The incidents in the childhood of Lord Krishna are all entailed in the great Indian epic Mahabharata. The mischief and miracles by Lord Krishna in his infant days are still revered and remembered by the Indians as the holy antics by the Vishnu avatara in Gokula with the Braj people.
After the birth of Lord Krishna, his father Vasudeva brought him to Gokula. He was brought up in the safe and secured supervision of mother Yashoda and Nand. The maternal uncle of Lord Krishna, King Kansa was destined to die in his hands and thus the king wanted to kill Krishna right from his birth. During his childhood, Krishna faced several perilous situations that were designed by the notorious Kansa, however no one could slay him for his unsurpassed divine power.
There were great rejoicings and celebration in Gokula after the Braj people came to know about the charming son of Nand and Yashoda. The astrologers predicted that this divine child would kill the demons and the evil, thus he should be called the Lord of the herds and the Gopis. King Kansa somehow came to know that his reason of death lived in Gokula and kept on sending demons to slay all the children of the place.
A rakhshasi named Putana took up the appearance of a beautiful lady with poison in her breasts, and went to Gokula aiming to kill Krishna. She entered Yashoda`s house and mingled with everyone very gracefully. She took up the baby Krishna in her lap and tried to give him her breast milk that had fatal poison. However, to her astonishment Lord Krishna hold her tight and sucked so hard as to take her life oput along with the poison. The poison had no effect on the Lord, while Putana rakhshasi flew away and fell dead on a far away hard ground with her original huge and distorted appearance. Lord Krishna gave her salvation by drinking her milk.
Soon, another event took place, when Lord Krishna was sitting under a cart playfully and sucking his toe. Another rakshasi saw him and went to sit on the cart with the aim to crush it and kill the baby Krishna. However, the Lord gave a hard blow on the cart and everything fell apart and killed the demoness. When Krishna was only five months old, a ferocious whirlwind came to sweep him away from his mother`s lap. Steadily, the storm became a cyclone, but could not even lift Lord Krishna. Lastly, he allowed the wind to take him up in the air, but came down unharmed after thrashing the demon down to death.
Krishna and his elder brother Balaram were very mischievous and often took away the pots of curds, when the Gopis (girls of Braj) were asleep. Anything hidden on the high shelf could not save it from Krishna, as he climbed on to have the entire curd (makkhan). Every time the Gopis complained about Krishna to his mother calling him butter thief, he made some plausible excuse and pacified his mother.
One day, the infant Krishna was playing with Balaram in the courtyard and ate a handful of clay. When Yashoda came to know that, she was about to beat the child, but Krishna wiped his mouth and denied the fact. Yashoda knew about his son`s mischievious nature and insisted upon to look into his mouth. As he opened his mouth, mother Yashoda saw the entire universe in his mouth. She saw the tree worlds together in his mouth, but could not believe that his son can be the Lord of the three worlds. Lord Vishnu more than once, should mother Yashoda that he was the incarnation of the Almighty. Ultimately, it was always a mother`s love that always understood her child only to be the pampered "kanha".
When Lord Krishna was only 5 years old, King Kansa again threatened him with danger. He went to the woods along with his cattle and friends. A demon in form of a crane, called `Bakasur` was sent by Kansa to kill Krishna. He came by the riverbank and sat there waiting for Krishna and the herd boys. When he tried to attack Krishna, he easily allowed the Bakasur to take him on his long and hard beak. Eventually, Krishna held open the crane`s jaws and tore them apart, thus killing this demon too.
Kans once again sent a dragon named Aghasur to kill Krishna. He hid in the woods of Braj and kept his mouth open alike a mountain cave. When the herd boys came to the woods they thought this huge hole to be the entrance of a cave. Nearing it, the boys could smell the poisonous breadth of the dragon and cried out in distress. Lord Krishna came and entered the cave; the mouth of the dragon was shut. Krishna made himself bigger and bigger until the stomach of the dragon got burst.
Once, Lord Krishna went to the fields along with the other herd boys. Lord Brahma came down to capture all the herd boys and cattle and hid them in a mountain cave. Krishna understood the trick of Lord Krishna and created another group of herd boys and cattle. He took them back and returned to Braj. With the passage of one year`s time, Lord Brahma completely forgot the event. Suddenly one day he remembered and came to Gokula to see the situation. Brahma saw that all the herd boys and cattles were in the likeness of Gods, with four arms and the shape of the Brahma, Rudra and Indra. The creator himself was afflicted like an un-worshipped, un-honored stone image. Lord Brahma fell on Krishna`s feet and apologised, saying that all things are enchanted by Krishna`s illusion and who can even think to bewilder him. Lord Krishna forgave him and restored the real boys and herds.
The childhood frolics of Lord Krishna is loved and adored by the Indians. He is worshipped by the childless in the desire to attain a charming and blessed child like Lord Krishna. The childhood photo of Lord Krishna is said to be a lucky one in every household.