The Hindu figure Krishna is a complex deity. While there are many stories about Krishna, the majority of trickster stories about him are from his childhood living as a cowherd. These tales about Krishna as a youth display characteristics associated with a mischievous adolescent, using deception and guile to achieve his goal. In one adventure, Krishna diverted the worship of Indra, the storm god, to himself. The Gopas, or cowherds, were preparing to worship Indra for the growth of vegetation that feeds their cattle. Krishna encouraged them to worship the earth itself by paying homage to the mountain, and not Indra. Simultaneously, in another form, Krishna appeared at the top of the mountain and proclaimed, “I am the mountain” and this way he took much of the sacrificial goods originally intended for Indra (Wilkins 207). Indra sent a flood to punish the Gopas, but Krishna intervened and held them above the flood for seven days. Indra and Krishna reconciled and Krishna repaid Indra by looking after his son Arjuna.

Like Native American tricksters, Krishna is driven by his sexual appetite in some stories. While unmarried Gopi girls were bathing in a stream, Krishna came along and stole their clothing. He promised to return their clothing if each of them came to him individually and asked for their garments. The girls were reluctant to expose themselves to Krishna, but after awhile, they all became cold. Each in turn came to Krishna and retrieved her clothing, and thus unwittingly each became married to Krishna, because, “a woman cannot be naked before any male except her husband” (Prabhupada 154). In another tale, Krishna appears simultaneously before each girl and engaged in the rasa dance. Each girl believes that she is the only one who is dancing with Krishna, and thus each has a spiritual closeness to the Supreme Being. These tales illustrate the idea that anyone may have a personal, spiritual relationship with Krishna.

Among his lovers, Krishna had a favorite named Radha. Radha was married to Ayanagosha and his sister told him of Radha’s affair with Krishna. Ayanagosha tried to catch Radha and Krishna, but Krishna knew of the plot. Whenever Ayanagosha approached Radha with Krishna, “he (Krishna) would transform himself into Kali, and instead of finding her with a lover, he would see her engaged in worshipping a goddess” (Wilkins 210).

In the Hindu text, the Mahabharata, Krishna acts as guardian of Arjuna. Arjuna leads his brothers, the Pandavas, in a battle for fertile land against the ruling Kurus. Krishna appears and disappears at will throughout the text. He appears when needed to intervene between the divine world and the secular, much like Hermes in Greek mythology, helping the heroes when nothing else can save them. In this aspect, Krishna serves as a mediator helping the Pandavas claim the kingdom.