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This article is about the Hindu deity. For other meanings, see Krishna (disambiguation).
Krishna ( in Devanagari, kṛṣṇa in IAST, pronounced [ kr̩ʂɳə] in classical Sanskrit) is
a deity worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism. He is usually depicted as a young
cowherd boy playing a flute (as in the Bhagavata Purana) or a youthful prince giving philosophical
direction (as in the Bhagavad Gita).
Most commonly within Hinduism, Krishna is worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu (Vishnu is
considered the Supreme God by the Vaishnava schools). Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the
Nimbarka Sampradaya, Krishna is worshipped as the source of all other avatars (including
Vishnu). [1]
Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu
philosophical and theological traditions. Though they sometimes differ in details reflecting the
concerns of a particular tradition, some core features are shared by all. These include a divine
incarnation, a pastoral childhood and youth, and life as a heroic warrior and teacher.
Etymology
Main article: List of titles and names of Krishna
The term Krishna in Sanskrit has the literal meaning of "black" or "dark", and is used as a name to
describe someone with dark skin. The Brahma Samhita describes Krishna's complexion as being
"tinged with the hue of blue clouds", [2] and he is often depicted in paintings with blue or dark-blue
skin. In murtis, Krishna is more commonly portrayed as being dark skinned or black. For instance
the Jagannatha deity (a form of Krishna, whose name means Lord of the World) at Puri is black in
colour, with his brother Balarama and sister Subhadra, both having much lighter complexions.
The Gaudiya tradition explains the primary meaning of the name Krishna as being “all-attractive”.
This is justified by an interpretation of a verse in the Mahābhārata, as given in the Chaitanya
Charitamrita. [3] Commentators on the Vishnu sahasranama offer explanations on similar lines.
According to Adi Sankara's commentary, Krishna is the 57th name of Vishnu and means the
"Existence of knowledge and Bliss."
Literary sources
Yashoda bathing the child Krishna. (Western Indian illustrated Bhagavata Purana Manuscript)
The earliest text to explicitly provide detailed descriptions of Krishna as a personality is the
Mahābhārata which depicts Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu who is central to many of the
main stories of the epic. The eighteen chapters of the sixth book (Bhishma Parva) that constitute
the Bhagavad Gita contain the advice of Krishna to Arjuna, on the battlefield. 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.