“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the size of his heart” LORD SRI RAMA AND LORD SRI KRISHNA, OUR NATIONAL HEROES…Yashoda and Krishna
Yashoda and Krishna :-
Krishna, as in everything else, is a master in human relationships. His relationships with Radha and the gopis is a matter of everlasting enjoyment for his devotees. It is said that thousands of gopis all felt that Krishna was fully and completely with them at the same time. Such was his effect. Krishna’s loving relationship with the Pandavas, his special friendship and camaraderie with Arjuna, his loving friendship with Kuchela and Vidura, his tolerance of the Kauravas, are all examples of his keen sense for human relations. Krishna, as an enemy, is perfect too. He uses force only as a last resort and there are always options open for his enemies to correct their mistakes. Yashoda and Krishna
Krishna, unlike Rama, has to deal with many people who have their own vagaries and idiosyncrasies. By his perfect understanding of their characteristics, he manages them and at times manipulates them. Examples of such are Satyabhama (his wife who is perennially jealous and possessive of him); Balarama (his brother who is foolish and stubborn); Bhishma (an honorable man who is fighting on the side of adharma); Duryodhana (who is arrogant); etc. On the other hand, the people that Rama has to deal with are more in terms of black and white. Also, the events of Ramayana are not as complex in terms of human interplay as the Mahabharata. Yashoda and Krishna
Rama’s relations with others are fully based on the strength of his own character. His dealings are always straightforward and so are the characters he has to deal with. Krishna understands and utilizes to the full, the strengths and weaknesses of people he has to deal with. The events and characters that Krishna has to deal with cover a much wider spectrum between white and black and thus provide a wider canvas for showcasing his remarkable relationship skills. Yashoda and Krishna
Emotional bindings:-
The emotional quotient, love and attachment to near and dear reflect a persons approach to life. As such this is an important human attribute and hence may be used as a measure of comparison.
Rama’s emotional quotient is very high and derived from his love towards his parents, brothers, wife, friends and his subjects. Rama stays attached to his family and their memories when they are no longer with him. He emotionally remembers his father, Dasharatha, many times over several years. When Sita is kidnapped, he pines for her. After renouncing Sita, he keeps a golden sculpture of her resemblance with him for all rituals. When Lakshmana dies, Rama follows quickly. He gets nostalgic and reminisces the good times. He stays connected, directly or in fond memory, with his ancestors, family, friends, subjects. Yashoda and Krishna
Krishna’s approach is quite different from Rama’s. Krishna derives his high emotional quotient from detachment. While fully enjoying the company of his parents, wives, brother and friends, he is absolutely detached from them all. When he leaves Gokula to kill Kamsa, he never returns. All his attachments of his childhood – his adopted parents Yashoda and Nandagopa, his love Radha and the gopis, his friends – are all coolly detached. The rest of his life is disconnected from his past. He just moves on. His relationship with others are similar. He indirectly causes the destruction of his clan who had regressed and become rather useless. His strongest attachments were probably the Pandavas for whom he had great affection. Yashoda and Krishna
This is probably the most important difference between the two. Krishna’s life is a perfect example of his teachings in the Gita, of the characteristics of a sthitaprajna. For Krishna life is in the moment, while for Rama, his entire life is the moment.