoda ran to him and asked him to open his mouth. Initially, he refused to. But when Yashoda gave him a stern look, Krishna obliged.

What Yashoda saw wasn’t mud but the entire universe. That’s when she realised that Krishna was the Lord in disguise!

Moral – Always listen to your parents.

8. Krishna and Kaliya

Every day, Krishna would take his cows to graze by the river. Suddenly, cows started dying after drinking from the river. With his divine power, Krishna realised that the ten-headed serpent Kaliya was poisoning the water with his venom.

He confronted Kaliya and asked him to stop, but the stubborn serpent refused. Krishna dived into the river and emerged dancing on Kaliya’s head. By then, all the villagers had gathered and were anxious for Krishna. Slowly, the Lord became heavier and heavier, until the serpent couldn’t bear his weight any longer. Kaliya’s wives begged Krishna to stop and they left the river, never to return.

Moral – Peace is better than war.

9. Krishna and Arishthasura

One day, a massive bull came to Vrindavan and started attacking the villagers. Nobody knew where it had come from. Everybody started running helter-skelter to save their lives. They went to Krishna for help.

When Krishna faced the bull, he realised that it was possessed by a demon called Arishthasura. Krishna managed to tackle the bull and pierce its horns! Finally, the demon left the bull’s body and bowed to the Lord. He said that he was a disciple of Lord Brihaspati and had been cursed to become a bull as he had disrespected his teacher.

Moral – Always respect your teacher.

10. Krishna and Keshi

After Krishna had defeated the demon Arishtasura, the celestial sage Narada informed Kamsa that Krishna was very much alive and would kill him. Fuming with rage, Kamsa summoned the demon Keshi and commanded him to kill the lad.

Keshi assumed the form of a fearful horse and started terrorising the inhabitants of Vrindavan. Krishna understood that the demon was challenging him to a fight. So, he confronted the horse. On seeing the young lad, the horse charged at him. Krishna, however, caught one of the horse’s legs and threw it a hundred yards away. When Keshi regained consciousness, he charged at Krishna with his mouth open. The Lord pushed his left arm into the horse’s mouth, making its teeth fall out. Then, inflating his arm, he killed it. That was the end of Keshi.

Moral – Face your fears.

11. Krishna and Lord Brahma

Once, Lord Brahma decided to test Krishna’s powers. So, he hid all the children and calves of Vrindavan in Brahma Loka. Krishna was unhappy with Brahma’s doing, and decided to teach him a lesson. So, he assumed the form of all his friends and calves and went to their homes. Nobody could even tell the difference.

When Brahma decided to check the situation in Vrindavan, he was shocked to see all the children and calves. Lord Bramha immediately realised his mistake and asked Krishna for forgiveness.

Moral – As you sow, so shall you reap.

12. Krishna and Govardhan

It was a ritual among the inhabitants of Vrindavan to worship Indra, the god of rain. Once, when preparations were in full swing, Krishna suggested that the villagers should rather worship the Govardhan hill. They assented and started worshipping the hill. This made Indra very angry, and he let his rain clouds loose over the village.

It poured cats and dogs for days on end, and everybody sought Krishna’s help. Unable to see his devotees in plight, the Lord lifted the Govardhan with his little finger. He asked the villagers to take shelter under the hill and stood in that position for seven nights. Indra realised his mistake and apologised to Krishna.

Moral – Always help someone in need, if you can.

13. Krishna and Aghasura

Once, Krishna and his friends set out on a picnic to the nearby forest. While they were enjoying, Aghasura, who was the brother of Putana, appeared at that spot. He had been sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna. The demon assumed the form of a python and made himself as long as a cave and as big as a mountain. Then, he lay in wait.

The cowherd boys, enticed by the beauty of the cave, entered it. Krishna knew that it was Aghasura and tried to warn his friends, but they were in no mood to listen. The demon had plans of closing his mouth once Krishna had entered his mouth. To save his friends, Krishna entered the cave and expanded himself. This suffocated the demon and lead to his death.

Moral – Good advice will stand you in good stead.

14. Krishna Kills Kamsa

Kamsa had been trying to kill Krishna but in vain. So, he hatched another plan. With his servant Akura, he sent a message inviting Krishna and Balarama to the wrestling match at Mathura.

Both of them agreed to attend the event. Once there, Kamsa pitted the brothers against two of his strongest wrestlers. Krishna and Balarama accepted the challenge, and easily defeated their opponents.

Kamsa lost his temper and ordered his soldiers to kill the boys. Hearing this, Krishna jumped into the stands, knocked Kamsa’s crown off his head and dragged him by the hair to the wrestling ring. Desperate to prove his might, the asura challenged Krishna to a wrestling bout. With one blow of Krishna’s hand, Kamsa fell dead. The Lord set his birth parents, Devaki and Vasudeva free, and placed Ugrasena back on the throne.

Moral – Truth and goodness always win at the end.

15. Krishna Miraculously Escapes

When Lord Krishna was a little infant, Yashoda ma had taken him to a village fair. After everyone was done with their lunch, Yashoda left Krishna to sleep underneath a bullock cart. After some time, Krishna woke up to the sound of music. He saw that all the villagers were dancing and so he too started dancing to the beats. Krishna then accidentally bumped against the bullock cart wheel which led to the cart crashing to the ground.

People rushed towards the cart expecting the little boy to be in a bad condition. Surprisingly, they found him still happily dancing to the tunes! Though this incident was one of the first that proved Krishna’s heavenly powers, it was believed that it was a miracle that the little boy was left untouched by the crash.

Moral – Miracles do happen.

16. Krishna and Varuna

Nanda, Krishna’s father, was fasting on one ekadasi. Before sunrise, Nanda went to take a dip in the holy river Yamuna. The servants of the demigod Varuna capture and present him in front of their lord, accusing Nanda of taking a bath in the river at a demonic time.

Krishna and Balrama searched for their father after his sudden disappearance. Then they heard sounds coming from the river and understood that the demigod Varuna had captured their father.

When Krishna visited Varuna, they engaged in a heartwarming conversation. Varuna realised the mistake committed by his servants, apologised to Krishna, and released Nanda immediately.

Moral – Do not take a one-sided decision.

17. Krishna and the Forest Fire

One day, Krishna and his friends went to the forest to play. They were so engaged in playing that they didn’t realise that the forest had caught fire. When they were surrounded by the fire from all sides, they asked Krishna for help. Krishna asked them to close their eyes, and he swallowed the entire forest fire within a few minutes, leaving everyone astonished.

Source: Pinterest

Moral – Always be aware of your surroundings.

18. Shifting to Vrindavan

Village elders and Nanda decided to leave Gokul because Krishna had been attacked twice, once by rakshasi Putana and then by the asura Trinavarta. They decided to go to Vrindavan as they felt unsafe.

All Gokul villagers were getting cautious with repeated attacks and bad omens they had been experiencing for the last few years. Hence, they all, especially Upanand ji, suggested that the entire village leave Brij and move to Vrindavan, a very dense forest next to Govardhan mountain, which was a safer place. All the villagers agreed to the suggestion, and that is how the entire village shifted to Vrindavan.

Moral – Safety comes first and foremost.

FAQs

1. Why Is Krishna Blue?

Krishna drank the poisonous milk of the Putana, who was a demon, when he was a baby, so his skin became bluish.

2. Why Does Krishna Wear a Peacock Feather and Carry a Flute?

Krishna wears a peacock feather as it is a symbol of peace, prosperity and happiness. He carries a flute because Krishna is the God of divine love, and the flute, which is hollow, is the human heart where he plays his tune of love.

3. Why Do Children Love Krishna?

Little Krishna was a small child who was naughty, charming and a giver of love. When kids read or listen to the stories of Him, they do not connect to Him as a divine soul but feel more human and feel as if they know Him like an acquaintance.

4. What Krishna Loves to Eat?

Lord Krishna loves to eat makhan (butter).

5. At What Age Krishna Died?

On February 18, 3102 BC, Lord Krishna breathed his last on the banks of river Hiran. He lived for 125 years, seven months and six days.

Krishna story for kids is a good way to teach them about Krishna’s pastimes. Not only are they interesting, but they also instill morals and values in young minds.

Also Read:

Short Moral Stories for Kids
Mythological Stories for Children
Short Stories of Ramayana for Children