Krishna

Vsudeva redirects here. For the father of Krishna, see

Vasudeva. For Vaishnavism, see Krishna Vasudeva.
This article is about the Hindu deity. For other uses, see
Krishna (disambiguation).

Shauri, ourished as the ruler of Shuraseni and Vrishni

tribes on the now-submerged island of Dwaraka (o the
coast of Gujarat, India) sometime between 3200 and
3100 BC.[3]

Krishna (/krn/; Sanskrit: , Ka in IAST, pronounced [kr]) is a major Hindu deity worshiped in a
variety of dierent perspectives. Krishna is recognised
as the Svayam Bhagavan in his own right or as the complete/absolute incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is
one of the most widely revered and popular of all Hindu
deities.[2] Krishnas birthday is celebrated every year by
Hindus on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month of Shraavana in the
Hindu calendar.[3]

1 Names and epithets

Krishna is also known as Govinda, Mukunda, Madhusudhana, and Vasudeva. Krishna is often described and portrayed as an infant eating butter; a young boy playing a
ute, as in the Bhagavata Purana;[4] a young man along
with Radha; a young man surrounded by women; or as an
elder giving direction and guidance, as in the Bhagavad
Gita.[5] The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions.[6]
They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a
prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and the Supreme
Being.[7] The principal scriptures discussing Krishnas
story are the Srimad Bhagavatam, the Mahabharata, the
Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Vishnu Purana. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna, in topic,
are generally titled as Krishna Leela.
Worship of the deity Krishna, either in the form of deity Krishna or in the form of Vasudeva, Bala Krishna
or Gopala can be traced to as early as the 4th Century
BC.[8][9] Worship of Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan, or the
Supreme Being known as Krishnaism, arose in the Middle Ages in the context of the Bhakti movement. From
the 10th Century AD, Krishna became a favorite subject in performing arts and regional traditions of devotion developed for forms of Krishna, such as Jagannatha
in Odisha, Vithoba in Maharashtra and Shrinathji in
Rajasthan. Since the 1960s the worship of Krishna has
also spread to the Western world and to Africa largely
due to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).[10] Gaudia Math is also a leading proponent of Krishna worship.

14th-century fresco of Krishna on the interior wall of City

Palace, Udaipur

Main article: List of titles and names of Krishna

The name originates from the Sanskrit word Ka,
which is primarily an adjective meaning black, dark
or dark blue.[11] The waning moon is called Krishna
Paksha, relating to the adjective meaning darkening.[11]
Sometimes it is also translated as all-attractive, according to members of the Hare Krishna movement.[12]

As a name of Vishnu, Krishna is listed as the 57th name

Some religiously oriented scholars have tried to calcu- in the Vishnu Sahasranama. Based on his name, Krishna
late dates for the birth of Krishna, some believing that is often depicted in murtis as black or blue-skinned. KrKrishna, under the name of Vasudeva Govinda Krishna ishna is also known by various other names, epithets and
titles, which reect his many associations and attributes.
1

2 ICONOGRAPHY

Among the most common names are Mohnish Attractive God, Mohan enchanter, Govinda, Finder of 'Go'
- Veda or the cows or Gopala, Protector of the 'Go' Soul or the cows as 'Govinda' (like cowherds who protect cows, the Lord protect the souls of the living beings)
which refer to Krishnas childhood in Braj (in present-day
Uttar Pradesh).[13][14] Some of the distinct names may be
regionally importantfor instance, Jagannatha, a popular incarnation of Puri, Odisha in eastern India.[15]

Iconography

to Krishna. This lone nd may not establish Krishna as

contemporary with Pre-Indus or Indus times, but, likewise, it cannot be ignored.[17]
Krishna is often depicted wearing a silk golden yellow
dhoti, and a peacock feather crown. Common depictions show him as a little boy, or as a young man in a
characteristically relaxed pose, playing the ute.[18][19] In
this form, he usually stands with one leg bent in front
of the other in the Tribhanga posture, accompanied by
cows, emphasising his position as the divine herdsman,
Govinda, or with the gopis (milkmaids). Other depictions show him stealing butter from neighboring houses
in the form of Gopkrishna; defeating the vicious serpent
in the form of Navneet Chora or Gokulakrishna; or lifting the hill in the form of Giridhara Krishna. Still other
depictions recount other childhood exploits.

Krishna with cows, herdsmen and Gopis, Pahari painting [Himalayan] from Smithsonian Institution

Krishna is easily recognized by his representations.

Though his skin color may be depicted as black or dark
in some representations, particularly in murtis, in other
images such as modern pictorial representations, Krishna
is usually shown with blue skin. He has been described as
having skin the color of Jambul (Jamun, a purple-colored
fruit). He is also known to have four symbols of the
jambu fruit on his right foot as mentioned in the Srimad
Bhagavatam commentary (verse 10.30.25), Sri Rupa
Cintamani and Ananda Candrika by Srila Visvanatha
Chakravarti Thakura.[16]
A steatite (soapstone) tablet unearthed from Mohenjodaro, Larkana district, Sindh depicting a young boy uprooting two trees from which are emerging two human
gures is an interesting archaeological nd for xing dates
associated with Krishna. This image recalls the Yamalarjuna episode of Bhagavata and Harivamsa Purana. In
this image, the young boy is Krishna, and the two human beings emerging from the trees are the two cursed
gandharvas, identied as Nalakubara and Manigriva. Dr.
E.J.H. Mackay, who did the excavation at Mohanjodaro,
compares this image with the Yamalarjuna episode. Prof.
V.S. Agrawal has also accepted this identication. Thus,
it seems that the Indus valley people knew stories related

Bala Krishna dancing, 14th century CE Chola sculpture, Tamil

Nadu.from Honolulu Academy of Arts.

The scene on the battleeld of the epic Mahabharata, notably where he addresses Pandava prince Arjuna in the
Bhagavad Gita, is another common subject for representation. In these popular depictions, he is shown as the
charioteer in the battle-eld of Kurukshetra. In Vish-

3
varoopa Darshana (Universal form) to Arjuna, Lord Krishna resumes the role of the often with supreme Gods
characteristics of Hindu religious art, such as multiple
arms or heads, denoting power, and with attributes of
Vishnu, such as the chakra or in his two-armed form
as a charioteer. Cave paintings dated to 800 BCE in
Mirzapur, Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, show raiding
horse-charioteers, one of whom is about to hurl a wheel,
and who could potentially be identied as Krishna.[20]
Representations in temples often show him standing in
a bent posture, holding a ute in his hand accompanied with his consort Radha and gopis.[21] Seldomly he
is shown with his brother Balarama and sister Subhadra,
or his queens Rukmini and Satyabhama
Krishna is also depicted and worshipped as a small child
(Bala Krishna, Bla Ka the child Krishna), crawling
on his hands and knees, or dancing, often with butter or
Laddu in his hand being Laddu Gopal.[22][23] Regional
variations in the iconography of Krishna are seen in his
dierent forms, such as Jaganatha of Odisha, Vithoba
of Maharashtra,[24] Venkateswara (also Srinivasa or Balaji) in Andhra Pradesh, and Shrinathji in Rajasthan and
also as a new born cosmic infant sucking his toe while
oating on a banyan leef during the Pralaya (the cosmic dissolution) at the end of universe observed by sage
Markandeya.[25]

such as Bhaktivinoda Thakura, claim that this herdsman

refers to Krishna.[28] Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar
also attempted to show that the very same Krishna
made an appearance, e.g. as the drapsa ... krishna black
drop of RV 8.96.13.[29] Some authors have also likened
prehistoric depictions of deities to Krishna.
Chandogya Upanishad (3.17.6), dated between 8th and
6th century BCE, mentions Vasudeva Krishna as the son
of Devaki and the disciple of Ghora Angirasa, the seer
who preached his disciple the philosophy of Chhandogya. Having been inuenced by the philosophy of
Chhandogya Krishna in the Bhagavadgita while delivering the discourse to Arjuna on the battleeld of Kurukshetra discussed about sacrice, which can be compared
to purusha or the individual.[30][31][32][33]
Yska's Nirukta, an etymological dictionary around 6th
century BC, contains a reference to the Shyamantaka
jewel in the possession of Akrura, a motif from well
known Puranic story about Krishna.[34] Shatapatha Brahmana and Aitareya-Aranyaka, associate Krishna with his
Vrishni origins.[35]
Pini, the ancient grammarian and author of Asthadhyayi (probably belonged to 5th century or 6th century
BC) mentions a character called Vsudeva, son of Vasudeva, and also mentions Kaurava and Arjuna which testies to Vasudeva Krishna, Arjuna and Kauravas being
contemporaries.[30][36][37]

Megasthenes (350 290 BC) a Greek ethnographer and

an ambassador of Seleucus I to the court of Chandragupta
Maurya made reference to Herakles in his famous work
See also: Krishna in the Mahabharata
Indica. Many scholars have suggested that the deity idenThe earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descrip- tied as Herakles was Krishna. According to Arrian,
Diodorus, and Strabo, Megasthenes described an Indian
tribe called Sourasenoi, who especially worshipped Herakles in their land, and this land had two cities, Methora
and Kleisobora, and a navigable river, the Jobares. As
was common in the ancient period, the Greeks sometimes
described foreign gods in terms of their own divinities,
and there is a little doubt that the Sourasenoi refers to
the Shurasenas, a branch of the Yadu dynasty to which
Krishna belonged; Herakles to Krishna, or Hari-Krishna:
Methora to Mathura, where Krishna was born; Kleisobora to Krishnapura, meaning the city of Krishna"; and
Yashoda bathing the child Krishna
the Jobares to the Yamuna, the famous river in the Krishna story. Quintus Curtius also mentions that when
tions of Krishna as a personality is the epic Mahabharata
Alexander the Great confronted Porus, Poruss soldiers
which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu.[26] Krwere carrying an image of Herakles in their vanguard.[38]
ishna is central to many of the main stories of the epic.
The eighteen chapters of the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) The name Krishna occurs in Buddhist writings in the form
of the epic that constitute the Bhagavad Gita contain the Knha, phonetically equivalent to Krishna.[39]
advice of Krishna to Arjuna, on the battleeld. Krishna The Ghata-Jtaka (No. 454) gives an account of Kris already an adult in the epic, although there are allusions ishnas childhood and subsequent exploits which in many
to his earlier exploits. The Harivamsa, a later appendix points corresponds with the Brahmanic legends of his life
to this epic, contains the earliest detailed version of Kr- and contains several familiar incidents and names, such as
ishnas childhood and youth.
Vsudeva, Baladeva, Kasa. Yet it presents many pecu-

Literary sources

The Rig Veda 1.22.164 sukta 31 mentions a herdsman liarities and is either an independent version or a misrepwho never stumbles.[27] Some Vaishnavite scholars, resentation of a popular story that had wandered far from

LIFE

its home.
Jain tradition also shows that these tales were popular and
were worked up into dierent forms, for the Jains have an
elaborate system of ancient patriarchs which includes Vsudevas and Baladevas. Krishna is the ninth of the Black
Vsudevas and is connected with Dvravat or Dvrak.
He will become the twelfth trthankara of the next worldperiod and a similar position will be attained by Devak,
Rohin, Baladeva and Javakumra, all members of his
family. This is a striking proof of the popularity of the
Krishna legend outside the Brahmanic religion.[40]
According to Arthasastra of Kautilya (4th century BCE)
Vsudeva was worshiped as supreme Deity in a strongly
monotheistic format.[36]
Around 150 BC, Patanjali in his Mahabhashya quotes
a verse: May the might of Krishna accompanied by
Samkarshana increase!" Other verses are mentioned.
One verse speaks of Janardhana with himself as fourth
(Krishna with three companions, the three possibly being Samkarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha). Another verse mentions musical instruments being played
at meetings in the temples of Rama (Balarama) and Kesava (Krishna). Patanjali also describes dramatic and
mimetic performances (Krishna-Kamsopacharam) representing the killing of Kansa by Vasudeva.[41][42]
In the 1st century BC, there seems to be evidence for Vasudeva carrying the newborn Krishna to Nands house in
a worship of ve Vrishni heroes (Balarama, Krishna, Gokul via river Yamuna.
Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samba) for an inscription
has been found at Mora near Mathura, which apparently
mentions a son of the great satrap Rajuvula, probably the
satrap Sodasa, and an image of Vrishni, probably Vasudeva, and of the Five Warriors.[43] Brahmi inscription on the Mora stone slab, now in the Mathura Museum.[44][45]
Many Puranas tell Krishnas life-story or some highlights
from it. Two Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana and the
Vishnu Purana, that contain the most elaborate telling
of Krishnas story and teachings are the most theologically venerated by the Vaishnava schools.[46] Roughly one
quarter of the Bhagavata Purana is spent extolling his life
and philosophy.
Krishnas foster mother Yashoda with the infant Krishna. Chola
period, Early 12th century, Tamil Nadu, India.

4.1 Birth

Life

Krishna was born to Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva

on 27th July 3112 BCE on Earth in the Yadava clan, a
prince named Kansa (who was actually an Asura by birth)
had wreaked quite a havoc. During his sister Devaki's
wedding ceremony, a divine prophecy (loud voice from
the sky- Akasha Vani in Samskrutam) prophesied that the
8th son of Kansa's sister Devaki would kill Kansa.

This summary is a historical account, based on literary details from the Mahbhrata, the Harivamsa, the
Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The scenes
from the narrative are set in ancient India mostly in the
present states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi Out of aection for Devaki, Kansa did not kill her outand Gujarat.
right. He did, however, send his sister and her husband

4.2

Childhood and youth

(Vasudeva) and his father King Ugrasen to prison. Lord

Vishnu himself later appeared to Devaki and Vasudeva
and told them that he himself would be their eighth son
and kill Kansa and destroy sin in the world. In the story
of Krishna, the deity is the agent of conception and also
the ospring. Because of his sympathy for the earth, the
almighty lord Vishnu himself descended into the womb
of Devaki and was born as her son, Vaasudeva (i.e.,
Krishna).[47][48][49] The incarnation of Sri Krishna is a
virgin conception. This is similar to the case of the virgin Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas referenced contemporaneously with the story of Krishna in the Mahabharata. She also has a divine conception and virgin birth
of warrior-hero Karna and the Pandavas.[50] Devaki was
married to Vasudeva and had already given birth to 7 children. Brahmarishi Narad created confusion as to which
child would kill Kansa when he said who knows what
form the end might take. He also insinuated that the 8th
son could be the rst of 8 or the last of eight. He then
said that the act of the God cannot be understood by humans and left the prophecy up to interpretation. Because
Kansa was uncertain of which of his 8 nephews would kill
him, he brutally murdered all six of the children that Devaki had already given birth to by bashing their heads in.
When the 8th child was born, he was the reincarnation
of Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna. Vasudeva secretly carried the infant Krishna out of the prison and exchanged
children with Nanda, a kinsman of Vasudeva, for his
daughter. This daughter was yog maya, an incarnation of
(Durga). She warned Kansa that his death had arrived in
his kingdom and then disappeared. Krishna was adopted
by Nanda and his wife Yasoda[51][52][53][54] in Gokula (in
present-day Mathura district). Two of his other siblings
also survived, Balarama (Devakis seventh child, miraculously transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudevas rst
wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini,
born much later than Balarama and Krishna).[55]

Krishna holding Govardhan hill as depicted in Pahari painting

stories of Krishnas childhood and youth tell how he became a cow herder,[58] his mischievous pranks as Makhan
Chor (butter thief), his foiling of attempts to take his life,
and his role as a protector who stole the hearts of the people in both Gokul and Vrindavana.

Krishna belonged to the Vrishni clan of Yadavas from

Mathura,[56] and was the eighth son born to the princess Krishna killed the demoness Putana, disguised as a wet
nurse, shaktasur, and the tornado demon Trinavarta both
Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva.
sent by Kansa to kill krishna in Gokul. The other mirMathura (in present-day Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh) acles like changing a basket of fruit into precious stones
was the capital of the Yadavas, to which Krishnas parents and jewels of a fruit vendor due to her oering of fruit
Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. King Kansa, Devakis to the Lord for her love for the godchild is well known.
brother,[57] had ascended the throne by imprisoning his He later in Vrindavan, tamed the serpent Kliy, who had
father, King Ugrasena.
poisoned the waters of Yamuna river, thus leading to the
death of the cowherds. In Hindu art, Krishna is often
depicted dancing on the multi-hooded Kliy. He also
4.2 Childhood and youth
defeated demons like Dhenukasura, Vatsasura, Keshi,
Nanda was the head of a community of cow-herders in Aghasura, Arishtasura, Bakasura, Vyomasura, PralambaGokul. Due to the countinous threat by the demons sura and many others in Vrindavan.
sent by Kansa, Lord Krishna suggested to his father and
the villagers that they leave Gokul and go to Vrindavan.
Later, with the help of Vrishabanu (who was both Radhas
father and Nands friend) helped Nand and his villagers
to settle in Vridavan. Finally, they settled in Vrindavana.
Although, the rampage of demons continued in Vrindavan, in the lords presence they were reduced to dust. The

Krishna lifted the Govardhana hill and taught Indra, the

king of the devas, a lesson to protect the native people
of Vrindavana from persecution by Indra and prevent the
devastation of the pasture land of Govardhan. Indra had
too much pride and was angry when Krishna advised the
people of Vrindavana to take care of their animals and
their environment that provide them with all their neces-

LIFE

sities, instead of worshipping Indra annually by spending their resources.[59][60] In the view of some, the spiritual movement started by Krishna had something in it
which went against the orthodox forms of worship of the
Vedas.[61] In Bhagavat Purana, Krishna says that the rain
came from the nearby hill Govardhana, and advised that
the people worship the hill instead of Indra. This made
Indra furious, so he punished them by sending out a great
storm and rain which lasted for seven days and seven
nights. Krishna then lifted Govardhan and held it over
the people like an umbrella. This reduced Indras pride
and he felt guilt of his act and sought forgivness from the
lord in the form of a sage.
The stories of his play with the gopis (milkmaids) of Vrindavana, especially Radha (daughter of Vrishbhanu, one of
the original residents of Vrindavan) became known as the
Rasa lila and were romanticised in the poetry of Jayadeva,
author of the Gita Govinda. These became important as
part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions
worshiping Radha Krishna.[62]
Krishnas childhood reinforces the Hindu concept of lila,
playing for fun and enjoyment and not for sport or gain.
His interaction with the gopis at the rasa dance or Rasalila is a great example of this. Krishna played his ute
and the gopis came immediately from whatever they were
doing, to the banks of the Yamuna River, and joined him
in singing and dancing. Even those who could not physically be there joined him through meditation.[63] The
story of Krishnas battle with Kliy also supports this
idea in the sense of him dancing on Kliy's many hoods.
Even though he is doing battle with the serpent, he is in
no real danger and treats it like a game. He is a protector,
but he only appears to be a young boy having fun. With
his supreme powers, Krishna killed innumerable powerful demons (who had been born as demons because of
curses or fate) so he could help them to attain salvation.[64]
This idea of having a playful god is very important in Hinduism. The playfulness of Krishna has inspired many celebrations like the Rasa-lila and the Janmashtami : where
they make human pyramids to break open handis (clay
pots) hung high in the air that spill buttermilk all over the
group after being broken by the person at the top. This
is meant to be a fun celebration and it gives the participants a sense of unity. Many believe that lila being connected with Krishna gives Hindus a deeper connection to
him and thus a deeper connection to Vishnu also; seeing
as Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu. Theologists, like
Kristin Johnston Largen, believe that Krishnas childhood
can even inspire other religions to look for lila in deities
so that they have a chance to experience a part of their
faith that they may not have previously seen.[65]

Krishna with his consorts Rukmini, Satyabhama and his mount

Garuda; Tamil Nadu, India, late 12th-13th century[66]

reinstated Kansas father, Ugrasena, as the king of the Yadavas and became a leading prince at the court.[67] During this period, he became a friend of Arjuna and the
other Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom, who were his
cousins. Later, he took his Yadava subjects to the city of
Dwaraka (in modern Gujarat) and established a new kingdom there. Krishna was the prince and commander of the
Armies of Dwaraka, while Balarama was crown prince
and de facto administrator as King Ugrasena was still
the emperor of Dwaraka but reigned over Mathura.[68]
According to the legends,the marriage of sri Krishna is
for the sake of the souls who sincerely devoted to the
lord sought his help to attain moksha(Salvation).accepting
there prayers the lord himself agreed to be their protector.Thus,the marriage of the lord is not to do anything for physical union, but,it is only for the union
of soul of the living(jeevaathma) with the superior creator(parmaathma)

Krishna married Rukmini, the Vidarbha princess, by abducting her, at her request, from her proposed wedding with Shishupala. He married eight queens
collectively called the Ashtabharyaincluding Rukmini,
Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti,
Bhadra and Lakshmana.[69][70] Krishna subsequently
married 16,000 or 16,100 maidens who were held captive by the demon Narakasura, to save their honour.[71][72]
Krishna killed the demon and released them all. According to social custom of the time, all of the captive women
were degraded, and would be unable to marry, as they
had been under the Narakasuras control. However Krishna married them to reinstate their status in the society.
This symbolic wedding with 16,100 abandoned daughters
was more of a mass rehabilitation.[73] In Vaishnava traditions, Krishnas wives are forms of the goddess Lakshmi
consort of Vishnu, or special souls who attained this
qualication after many lifetimes of austerity, while his
4.3 The prince
two queens, Rukmani and Satyabhama, are expansions of
[74]
On his return to Mathura as a young man, Krishna over- Lakshmi.
threw and killed his maternal uncle, Kansa, after quelling When Yudhishthira was assuming the title of emperor, he
several assassination attempts from Kansas followers. He had invited all the great kings to the ceremony and while

4.4

Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita

paying his respects to them, he started with Krishna because he considered Krishna to be the greatest of them all.
While it was a unanimous feeling amongst most present at
the ceremony that Krishna should get the rst honours, his
cousin Shishupala felt otherwise and started berating Krishna. Due to a vow given to Shishupals mother, Krishna
forgave a hundred verbal abuses by Shishupal, and upon
the one hundred and rst, he assumed his Virat (universal) form and killed Shishupal with his Chakra. The blind
king Dhritarashtra also obtained divine vision to be able
to see this form of Krishna during the time when Duryodana tried to capture Krishna when he came as a peace
bearer before the great Mahabharat War. Essentially,
Shishupala and Dantavakra were both re-incarnations of
Vishnus gate-keepers Jaya and Vijaya, who were cursed
to be born on Earth, to be delivered by the Vishnu back
to Vaikuntha.[75]

7
and coming out of Chakra Vyuha. Lord krishna is considered as the greatest warrior in all of Hindu mythology. He never lost any battle that he fought and was uniformly successful in all his wars. He was the rst to defeat
mighty Jarasandha, the ruler of Magadha even though he
couldn't kill him. Once battle seemed inevitable, Krishna
oered both sides the opportunity to choose between having either his army called Narayani Sena or himself alone,
but on the condition that he personally would not raise
any weapon. Arjuna, on behalf of the Pandavas, chose
to have Krishna on their side, and Duryodhana, Kaurava
prince, chose Krishnas army. At the time of the great
battle, Krishna acted as Arjunas charioteer, since this position did not require the wielding of weapons.

Upon arrival at the battleeld, and seeing that the enemies

are his family, his grandfather, his cousins and loved ones,
Arjuna is moved and says his heart does not allow him to
ght and he would rather prefer to renounce the kingdom
4.4 Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita and put down his Gandiv (Arjunas bow). Krishna then
advises him about the battle, with the conversation soon
extending into a discourse which was later compiled as
Main articles: Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita
[76]
Lord Krishna was a mighty Maha Maharathi greater the Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna displays his Vishvarupa (universal form) to Arjuna on

the battleeld of Kurukshetra.

Krishna Mediating between the Pandavas and Kauravas

than any past, present or future warrior. He possessed

all three ultimate weapons of the Trimurthi, the Brahma
Danda, the Pashupatastra and the Vaishnavastra. He also
possessed the Narayanastra, NagaPasha and the Vasavi
Shakti and all other divine astras. He was one of the very
few people who knew the secret of both entering in to

Krishna asked Arjuna, Have you within no time, forgotten the Kauravas evil deeds such as not accepting the
eldest brother Yudhishtira as King, usurping the entire
Kingdom without yielding any portion to the Pandavas,
meting out insults and diculties to Pandavas, attempt to
murder the Pandavas in the Barnava lac guest house, publicly attempting to disrobe and disgracing Draupadi. Krishna further exhorted in his famous Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, do not engage in philosophical analyses at this point
of time like a Pundit. You are aware that Duryodhana
particularly have long harboured jealousy and hatred for
you Pandavas and badly want to prove their hegemony.
You are aware that Bhishmacharya and your Teachers
are tied down to their dharma of protecting the unitarian power of the Kuru throne. Moreover, you Arjuna,
are only a mortal appointee to carry out my divine will,

LIFE

since the Kauravas are destined to die either way, due to

their heap of sins. Open your eyes O Bhaarata and know
that I encompass the Karta, Karma and Kriya, all in myself. There is no scope for contemplation now or remorse
later, it is indeed time for war and the world will remember your might and immense powers for time to come.
So rise O Arjuna!, tighten up your Gandiva and let all
directions shiver till their farthest horizons, by the reverberation of its string.

Krishna in Balinese Wayang form

Krishna had a profound eect on the Mahabharata war

and its consequences. He had considered the Kurukshetra
war to be a last resort after voluntarily acting as a messenger in order to establish peace between the Pandavas
and Kauravas. But, once these peace negotiations failed
and was embarked into the war, then he became a clever
strategist. During the war, upon becoming angry with
Arjuna for not ghting in true spirit against his ancestors,
Krishna once picked up a carriage wheel in order to use
it as a weapon to challenge Bhishma. Upon seeing this,
Bhishma dropped his weapons and asked Krishna to kill
him. However, Arjuna apologised to Krishna, promising
that he would ght with full dedication here/after, and
the battle continued. Krishna had directed Yudhishthira
and Arjuna to return to Bhishma the boon of victory
which he had given to Yudhishthira before the war commenced, since he himself was standing in their way to victory. Bhishma understood the message and told them the
means through which he would drop his weaponswhich
was if a woman entered the battleeld. Next day, upon
Krishnas directions, Shikhandi (Amba reborn) accompanied Arjuna to the battleeld and thus, Bhishma laid
down his arms. This was a decisive moment in the war because Bhishma was the chief commander of the Kaurava
army and the most formidable warrior on the battleeld.
Krishna aided Arjuna in killing Jayadratha, who had held
the other four Pandava brothers at bay while Arjunas son
Abhimanyu entered Drona's Chakravyuha formation

Festival in honour of Chrishna (October 1853, X, p.114)[77]

an eort in which he was killed by the simultaneous attack of eight Kaurava warriors. Krishna also caused the
downfall of Drona, when he signalled Bhima to kill an
elephant called Ashwatthama, the namesake of Dronas
son. Pandavas started shouting that Ashwatthama was
dead but Drona refused to believe them saying he would
believe it only if he heard it from Yudhishthira. Krishna
knew that Yudhishthira would never tell a lie, so he devised a clever ploy so that Yudhishthira wouldn't lie and
at the same time Drona would be convinced of his sons
death. On asked by Drona, Yudhishthira proclaimed
Ashwathama Hatahath, naro va Kunjaro
va
i.e. Ashwathama had died but he was nor sure whether
it was a Dronas son or an elephant. But as soon as Yudhishthira had uttered the rst line, Pandava army on Krishnas direction broke into celebration with drums and
conchs, in the din of which Drona could not hear the
second part of the Yudhishthiras declaration and assumed that his son indeed was dead. Overcome with
grief he laid down his arms, and on Krishnas instruction
Dhrishtadyumna beheaded Drona.
When Arjuna was ghting Karna, the latters chariots
wheels sank into the ground. While Karna was trying to
take out the chariot from the grip of the Earth,unarmed,

4.6

Later life

Krishna reminded Arjuna how Karna and the other Kauravas had broken all rules of battle while simultaneously
attacking and killing Abhimanyu, and he convinced Arjuna to do the same in revenge in order to kill Karna.Thus
Arjuna broke all the rules of the battle too. During the
nal stage of the war, when Duryodhana was going to
meet his mother Gandhari for taking her blessings which
would convert all parts of his body on which her sight
falls to diamond, Krishna tricks him to wearing banana
leaves to hide his groin. When Duryodhana meets Gandhari, her vision and blessings fall on his entire body except his groin and thighs, and she becomes unhappy about
it because she was not able to convert his entire body
to diamond. When Duryodhana was in a mace-ght
with Bhima, Bhimas blows had no eect on Duryodhana. Upon this, Krishna reminded Bhima of his vow to
kill Duryodhana by hitting him on the thigh, and Bhima
did the same to win the war despite it being against the
rules of mace-ght (since Duryodhana had himself broken Dharma in all his past acts). Thus, Krishnas unparalleled strategy helped the Pandavas win the Mahabharata
war by bringing the downfall of all the chief Kaurava warriors, without lifting any weapon. He also brought back to
life Arjunas grandson Parikshit, who had been attacked
by a Brahmastra weapon from Ashwatthama while he was
in his mothers womb. Parikshit became the Pandavas
successor.

4.5

9
gave them shelter in his new palace and a respectful place
in society.
The Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, and Harivamsa
list the children of Krishna from the Ashtabharya with
some variation, while Rohinis sons are interpreted to represent the unnumbered children of his junior wives. Most
well-known among his sons are Pradyumna, the eldest son
of Krishna (and Rukmini). Pradyumna is one in 24 Keshava Namas (names), praised in all pujas.[78] and Samba,
the son of Jambavati, whose actions led to the destruction
of Krishnas clan.

4.6 Later life

Main article: Mausala Parva
According to Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra war resulted

Family
An hunter named Jara aiming an arrow to sleeping Krishna

in the death of all the hundred sons of Gandhari. On the

night before Duryodhanas death, Krishna visited Gandhari to oer his condolences. Gandhari felt that Krishna
knowingly did not put an end to the war, and in a t of rage
and sorrow, Gandhari cursed that Krishna, along with everyone else from the Yadu dynasty, would perish after 36
years. Krishna himself knew and wanted this to happen
as he felt that the Yadavas had become very haughty and
arrogant (adharmi), so he ended Gandharis speech by
saying "tathastu" (so be it). According to Srimad Bhagavatham, Rishi Vyas cursed yadavas (due to a tactful play
by Yadavas with Rishi Vyas) saying, your entire community will die.

Krishna and ladies in a garden: 18th century Indian painting

Main articles: Ashtabharya and Junior wives of Krishna

Krishna had eight principal wives, also known as Ashtabharya: Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Nagnajiti,
Kalindi, Mitravinda, Bhadra and Lakshmana. Besides them Krishna married 16,100 more women (number varies in scriptures), whom he had rescued from
Narakasura's palace after killing Narakasura. He married
them all to save them from destruction and notoriety. He

Thirty-six years later, a ght broke out between the Yadavas at a festival, who killed each other. Krishnas elder brother, Balarama, then gave up his body using Yoga.
Krishna retired into the forest and started meditating under a tree. The Mahabharata also narrates the story of a
hunter who becomes an instrument for Krishnas departure from the world. The hunter Jara, mistook Krishnas
partly visible left foot for that of a deer, and shot an arrow, wounding him mortally. Krishna told Jara, O Jara,
you were Bali in your previous birth, killed by myself as
Rama in Tretayuga. Here you had a chance to even it and
since all acts in this world are done as desired by me, you
need not worry for this. Then Krishna, with four handed

10

form ascended to his abode.[79][80][81][82] The news was

conveyed to Hastinapur and Dwaraka by eyewitnesses to
this event.[83] The place of this incident is believed to be
Bhalka, near Somnath temple.[84][85]
According to Puranic sources,[86] Krishnas departure
marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali
Yuga, which is dated to 17/18 February 3102 BCE.[87]
Vaishnava teachers such as Ramanujacharya and Gaudiya
Vaishnavas held the view that the body of Krishna is
completely spiritual and never decays (Achyuta) as this
appears to be the perspective of the Bhagavata Purana.
Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (an incarnation of Lord
Sri Krishna according to the Bhavishya Purana) exhorted,
Krishna Naama Sankirtan i.e. the constant chanting of
the Krishnas name is the supreme healer in Kali Yuga. It
destroys sins and puries the hearts through Bhakti and
ensures universal peace.

WORSHIP

Dr. Manish Pandits 2009 study places Krishnas life

in the 31st century BC
Dr. P.V. Vartak places Lord Krishnas birth year as
5561 BCE.
Jain tradition consider Krishna to be cousin of
Neminatha,[98] who is believed to be born 84000
years before Parshvanatha[99] (i.e. 85th millennium
BC).[100]

Krishna never appears to grow old or age at all in the historical depictions of the Puranas despite passing of several decades, but there are grounds for a debate whether
this indicates that he has no material body, since battles and other descriptions of the Mahabhrata epic show
clear indications that he seems to be subject to the limitations of nature.[88] While battles apparently seem to indicate limitations, Mahabharata also shows in many places
where Krishna is not subject to any limitations through
episodes Duryodhana trying to arrest Krishna where his
body burst into re showing all creation within him.[89]
Krishna is also explicitly described as without deterioration elsewhere.[90]

Proposed datings

See also: Vedic-Puranic chronology

Information Kiosk at Bhalka, the place where Lord Krishna left

Some religiously oriented scholars have tried to assign

for heavenly abode
dates to Krishna himself and to the Kurukshetra war:
According to drikpanchang.com, the date of Krishnas birth, known as Janmashtami,[91] is 21
February 3228 BCE.[92]
Dr. P. V. Holay suggests 13 November 3143 BCE
as the beginning of the Kurukshetra war.[93]
Dr. Narhari Achar[94] states that Krishna lived
sometime between 3200 BC and 3112 BCE. Achars
ndings were based on the interpretation of the constellations, star positions and thithis mentioned in the
Mahabharata. He also stated that the Kurukshetra
war took place in 3139 BCE.[95]

A paper presented in a conference in 2004 by a group of

archaeologists, religious scholars and astronomers from
Somnath Trust of Gujarat, which was organised at Prabhas Patan, the supposed location of the death of Sri Krishna, xes the death of Sri Krishna on 18 February 3102
BC at the age of 125 years and 7 months.[101] The death
date was deduced from Puranic hints such as the Matsya Purana mention which says Krishna was 89 years old
when the Kurukshetran War was fought and the verses
from Mahabharata which states that Sri Krishna lived 36
years after the Kurukshetra war. Despite skepticism from
some parts of the scientic fraternity these ndings found
immense popular support in India.[3]

A. K. Bansal calculated 21 July 3228 BCE as the

birth date of Sri Krishna.[96][97]
B. V. Raman states that Sri Krishna was born on 19
July 3228 BCE.

6 Worship

6.3

6.1

Bhakti tradition

11

Vaishnavism

Main article: Vaishnavism

The worship of Krishna is part of Vaishnavism, which re-

An image of Bal Krishna at Shrinathji Temple, Rajasthan, India.

Rasa Lila in Manipuri dance style.

gards Vishnu as the supreme God and venerates his associated avatars, their consorts, and related saints and teachers. Krishna is especially looked upon as a full manifestation of Vishnu, and as one with Vishnu himself.[102] However the exact relationship between Krishna and Vishnu
is complex and diverse,[103] where Krishna is sometimes
considered an independent deity, supreme in his own
right.[104] Out of many deities, Krishna is particularly important, and traditions of Vaishnava lines are generally
centred either on Vishnu or on Krishna as supreme. The
term Krishnaism has been used to describe the sects of
Krishna, reserving the term Vaishnavism for sects focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna is an avatar, rather
than as a transcendent Supreme Being.[105]
All Vaishnava traditions recognise Krishna as eighth
avatar of Vishnu; others identify Krishna with Vishnu;
while traditions, such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism,[106][107]
Vallabha Sampradaya and the Nimbarka Sampradaya, regard Krishna as the Svayam Bhagavan, original form of
God.[108][109][110][111][112] Swaminarayan, the founder of
the Swaminarayan Sampraday, also worshipped Krishna
as God himself. Greater Krishnaism corresponds to the
second and dominant phase of Vaishnavism, revolving
around the cults of the Vasudeva, Krishna, and Gopala
of the late Vedic period.[113] Today the faith has a significant following outside of India as well.[114]

Krishna.[116][117] Some early scholars would equate it with

Bhagavatism,[9] and the founder of this religious tradition
is believed to be Krishna, who is the son of Vasudeva,
thus his name is Vsudeva; he is said to be historically
part of the Satvata tribe, and according to them his followers called themselves Bhagavatas and this religion had
formed by the 2nd century BC (the time of Patanjali),
or as early as the 4th century BC according to evidence
in Megasthenes and in the Arthasastra of Kautilya, when
Vsudeva was worshiped as supreme deity in a strongly
monotheistic format, where the supreme being was perfect, eternal and full of grace.[9] In many sources outside
of the cult, the devotee or bhakta is dened as Vsudevaka.[118] The Harivamsa describes intricate relationships
between Krishna Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and
Aniruddha that would later form a Vaishnava concept of
primary quadrupled expansion, or avatar.[119]

6.3 Bhakti tradition

Main article: Bhakti yoga

Bhakti, meaning devotion, is not conned to any one deity. However Krishna is an important and popular focus
of the devotional and ecstatic aspects of Hindu religion,
particularly among the Vaishnava sects.[106][120] Devotees of Krishna subscribe to the concept of lila, meaning 'divine play', as the central principle of the Universe.
The lilas of Krishna, with their expressions of personal
6.2 Early traditions
love that transcend the boundaries of formal reverence,
The deity Krishna-Vasudeva (ka vsudeva Krishna, serve as a counterpoint to the actions of another avatar
and narrow path of
the son of Vasudeva") is historically one of the earliest of Vishnu: Rama, He of the straight
[107]
maryada,
or
rules
and
regulations.
[8][34]
forms of worship in Krishnaism and Vaishnavism.
It is believed to be a signicant tradition of the early his- The bhakti movements devoted to Krishna became
tory of the worship of Krishna in antiquity.[9][115] This prominent in southern India in the 7th to 9th centuries
tradition is considered as earliest to other traditions that AD. The earliest works included those of the Alvar saints
led to amalgamation at a later stage of the historical de- of the Tamil country.[121] A major collection of their
velopment. Other traditions are Bhagavatism and the cult works is the Divya Prabandham. The Alvar Andal's popof Gopala, that along with the cult of Bala Krishna form ular collection of songs Tiruppavai, in which she conthe basis of current tradition of monotheistic religion of ceives of herself as a gopi, is the most famous of the old-

12

WORSHIP

est works in this genre.[122][123] [124] Kulasekaraazhvaar's

Mukundamala was another notable work of this early
stage.

6.4

Spread of the Krishna-bhakti movement

The movement, which started in the 6th-7th century A.D.

in the Tamil-speaking region of South India, with twelve
Alvar (one immersed in God) saint-poets, who wrote
devotional songs. The religion of Alvar poets, which
included a woman poet, Andal, was devotion to God
through love (bhakti), and in the ecstasy of such devotions they sang hundreds of songs which embodied both
depth of feeling and felicity of expressions. The movement originated in South India during the seventh-century
CE, spreading northwards from Tamil Nadu through Karnataka and Maharashtra; by the fteenth century, it was
established in Bengal and northern India[125]

Krishna (left) with the ute with gopi-consort Radha,

Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, England

In the Deccan, particularly in Maharashtra, saint poets of the Varkari sect such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev,
Janabai, Eknath and Tukaram promoted the worship of
Vithoba,[24] a local form of Krishna, from the beginning of the 13th century until the late 18th century.[7]
In southern India, Purandara Dasa and Kanakadasa of
Karnataka composed songs devoted to the Krishna imGita Govinda by Jayadeva.
age of Udupi. Rupa Goswami of Gaudiya Vaishnavism,
While the learned sections of the society well versed in has compiled a comprehensive summary of bhakti named
[120]
Sanskrit could enjoy works like Gita Govinda or Bil- Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu.
vamangalas Krishna-Karnamritam, the masses sang the
songs of the devotee-poets, who composed in the regional
languages of India. These songs expressing intense per- 6.5 In the West
sonal devotion were written by devotees from all walks of
life. The songs of Meera and Surdas became epitomes of In 16th Century AD when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
launched the sankirtan movement of the congregational
Krishna-devotion in north India.
These devotee-poets, like the Alvars before them, were chanting of the holy names of the Lord (Krishna),
aligned to specic theological schools only loosely, if he commissioned his closest associates to spread the
at all. But by the 11th century AD, Vaishnava Bhakti movement everywhere. On the order of Chaitanya
schools with elaborate theological frameworks around Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu traveled extensively
the worship of Krishna were established in north India. throughout Bengal, humbly begging everyone he met to
Nimbarka (11th century AD), Vallabhacharya (15th cen- chant the holy names and worship Radha-Krishna. Many
tury AD) and (Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu an incar- Bengalis surrendered at his lotus feet, becoming his disnation of Lord Sri Krishna according to the Bhavishya ciples and adopting the Gaudiya Vaisnava way of life.
Purana) (16th century AD) all inspired by the teach- Among these disciples was Krishnananda Dutta Chaudings of Madhvacharya (11th century AD) were the hury,
founders of the most inuential schools. These schools,
namely Nimbarka Sampradaya, Vallabha Sampradaya
and Gaudiya Vaishnavism respectively, see Krishna as the
supreme God.

In 1965, the Krishna-bhakti movement had spread outside India when its founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, (who was instructed by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura) traveled from his homeland in West

6.6

In South India

13

6.6 In South India

In South India, Vaishnavas usually belong to the Sri Sampradaya. The acharyas of the Sri Sampradaya have written reverentially about Krishna in most of their works
like the Thiruppavai by Andal[128] and Gopala Vimshati
by Vedanta Desika.[129] In South India, devotion to Krishna, as an avatar of Vishnu, spread in the face of opposition to Buddhism, Shaktism, and Shaivism and ritualistic Vedic sacrices. The acharyas of the Sri Sampradaya
like Manavala Mamunigal, Vedanta Desika strongly advocated surrender to Vishnu as the aim of the Vedas. Out
of 108 Divya Desams there are 97 Divya Desams in South
India.
Due to strong Vaishnava inuence in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, these states have
many major Krishna temples and Janmashtami is one of
the widely celebrated festivals in South India.

7 In the performing arts

The age old ancestral family deity of Krishnananda Dutta

Chaudhury. Later on, this worship passed onto his succeeding
ancestor Bhaktivinoda Thakur.Now the deity is kept in an ashram
in Choti village of Orissa.

Bengal to New York City. A year later in 1966,

after gaining many followers, he was able to form
the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement. The purpose of this movement was to write about
Krishna in English and to share the Gaudiya Vaishnava
philosophy with people in the Western world by spreading the teachings of the saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In
an eort to gain attention, followers chanted the names
of God in public locations. This chanting was known
as hari-nama sankirtana and helped spread the teaching.
Additionally, the practice of distributing prasad or sanctied food worked as a catalyst in the dissemination of
his works. In the Hare Krishna movement, Prasad was a
vegetarian dish that would be rst oered to Krishna. The
foods proximity to Krishna added a spiritual eect, and
was seen to counteract material contamination aecting
the soul. Sharing this sanctied food with the public, in
turn, enabled the movement to gain new recruits and further spread these teachings.[10][126][127]

A Kerala Kathakali performer as Krishna

While discussing the origin of Indian theatre, Horwitz

talks about the mention of the Krishna story in Patanjali's
Mahabhashya (c. 150 BC), where the episodes of slaying of Kansa (Kansa Vadha) and Binding of the heaven
storming titan (Bali Bandha) are described.[130] Bhasa's
Balacharitam and Dutavakyam (c. 400 BC) are the only

14

IN OTHER RELIGIONS

Sanskrit plays centred on Krishna written by a major classical dramatist. The former dwells only on his childhood
exploits and the latter is a one-act play based on a single episode from the Mahbhrata when Krishna tries to
make peace between the warring cousins.[131]
The classical Indian dances, especially Odissi and
Manipuri, draw heavily on the story. The 'Rasa lila'
dances performed in Vrindavan shares elements with
Kathak, and the Krisnattam, with some cycles, such as
Krishnattam, traditionally restricted to the Guruvayur
temple, the precursor of Kathakali.[132]

8
8.1

In other religions
Jainism

Further information: alkpurua

The Jain tradition lists of sixty-three alkpurua or notable gures includes, amongst others, the twenty-four
Tirthankaras and nine sets of this triad. One of these triads is Krishna as the Vasudeva, Balarama as the Baladeva
and Jarasandha as the Prati-Vasudeva. He was a cousin of
the twenty-second Tirthankara, Neminatha. The stories
of these triads can be found in the Harivamsa Purana (8th Depiction of Krishna playing ute in the temple constructed in
century CE) of Jinasena (not be confused with its name- AD 752 on the order of Emperor Shomu; Todai-ji Temple, Great
sake, the addendum to Mahbhrata) and the Trishashti- Buddha Hall in Nara, Japan
shalakapurusha-charita of Hemachandra.[133][134]
In each age of the Jain cyclic time is born a Vasudeva
with an elder brother termed the Baladeva. The villain is
the Prati-vasudeva. Baladeva is the upholder of the Jain
principle of non-violence. However, Vasudeva has to forsake this principle to kill the Prati-Vasudeva and save the
world.[135][136]

8.2

Buddhism

The story of Krishna occurs in the Jataka tales in

Buddhism,[137] in the Vaibhav Jataka as a prince and legendary conqueror and king of India.[138] In the Buddhist
version, Krishna is called Vasudeva, Kanha and Keshava,
and Balarama is his older brother, Baladeva. These details resemble that of the story given in the Bhagavata
Purana. Vasudeva, along with his nine other brothers
(each son a powerful wrestler) and one elder sister (Anjana) capture all of Jambudvipa (many consider this to be
India) after beheading their evil uncle, King Kansa, and
later all other kings of Jambudvipa with his Sudarshana
Chakra. Much of the story involving the defeat of Kansa
follows the story given in the Bhagavata Purana.[139]
As depicted in the Mahbhrata, all of the sons are eventually killed due to a curse of sage Kanhadipayana (Veda
Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dwaipayana). Krishna
himself is eventually speared by a hunter in the foot by

mistake, leaving the sole survivor of their family being

their sister, Anjanadevi of whom no further mention is
made.[140]
Since Jataka tales are given from the perspective of
Buddha's previous lives (as well as the previous lives
of many of Buddhas followers), Krishna appears as the
Dhammasenapati or Chief General of the Dharma
and is usually shown being Buddhas right-hand man
in Buddhist art and iconography.[141] The Bodhisattva, is
born in this tale as one of his youngest brothers named
Ghatapandita, and saves Krishna from the grief of losing
his son.[138] The 'divine boy' Krishna as an embodiment
of wisdom and endearing prankster forms a part of the
pantheon of gods in Japanese Buddhism .[142]

8.3 Bah' Faith

Bah's believe that Krishna was a "Manifestation of
God", or one in a line of prophets who have revealed the
Word of God progressively for a gradually maturing humanity. In this way, Krishna shares an exalted station
with Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Muhammad,
Jesus, the Bb, and the founder of the Bah' Faith,
Bah'u'llh.[143][144]

15

8.4

Ahmadiyya Islam

Members of the Ahmadiyya Community believe Krishna

to be a great prophet of God as described by their founder,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.
Ghulam Ahmad also claimed to be the likeness of Krishna as a latter day reviver of religion and morality whose
mission was to reconcile man with God.[145] Ahmadis
maintain that the Sanskrit term Avatar is synonymous
with the term 'prophet' of the Middle Eastern religious
tradition as Gods intervention with man; as God appoints
a man as his vicegerent upon earth. In Lecture Sialkot,
Ghulam Ahmed wrote:
Let it be clear that Raja Krishna, according to what has been revealed to me, was such
a truly great man that it is hard to nd his
like among the Rishis and Avatars of the Hindus. He was an Avatari.e., Prophetof his
time upon whom the Holy Spirit would descend
from God. He was from God, victorious and
prosperous. He cleansed the land of the Aryas
from sin and was in fact the Prophet of his age
whose teaching was later corrupted in numerous ways. He was full of love for God, a friend
of virtue and an enemy of evil.[145]
Krishna is also called Murli Dhar. The ute of Krishna
means the ute of revelation and not the physical ute.
According to Ahmadis, Krishna lived like humans and
was a prophet.[146][147]

8.5

Other

Dashavatara
Chaubis Avtar

10 References
[1] John Stratton Hawley, Donna Marie Wul (1982). The
Divine Consort: Rdh and the Goddesses of India. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 9780895811028.
[2] Krishna. Encyclopdia Britannica Online.
[3] Krishna lived 125 years. Times of India.
[4] Knott 2000, p. 56
[5] Knott 2000, p. 36, p. 15
[6] Richard Thompson,
Ph.D. (December 1994).
Reections on the Relation Between Religion and
Modern Rationalism. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
[7] Mahony, W.K. (1987). Perspectives on Krsnas Various
Personalities. History of Religions. American Oriental
Society. 26 (3): 333335. doi:10.1086/463085. JSTOR
1062381.
[8] Hein, Norvin. A Revolution in Kaism: The Cult
of Gopla. History of Religions. 25: 296317.
doi:10.1086/463051. JSTOR 1062622.
[9] Hastings, James Rodney (2003) [190826]. Encyclopedia
of Religion and Ethics. 4. John A Selbie (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Kessinger Publishing, LLC. p. 476. ISBN 07661-3673-6. Retrieved 2008-05-03. The encyclopedia
will contain articles on all the religions of the world and
on all the great systems of ethics. It will aim at containing
articles on every religious belief or custom, and on every
ethical movement, every philosophical idea, every moral
practice.pp.540-42

Krishna worship or reverence has been adopted by several new religious movements since the 19th century
and he is sometimes a member of an eclectic pantheon [10] Selengut, Charles (1996). Charisma and Religious
in occult texts, along with Greek, Buddhist, biblical
Innovation:Prabhupada and the Founding of ISKCON.
and even historical gures.[148] For instance, douard
ISKCON Communications Journal. 4 (2). Archived from
Schur, an inuential gure in perennial philosophy and
the original on 13 July 2011.
occult movements, considered Krishna a Great Initiate;
Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
while Theosophists regard Krishna as an incarnation of [11]
(2008 revision)
Maitreya (one of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom),
Apte Sanskrit-English Dictionary
the most important spiritual teacher for humanity along
with Buddha.[149][150]
Krishna was canonised by Aleister Crowley and is
recognised as a saint in the Gnostic Mass of Ordo Templi
Orientis.[151][152]

See also
Pradyumna
Aniruddha
Vajra (King Aniruddhas Son)

[12] Rosen, Steven (2006). Essential Hinduism. Greenwood

Publishing Group. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-275-99006-0.
[13] Bryant 2007, p. 17
[14] Hiltebeitel, Alf (2001). Rethinking the Mahbhrata:
a readers guide to the education of the dharma king.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 25153, 256,
259. ISBN 0-226-34054-6.
[15] B.M.Misra. Orissa: Shri Krishna Jagannatha: the Mushali
parva from Saralas Mahabharata. Oxford University
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[17] Mackays report part 1, pp.34445, Part 2, plate no.90,

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[18] The Encyclopedia Americana. [s.l.]: Grolier. 1988. p.

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[21] Harle, J. C. (1994). The art and architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. New Haven, Conn: Yale University
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[22] Hoiberg, Dale; Ramchandani, Indu (2000). Students
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[23] Satsvarupa dasa Goswami (1998). The Qualities of Sri
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[24] Vithoba is not only viewed as a form of Krishna. He is also
by some considered that of Vishnu, Shiva and Gautama
Buddha according to various traditions. See: Kelkar,
Ashok R. (2001) [1992]. "Sri-Vitthal: Ek Mahasamanvay
(Marathi) by R.C. Dhere. Encyclopaedia of Indian literature. 5. Sahitya Akademi. p. 4179. Retrieved 2008-0920. and Mokashi, Digambar Balkrishna; Engblom, Philip
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[33] Indian Hist (Opt) By Reddy. Books.google.co.in. 200612-01. ISBN 9780070635777. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
[34] Bryant 2007, p. 4
[35] Sunil Kumar Bhattacharya Krishna-cult in Indian Art.
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[36] Hastings 2003, pp. 54042
[37] P. IV. 3. 98, Vsudevrjunbhym vun. See Bhandarkar, Vaishnavism and aivism, p. 3 and J.R.A.S. 1910,
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faith or devotion, felt for this Vsudeva.
[38] Krishna: a sourcebook, pp 5, Edwin Francis Bryant, Oxford University Press US, 2007
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0030061148.

[44] Puri, B.N. (1968). India in the Time of Patanjali. Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan.Page 51: The coins of Raj uvula have
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[26] Wendy Doniger (2008). Britannica: Mahabharata. encyclopedia. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Retrieved
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[27] Rig Veda: Rig-Veda Book 1: HYMN CLXIV.

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[28] Gaudiya scholar, Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Dasa Mula

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[47] Christopher Hitchens, God is Not Great: How Religion

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[91] Knott, Kim (2000). Hinduism: A Very Short Introducpresents him as its highest personal God.
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[103] See Beck, Guy, Introduction in Beck 2005, pp. 118
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[108] K. Klostermaier (1997). The Charles Strong Trust Lectures, 1972-1984. Crotty, Robert B. Brill Academic Pub.
p. 109. ISBN 90-04-07863-0. For his worshippers he is
not an avatara in the usual sense, but Svayam Bhagavan, [119] Couture, Andr (2006). The emergence of a group
of four characters (Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna,
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bindu of Visvanatha Cakravartin. Journal of the Amerinal and positive characteristic of Sri Krsna as the Highest
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[122] Bowen, Paul (1998). Themes and issues in Hinduism.
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Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age.
Varadpande p.231
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Varadpande p.232-3
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Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages. Quest Books. p.
Zarrilli, P.B. (2000). Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where
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Gods and Demons Come to Play. Routledge. p. 246.
[151] Crowley associated Krishna with Roman god Dionysus
Upinder Singh 2016, p. 26.
and Magickal formulae IAO, AUM and INRI. See
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See Jerome H. Bauer Hero of Wonders, Hero in Deeds:
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Vasudeva Krishna in Jaina Cosmohistory" in Beck 2005,
The
Book of Lies. Red Wheels. pp. 2425. ISBN 0pp. 167169
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CA: Red Flame. ISBN 0-9712376-1-1.
Cort, J.E. (1993), An Overview of the Jaina Puranas,
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[139] Jaiswal, S. (1974). Historical Evolution of the Ram Legend. Social Scientist. 21 (3-4): 8997. JSTOR 3517633.
[140] Hiltebeitel, A. (1990). The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the
Mahabharata. State University of New York Press.
[141] The Turner of the Wheel. The Life of Sariputta, compiled
and translated from the Pali texts by Nyanaponika Thera
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Doniger, Wendy (1993), Purana Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina
Texts, SUNY Press, ISBN 0-7914-1381-0
Sangave, Vilas Adinath (2001), Facets of Jainology:
Selected Research Papers on Jain Society, Religion,
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13

Zimmer, Heinrich (1953) [April 1952], Campbell,

Joseph, ed., Philosophies Of India, London, E.C. 4:
Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-81-2080739-6

12

Further reading

Beck, Guy L. (1993). Sonic theology: Hinduism and

sacred sound. Columbia, S.C: University of South
Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-855-7.
Bryant, Edwin F. (2004). Krishna: the beautiful legend of God;. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044799-7.
Bryant, Edwin F. (2007). Krishna: A Sourcebook.
Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-5148916.
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa,
translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896
The Vishnu-Purana, translated by H. H. Wilson,
(1840)
The Srimad Bhagavatam, translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, (1988) copyright
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Knott, Kim (2000). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 160.
ISBN 0-19-285387-2.
The Jataka or Stories of the Buddhas Former Births,
edited by E. B. Cowell, (1895)
Ekstrand, Maria (2004). Bryant, Edwin H., ed. The
Hare Krishna movement: the postcharismatic fate of
a religious transplant. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12256-X.
Gaurangapada, Swami. Sixty-four qualities of Sri
Krishna. Nitaaiveda. Nitaiiveda. Retrieved 201305-24.
Goswami, S.D (1995). The Qualities of Sri Krsna.
GNPress. ISBN 0-911233-64-4.
Garuda Pillar of Besnagar, Archaeological Survey
of India, Annual Report (19081909). Calcutta:
Superintendent of Government Printing, 1912, 129.
Flood, G.D. (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism.
Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0.
Beck, Guy L. (Ed.) (2005). Alternative Krishnas:
Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-6415-6.
Rosen, Steven (2006). Essential Hinduism. New
York: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-99006-0.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Valpey, Kenneth R. (2006). Attending Kas image: Caitanya Vaiava mrti-sev as devotional
truth. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-38394-3.
Sutton, Nicholas (2000). Religious doctrines in the
Mahbhrata. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.,. p. 477.
ISBN 81-208-1700-1.
History of Indian Theatre By M. L. Varadpande.
Chapter Theatre of Krishna, pp. 23194. Published
1991, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 81-7017-278-0.

13 External links
Krishna at Encyclopdia Britannica
Iloveindia.com - Spirituality - Krishna

21

14
14.1

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Anonymous: 1572

14.2

Images

File:Acap.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Acap.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work

Original artist: F l a n k e r
File:Ancestral_Deity_of_Bhaktivinoda.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Ancestral_Deity_of_
Bhaktivinoda.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Dhruba Chaudhury
File:Avatars_of_Vishnu.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Avatars_of_Vishnu.jpg License: CC BY
2.0 Contributors: http://flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/378256/ Original artist: Steve Jurvetson
File:BHALKA-03.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/BHALKA-03.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Manoj Khurana
File:Bal_Krishna.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Bal_Krishna.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: http://homemakeover.in/decoration-ideas-for-krishna-janmashtami/ Original artist: Shrinathji Temple
File:Bodleian_Library_Indian_paintings_MS._Douce_Or._a.3_fol30r.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/8/8d/Bodleian_Library_Indian_paintings_MS._Douce_Or._a.3_fol30r.jpg License: CC BY 4.0 Contributors: Bodleian Library,
Oxford Original artist: multiple/ unknown
File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Wajangpop_van_karbouwenhuid_voorstellende_Prabu_Kresna_TMnr_809-163e.jpg
Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Wajangpop_van_karbouwenhuid_
voorstellende_Prabu_Kresna_TMnr_809-163e.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Tropenmuseum Original artist: Tropenmuseum
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

14.2

Images

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File:Dancing_Krishna,_India,_Tanjore,_Tamil_Nadu,_Chola_dynasty,_14th_century,_bronze,_HAA.JPG
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Dancing_Krishna%2C_India%2C_Tanjore%2C_Tamil_Nadu%2C_Chola_
dynasty%2C_14th_century%2C_bronze%2C_HAA.JPG License: CC0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Hiart
File:Death_of_Krishna_-_Illustrations_from_the_Barddhaman_edition_of_Mahabharata.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Death_of_Krishna_-_Illustrations_from_the_Barddhaman_edition_of_Mahabharata.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors: http://www.oldindianarts.in/2011/10/illustrations-from-barddhaman-edition.html Original artist: Maharaja Mahatab
Chand Bahadur (1820 - 1879)
File:Festival_in_honour_of_Chrishna_(October_1853,_X,_p.114).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
e/e5/Festival_in_honour_of_Chrishna_%28October_1853%2C_X%2C_p.114%29.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: https:
//books.google.com.au/books?id=glwEAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Original artist: Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society
File:Flag_of_India.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Flag_of_India.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
? Original artist: ?
File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:HinduSwastika.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/HinduSwastika.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:HinduismSymbol.PNG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/HinduismSymbol.PNG License: CC-BYSA-3.0 Contributors: Created by Tinette user of Italian Wikipedia. Original artist: Tinette (talk contribs)
File:Kathakali_of_kerala.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Kathakali_of_kerala.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: Kathakali Original artist: Jogesh S from Bangalore, India
File:Krishna{}s_Foster-Mother,_Yashoda,_with_the_Infant_Krishna.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/6/63/Krishna%27s_Foster-Mother%2C_Yashoda%2C_with_the_Infant_Krishna.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors:
originally posted to Flickr as Krishnas Foster-Mother, Yashoda, with the Infant Krishna Original artist: Claire H.
File:Krishna{}s_great_escape_Bazaar_art,1940{}s.jpg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/
Krishna%27s_great_escape_Bazaar_art%2C1940%27s.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors:
http://www.columbia.
edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1400_1499/krishnabhakti/riverescape/riverescape.html
Original
artist:
Unknown<a
href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718'
title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img
alt='wikidata:Q4233718'
src='https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png'
width='20'
height='11'
srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png
1.5x,
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data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Krishna-in-Kyoto-1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Krishna-in-Kyoto-1.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Wikidas photo of an architectural object
File:Krishna_Holding_Mount_Govardhan_-_Crop.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Krishna_
Holding_Mount_Govardhan_-_Crop.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: English Wikipedia Original artist: Mola Ram (1760-1833)
File:Krishna_Mediating_between_the_Pandavas_and_Kauravas.jpeg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/
7c/Krishna_Mediating_between_the_Pandavas_and_Kauravas.jpeg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.mfa.org/collections/
object/krishna-mediating-between-the-pandavas-and-kauravas-from-an-illustrated-manuscript-of-the-razmnama-mahabharata-148638
Original artist: ndian, Mughal period, about 1600
File:Krishna_Rukmini_Satyabhama_Garuda.jpg
Source:
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