Krishna was born during the late Vedic times.

It was believed that during this time, the Vedic System had become rigorous and the caste system had become almost rigid.

During of the beginning of the Vedic system, women were powerful and were given plenty of rights. But, towards the late Vedic age, this position had changed. And not for the good.

Further, as time went on, people were more and more focused on the carrying out the rites and rituals as prescribed in the Vedas, instead of focusing on what was needed to be done.

Krishna, is special because he was able to challenge most of this, throughout his life.

And Krishna took the first step towards this at the age of ten.

It started pretty innocently.

Krishna's friends were all hungry and they were deep in the forest, almost close to the next village.

As always, the friends approached Krishna for a solution.

Not wanting to go back home, the boys decided to approach the people in the nearby village for some food.

Just at the outskirts of the village, some priests were performing rituals and sacrifices.

Looking at them, Krishna nodded to his friends. "We will ask those people for some food." He turned to his Gopa friends. "Can you please go and ask them whether they would be interested in giving some food to you, Balarama and myself?"

The young Gopa boys naturally agreed. The priests were after all performing the rites using a lot of food. Sparing some for the boys was hardly going to be any problem.

Or so they thought.

The priests did not even acknowledge the presence of the boys and they continued to carry on their rites ignoring the boys. Completely.

The boys asked the priests so many times, only to be met by a stony silence. The priests probably did not want to stop reciting the mantras for their rites.

(It can be presumed that a lot of legend was already building around Krishna by this time. The disappearance of the various asuras also buttressed this point. Not only had people started suspecting that Krishna was not just a Gopa boy, there were rumours that Krishna was in fact an Avatara of Lord Vishnu. It may be presumed that Krishna's dark hue was responsible for that impression.)

Despite that, the priests ignored the Gopa boys, considering their rituals more important.

The Gopa boys unhappily went back to Krishna and told them all that had happened.

Krishna frowned and a few seconds later a beautiful smile lit up his face. "The wives of the priests must be in their homes nearby. We will go and ask them for some food."

This time, the boys went to the wives of the priests.

The reactions of the wives were so diametrically opposite to the priests that the Gopa boys were actually shocked.

On hearing the fact that Krishna was there, the wives were thrilled beyond measure.

They forgot everything else and packed every single excess food in the house and started out to meet the boys and feed them.

It is said that the priests themselves were shocked at the behaviour of the wives and tried stopping them from meeting Krishna.

None of the wives listened and ignoring their husbands, the wives went to meet the boys and fed them.

It was said that the wives were filled with unparalleled bliss and joy, after feeding the boys.

But despite that, they all still dreaded going back home to their angry husbands and fathers.

Krishna promised the women that none of the men would remember the defiance of the wives and asked them to go back home.

Krishna's words came true. None of the priests remembered anything.

And the wives were said to have attained that type of bliss which only enlightened souls could attain - which was exactly what the priests trying to attain through their rites and rituals.

(Hinduism recognizes four methods to attain salvation - by meditation, by attainment of the highest knowledge of Self, by devotion and by doing one's duty. All the methods are said to be equally efficient in trying to attain salvation.

In the late Vedic period, the first two methods were considered as the only means by attaining salvation, which effectively prevented women while they were married and people from other castes, from attaining this status.

In his childhood, Krishna introduced the path of devotion as a means of salvation.

(And much later in his life, Krishna preached the Bhagawat Gita (meaning the Song of the Lord) which clearly brought out the last method of salvation - by doing one's duty.

In fact, in the Bhagavat Gita, Krishna openly condemns mindless rituals which do not serve any purpose.)

After these two theories came into force, almost anyone could attain salvation. And the power of salvation ceased to be only within the domain of sages and priests.)