Krishna is the avatar of Vishnu who stands at the center of the Bhagavad Gita. The text presents him as Arjuna’s charioteer and spiritual guide on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, just before the great war begins.
Arjuna is overcome by grief at the prospect of fighting relatives, teachers, and friends. Krishna responds with teachings on duty (dharma), disciplined action, knowledge, meditation, and devotion. He explains that one should perform one’s rightful duty without clinging to the results. Krishna then reveals his universal form, presenting himself as a divine reality beyond ordinary human appearance.
The Gita forms 18 chapters of the Mahabharata, traditionally attributed to Vyasa, and contains about 700 verses in its standard recension. Krishna is usually identified here as an avatar of Vishnu, although many Vaishnava traditions worship him as the Supreme Being himself. A common mix-up is to call Arjuna the central figure: Arjuna is the questioner and human viewpoint, while Krishna delivers the revelation.