The Joy of Loving Lord Krishna

[Anima Deorum]

जय श्री राम

Namaste, realdemigod. Thank you for pointing that out as well as reminding members of HDF with your short but highly important and succinct post. It is a must that no worshipper forgets the physical attributes and characteristics of Lord Shrī Krishna. Lord Shrī Krishna was dark skinned. His own name signifies this**. He may have been black as night for all we know; and his beauty was most likely unmatched. I have been told by certain Gurus in Gujarāt (where Vaishnava traditions are very popular but ironically respect for Lord Shrī Shiva is higher) that Lord Shrī Krishna and Lord Shrī Rāma were the most beautiful of all when it came to the Gods and their representative (Earthly) attributes, and both were described as śyāma (dark skinned).

As the wonderful worship and veneration of Lord Shrī Krishna spreads throughout the world, particularly to the West, I hope that his physical attributes are not altered nor subjected to appropriation (as in the unfortunate case of Yeshua N'zareth - who sadly over time was replaced with blond hair and blue eyes).

I have a small question, though: why is Lord Shrī Krishna depicted as blue most of the time? Isn't that a trait attributed to Lord Shrī Vishnu? Or do the manifestations/avatāra-s regain these features of Lord Shrī Vishnu upon their depiction by his worshippers? Just a curiosity.
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**"The Sanskrit word in its original language Kṛṣṇa is primarily an adjective meaning 'black' or 'dark', sometimes it is also translated as 'all attractive'".
(1) http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koel...-kRzanAvat.jpg
(2) Rosen, Steven (2006). Essential Hinduism. Greenwood Publishing Group. p.224.
**"As a male noun, Kṛṣṇa is used in the meaning 'night, blackness, darkness' in the Rigveda. As a proper noun, Kṛṣṇa occurs in RV 8.85.3.."
(3) "Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary p.306". website. Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon project. 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
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जय विश्वेदेवाः

Namaste,

That is an excellent point, Sudas Paijavana, and thank you for bringing it up.

Swami Chinmayananda’s annotated Gita does explain some of the Sanskrit used to describe or name the transcendent and immanent Lord Krishna. Swami Chinmayananda explains the following terms, although I cannot purport to have a firm understanding of their hermeneutical context. Please forgive my presumption and ignorance, particularly of correct transliteration from the Devanagari script to the Latinate alphabet. Ultimately, my expression is based on my own feelings and experiences, tainted with false understanding as it is. Sacred terms in italics are translated into quotations. Text under the quotations divulges my own searching.

Vishnu
“The all pervading One.”
Is Brahman light or darkness? The Divine Vishnu has many incarnations, only ten of which are principal--Is He not All? Are the cosmos, the world, the heart, and the microcosm not alive with light and darkness?

Krishna
“He who attracts, The dark one, He who is Brahman.”
As All, the Lord is within the smallest creatures and above the most celestial. He attracts all walks of life, all colors, into His supreme love. All paths of men lead to Krishna. All colors together become black, all paths singular... Each soul must experience his own color and path to feel the full glory of light and love that the mind can only fathom as undifferentiated darkness.


Arisūdana
“The destroyer of his enemies.”
Can we not learn something of the Lord's majesty and beauty through his triumph over the Kaliya Serpent? Here a great loneliness and malice, which spewed poison from one-hundred and ten heads and boiled the water for four leagues terrorized a village. Krishna assumed the weight of the universe and danced upon this hatred, driving Kaliya into the waters. Here we have an instance of beauty illumined upon sinking ugliness

Devam
“The Supreme Lord, The effulgent one.”
What pours from God except every aspect of life? To the mind this may be a terrifying array of dazzling vicissitude and vacillation, a maya rupa of sorts. To the heart, this effulgence or emanative aspect is all-consuming and pure.

Deva
“The bestower of light.”
The Isa Upanishad says that the Truth lies hidden behind a golden circle. I pray that this brilliant, blissful union of the self and divine will shine in all of us.

[charitra]

I have a small question, though: why is Lord Shrī Krishna depicted as blue most of the time? Isn't that a trait attributed to Lord Shrī Vishnu? Or do the manifestations/avatāra-s regain these features of Lord Shrī Vishnu upon their depiction by his worshippers? Just a curiosity.

Sometime ago I made a similar attempt to draw some academics into the debate, not a lot followed to my disappointment. See the below thread.

Namaste.http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=7574

[smaranam]

Azure Lord

Azure is He,
As the summer sky,
As the wine dark sea,
As shimmering Europa.

Stars of Heaven
Bejewel His crown.
Life is His Voice,
Love His Melody.

The weight of worlds
Rests in His feet,
Dancing eternal,
Living freely.


Jai Krishna

Lovely, Anima. Posted a comment on this the other day, but the computer blew everything up before submitting. Then, there was no time to redo the post.

Like this :
Life is His Voice,
Love His Melody.

and this:
Stars of Heaven
Bejewel His crown.

The stars are the Gopis and Shri KRshNaChandra is their Beloved Moon.

and this
The weight of worlds
Rests in His feet,
Dancing eternal[ly ?]
Living freely.

That is GolokAnanda ShyAmsundar indeed. (I guess you meant to say eternally.)
Om ParabramhaNe namah:
Om ParamAtmane namah:

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The Lord is black that attracts everything, and is also blackish blue like the chintamaNi, as well as like the bluish Lotus as well as flourescent blue (azure) when He wants to be so!

Here are some poems that talk about His various complexions, and appearances - all valid, as well as a darshan of flourescent azure blue Lotus Feet. For the dear devotees. Sometimes one wonders,
Shri KRshNArpaNamastu... sure, or... bhaktArpaNamastu ?

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...0&postcount=36

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...71&postcount=3

(these poems are here thanks to dear Brahman. Yes, Brahman visits HDF. Actually posts of HDF! Although Bramhan is not the doer, but you know how YogamAyA is)


at your service

[smaranam]

Sometime ago I made a similar attempt to draw some academics into the debate, not a lot followed to my disappointment. See the below thread.

Namaste.http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=7574

praNAm

Sorry to hear that. Not even the NASA report? not the scriptural ref of nilotpala-dala? OR the report on the cosmic blue KRshNa suspended in dark space? OR the reasoning that the all-pervasiveness and sky-blueness owing to refraction in atmosphere are characteristics of Shri VishNu (not the other way around)?


The DAmodar AshTak and Gopi Geet both mention His neela-kuntala
(When You come back from the forest in the evening after grazing the cows, You are fully covered with dust and Your blue hair is all ruffled. It is such a pleasure to watch You / the sight, but the dumb creator has made human eyelids such that they flicker every now and then, becs of which our eyes close for that moment and we miss the view! - Gopi Geet

In DAmodar ashTak, YashodA MaiyA kisses little DAmodar (toddler KRshNa)'s bluish-black hair - nIla kuntala)

Please hold your breath... the complexion of Shri Yadnya-VarAha Deva as a varAha (four legged) is creamish white (shveta varAha), but as a chaturbhuja gadA-chakra-shankha-dhAri Yadnya-varAha is a deeper darker version of the blue of this sentence. It is just the deep blue of a clear night sky or earth from space...

[Sudas Paijavana]

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[Sudas Paijavana]

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[smaranam]

Namaste Sudasji

1. Is this a poem that you wrote? If so, you are a wonderful writer.

Was the pen - just the writing instrument. The "wonderful writer" is what ShyAmsundar makes one appear to be while He does everything behind the scenes. He supplies, He shows, He gives.
You must have heard the bhajan:

mera Aapa ki duA se sab kaam ho rahA hai
karte ho Tum KanhaiyA, mera nAma ho raha hai...

2. Did you derive the phrase "pinkish maiden" from the scriptures? Or was this poetic invention on your part?

It was neither from scriptures nor poetic invention or imagination. Merely reported what He wished to show. Let us leave it at that.

Shri KRshNa is Guru,
Shri KRshNa is taru
Shri KRshNa is shelter
Shri KRshNa is protector
Shri KRshNa is all in all.

Shrimad BhAgvat 1.2.28-29
vāsudeva-parā vedā
vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ
vāsudeva-parā yogā
vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ
vāsudeva-paraḿ jñānaḿ
vāsudeva-paraḿ tapaḥ
vāsudeva-paro dharmo
vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ

[Sudas Paijavana]

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[Anima Deorum]

Nectar for the eyes, they could not move
Away from the beautifully flourescent Feet
That illuminated the pitch-darkness of dawn
Tears of joy rolling down in the silence of the morn

Yes, let us freely surrender our tears to the Lord with joy.