The God of Love, Compassion, and Wisdom: Krishna embodies a vast array of transcendental qualities. He is the supreme God of protection, compassion, and love. As a child, he is the mischievous butter-thief (Makhan Chor); as a youth, he is Govinda (chief herdsman) and the divine lover of the gopis and Radha, symbolizing the soul's loving quest for God. Later, as the statesman and King of Dwarka, and most famously as Arjuna's charioteer (Partha-Sarathi) in the Mahabharata, he delivers the philosophical discourse of the Bhagavad Gita, demonstrating his role as the wise teacher and upholder of dharma (righteousness). He is the eighth Avatar of Vishnu, yet is worshipped by many as the Supreme Godhead in his own right.