Krishna statue at the Sri Mariamman temple, कृष्ण transliteration Kṛṣṇa Affiliation,,,, Abode,, Weapon,,, ( ), Festivals, Personal Information Born, (present-day, ) Died, (present-day, ) Consort, the, and Parents (mother) and (father), (foster mother) and (foster father) Siblings, Dynasty Krishna (, ( );: कृष्ण, Kṛṣṇa) is a major deity in. He is worshiped as the eighth of the god and also as the supreme in his own right.

He is the god of compassion, tenderness, and love in Hinduism, and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on according to the lunisolar, which falls in late August or early September of the. Krishna is also known by numerous names, such as Govinda, Mukunda, Madhusudhana, Vasudeva, and Makhan chor.

The Bhagavad Gita. 331 Pages20152.37 MB34 Downloads. Listening to a talk by Swami ChinMayananda. Bhagavad_Gita_Spain_2013_Swartz vivekachoodamani by swam.

The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as Krishna Leela. He is a central character in the, the and the, and is mentioned in many, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and as the universal supreme being. His iconography reflects these legends, and show him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating, a young boy playing a, a young man with or surrounded by women devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to.

The synonyms of Krishna have been traced to 1st millennium BCE literature. In some sub-traditions, Krishna is worshipped as Svayam Bhagavan, and this is sometimes referred to as.

These sub-traditions arose in the context of the medieval era. Krishna-related literature has inspired numerous performance arts such as,,,, and. He is a pan-Hindu god, but is particularly revered in some locations such as in, in, in, and in, in, in, in and in. Since the 1960s the worship of Krishna has also spread to the and to Africa, largely due to the work of the.

Main article: The name 'Krishna' originates from the word Kṛṣṇa, which is primarily an adjective meaning 'black', 'dark', or 'dark blue'. The waning moon is called Krishna, relating to the adjective meaning 'darkening'. The name is also interpreted sometimes as 'all-attractive'. As a name of, Krishna is listed as the 57th name in the. Based on his name, Krishna is often depicted in as black- or blue-skinned. Krishna is also known by various that reflect his many associations and attributes.

Among the most common names are Mohan 'enchanter'; 'chief herdsman', and 'Protector of the 'Go', which means 'Soul' or the cows'. Some names for Krishna hold regional importance;, found in Hindu temple, is a popular incarnation in state and nearby regions of eastern India. Iconography [ ].

Krishna with cows, herdsmen, and Krishna is represented in the Indian traditions in many ways, but with some common features. His iconography typically depicts him with black, dark, or blue skin, like. However, ancient and medieval reliefs and stone-based arts depict him in the natural color of the material out of which he is formed, both in India and in southeast Asia. In some texts, his skin is poetically described as the color of (, a purple-colored fruit). Krishna is often depicted wearing a peacock-feather wreath or crown, and playing the (Indian flute). In this form, he is usually shown standing with one leg bent in front of the other in the posture.

He is sometimes accompanied by or a calf, which symbolise the divine herdsman Govinda. Alternatively, he is shown as a romantic and seductive man with the (milkmaids), often making music or playing pranks. Krishna lifting Govardhana at, recovered from a Muslim graveyard in Varanasi.

It is dated to the era (4th/6th-century CE). In other icons, he is a part of battlefield scenes of the epic.

He is shown as a charioteer, notably when he is addressing the Pandava prince character, symbolically reflecting the events that led to the – a scripture of Hinduism. In these popular depictions, Krishna appears in the front as the charioteer, either as a counsel listening to Arjuna, or as the driver of the chariot while Arjuna aims his arrows in the. Alternate icons of Krishna show him as a baby (, the child Krishna), a toddler crawling on his hands and knees, a dancing child, or an innocent-looking child playfully stealing or consuming butter ( Makkan Chor), holding in his hand ( Laddu Gopal) or as a cosmic infant sucking his toe while floating on a banyan leaf during the Pralaya (the cosmic dissolution) observed by sage. Regional variations in the iconography of Krishna are seen in his different forms, such as in Odisha, in Maharashtra, in Rajasthan and in Kerala Guidelines for the preparation of Krishna icons in design and architecture are described in medieval-era Sanskrit texts on Hindu temple arts such as Vaikhanasa, Vishnu dharmottara, Brihat samhita, and.

Similarly, early medieval-era Tamil texts also contain guidelines for sculpting Krishna and Rukmini Devi. Several statues made according to these guidelines are in the collections of the. Historical and literary sources [ ]. Krishna is celebrated in the Vaishnava tradition in various stages of his life, such as Makkan chor (butter thief). The earliest text containing detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the epic, which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu.

Krishna is central to many of the main stories of the epic. The eighteen chapters of the sixth book ( Bhishma Parva) of the epic that constitute the contain the advice of Krishna to on the battlefield. The, a later appendix to the Mahabharata contains a detailed version of Krishna's childhood and youth. The, estimated to have been composed sometime between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE, has been another source of speculation regarding Krishna in ancient India. Verse 3.17.6 mentions Krishna Devakiputra (Sanskrit: कृष्णाय देवकीपुत्रा) as a student of the sage Ghora Angirasa. This phrase, which means 'Krishna the son of ', has been mentioned by scholars such as as a potential source of fables and Vedic lore about Krishna in the and other ancient literature – only potential because this verse could have been interpolated into the text, or the Krishna Devikaputra could be different from the deity Krishna.

These doubts are supported by the fact that the much later age Sandilya Bhakti Sutras, a treatise on Krishna, cites later age compilations such as the but never cites this verse of the Chandogya Upanishad. Other scholars disagree that the Krishna mentioned along with Devika in the ancient Upanishad is unrelated to the later Hindu god of the Bhagavad Gita fame.

For example, Archer states that the coincidence of the two names appearing together in the same Upanishad verse cannot be dismissed easily. 's, an etymological dictionary published around the 6th century BCE, contains a reference to the Shyamantaka jewel in the possession of, a motif from the well-known Puranic story about Krishna. And Aitareya-Aranyaka associate Krishna with his Vrishni origins., the ancient grammarian and author of Asthadhyayi (probably belonged to the 5th or 6th century BCE), mentions a character called Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva. Heliodorus Pillar in the Indian state of, erected about 120 BCE.

The inscription states that Heliodorus is a Bhagvatena, and a couplet in the inscription closely paraphrases a Sanskrit verse from the Mahabharata. The ancient Sanskrit grammarian in his makes several references to Krishna and his associates found in later Indian texts.

In his commentary on Panini's verse 3.1.26, he also uses the word Kamsavadha or the 'killing of Kamsa', an important part of the legends surrounding Krishna. Heliodorus pillar and other inscriptions [ ] A pillar with a Brahmi script inscription was discovered by colonial era archaeologists in the central Indian state of. Using modern techniques, it has been dated to between 125 and 100 BCE, and traced to an Indo-Greek who served as an ambassador of the Greek king to a regional Indian king. Named after the Indo-Greek, it is now known as the.

Its inscription is a dedication to 'Vasudeva', another name for Krishna in the Indian tradition. Scholars consider the 'Vasudeva' to be referring to a deity, because the inscription states that it was constructed by 'the Bhagavata Heliodorus' and that it is a ' Garuda pillar' (both are Vishnu-Krishna-related terms). Additionally, the inscription includes a Krishna-related verse from chapter 11.7 of the Mahabharata stating that the path to immortality and heaven is to correctly live a life of three virtues: self- ( damah), generosity ( cagah or tyaga), and vigilance ( apramadah). The Heliodorus inscription is not an isolated evidence. Three Hathibada inscriptions and one Ghosundi inscription, all located in the state of and dated by modern methodology to the 1st century BCE, mention Samkarsana and Vasudeva, also mention that the structure was built for their worship. These four inscriptions are notable for being some of the oldest-known Sanskrit inscriptions. A Mora stone slab found at the Mathura-Vrindavan archaeological site in, held now in the, has a Brahmi inscription.

It is dated to the 1st century CE and lists five Vrishni heroes: Balarama, Krishna,,, and Samba. Another terracotta plaque from the same site shows an infant being carried by an adult over his head, similar to the legend about Krishna's birth. Many tell Krishna's life story or some highlights from it. Two Puranas, the and the, contain the most elaborate telling of Krishna's story, but the life stories of Krishna in these and other texts vary, and contain significant inconsistencies. The Bhagavata Purana consists of twelve books subdivided into 332 chapters, with a cumulative total of between 16,000 and 18,000 verses depending on the version. The tenth book of the text, which contains about 4,000 verses (~25%) and is dedicated to legends about Krishna, has been the most popular and widely studied part of this text.

English Grammar For Students Of French Jacqueline Morton Pdf To Word. Life and legends [ ]. Vasudeva carrying the newborn Krishna to Nand's house in Gokul via the river Yamuna This summary is a mythological account, based on literary details from the, the, the, and the. The scenes from the narrative are set in ancient, mostly in the present states of,,,,, and. The legends about Krishna's life are called Krishna charitas (: Kṛṣṇacaritas). Birth [ ] In Krishna charitas, Krishna is born to and her husband, of the Chandravanshi clan.

Synfig Tutorial Pdf Download. Devaki's brother is a tyrant named. At Devaki's wedding, according to Puranic legends, Kamsa is told by fortune tellers that a child of Devaki would kill him. Kamsa arranges to kill all of Devaki's children. When Krishna is born, Vasudeva secretly carries the infant Krishna away across the Yamuna and exchanges him.

When Kamsa tries to kill the newborn, the exchanged baby appears as the Hindu goddess, warning him that his death has arrived in his kingdom, and then disappears, according to the legends in the Puranas. Krishna grows up with and his wife near modern-day. Two of Krishna's siblings also survive, namely and, according to these legends. The day of birth of Krishna is celebrated as. Childhood and youth [ ].

Krishna playing flute (15th century artwork). The legends of Krishna's childhood and youth describe him as a cow herder, a mischievous boy whose pranks earns him the nickname a Makhan Chor (butter thief), and a protector who steals the hearts of the people in both Gokul and Vrindavana. The texts state, for example, that Krishna lifts the to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavana from devastating rains and floods. Other legends describe him as an enchanter and playful lover of the (milkmaids) of Vrindavana, especially. These metaphor-filled love stories are known as the and were romanticised in the poetry of, author of the. They are also central to the development of the Krishna traditions worshiping.

Krishna's childhood illustrates 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 is an example. Krishna plays his flute and the gopis come immediately, from whatever they were doing, to the banks of the, and join him in singing and dancing. Even those who could not physically be there join him through meditation.

He is the spiritual essence and the love-eternal in existence, the gopis metaphorically represent the matter and the impermanent body. This lila is a constant theme in the legends of Krishna's childhood and youth. Even when he is battling with a serpent to protect others, he is described in Hindu texts as if he were playing a game.

This quality of playfulness in Krishna is celebrated during festivals as Rasa-lila and, where Hindus in some regions such as playfully mimic his legends, such as by making human gymnastic pyramids to break open handis (clay pots) hung high in the air to 'steal' butter or buttermilk, spilling it all over the group. Adulthood [ ]. Krishna with his consorts and and his mount,, India, late 12th–13th century Krishna legends then describe his return to Mathura. He overthrows and kills the tyrant king, his uncle Kamsa after quelling several assassination attempts by Kamsa. He reinstates Kamsa's father,, as the king of the Yadavas and becomes a leading prince at the court. In one version of the Krishna story, as narrated by Shanta Rao, Krishna after Kamsa's death leads the Yadavas to the newly built city of.

Thereafter Pandavas rise. Krishna befriends and the other princes of the kingdom. Krishna plays a key role in the Mahabharata. The Bhagavata Purana describes of Krishna that appear in sequence as (,,,,, (also called Satya),, and (also called Madra).

According to Dennis Hudson, this is a metaphor where each the eight wives signify a different aspect of him. According to George Williams, Vaishnava texts mention all Gopis as wives of Krishna, but this is spiritual symbolism of devotional relationship and Krishna's complete loving devotion to each and everyone devoted to him. His wife is sometimes called,, Rukmini, Svaminiji or others. In Krishna-related Hindu traditions, he is most commonly seen with. All of his wives and his lover are considered in the Hindu tradition to be the of the goddess, the consort of. Are considered as Radha's many forms and manifestations.

Kurukshetra War and Bhagavad Gita [ ]. Iconographic representation in an temple of Krishna and Arjuna at the According to the epic poem Mahabharata, Krishna becomes Arjuna's charioteer for the, but on the condition that he personally will not raise any weapon. Upon arrival at the battlefield, and seeing that the enemies are his family, his grandfather, and his cousins and loved ones, Arjuna is moved and says his heart will not allow him to fight and kill others. He would rather renounce the kingdom and put down his (Arjuna's bow). Krishna then advises him about the nature of life, ethics, and morality when one is faced with a war between good and evil, the impermanence of matter, the permanence of the soul and the good, duties and responsibilities, the nature of true peace and bliss and the different types of yoga to reach this state of bliss and inner liberation.

This conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is presented as a discourse called the. Death and Ascension [ ]. Main article: It is stated in the Indian texts that the legendary Kurukshetra War leads to the death of all the hundred sons of Gandhari. On the night before Duryodhana's death, Krishna visits to offer his condolences. Feeling that Krishna deliberately did not put an end to the war, in a fit of rage and sorrow Gandhari places a curse on Krishna that he, along with everyone else from his dynasty, will perish.

According to the Mahabharata, a fight breaks out at a festival among the Yadavas, who end up killing each other. Mistaking the sleeping Krishna for a deer, a hunter named Jara shoots an arrow that fatally injures him. Krishna forgives Jara and dies. The pilgrimage ( ) site of in marks the location where Krishna is believed to have died.

It is also known as Dehotsarga, states, a term that literally means the place where Krishna 'gave up his body'. The Bhagavata Purana in Book 11, chapter 31 states that after his death, Krishna returned to his transcendent abode directly because of his yogic concentration. Waiting gods such as and were unable to trace the path Krishna took to leave his human incarnation and return to his abode. Versions and interpretations [ ] There are numerous versions of Krishna's life story, of which three are most studied: the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Vishnu Purana. They share the basic storyline but vary significantly in their specifics, details, and styles. The most original composition, the Harivamsa is told in a realistic style that describes Krishna's life as a poor herder but weaves in poetic and fantasy.

It ends on a triumphal note, not with the death of Krishna. Differing in some details, the fifth book of the Vishnu Purana moves away from Harivamsa realism and embeds Krishna in mystical terms and eulogies. The Vishnu Purana manuscripts exist in many versions. The tenth and eleventh books of the Bhagavata Purana are widely considered to be a poetic masterpiece, full of imagination and metaphors, with no relation to the realism of pastoral life found in the Harivamsa. Krishna's life is presented as a cosmic play ( lila), where his youth is set as a princely life with his foster father Nanda portrayed as a king.

Krishna's life is closer to that of a human being in Harivamsa, but is a symbolic universe in the Bhagavata Purana, where Krishna is within the universe and beyond it, as well as the universe itself, always. The Bhagavata Purana manuscripts also exist in many versions, in numerous Indian languages. Proposed datings [ ]. 14th-century fresco of Krishna in, Rajasthan The date of Krishna's birth is celebrated every year as. Based on the events posited within the legends in the and some Puranas, some sources suggest Krishna was an actual historic person.

For example, Lanvanya Vemsani states that Krishna can be inferred to have lived between 3227 BCE - 3102 BCE from the Puranas. In contrast, according to mythologies in the Jain tradition, Krishna was a cousin of, the 22nd Tirthankara of the Jains. Neminatha is believed in the Jain tradition to have been born 84,000 years before the 9th-century BCE.

Guy Beck states that Krishna – whether human or divine – reflects an actual person in ancient India, who lived at least by 1000 BCE, but this historicity cannot be established purely by studying the Sanskrit canon. Other scholars such as and Hazra state that the Puranas are not a reliable source for Indian history, because the content therein about kings, various peoples, sages, and kingdoms is highly inconsistent across the manuscripts. They state that these stories are probably based in part on real events, in part on, and in part embellished by expansive imagination. A high degree of inconsistency and manuscript corruption occurred particularly from the 12th century onwards, evidenced by cross-referencing the texts; Matsya Purana, for example, stated that Kurma Purana has 18,000 verses, while Agni Purana asserts the same text has 8,000 verses, and Naradiya attests that the Kurma manuscript has 17,000 verses. The Puranic literature has gone through slow redaction and text corruption over time, as well as sudden deletion of numerous chapters and its replacement with new content to an extent that the currently circulating Puranas are completely different from those that existed before the 11th century, or 16th century. For example, a newly discovered palm-leaf manuscript in has been dated to be from 810 CE, but is quite different from versions of the same Purana text that have been circulating in South Asia since the colonial era.

Philosophy and theology [ ] A wide range of theological and philosophical ideas are presented through Krishna in Hindu texts., a Hindu theologian whose works were influential in, presented him in terms of qualified (Vishishtadvaita)., a Hindu philosopher whose works led to the founding of sect of Vaishnavism, presented Krishna in the framework of (Dvaita)., a saint from, described Krishna theology in terms of Bhakti yoga and. Krishna theology is presented in a pure (, called shuddhadvaita) framework by, who was the founder of sect of vaishnavism. Madhusudana Sarasvati, an India philosopher, presented Krishna theology in nondualism- framework (), while, who is credited for unifying and establishing the main currents of thought in, mentioned Krishna in his early eighth-century discussions on. The Bhagavata Purana, a popular text on Krishna considered to be like a scripture in, synthesizes an Advaita, Samkhya, and Yoga framework for Krishna but one that proceeds through loving devotion to Krishna. Bryant describes the synthesis of ideas in Bhagavata Purana as, The philosophy of the Bhagavata is a mixture of Vedanta terminology, Samkhyan metaphysics and devotionalized Yoga praxis.

(.) The tenth book promotes Krishna as the highest absolute personal aspect of godhead – the personality behind the term and the ultimate aspect of. — Edwin Bryant, Krishna: A Sourcebook While Sheridan and Pintchman both affirm Bryant's view, the latter adds that the Vedantic view emphasized in the Bhagavata is with a difference. In conventional nondual Vedanta all reality is an interconnected and one, the Bhagavata posits that the reality is interconnected and plural. Across the various theologies and philosophies, the common theme presents Krishna as the essence and symbol of divine love, with human life and love as a reflection of the divine. The longing and love-filled legends of Krishna and the gopis, his playful pranks as a baby, as well as his later dialogues with other characters, are philosophically treated as metaphors for the human longing for the divine and for meaning, and the play between the universals and the human soul.

Krishna's lila is a theology of love-play. According to John Koller, 'love is presented not simply as a means to salvation, it is the highest life'. Human love is God's love. Other texts that include Krishna such as the have attracted numerous (commentaries) in the Hindu traditions. Though only a part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, it has functioned as an independent spiritual guide. It allegorically raises through Krishna and Arjuna the ethical and moral dilemmas of human life, then presents a spectrum of answers, weighing in on the ideological questions on human freedoms, choices, and responsibilities towards self and towards others.

This Krishna dialogue has attracted numerous interpretations, from being a metaphor of inner human struggle teaching non-violence, to being a metaphor of outer human struggle teaching a rejection of quietism to persecution. Influence [ ] Vaishnavism [ ]. • • • The worship of Krishna is part of, a major tradition within Hinduism. Krishna is considered a full avatar of Vishnu, or one with Vishnu himself.

However, the exact relationship between Krishna and Vishnu is complex and diverse, with Krishna sometimes considered an independent deity and supreme. Vaishnavas accept many incarnations of Vishnu, but Krishna is particularly important. Their theologies are generally centered either on Vishnu or an avatar such as Krishna as supreme. The terms Krishnaism and Vishnuism have sometimes been used to distinguish the two, the former implying that Krishna is the transcendent Supreme Being. All Vaishnava traditions recognise Krishna as the eighth avatar of Vishnu; others identify Krishna with Vishnu, while traditions such as, and the regard Krishna as the, the original form of Lord or the same as the concept of in Hinduism. Of considers Krishna to be the supreme lord while the ten incarnations are his forms., the founder of the, also worshipped Krishna as God himself. 'Greater Krishnaism' corresponds to the second and dominant phase of Vaishnavism, revolving around the cults of the, Krishna, and of the late.

Today the faith has a significant following outside of India as well. Early traditions [ ] The deity ( kṛṣṇa vāsudeva 'Krishna, the son of ') is historically one of the earliest forms of worship in and. It is believed to be a significant tradition of the early history of Krishna religion in antiquity. Thereafter, there was an amalgamation of various similar traditions. These include ancient, the cult of, of 'Krishna Govinda' (cow-finding Krishna), of (baby Krishna) and of 'Krishna Gopivallabha' (Krishna the lover).

According to Andre Couture, the contributed to the synthesis of various characters as aspects of Krishna. Bhakti tradition [ ]. Krishna has been a major part of the. The use of the term bhakti, meaning devotion, is not confined to any one deity. However, Krishna is an important and popular focus of the devotionalism tradition within Hinduism, particularly among the sects. Devotees of Krishna subscribe to the concept of, meaning 'divine play', as the central principle of the universe. It is a form of bhakti yoga, one of three types of yoga discussed by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita.

Indian subcontinent [ ] 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 saints of the country. A major collection of their works is the. The Alvar 's popular collection of songs, in which she conceives of herself as a gopi, is the most famous of the oldest works in this genre. Krishna (left) with Radha at,, England The movement originated in South India during the 7th CE, spreading northwards from Tamil Nadu through Karnataka and Maharashtra; by the 15th century, it was established in Bengal and northern India. Early Bhakti pioneers include (12th or 13th century CE), but most emerged later, including (15th century CE) and (. They started their own schools, namely,, and, with Krishna as the supreme god.

In the, particularly in, saint poets of the sect such as,,,, and promoted the worship of, a local form of Krishna, from the beginning of the 13th century until the late 18th century. In southern India, and of composed songs devoted to the Krishna image of. Of Gaudiya Vaishnavism has compiled a comprehensive summary of bhakti called Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. In South India, the acharyas of the Sri Sampradaya have written reverentially about Krishna in most of their works, including the by Andal and Gopala Vimshati. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala states have many major Krishna temples, and Janmashtami is one of the widely celebrated festivals in South India.

Outside Asia [ ]. An ISKCON temple in, France By 1965 the Krishna-bhakti movement had spread outside India after (as instructed by his, ) traveled from his homeland in West Bengal to. A year later in 1966, after gaining many followers, he was able to form the (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement. The purpose of this movement was to write about Krishna in English and to share the philosophy with people in the Western world by spreading the teachings of the saint. In the biographies of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the mantra he received when he was given or initiation in was the six-word verse of the, namely 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare'. In Gaudiya tradition, it is the maha-mantra, or great mantra, about Krishna.

Its chanting was known as hari-nama sankirtana. The maha-mantra gained the attention of and of the Beatles fame, and Harrison produced a 1969 recording of the mantra by devotees from the London. Titled ', the song reached the top twenty on the UK music charts and was also successful in and. The mantra of the Upanishad thus helped bring Bhaktivedanta and ISKCON ideas about Krishna into the West. ISCKON has built many Krishna temples in the West, as well as other locations such as.

Southeast Asia [ ]. Krishna lifts 'Govardhan' mountain, a 7th-century artwork from a,, archaeological site Krishna is found in southeast Asian history and art, but to a far less extent than,,,, and. In temples ( candi) of the archaeological sites in hilly volcanic, Indonesia, temple reliefs do not portray his pastoral life or his role as the erotic lover, nor do the historic Javanese Hindu texts. Rather, either his childhood or the life as a king and Arjuna's companion have been more favored.

The most elaborate temple arts of Krishna are found in a series of Krsnayana reliefs in the Prambanan Hindu temple complex near. These are dated to the 9th century CE. Krishna remained a part of the Javanese cultural and theological fabric through the 14th century, as evidenced by the 14th-century reliefs along with those of the Hindu god Rama in east Java, before Islam replaced Buddhism and Hinduism on the island. The medieval era arts of Vietnam and feature Krishna. The earliest surviving sculptures and reliefs are from the 6th and 7th century, and these include Vaishnavism iconography. According to John Guy, the curator and director of southeast Asian arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Krishna Govardhana art from 6th/7th-century Vietnam at, and 7th-century Cambodia at cave in, are some of the most sophisticated of this era.

Krishna iconography has also been found in, along with those of and. For example, a large number of sculptures and icons have been found in the Si Thep and Klangnai sites in the region of northern Thailand. These are dated to about the 7th and 8th century, from both the Funan and Zhenla periods archaeological sites. Performance arts [ ].

The Krishna legends in the Bhagavata Purana have inspired many performance arts repertoire, such as, (left) and. The where Krishna plays with the gopis in style (right). Indian dance and music theatre traces its origins and techniques to the ancient and texts.

The stories enacted and the numerous choreographic themes are inspired by the mythologies and legends in Hindu texts, including Krishna-related literature such as and. The Krishna stories have played a key role in the history of Indian theatre, music, and dance, particularly through the tradition of. These are dramatic enactments of Krishna's childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. One common scene involves Krishna playing flute in rasa leela, only to be heard by certain gopis (cowheard maidens), which is theologically supposed to represent divine call only heard by certain enlightened beings. Some of the text's legends have inspired secondary theatre literature such as the eroticism in.

Krishna-related literature such as the Bhagavata Purana accords a metaphysical significance to the performances and treats them as religious ritual, infusing daily life with spiritual meaning, thus representing a good, honest, happy life. Similarly, Krishna-inspired performances aim to cleanse the hearts of faithful actors and listeners. Singing, dancing, and performance of any part of Krishna Lila is an act of remembering the dharma in the text, as a form of para bhakti (supreme devotion). To remember Krishna at any time and in any art, asserts the text, is to worship the good and the divine. Classical dance styles such as,,, and in particular are known for their Krishna-related performances.

(Krishnattam) traces its origins to Krishna legends, and is linked to another major classical Indian dance form called. Bryant summarizes the influence of Krishna stories in the Bhagavata Purana as, '[it] has inspired more derivative literature, poetry, drama, dance, theatre and art than any other text in the history of Sanskrit literature, with the possible exception of the.

Other religions [ ] Jainism [ ] The tradition lists 63 or notable figures which, amongst others, includes the twenty-four (spiritual teachers) and nine sets of triads. One of these triads is Krishna as the Vasudeva, as the, and as the Prati-Vasudeva. In each age of the Jain cyclic time is born a Vasudeva with an elder brother termed the Baladeva. Between the triads, Baladeva upholds the principle of non-violence, a central idea of Jainism. The villain is the Prati-vasudeva, who attempts to destroy the world. To save the world, Vasudeva-Krishna has to forsake the non-violence principle and kill the Prati-Vasudeva.

The stories of these triads can be found in the (8th century CE) of (not be confused with its namesake, the addendum to Mahābhārata) and the Trishashti-shalakapurusha-charita of. The story of Krishna's life in the Puranas of Jainism follows the same general outline as those in the Hindu texts, but in details they are very different: they include Jain Tirthankaras as characters in the story, and generally are polemically critical of Krishna, unlike the versions found in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Vishnu Purana. For example, Krishna loses battles in the Jain versions, and his gopis and his clan of Yadavas die in a fire created by an ascetic named Dvaipayana. Similarly, after dying from the hunter Jara's arrow, the Jaina texts state Krishna goes to the in, while his brother is said to go to the.

Vimalasuri is attributed to be the author of the Jain version of the Harivamsa Purana, but no manuscripts have been found that confirm this. It is likely that later Jain scholars, probably Jinasena of the 8th century, wrote a complete version of Krishna legends in the Jain tradition and credited it to the ancient Vimalasuri. Partial and older versions of the Krishna story are available in Jain literature, such as in the Antagata Dasao of the Agama tradition. In other Jain texts, Krishna is stated to be a cousin of the twenty-second,. The Jain texts state that Naminatha taught Krishna all the wisdom that he later gave to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.

According to, a professor of religion known for his publications on Jainism, this connection between Krishna and Neminatha has been a historic reason for Jains to accept, read, and cite the Bhagavad Gita as a spiritually important text, celebrate Krishna-related festivals, and intermingle with Hindus as spiritual cousins. Buddhism [ ].

Depiction of Krishna playing the flute in a temple constructed in 752 CE on the order of Emperor Shomu,, Great Buddha Hall in, The story of Krishna occurs in the tales in. The Vidhurapandita Jataka mentions Madhura (Sanskrit: Mathura), the Ghata Jataka mentions Kamsa, Devagabbha (Sk: Devaki), Upasagara or Vasudeva, Govaddhana (Sk: Govardhana), Baladeva (Balarama), and Kanha or Kesava (Sk: Krishna, Keshava). Like the Jaina versions of the Krishna legends, the Buddhist versions such as one in Ghata Jataka follow the general outline of the story, but are different from the Hindu versions as well. For example, the Buddhist legend describes Devagabbha (Devaki) to have been isolated in a palace built upon a pole, after she is born, so no future husband could reach her. Krishna's father similarly is described as a powerful king, but who meets up with Devagabbha anyway, and to whom Kamsa gives away his sister Devagabbha in marriage. The siblings of Krishna are not killed by Kamsa, though he tries.

In the Buddhist version of the legend, all of Krishna's siblings grow to maturity. Krishna and his siblings' capital becomes Dvaravati. The Arjuna and Krishna interaction is missing in the Jataka version. A new legend is included, wherein Krishna laments in uncontrollable sorrow when his son dies, and a Ghatapandita feigns madness to teach Krishna a lesson. The Jataka tale also includes an internecine destruction among his siblings after they all get drunk. Krishna also dies in the Buddhist legend by the hand of a hunter named Jara, but while he is traveling to a frontier city.

Mistaking Krishna for a pig, Jara throws a spear that fatally pierces his feet, causing Krishna great pain and then his death. At the end of this Ghata-Jataka discourse, the Buddhist text declares that, one of the revered disciples of the Buddha in the Buddhist tradition, was incarnated as Krishna in his previous life to learn lessons on grief from the Buddha in his prior rebirth: Then he [Master] declared the Truths, and identified the Birth: 'At that time, Ananda was Rohineyya, Sariputta was Vasudeva [Krishna], the followers of the Buddha were the other persons, and I myself was Ghatapandita.' • The regional texts vary in the identity of Krishna's wife (consort), some presenting it as Rukmini, some as Radha, some as Svaminiji, some adding all gopis, and some identifying all to be different aspects or manifestation of one Lakshmi. • Dimmitt and van Buitenen state that it is difficult to ascertain when, where, why and by whom the Puranas were written, and they grew by 'numerous accretions in successive historical eras' where people added or changed the text at random.

Their reliability has also suffered from the way surviving manuscripts were copied over the centuries. The liberties in the transmission of Puranas were normal and those who copied older manuscripts replaced words or added new content. References [ ]. • (1993),, Columbia, S.C.:, • Brown, C. Mackenzie (1983).

'The Origin and Transmission of the Two 'Bhāgavata Purāṇas': A Canonical and Theological Dilemma'. Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

Oxford University Press. 51 (4): 551–567... • Edwin Bryant; Maria Ekstrand (2004).. Columbia University Press.. • Bryant, Edwin F. • Bryant, Edwin F.

(2007),, Oxford University Press, USA, • Bryant, Edwin Francis, Maria Ekstrand (2013).. Columbia University Press.. • Dimmitt, Cornelia; van Buitenen, J. Temple University Press (1st Edition: 1977).. • (2016),,, • The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated by, published between 1883 and 1896 • The Vishnu-Purana, translated by H. Wilson, (1840) • The Srimad Bhagavatam, translated by, (1988) copyright • Knott, Kim (2000),, Oxford University Press, USA, p. 160, • The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, edited by E.

Cowell, (1895) • (1953) [April 1952],, ed.,,, E.C. 4: & Kegan Paul Ltd, • Ekstrand, Maria (2004). Bryant, Edwin H., ed.. • Matchett, Freda (2001).. • (2001),,:, • Gaurangapada, Swami..

Retrieved 2013-05-24. Archived from on 18 May 2015. • Garuda Pillar of Besnagar, Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report (1908–1909). Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, 1912, 129. • Flood, Galvin D. (1996),, Cambridge University Press, • (2005).. CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list () • Marijke J.

Klokke (2000).. • Kumar Das, Sisir (2006)..

Sahitya Akademi.. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.. Essential Hinduism. New York: Praeger.. • Schomer, Karine; McLeod, W. (1987), The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Motilal Banarsidass, • Sheridan, Daniel (1986).. Columbia, Mo: South Asia Books..

• Sutton, Nicholas (2000).. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. • Valpey, Kenneth R. New York: Routledge.. • History of Indian Theatre By M. Chapter Theatre of Krishna, pp. 231–94.

Published 1991, Abhinav Publications,. • Varadpande, Manohar Laxman (1987).. Abhinav Publications.. External links [ ].

The ancient scriptures define a body as something that is prone to destruction – ‘sheeryate iti shariram’. Vedanta also states that the individual soul (jiva) is nothing but the eternal Supreme Soul (Paramatma or Brahman).

However, the jiva invariably mistakes himself to be the body. To remove this false knowledge of the jiva, the scriptures identify the three bodies conditioning the jiva, and then step by step show how the jiva is essentially different from all the three. The Gross Body (Sthula Sharira) This is the visible, physical body. We all identify ourselves so much with our physical bodies made up of hands, legs etc, that we consider it to be our true self (Swarupa).

Our names, gender etc. All belong to this body only. Why did God give us this body? To reap the fruits of the karma we did in our previous lives. In the same manner, our body in the previous birth was given so that we could reap the karma done in births prior to that one.

This leads to the conclusion that this flow of karma and its consequent births is an endless one. Therefore the question that what is the cause of our first birth does not arise. When we realize that this body, the cause of our distress, is being born again and again since eternity then it leads to disenchantment (Vairagya) with the body. Our mind turns away from the external world towards God. With the passage of time and sadhana, one can become a Jnani (one having the knowledge of salvation or Moksha). A Jnani is one who utilizes his body only for the reaping of previous karma and takes care of not creating any new karma for the fruits of which he will have to take another birth. The ignorant person on the other hand, in addition to reaping the previous fruits, also creates new karma leading to further births.

I am Not the Gross Body Krishna Delivering Gita Sermon The Bhagavad Gita says: “Like a man discards his worn out clothes and wears new ones, so does the soul discard this body and acquire a new one” (2.22). This makes it clear that the individual soul or jiva is different from this body. This is known easily through the scriptures. However, we can understand this otherwise also. Even though during childhood, youth and old age the body has changed, ‘I’ am still the same. Not only this, when the doctor amputates a part of the body or replaces it with an artificial organ made of iron etc., or with the organ of another human being, even then the original jiva does not change, it remains the same as earlier.

This conclusively proves that the gross body is but a mere implement for the jiva to reap the fruits of his karma. During surgery the patient is put under anesthesia. At that time, the jiva loses mental contact with the body. Even when the body is under the surgeon’s knife it does not suffer any pain. It is somewhat the same position during deep sleep. Therefore, we realize that the jiva (our own self) is different from the gross body.

Thus it is proved that we are not the gross body, and any of the identifications associated with it (man, woman etc) are fictitious to say the least. The Subtle Body (Sukshma Sharira) Inside the gross there is another body, known as the ‘sukshma sharira’. It is not visible to any of the sense organs. We know the gross body is by itself animate (otherwise a dead body too would move), therefore there has to be something else granting it movement. This is the subtle body, so called because it is too subtle to be discerned by our senses. When we are in deep sleep our subtle body more or less withdraws from the gross body.

Therefore, during that time the gross body nearly ceases all operations. When the subtle body withdraws completely from the gross body death occurs. Whatever karma we do gets coded in an invisible way in this subtle body. The subtle body does not die. Therefore, after the death of the gross body, this subtle body in due course, as per its coding, receives another gross body.

The gross body is made up of the following nineteen elements: 1). The five organs of knowledge (Jnana Indriya): Sight, Hearing, Taste, Touch and Smell.

The five Organs of action (Karma Indriya): Tongue (Speech), Hands, Feet, Genital, Anus. The Four Internal Instruments (Antah Karana): Mind, Intellect (Buddhi), Memory (Chitta) and Ego (Ahankara). The Five Vital Breaths (Pranas): These five are: a). Mukhya (Main) Prana: The inhalation and exhalation of breath. Apana: The down going breath responsible for the excretory function in the body. Samana: The part of breath responsible for digestion. Udana: Responsible for the function of swallowing and coughing.

Vyana: Responsible for the holding of breath during lifting of weights etc. I am Not the Subtle Body Like it has been proved above that ‘I’ am not the gross body, similar is the case with the subtle body too.

This is because all elements making up the subtle body are insentient (inanimate). They work in tandem with each other.

The scriptures clearly state: Aitareya Upanisad: With the Commentary of Sankaracarya (Shankaracharya) ‘Any parts of a complicated machinery which work in mutual cooperation do so only for the consumption of a an entity different from themselves. Similarly the workings of the subtle and gross bodies in mutual harmony are for the sake of the jiva different from them.’ (Shri Shankaracharya’s commentary on the Aitareya Upanishad 1.3.11). Prana and Pranayama Therefore, the jiva is different from both the subtle and gross bodies. It is the jiva who witnesses the being and destruction, if any, of the Indriyas forming the subtle body.

Even in the case of prana we very well know that accomplished yogis can keep it under their control through the regular practice of Pranayama. Therefore, Prana too is essentially different from the jiva. The four internal instruments making up the antah karana are also separate from our true self. To understand this, we have to go back to our experience of deep sleep. We all know that unlike the waking state or dream state, in deep sleep we are not aware of anything. Even then ‘I’ am the witness to this absence of awareness in deep sleep.

As soon as we get up in the morning we say: “Totally unaware, I slept with ease.” This indicates the absence of all internal instruments during deep sleep, because the instruments themselves cannot recognize their own absence. There has to be another entity independent of them to witness their absence.

Since all elements (or their absence) making up the subtle body are visible to me, and the view is always different from the viewer, ‘I’ am not the subtle body. The Causal Body (Karana Sharira) Therefore, understanding that the individual soul is neither of the two bodies, gross or subtle, we realize that it is separate from the two. We are not what we believe ourselves to be as a consequence of our natural, unquestioning acceptance of these two bodies; i.e. We do not know our own self. This is our Avidya.

This ignorance of what we truly are gives room to mistakenly identifying ourselves through our bodies: “I am a man, I am a woman”, “I am tall, I am short” etc. This is the jiva’s false knowledge or ‘Mithya Jnana.’ This allows the entry of attachment and aversion (raga-dvesha) into our lives. It is not karma itself that is harmful. It is action done because of raga-dvesha that is the source of our misery. Karmas performed under the influence of raga-dvesha lead to their fruits getting coded inside the subtle body. Not all these fruits can be reaped within the present birth. Therefore we have to take birth again.

Hence the root cause of the continuous cycle of birth and death is our Avidya, or ignorance of our true self. We need to recall here the definition of a body as ‘One that is prone to destruction’. Since this Avidya is susceptible to destruction through knowledge (Jnana), hence it too is a sharira (body). Consequently, ignorance too is referred to as a body in the scriptures (Shri Shankaracharya’s commentary on the Isha Upanishad, Mantra 8). Indeed, Avidya is the causal body since it is the cause of our falling continuously into the cycle of birth and death. Indeed, Avidya is the causal body since it is the cause of our falling continuously into the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, it is through overcoming our Avidya, the root cause of all our miseries, that we can ensure of never again falling into the clutches of the gross and subtle bodies.

I am not the Causal Body Isa Upanisad: With the Commentary of Sankaracarya (Shankaracharya) Even though we think of Avidya (the causal body) as situated within us, and thus reap the fruits done through raga-dvesha, in actual terms the Avidya does not reside in us (Shri Shankaracharya’s commentary on Katha Upanishad 2.2.11). This Avidya is not natural to the soul (our actual self), because the soul is ever pure and devoid of any Avidya-like contamination.

Hence do we say that the causal body too is not our true self (Commentary on Isha Upanishad, 8). Actually, Avidya or the causal body is not actually the presence of something (bhava rupa), rather, it is the absence of something (abhava rupa), namely knowledge or Vidya. Conclusion: The detailed delineation of the three bodies in the scriptures is not to inspire analytical research on tapping the psychic powers available to the jiva. To lay too much stress on the psychic buildup of the individual soul is to divert away from the ultimate purpose of the scriptures, which is to make one realize the most common mistake which we all make, namely identifying ourselves exclusively through our bodies, forgetting in the process our essential oneness with the Supreme Soul.

References and Further Reading: • Bharati, Swami Paramananda. Bangalore 2008. • Bharati, Swami Paramananda. Lectures on Vedanta at Ayodhya (40 MP3 Files). • Bharati, Swami Paramananda.Varanasi, 2010. This article is based almost entirely on the teachings of Param Pujya Swami Paramanand Bharati Ji.

However, any error is entirely the author's own. This Article by Nitin Kumar.

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