Krishna (krĬsh´nə) or Kistna (kĬst´nə), river, c.800 mi (1,290 km) long, rising in Maharashtra state, central India, in the Western Ghats, and flowing SE and then E through Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh states to the Bay of Bengal. The river supplies water for the irrigation of extensive areas in all three states; its flow fluctuates according to seasonal monsoon rains. Its source is sacred to Hindus; the river is named for the god Krishna.

Kistna, river: see Krishna.