Krishna
Krishna with Radha, 18th C Rajasthani painting
Devanagari	कृष्ण
Affiliation	Vishnu Avatar Svayam bhagavan
Abode	Vrindavan, Dwarka
Weapon	Discus (Sudarshana Chakra)
Consort	Radha, Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dwarka, also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a Municipality Sudarshana Chakra ( Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्रम् is a spinning disc like weapon with very sharp edge which serves as an attribute of the Hindu For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Satyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums Jambavati ( IAST jāmbavatī is the only daughter of the king-bear Jambavana.
Sastra	Bhagavata Purana, Bhagavad-gita
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This article is about the Hindu deity. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature For other meanings, see Krishna (disambiguation).

Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari, kṛṣṇa in IAST, pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂɳə] in classical Sanskrit) is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism. The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST) is a popular Transliteration scheme that allows a lossless Romanization of Indic Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Krishna is often described as having the appearance of a dark-skinned man during his earthly incarnation, often depicted as a young cowherd boy playing a flute (as in the Bhagavata Purana) or a youthful prince giving philosophical direction and guidance (as in the Bhagavad Gita). The bansuri (बांसुरी is a transverse alto Flute of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, made of a single length of bamboo The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature ^[1]

Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya ^[2][3] Though they sometimes differ in details reflecting the concerns of a particular tradition, some core features are shared by all. ^[4] These include a divine incarnation, a pastoral childhood and youth, and life as a heroic warrior and teacher.

The worship of Krishna in Hinduism is part of Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the Supreme God and venerates his associated avatars, their consorts, and related saints and teachers. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation However the exact relationship between Krishna and Vishnu is complex and diverse. ^[5] All Vaisnava traditions recognize Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu; others identify Krishna with Vishnu; while traditions, such as, Gaudiya Vaishnavism,^[6][7] Vallabha Sampradaya and the Nimbarka Sampradaya, also regard Krishna as the svayam bhagavan, original form of God, or the Lord Himself. Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India Sri Vallabhacharya (1479 &ndash 1531 was a devotional Philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha The Nimbarka Sampradaya ( IAST: Nimbārka Sampradāya, Sanskrit श्रीनिम्बार्क सम्प्रदाय also known as This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God ^{[8] [9][10] [11]}

Contents 1 Etymology and names 2 Iconography 3 Literary sources 4 Life 4.1 Birth 4.2 Childhood and youth 4.3 The prince 4.4 The Kurukshetra war and the Bhagavad Gita 4.5 Later life 5 Early historical references 6 Early worship of Krishna Vasudeva 7 The Bhakti tradition 7.1 Spread of the Krishna-bhakti movement 7.2 Krishna-bhakti in recent times 8 Western academic study 9 In the performing arts 10 Krishna in other religions 10.1 Indian religions 10.1.1 Jainism 10.1.2 Buddhism 10.2 Abrahamic religions 10.2.1 Bahá'í Faith 10.2.2 Ahmadiyya Islam 10.3 Other 11 See also 12 Footnotes 13 References 14 External links

Etymology and names

Main article: List of titles and names of Krishna

The Sanskrit word kṛṣṇa has the literal meaning of "black", "dark" or "dark-blue",^[12] and is used as a name to describe someone with dark skin. Popular Names of Lord Krishna with their Meanings kanhaiya modified kanha Krishna has been given many names and titles by his devotees Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Krishna is often depicted in murtis as black, and is generally shown in paintings with blue skin. In Hinduism, a murti ( Devanagari: मूर्ति typically refers to an image a deity in which the Divine Spirit is expressed ( murta)

Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets and titles, which reflect his many associations and attributes. Popular Names of Lord Krishna with their Meanings kanhaiya modified kanha Krishna has been given many names and titles by his devotees Among the most common of these are those that relate to his role as the deity of cattle herders - Govinda, herder of cattle, or Gopala, protector of cattle. Govinda and Gopāla are Names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a Cowherd. Some of the distinct names may be regionally important; for instance, Jaganatha, or lord of the world, in eastern India.

Some Hindu traditions often ascribe varying interpretations and power to the names. For instance, commentators on Vishnu sahasranama offers detailed explanations of a thousand names of Vishnu, that also can apply to Krishna. The Vishnu sahasranāma (literally "the thousand names of Vishnu " is a list of 1000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God

The Mahabharata's Udyoga-parva (Mbh 5. 71. 4) divides kṛṣṇa into elements kṛṣ and ṇa, kṛṣ (a verbal root meaning "to plough, drag") being taken as expressing bhū "being; earth" and ṇa being taken as expressing nirvṛti "bliss". In the Brahmasambandha mantra of the Vallabha sampradaya, the syllables of the name Krishna are assigned the power to destroy sin relating to material, self and divine causes. Pushtimarg (The Path Of Grace is a Sect of the Hindu religion founded by Shrimad Vallabhacharya (known as Mahaprabhuji ^[13] Adi Sankara's commentary makes Krishna is the 57th name of Vishnu, interpreting the Mbh 5. Adi Shankara ( Malayalam: ആദി ശങ്കരന്‍ Devanāgarī: आदि शङ्कर Ādi Śaṅkara, aːd̪i ɕaŋkərə (see below 71. 4 as "existence of knowledge and bliss. " Mbh 5. 71. 4 is also quoted in Chaitanya Charitamrita, and Prabhupada in his commentary on the latter translates the bhū as "attractive existence". The Chaitanya Charitamrita is one of the primary biographies detailing the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ( 1486 - 1533) a prominent Vaishnava Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ Based on this, ISKCON often gives the name as meaning "all-attractive one". The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups ^[14]

Iconography

Krishna may be depicted as a black or dark-skinned young man, particularly in murtis. In Hinduism, a murti ( Devanagari: मूर्ति typically refers to an image a deity in which the Divine Spirit is expressed ( murta) In other, especially in modern pictorial representations he is usually shown with a blue skin, like many other deities of Hinduism.

A common depiction shows him as a boy or young man in a characteristic relaxed pose, playing the flute. In these scenes which are set at Vrindavana, he is often shown with cattle, emphasising his position as herdsman, or with the gopis. Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on Gopi is a word of Sanskrit (गोपी origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'

The scenes on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, notably where he addresses Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita are also another common subject. Arjuna or Arjun ( Sanskrit: अर्जुन arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, whose name Here, he is shown as a man, often shown with typical god-like characteristics of Hindu religious art; such as multiple arms or heads, denoting power, and with attributes of Vishnu, such as the chakra. Chakra ( Pali: chakka Tibetan: khorlo Malay: cakera is a Sanskrit term meaning Circle or Wheel

Representations in temples often show Krishna as a man standing in an upright, formal pose. He may be alone, or with associated figures;^[15] his brother Balabhadra (also known as Balarama) and sister Subhadra or with his main queens Rukmini and Satyabhama. Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine Subhadrā ( Sanskrit: सुभद्रा is an important character in the Mahābhārata. In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Satyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums Krishna is also shown and worshipped as a small child (bāla kṛṣṇa, the child Krishna) crawling on his hands and knees or dancing with a piece of butter in his hand. Bala Krishna ( IAST bālakṛṣṇa, literally "child Krishna" sometimes translated to " Divine Child Krishna " It must be noted that ^[16][17]

In many cases he is shown with his gopi-consort Radha and this image is representative of a number of traditions. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal For example Manipuri Vaishnavas do not worship Krishna alone, but as Radha Krishna. Vaishnavism of Manipur, an east Indian state has extended history Radha Krishna ( IAST rādhā-kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit राधा कृष्ण is a Hindu Deity. ^[18] This is also a feature of Rudra Sampradaya^[19] and the school of Nimbarka,^[20] as well as that of Swaminarayan faith. In Hinduism, the Rudra Sampradaya is one of four Vaishnava Sampradayas a tradition of disciplic succession in the religion Nimbarka ( Sanskrit: श्री निम्बार्काचार्य Śrī Nimbārkācārya) is known for propagating the Vaishnava Theology Swaminarayan Faith or Swaminarayan Sect is a modern tradition of Hinduism, in which followers offer devotion and worship Swaminarayan as the final manifestation Caitanyaites celebrate one of the self manifested deities established by Gopala Bhatta Goswami as called Radharamana, and it is not surprising that Radharamana is seen as not only Krishna but also as Radha Krishna. Gopala Bhatta Goswami (1503 - 1578 is one of the foremost disciples of the Vaishnava Saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and a leading historical figure in the Radha Ramana (or Radharaman is a famous image of Radha Krishna worshiped in Hinduism. Radha Krishna ( IAST rādhā-kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit राधा कृष्ण is a Hindu Deity. ^[21]

Literary sources

See also: Krishna in Mahābhārata

The earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the Mahābhārata which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu^[22] who is central to many of the main stories of the epic. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific The eighteen chapters of the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) that constitute the Bhagavad Gita contain the advice of Krishna to Arjuna, on the battlefield. Arjuna or Arjun ( Sanskrit: अर्जुन arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, whose name Krishna is already an adult in the epic, although there are allusions to his earlier exploits. The Harivamsa, a later appendix to this epic, contains the earliest detailed version of Krishna's childhood and youth. The Harivamsha (also Harivamsa; Sanskrit Harivaṃśa sa हरिवंश "the lineage of Hari ( Vishnu)" is an important

Virtually every one of the later Puranas tells Krishna's life-story or some highlights from it. For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The Mahābhārata and the Harivamsa are considered sacred by Hindus. SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. Two Puranas, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, that contain the most elaborate telling of Krishna’s story and teachings are the most theologically venerated by the Gaudiya Vaishnava schools. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India ^[1] Roughly one quarter of the Bhagavata Purana is spent extolling his life and philosophy. Life is a state that distinguishes Organisms from non-living objects such as non-life and dead organisms being manifested by growth through Metabolism Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language

Satha-patha-brahmana and Aitareya-Aranyaka, associate Krishna with his Vrishni origins. ^[23] Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar attempted to show that "the very same Krishna" made an appearance in earlier texts, e. Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, also spelt Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, and known as R g as the drapsa . . . krishna "black drop" of RV 8. The eighth Mandala of the Rigveda has 103 hymns Other than the "family books" (Mandalas 2-7 dated as an old part of the RV and RV 1 and 96. 13. ^[24]

Life

This summary is based on details from the Mahābhārata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of The Harivamsha (also Harivamsa; Sanskrit Harivaṃśa sa हरिवंश "the lineage of Hari ( Vishnu)" is an important The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature The scenes from the narrative are set in north India, mostly in the present states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India.

Birth

Traditional belief based on scriptural details and astrological calculations gives the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami, as either 18th or 21st July 3228 BCE. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Krishna Janmashtami ( Devanagari कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, also known as "Krishnashtami","Saatam Aatham"," Gokulashtami Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc ^[25]

Krishna was of the royal family of Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In Hinduism, Devaki (देवकी is the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna and Balarama. For the Kushan king see Vasudeva I. For the book by Narendra Kohli see Vasudeva (book. Mathura was the capital of the closely linked clans of Vrishni, Andhaka, and Bhoja. Vrishni ( Sanskrit: वृषणि s were an ancient clan who claimed their descent from Vrishni a descendent of Yadu. In Hinduism, Andhaka (अंधक often refers to a malevolent Demon. Bhoja was a Philosopher king and Polymath of medieval India. He ruled the kingdom of Malwa in Central India from about 1010 They are generally known as Yadavas after their eponymous ancestor Yadu, and sometimes as Surasenas after another famed ancestor. Yadu (यदु is the name of one of the five Aryan clans mentioned in the Rig Veda. Surasena (or Shourasena was the kingdom around the modern Brajabhumi. Vasudeva and Devaki belonged to these clans. The king Kamsa, Devaki's brother, had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. This article is about a Vrishni ruler For other uses see Kamsa (disambiguation In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa ( Sanskrit Ugrasena was the King of Mathura a kingdom that was established after the various factions of Yadava, Vrishni and Bhoja clans decided that the dividing Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, he had locked the couple into a prison cell, planning to kill all of Devaki's children at their birth. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means After killing the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the seventh, Krishna took birth. Since Vasudeva believed Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda and Nanda in Gokul, Mahavana. Yasoda ( Sanskrit: यशोदा was wife of Nanda within the Puranic texts of Hinduism. According to Puranas Nanda ( Sanskrit: नंद was head of a tribe of cowherds referred as Holy Gwals. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> For the Jat chieftain see Gokula. Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna). Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine Subhadrā ( Sanskrit: सुभद्रा is an important character in the Mahābhārata.

The place believed by worshippers to mark Krishna's birth is now known as Krishnajanmabhoomi, where a temple is raised in his honour. Krishnajanmabhoomi, which means 'the birth-place of Krishna' is a temple built on the birthplace of Krishna ( Svayam bhagavan in his original form in

Gaudiya Vaishnava scholars identify the form of Krishna who appeared in Mathura as Vasudeva Krishna of the first quadrupal expansion. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This article is about a Hindu philosophical concept the original or absolute manifestation of God In this form Krishna appeared before Vasudeva and Devaki without a natural birth, fully grown, with four arms and full paraphernalia. ^[26]

Childhood and youth

Nanda was the head of a community of cow-herders, and he settled in Vrindavana. Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on The stories of Krishna's childhood and youth here are popular, and include those of his foiling of attempts on his life, and his protection of the village people. They include the episode of his lifting Govardhana hill. Govardhan (गोवर्धन is a hill located near the town of Vrindavan in India, considered as Sacred by a number of traditions within Hinduism Thus sacrifice of animals at the worship of Indra, the god of cloud, was forbidden and abolished by Krishna. ^[27] Unlike period of prominence in the Vedas, Indra in later Hinduism plays a much reduced role; as a regent of the heaven; guardian of the east; as he is defeated by Krishna in a battle at mount Govardhana, with a similar line of development in Buddhist and Jain sources of the period. Indra ( Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र Indra, Malay: Indera, Thai: พระอินทร์ Phra-Intra Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ^[28] 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 Vedic gods such as Indra, often identified as the king of the pantheon of gods. This is sometimes associated with the event when Krishna has protected native people of Vrindavana from prosecution from Indra and prevented the devastation of the pasture land, Govardhana, held by his people. Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on ^[29]

The stories of his play with the village gopis of Vrindavana became known as the Rasa lila and were romanticised in the poetry of Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda. Gopi is a word of Sanskrit (गोपी origin meaning 'cow-herd girl' Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on The Rasa lila ( IAST rāsa-līlā) ( Hindi:रास लीला or Rasa dance is part of the traditional story of Krishna described Jayadeva ( Oriya: ଜୟେଦବ was a Sanskrit poet who lived in Orissa, circa 1200 AD The Gita Govinda (Sanskrit गीत गोविन्द ( Song of Govinda) is a work composed in the 12th century by the great poet Jayadeva of Puri These became important as part of the development of the Krishna bhakti traditions worshiping Radha Krishna. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Radha Krishna ( IAST rādhā-kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit राधा कृष्ण is a Hindu Deity. ^[30]

The prince

Krishna as a young man returned to Mathura, and overthrew and killed his uncle Kamsa. Mathura ( IAST mathurā)( Hindi: मथुरा is a holy City in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Krishna re-installed Kamsa's father, Ugrasena, as the king of the Yadavas. He himself became a leading prince at the court. In this period he became a friend of Arjuna and the other Pandava princes of the Kuru kingdom, who were his cousins, on the other side of the Yamuna. For the goddess of the river who is sometimes called Yamuna see Yami The Yamuna (Sanskrit यमुना Later, he took his Yadava subjects to the city of Dwaraka (in modern Gujarat). Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. He married Rukmini, daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha. In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Vidarbha (Marathi विदर्भ is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division.

According to some texts, Krishna had 16,108 wives,^[31] of which eight were chief - including Rukmini, Satyabhama and Jambavati. In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Satyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums Jambavati ( IAST jāmbavatī is the only daughter of the king-bear Jambavana. Krishna also married 16,100 maidens who were being held in captivity by Narakasura, to save their honor. In Hindu mythology, Narakasura or Naraka is the Asura son of the earth goddess Bhudevi (Bhumi and Lord Vishnu in his Varaha Krishna killed him and released them all. According to strict social custom of the time all of the captive women were degraded, and would be unable to marry, as they had been under the control of Narakasura, however Krishna decided to marry them to reinstate their status in the society. In Vaishnava traditions, Krishna's wives are believed to be forms of the goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi (pronunciation; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी lakṣmī) is the Hindu Goddess of Wealth

The Kurukshetra war and the Bhagavad Gita

Main articles: Kurukshetra war and Bhagavad Gita

Krishna was cousin on both sides in the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. The Kurukshetra War ( Devangari: कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध forms an essential component of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava (or Pandawa brothers ( Sanskrit: पाण्‍डव pāṇḍavaḥ are the five acknowledged sons of The term Kaurava ( Sanskrit:कौरव is a Sanskrit term that means a descendant of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters Once battle seemed inevitable, Krishna offered both sides to choose between having either his army or simply himself, but on the condition that he personally would not raise any weapons. Arjuna on behalf of the Pandavas chose to have Krishna on their side, and Duryodhana chose to have Krishna's army on the side of the Kauravas. At the time of the great battle, Krishna thus acted as Arjuna's charioteer. The Bhagavad Gita is the advice given to Arjuna by Krishna on the battlefield just prior to the start of the fighting.

Later life

Following the war Krishna lived at Dwaraka for thirty-six years. Then at a festival, a fight broke out between the Yadavas who exterminated each other. His elder brother Balarama then gave up his body using Yoga. Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Krishna retired into the forest and sat under a tree in meditation. A hunter mistook his partly visible foot for a deer and shot an arrow wounding him mortally. An arrow is a pointed Projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most Cultures. According to the Mahābhārata, Krishna's death was caused by a curse by Gandhari. Her bitter anger after witnessing the death of her sons caused her to utter this curse, because she believed that Krishna did not do enough to stop the war when he had the full capability to do so. Upon learning of the curse, Krishna smiled and accepted it, stating that his duty was to fight for, and protect, the righteous people, not to prevent the war.

According to Puranic sources^[32], Krishna's death marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE. For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" Dvapara Yuga ( Devanagari: द्वापर युग is the third out of four Yugas or ages described in the scriptures of Hinduism. Kali Yuga ( Devanāgarī: sa कलियुग lit "Age of Kali " "age of vice" is one of the four stages of development that the world goes Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Events c 3100 BC — Narmer (Menes unifies Upper and Lower Egypt into one country he rules this new country from Memphis ^[33]

Early historical references

One of the earliest recorded instances of a Krishna who could potentially be identified with the deity can be found in the Chandogya Upanishad, where he is mentioned as the son of Devaki, and to whom Ghora Angirasa was a teacher. The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the "primary" ( Mukhya) Upanishads Together with the Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana and the Brihadaranyaka ^[34][35] The Upansihads, namely Nārāyaṇātharvaśirsa and Ātmabodha, specifically regard Krishna as a god and associate him with Vishnu. ^[34]

References to Vāsudeva also occur in early Sanskrit literature. Taittiriya Aranyaka (X,i,6) identifies him with Narayana and Vishnu. The Aranyakas (Sanskrit आरण्यक āraṇyaka) are part of the Hindu śruti, the four Vedas these religious texts were composed in Panini, ca. Pāṇini ( IAST: Pāṇini Dēvanāgarī: sa पाणिनि a Patronymic meaning "descendant of {{IAST|Paṇi}} " was an ancient 4th century BCE, in his Ashtadhyayi explains the word "Vāsudevaka" as a Bhakta (devotee) of Vāsudeva. Pāṇini ( IAST: Pāṇini Dēvanāgarī: sa पाणिनि a Patronymic meaning "descendant of {{IAST|Paṇi}} " was an ancient This, along with the mention of Arjuna in the same context, indicates that the Vāsudeva here is Krishna. Arjuna or Arjun ( Sanskrit: अर्जुन arjuna) is one of the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, whose name See also Krishna The cult of Krishna Vāsudeva ( IAST kṛṣṇa vāsudeva "Krishna son of Vasudeva " is historically one of the earliest ^[36] At some stage during the Vedic period, Vasudeva and Krishna became one deity, and by the time of composition of the redaction of Mahabharata that survives till today, Krishna (Vasudeva) was generally acknowledged as an avatar of Vishnu and often as the Supreme God. ^[34]

In the 4th century BCE, Megasthenes the Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya says that the Sourasenoi (Surasena), who lived in the region of Mathura worshipped Herakles. Megasthenes (Μεγασθένης ca 350 BC - 290 BC was a Greek traveller and Geographer. Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c Surasena (or Shourasena was the kingdom around the modern Brajabhumi. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or This Herakles is usually identified with Krishna ^[37] due to the regions mentioned by Megasthenes as well as similarities between some of the herioc acts of the two. The Greco-Bactrian ruler Agathocles issued coins bearing the images of Krishna and Balarama in around 180-165 BCE. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 Agathocles (361-289 BC ( Greek name Αγαθοκλής ( Agathokles) derived from αγαθός ( agathos) good and ^[37]

At Ghosundi, near the town of Udaipur, is an inscription by a devotee mentioning Vasudeva and Narayana engraved around 150 BCE. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Udaipur (उदयपुर is a city and a Municipal council in Udaipur district in ^[37] In the 1st century BCE, Heliodorus from Greece erected the Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar near Bhilsa^[37] with the inscription: This Garuda-column of Vasudeva the god of gods was erected here by Heliodorus, a worshipper of the Lord Bhagavata, the son of Diya Greek Dion and an inhabitant of Taxila, who came as ambassador of the Greeks from the Great King Amtalikita [Greek Antialcidas] to King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra the saviour, who was flourishing in the fourteenth year of his reign… [missing text]… three immortal steps… [missing text]… when practiced, lead to heaven—self-control, charity, and diligence. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 110 BCE in central India in Vidisha near modern Besnagar, by Heliodorus WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Vidisha or Besnagar or old name Bhelsa is a city in the central Indian state GARUDA is India's Grid Computing initiative connecting 17 cities across the country Bhagavata, with the literal meaning of that which comes from Bhagavan or the Lord signifies in the context of Hinduism. For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly.

Another 1st century BCE inscription from Mathura records the building of a part of a sanctuary to Vasudeva by the great satrap Sodasa. See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient Sodasa was an Indo-Scythian, and the son of the Great Satrap of Mathura Rajuvula.

The renowned grammar scholar Patanjali, who wrote his commentary on Panini's grammar rules around 150 BCE (known as the Mahabhashya), quotes a verse: May the might of Krishna accompanied by Samkarshana increase! Other verses are mentioned. Patañjali ( Devanāgarī पतञ्जलि (fl 150 BCE or 2nd c The Mahābhāṣya ("great commentary" attributed to Patañjali, is a commentary on selected rules of Sanskrit grammar from Pāṇini 's treatise One verse speaks of Janardana 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). Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine Patanjali also describes dramatic and mimetic performances (Krishna-Kamsopacharam) representing the killing of Kamsa by Vasudeva.

Also in the 1st century BCE, there seems to be evidence for a worship of five Vrishni heroes (Balarama, Krishna, 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". Pradyumna ( Sanskrit: प्रद्‍युम्‍न is lord Keshava (Vishnu himself Aniruddha (अनिरुद्ध means uncontrolled or "without obstacles" Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style Rajuvula was an Indo-Scythian Great Satrap ( Mahakshatrapa) who ruled in the area of Mathura in northern India in the years around 10 ^[38] Brahmi inscription on the Mora stone slab, now in the Mathura Museum. ^[39][40] Many inscriptions and references to worship of Krishna can be found from the early centuries of the Common Era.

Early worship of Krishna Vasudeva

Deity of Krishna-Vasudeva (kṛṣṇa vāsudeva "Krishna, the son of Vasudeva") is historically one of the earliest forms of worship in Krishnaism and Vaishnavism. For the Kushan king see Vasudeva I. For the book by Narendra Kohli see Vasudeva (book. Krishnaism is a term that is often used to describe a number of Hindu religious traditions that are among the Hindu denominations centered on devotion to Radha Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and ^[41] It is believed to be a significant tradition of the early history of the worship of Krishna in antiquity. ^[42][43] This tradition is considered as earliest to other traditions that led to amalgamation at a later stage of the historical development. Other traditions are Bhagavatism and Cult of Gopala, that along with Cult of Bala-Krishna form the basis of current tradition of monotheistic religion of Krishna. Bhagavata, with the literal meaning of that which comes from Bhagavan or the Lord signifies in the context of Hinduism. Govinda and Gopāla are Names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a Cowherd. Bala Krishna ( IAST bālakṛṣṇa, literally "child Krishna" sometimes translated to " Divine Child Krishna " It must be noted that ^[44][45] Some early scholars would equate it with Bhagavatism,^[42] and the founder of this religious tradition is believed to be Krishna, who is the son of Vasudeva, thus his name is Vāsudeva, he is belonged 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 Vāsudeva was worshiped as supreme Deity in a strongly monotheistic format, where the supreme Being was perfect, eternal and full of grace. Bhagavata, with the literal meaning of that which comes from Bhagavan or the Lord signifies in the context of Hinduism. The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. Patañjali ( Devanāgarī पतञ्जलि (fl 150 BCE or 2nd c The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. Megasthenes (Μεγασθένης ca 350 BC - 290 BC was a Greek traveller and Geographer. The Arthashastra ( IAST: Arthaśāstra) is a Treatise on statecraft, economic policy and Military strategy which Chanakya Sanskrit: चाणक्य Cāṇakya) (c 350-283 BC was an adviser and a Prime minister to the first Maurya Emperor ^[42] In many sources outside of the cult, devotee or bhakta is defined as Vāsudevaka. ^[46]

The Harivamsa describes intricate relationships between Krishna Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha that would later form a Vaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, or avatara. The Harivamsha (also Harivamsa; Sanskrit Harivaṃśa sa हरिवंश "the lineage of Hari ( Vishnu)" is an important Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation ^[47]

The Bhakti tradition

Main articles: Bhakti and Krishnaism

Bhakti, meaning devotion, is not confined to any one deity. Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Krishnaism is a term that is often used to describe a number of Hindu religious traditions that are among the Hindu denominations centered on devotion to Radha Krishna is currently an important and popular focus of the devotional and ecstatic aspects of Hindu religion, particularly among the Vaishnava sects. Religious ecstasy is an Altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and ^[6][48]

Devotees of Krishna subscribe to the concept of lila, meaning 'divine play', as the central principle of the universe. Lila (Sanskrit लीला or Leela is a concept within Hinduism literally meaning "pastime" "sport" or "play" The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy The lilas of Krishna, with their expressions of personal love that transcend the boundaries of formal reverence, serve as a counterpoint to the lilas of another avatar of Vishnu: Rama, "He of the straight and narrow path of maryada, or rules and regulations. Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: "^[7]

The bhakti movements devoted to Krishna became prominent in southern India in the 7th to 9th centuries CE. The earliest works included those of the Alvar saints of the Tamil country. The Alvars (ஆழ்வார்கள் (aːɻʋaːr ‘those immersed in god’ were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between sixth and ninth centuries and espoused Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. A major collection of their works is the Divya Prabandham. The Nalayira Divya Prabandha (or Nalayira Divya Prabhandham) is a collection of 4000 verses (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand' composed before 8th century The Alvar Andal's popular collection of songs Tiruppavai, in which she conceives of herself as a Gopi, is perhaps the oldest work of this genre. Aandaal (ஆண்டாள் is a 10th century Tamil saint and one of the twelve Alvars (saints and the only woman Alvar of Vaishnavism. The Tiruppavai is a collection of thirty stanzas ( pasuram) in Tamil written by a Brahmin girl Andal, in praise of the God Tirumal Kulashekhara's Mukundamala was another notable offering of this early stage. Kulashekhara was an Indian King from modern day Kerala and one of the Alvars, a prominent group of Vaishnava saints Mukundamala is a poem in Sanskrit written by Kulashekhara Alvar, one of the last kings of the Chera dynasty in Kerala, and the 9th Alvar

Spread of the Krishna-bhakti movement

The movement spread rapidly from Northern India into the south, with the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva (12th century CE) becoming a landmark of devotional, Krishna-based, literature. The Gita Govinda (Sanskrit गीत गोविन्द ( Song of Govinda) is a work composed in the 12th century by the great poet Jayadeva of Puri Jayadeva ( Oriya: ଜୟେଦବ was a Sanskrit poet who lived in Orissa, circa 1200 AD It elaborated a part of the story of Krishna, that of his love for one particular gopi, called Radha, a minor character in the Bhagavata Purana but a major one in some others like the Brahma Vaivarta Purana. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Brahma Vaivarta Purana, ( IAST brahma-vaivarta purāṇa) one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into four parts The poem is in Sanskrit and soon became famous all across India. Radha henceforth became inseparable from devotion to Krishna. ^[4]

While the learned sections of the society well versed in Sanskrit could enjoy works like Gita Govinda or Bilvamangala's Krishna-Karnamritam, the masses sang the songs of the devotee-poets who composed in the regional languages of India. These songs expressing intense personal devotion were written by devotees from all walks of life. The songs of Mirabai and Surdas became epitomes of Krishna-devotion in north India. Mirabai (मीराबाई (1498-1547 CE) (alternate orthographies: Meera; Mira; Meera Bai) was a Hindu Surdas (1479-1586 was a Hindu devotional poet singer and a saint ( sant) who followed the Shuddhadvaita school of Brahmavada

These devotee-poets, like the Alvars before them, were aligned to specific theological schools only loosely, if at all. But by the 11th century CE, Vaishnava Bhakti schools with elaborate theological frameworks around the worship of Krishna were established in north India. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Nimbarka (11th century CE), Vallabhacharya (15th century CE) and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (16th century CE) were the founders of the most influential of these schools. Nimbarka ( Sanskrit: श्री निम्बार्काचार्य Śrī Nimbārkācārya) is known for propagating the Vaishnava Theology Sri Vallabhacharya (1479 &ndash 1531 was a devotional Philosopher, who founded the Pushti sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Chaitanya's tradition, called Gaudiya Vaishnavism,^[7] sees Krishna as the supreme God,^[1] rather than as an avatar of Vishnu. Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation ^[6] Followers of Chaitanya and Vallabha maintain that he is himself an incarnation of Krishna.

In the Maharashtra and Deccan areas, saint poets such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Janabai, Eknath and Tukaram (among others) promoted the worship of Krishna (as Vithoba) from the beginning of the 13th century until the late 18th century. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Sant Jñāneshwar / Sant Dnyāneshwar (1275-1296 ( ज्ञानेश्वर in Marathi) (also known as Jñanadeva - ज्ञानदेव Nāmdev ( Nām Dev or Sant Nāmdev) (c1270-c1350 CE was a prominent religious poet of Maharashtra, India in the Hindu tradition Janābāi was a Marāthi religious poetess in the Hindu tradition in India, who was born likely in the seventh or the eighth decade of the 13th century Eknāth (1533-1599 was a prominent Marāthi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India. Tukārām was a prominent Marathi Sant and religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India. Vithoba ( Marathi: Viṭhobā विठोबा) also known as Vitthala ( Sanskrit: Viṭṭhala विठ्ठल Kannada: Viṭṭala ^[4] In Southern India Purandara Dasa and Kanakadasa of Karnataka composed songs devoted to Krishna of Udupi. Purandara Dāsa (1484 - 1564 (sometimes spelled as a single word ( Kannada: ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ was one of the most prominent composers of Carnatic Kanaka Dasa ದಾಸ ( 1509 – 1609) was great poet philosopher musician and composer from Karnataka. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Udupi ( Kannada, Tulu: ಉಡುಪಿ Odipu, Konkani - उडुपी) is a city and the headquarters of the Udupi District in Rupa Goswami has compiled a comprehensive summary of bhakti named Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. Rupa Goswami ( 1489 - 1564 CE is a devotional teacher poet and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. ^[48]

Krishna-bhakti in recent times

Since 1966, the Krishna bhakti movement has also spread outside India. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Bhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England in the village of Aldenham near Watford Watford (ˈwɒtfəd) is a town and district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 19 miles (30 km northwest of London ^[49] This is largely due to the evangelistic Hare Krishna movement, the largest part of which is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups ^[50] The movement was founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who was instructed by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, to write about Krishna in the English language and to share the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy with people in the Western world. Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada (February 31874 – January 1 1937 was a highly influential preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout India in the late English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States ^[51]

Western academic study

Main article: Krishnology

Vaishnava theology has been a subject of study for many devotees, philosophers and scholars within India for centuries. Krishnology (also spelled Krishnaology) is an academic Neologism. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[3] In recent decades this study has also been taken on by a number of academic institutions in Europe, such as the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Bhaktivedanta College. The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, founded in 1997, is an independent academy for the study of Hindu Culture, Religion, Languages Bhaktivedanta College located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium, is a Vaishnava College administered by ISKCON. The Vaishnava scholars instrumental in this western discourse include Tamala Krishna Goswami, Hridayananda dasa Goswami, Graham Schweig, Kenneth R. Valpey, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Sivarama Swami, Satyaraja Dasa, and Guy Beck, among others. Tamala Krishna Goswami (June 1946&ndash March 15, 2002) born as Thomas G Hridayananda dasa Goswami (born November 5 1948) born Howard J Graham M Schweig is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Indic Studies Program at Christopher Newport University. Kenneth R Valpey is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St Cross College ( 1999 - 2004) Ravindra Svarupa Das, sometimes spelled Ravindra Swarupa dasa (born William H Sivarama Swami is a religious leader and Guru of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Satyaraja Dasa (born 1955 birth name Steven J Rosen, is an initiated disciple of A Dr Guy L Beck is a member of the Religious Studies faculty at Tulane University. ^[10]

In the performing arts

The earliest mention of any performance based on the Krishna story is mentioned in Patanjali's Mahabhashya, though the type of performance is unclear. Patañjali ( Devanāgarī पतञ्जलि (fl 150 BCE or 2nd c

As all stories of Krishna are presented as playful activities in which he is fully aware of his divine nature made him a difficult subject for the classical Sanskrit playwrights. These plays usually had scenes where the hero is deep in sorrow before the customary happy ending. While Vishnu's other major incarnation Rama could be made into the protagonist of the plays, it was virtually impossible to write such plays about Krishna. Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: The Protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. Bhasa's Balacharita and Dutavakya are the only plays by a major classical dramatist. Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit The former dwells only on his childhood exploits and the latter is a one-act play based on a single episode from the Mahābhārata when Krishna tries to make peace between the warring cousins.

The problem faced by classical drama did not surface in the other performing arts such as music, dance, and narrative enactments of the story of Krishna. From the 10th century BCE, with the growing Bhakti movement, Krishna became a favourite subject of the arts. The songs of the Gita Govinda became popular across India, and had many imitations. The Gita Govinda (Sanskrit गीत गोविन्द ( Song of Govinda) is a work composed in the 12th century by the great poet Jayadeva of Puri The songs composed by the Bhakti poets added to the repository of both folk and classical singing.

The classical dances of India, especially Odissi and Manipuri, draw heavily on the story. Odissi is the classical dance form of Orissa in north-east India Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. The 'Rasa lila' dances performed in Vrindavana shares elements with Kathak, and the Krisnattam, performed now exclusively at the Guruvayur temple, was the precursor of Kathakali. Dance in India covers a wide range of dances from the ancient classical to modern styles Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on See Kāṭhaka for the Vedic school Kathak ( Hindi: कथक Urdu: کتھک) is a classical dance Krishnanattam or Krishnattam is a temple art in Kerala, India The Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple (ഗുരുവായൂര്‍ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണ ക്ഷേത്രം is one of the most famous temples in India. Kathakali (കഥകളി kat̪ʰəkaɭi is a form of highly stylised classical Indian Dance - Drama that is noted for its attractive make-up of characters The beautiful classical Sattriya dance form, founded by the Assamese Vaishnava Saint Sankardeva, extols the virtues of Krishna. Among these is the Dashavatar Nritya. Srimanta Sankaradeva wrote various dramas, called Ekankiyas, including 'Chor Dara' and 'Pimpara Gusuwa', on the childhood of Krishna. Krishna also inspired Sankardeva to compose other works. A prominent part of Assamese culture includes Namghars, a congregational gathering, established by Sankardeva for praying to Krishna. There is a namghar in every village of Assam.

Medieval Maharashtra gave birth to a form of storytelling known as the 'Hari-Katha', that told Vaishnava tales and teachings through music, dance, and narrative sequences, and the story of Krishna became a rich source of knowledge to base these narrative sequences on. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. This tradition spread to Tamil Nadu and other southern states, and is now popular in many places throughout India. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India.

Narayana Tirtha's (17th century CE) Krishna-Lila-Tarangini provided material for the musical plays of the Bhagavata-Mela by telling the tale of Krishna from birth until his marriage to Rukmini. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar

Tyagaraja (18th century CE) wrote a similar piece about Krishna called Nauka-Charitam. Thyāgarāja (శ్రీ త్యాగరాజ స్వామి May 4, 1767 - January 6, 1847) was a composer of Carnatic music The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system

The narratives of Krishna from the Puranas are performed in Yakshagana, a performance style native to Karnataka's coastal districts. Yakshagana ( Kannada:ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ pronounced as yaksha-gaana) is a classical Folk art form of the state of Karnataka in India Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India

Many movies in all Indian languages have been made based on these stories. These are of varying quality and usually add various songs, melodrama, and special effects.

Krishna in other religions

Accounts of Krishna exist in many different belief systems, of which include:

Indian religions

Jainism

The most exalted figures in Jainism are the twenty-four Tirthankaras. Spring is one of the four Temperate Seasons Spring marks the transition from Winter into Summer. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The Guimet Museum (French Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet or Musée Guimet) is a museum of Asian art located at 6 place d'Iéna in the Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. In Jainism, a Tirthankar (" Fordmaker " (also Tirthankara or Jina) is a Human being who achieves enlightenment (perfect Krishna, when he was incorporated into the Jain list of heroic figures presented a problem with his activities which are not pacifist or non-violent. Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of physical Violence. The concept of Baladeva, Vasudeva and Prati-Vasedeva was used to solve it. The Jain list of sixty-three Shalakapurshas or notable figures 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. Jarasandha ( Sanskrit: जरासंध the king of Magadha, is a character of the epic Mahābhārata. He was a cousin of the twenty-second Tirthankara, Neminatha. Neminatha was twenty-second Jain Tirthankar of the present age ( Avsarpini) The stories of these triads can be found in the Harivamsha of Jinasena (not be confused with its namesake, the addendum to Mahābhārata) and the Trishashti-shalakapurusha-charita of Hemachandra. Jinasena (जिनसेन is the name of several famous Jain Acharyas of the Digambar tradition Hemachandra Surī (हेमचन्द्र सूरी (1089–1172 was an Indian Jain Scholar, poet and Polymath who wrote

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. The Vasudeva then has to descend to hell as punishment for this violent act. Having undergone the punishment he is then reborn as a Tirthankara.

Buddhism

The story of Krishna occurs in the Jataka tales in Buddhism^[52] in the Ghatapandita Jataka as a prince and legendary conqueror and king of India. The Jātaka Tales ( Sanskrit जातक and Pali, Malay: jetaka Lao: satok refer to a voluminous body of Folklore -like literature Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices In the Buddhist version, Krishna is called Vasudeva, Kanha and Keshava, and Balarama is his younger brother, Baladeva. For the Kushan king see Vasudeva I. For the book by Narendra Kohli see Vasudeva (book. Kesava redirects here For Kannada grammarian and poet see Kesiraja. Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine These details match that of the story given in the Bhagavata Purana. The Bhagavata Purana (also known as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, or simply Bhāgavatam) is one of the Puranic texts of Hindu literature 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 Kamsa, and later all other kings of Jambudvipa with his Sudarshana Chakra. Jambudvīpa ( Devnagari: जम्बुद्वीप is the name of the Dvipa ("continent" of the terrestrial world as envisioned in the cosmologies This article is about a Vrishni ruler For other uses see Kamsa (disambiguation In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa ( Sanskrit Sudarshana Chakra ( Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्रम् is a spinning disc like weapon with very sharp edge which serves as an attribute of the Hindu Much of the story involving the defeat of Kamsa follows the story given in the Bhagavata Purana. This article is about a Vrishni ruler For other uses see Kamsa (disambiguation In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa ( Sanskrit

As depicted in the Mahābhārata, all of the sons are eventually killed due to a curse of sage Kanhadīpayana (Veda Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dwaipayana). Vyāsa ( Devanāgarī: व्यास is a central and revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions Krishna himself is eventually speared by a hunter in the foot by mistake, leaving the sole survivor of their family being their sister, Añjanadevī of whom no further mention is made.

Since Jataka tales are given from the perspective of Buddha's previous lives (as well as the previous lives of many of Buddha's followers), Krishna appears as one of the lives of Sariputra, one of Buddha's foremost disciples and the "Dhammasenapati" or "Chief General of the Dharma" and is usually shown being Buddha's "right hand man" in Buddhist art and iconography. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Śāriputra ( Sanskrit: शारिपुत्र or Sāriputta ( Pāli) was one of two principal disciples of The Buddha. ^[53] 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. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta

Abrahamic religions

Bahá'í Faith

Bahá'ís 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. The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called Prophets The Manifestations of God are a series of personages In this way, Krishna shares an exalted station with Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad ( ( October 20, 1819 – July 9, 1850) was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Bahá'u'lláh ( ba-haa-ol-laa "Glory of God" ( November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892) born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri ^[54]

Ahmadiyya Islam

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believe Krishna to be a great prophet of God as described by their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad:

Let it be clear that Lord Krishna, according to what has been revealed to me, was such a truly great man that it is hard to find his like among the rishis and avatars of the Hindus. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community ( Arabic: الجماعة الأحمدية; transliterated: al-Jamā'a al-Ahmadīya) is the larger community of Mirza Ghulām Ahmad of Qadian ( ميرزا غلام احمد) ( February 13, 1835 – May 26, 1908 CE Shawal 14 1250 – A rishi (ṛṣi denotes a Vedic poet by whom Vedic hymns were composed or according to post-Vedic tradition a "sage" to whom they were "originally revealed" (Ṛṣis He was an avatar (i. e. a prophet) of his time upon whom the Holy Spirit would descend from God. He was from God, victorious and prosperous. He cleansed the land of the Arya from sin and was in fact the prophet of his age whose teaching was later corrupted in numerous ways. Ārya ( Sanskrit: (आर्य, ( Old Persian Ariya and Avestan Airya) is an ancient Sanskrit term for Hindus, He was full of love for God, a friend of virtue and an enemy of evil. ^[55]

Other

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 in occult texts, along with Greek, Buddhist, Biblical and even historical figures. A new religious movement or NRM is a term used to refer to a religious faith or an ethical spiritual or philosophical movement of recent origin that is not part The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin ^[56] For instance, Édouard Schuré, an influential figure in perennial philosophy and occult movements, considered Krishna a Great Initiate; while Theosophists regard him as one of the Masters, a spiritual teacher for humanity. Eduard (Edouard Schuré ( January 21 1841 &ndash April 7 1929) French philosopher poet writer musical critic and publicist of Perennial philosophy (Latin philosophia perennis "eternal philosophy" also Philosophia perennis et universalis) is the notion of the universal recurrence This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky ^[57][58] Krishna was canonized by Aleister Crowley and is recognized as a saint in the Gnostic Mass of Ordo Templi Orientis. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer The Gnostic Saints of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica are a series of historical and mythological figures revered in the religion of Thelema. A Gnostic Mass is a religious Mass administered by a Gnostic church. Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO ( Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and Religious ^[59][60]

See also

Footnotes

References

External links

Articles

• All about Krishna (various articles) (krishna. com)
• The Search for the Historical Krishna, by Prof. N.S. Rajaram (veda. harekrsna. cz)
• Sri Krishna - Differences in Realisation & Perception of the Supreme (stephen-knapp. com)
• The full text of the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad-Bhagavatam) (srimadbhagavatam. com)
• Hindu Wisdom - Dwarka (http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Dwaraka.htm)
• Vedic Archeology (A Vaishnava Perspective) (gosai. com)
• Good series of articles about Sri Krishna
• Exploits of Lord Krishna

Miscellaneous

• Shri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math - The bhakti tradition and Gaudiya Vaishnavism (sreecgmath. org)
• The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (iskcon. com)
• Krishna Deity Gallery (vrindavan. com)
• Krishna - His life (krishna. avatara. org)
• Krishna 'Janmashtami' - The celebration of Krishna's birth (krishnajanmashtami. com)
• Article on the chronology of Krishna (timesofindia. indiatimes. com)
• Devotional hymns and eulogies on Krishna (stutimandal. com)

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