Lord Krishna Mystery
By Ratan Lal Basu
Copyright 2011 Ratan Lal Basu
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Contents
Krishna is not an Avatar (incarnate) according to basic Hindu mythology. The ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of creation, according to Hindu mythology are: Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Baraha (boar), Vaman (dwarf), Nrisingha (a combination of lion and man), Parasuram, Ram, Balaram, Buddha and Kalki (yet to emerge). Then who is Krishna?
Krishna is the symbol of Supreme Lord, the Brahman. Hindu philosophy conceives of various humanoid expressions of God (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Parvati, Kali etc.) each of which is a specific aspect of the Supreme Lord and therefore could be conceived in visible form (symbols or images) because all specific aspects of God have attributes. Whenever all these merge, the resultant complete Supreme Lord becomes invisible and attribute-less. Think of a beam of light. It illuminates everything but itself is invisible. Similarly supreme Lord makes the visible world visible but Himself remains invisible. Now let the light beam pass through a prism. It would split up into specific aspects (in terms of specific frequency ranges) and the spectrum of the specific aspects (V-I-B-G-Y-O-R) would become visible to the eye.
Krishna is at times described as an Avatar by misinterpreting the following slokas of Gita:
“Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhabati bharata
Abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatyanam srijammaham
Paritranaya sadhunam binashaya cha dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthaya sanbhabami yuge yuge.”(Gita, 4.7-8)
[O, Bharat, when righteousness degenerates and unrighteousness predominates then I manifest myself. To preserve the righteous persons, destroy the evil forces and thereby restore righteousness I emerge from time to time.]
‘I emerge’ (sambhabami) does not necessarily imply emergence of the Supreme as an incarnate. Shakti symbolized as Parvati and Kali killed many demons, Supreme Lord symbolized as Vishnu killed Madhu and Kaithava and many other demons. Krishna is such a symbol of the Supreme Lord.
Bhagavada Purana, however, mentions 22 incarnates of Lord Vishnu, viz. the primordial Brahmin, Varaha, Narada, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Svayambhuva Manu, Rishabha, Prithu, Matsya, Kurma, Dhanvantari, a beautiful Woman (who deceived the demons so that they could not drink nectar and become immortal), Nrisimha, Vaman, Parashurama, Vedayasa, Rama, Balarama, KRISHNA, Buddha and Kalki. But this purana contradicts in many respect the basic puranas like Shiva Purana and Vishnu Purana.
Krishna is the symbol of the Supreme Lord. To clarify this point I quote from Gita.which is the collection of religious teachings that Lord Krishna imparted toArjuna. At the beginning of the great Mahabharata war. Lord Krishna addresses Arjuna in his various names like Kaunteya, Bharat, Partha, Bhratarshav etc.
From chapter-7
7.8: O Kaunteya (son of Kunti), I am the liquidity in water, radiance in the Sun and the Moon, the Omkar (Aum Nada) in all the Vedas, the sound in the ether, and potency in human beings.
[Rasohahamapsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasisuryayoh
Pranavah sarvavedeshu sabdah khe paurushang nrishu]
7.9: I am the sacred fragrance in the earth, the heat in the fire, life in all living beings, and the austerity of the ascetics.
[Punyo
gandhah prithivyang cha tejashasmi vibhavasau
Jivanang
sarvabhuteshu tapaschasmi tapasvishu]
7.10: O Partha, know me as the primordial seed of all creatures. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the splendor of the splendid.
[Bijang mang sarvabhutanang viddhi partha sanatanam
Buddhir buddhimatamasmi tejastejasvinamaham]
7.11. O Bhratarshava, I am the attachment-free strength of the strong and the lust which conforms to dharma (i.e. lust which is necessary for procreation), of the living beings.
[Balang
balavatamasmi kamaragavivarjitam
Dharmaviruddho
bhuteshu kamohasmi bharatarshabha]
7.12: The three modes of material nature – satva, rajas and tamas – all emerge from me. But I am not dependent on them although they are dependent on me.
[Ye chaiva satvika bhavaā rajasastamasascha ye
Matta eveti tan viddhi na tvahang teshu te mayi]
7.13: the entire universe is obsessed with these three modes and therefore human beings cannot know me who exists as the eternal bliss.
[Tribhirgunamayairbhavairebhih sarvamidang jagat
Mohitang nabhijanati mamebhyah paramavyayam]
From chapter-9
9.4: I encompass the entire universe in inarticulate form. All beings depend on me for their existence but I do not depend on them.
[Maya tatamidang sarvang jagadavyaktamurtina
Matsthani sarvabhutani na chahang teshvavasthitah]
9.16: I am the sacrifice, I am the yajna, I am the offering for the ancestors, I am the medicine, I am the mantra, I am the clarified butter for homa, I am the fire, and I am the oblation.
[Ahang kraturahang yajnah svadhahamahamaushaadham
Mantrohahamahamevajyamahamagnirahang hutam]
9.17: I Am the father, the mother and the grand father and all knowledgeable things of the universe and I am the Omkar Nada signifying Brahman and the essence of Rig, Sam and Yajur Vedas.
[Pitahamasya jagato mata dhata pitamahah
Vedyang pavitramonkara rik sama yajureva cha]
9.18: I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness to good and evil, the abode, the preserver, the friend, the creator, the destroyer, the substratum, the dissolution and the immutable seed.
[Gatirbharta prabhuh sakshirnivasah saranang suhrit
Prabhavah pralayah sthanang nidhanang bijamavyam]
9.19: O Arjuna, I provide heat, I attract water from the ground and again pour down as rain. I am the life and death of the living beings, I am the eternal and also the ephemeral.
[Tapamyahamahang varshang nigrinhamyutsrijami cha
Amritanchaiva mrityuscha sadasaccahamarjuna]
9. 24: I am the Lord and enjoyer of all yajnas. But human beings do not know me and therefore get entangled in the mundane world.
[Ahang hi sarvayajnanang bhokta cha prabhureva cha
Na tu mamabhijananti tattvenataschyavanti te]
From chapter-10
10.2: Neither the celestial gods nor the great sages know my origin and influence as I am the root cause of the existence of the celestial gods and the sages.
[Na me viduh suraganah prabhavang na maharshayah
Ahamadir hi devanang maharshinancha sarvasah]
10.3: One who knows me as the unborn, without any beginning and the Supreme Lord of the universe, he among the mortals becomes free from illusion and liberated from the bondage of karma.
[Yo mamajamanadincha vetti lokamahesvaram
Asangmurhah sa martyeshu sarvapapaih pramuchyate]
10.4-5: Intelligence, knowledge, detachment, forgiveness, truthfulness, tranquility, pleasure, pain, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, infamy - these diverse attributes in human beings arise from me alone.
[Buddhirjnanamasangmohah kshama satyang dama samah
Sukhang duhkhang bhavohbhavo bhayanchabhayameva cha
Ahingsa samata tushtistapo danang yasohyasah
Bhavanti bhava bhutanang matta eva prithagvidhah]
10.6: The great saints, sages and all the creatures of the world were born from my potential energy.
[Maharshayah sapta purve chatvaro manavastatha
Madbhava manasa jata yeshang loka imah prajah]
10.8: I am the root cause of origin of the entire universe. Knowing this truth, the wise worship me with love and devotion.
[Ahang sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvang pravartate
Iti matva bhajante mang budha bhavasamanvitah]
10.20: O Arjuna, I am the soul abiding in the innermost chamber of the heart of every living being. I am also the origin (creator), middle (preserver) and end (destroyer) of all beings.
[Ahamatma gudakesa sarvabhutasayasthitah
Aahamadischa madhyancha bhutanam anta eva cha]
10.21: I am the aditva (luminary) called Vishnu among the twelve aditvas, I am the radiant Sun among the heavenly bodies, I am Marichi among the maruts (wind-gods) and the moon among the stars.
[Adityanamahang vishnurjyotishang ravirangsuman
Marichirmarutamasmi nakshaatranamahang sasi]
10.22: I am the Samveda among the Vedas, I am Indra among the celestial gods, I am the mind among the sense organs and I am the consciousness of the living beings.
[Vedanang samvdihsmi devanamosmi vasabah
Indriyanang manashasmi bhutanamasmi chetana]
10.23: I am Samkar among the rudras, Kuber (god of wealth) among the yaksha-rakshas, Agni (fire god) among the eight Vasus, and Sumeru among the mountains.
[Rudranang sankaraschasmi vitteso yaksharakhasam
Vasunang pabakaschami meruh sikharinamahang]
10.24: Oh Arjuna, know me as the chief-priest Brihaspati among the priests. Among the army generals I am Kartikeya, the army general of the celestial godsand ocean among the water bodies.
[Purodhasancha mukhyang mang biddhi partha brihaspatim
Senanimamahang skandah sarasamsmi sagarah]
10.25: I am Bhrigu among the great sages, the monosyllabic Aum (Omkar Nad) among the sounds, I am the chanting-yajna among the yajnas, and I am the Himalaya among the immovable matters.
[Maharshinang bhrigurahang giramasmyekamaksharam
Yajnanang japayajnaohsmi sthabaranang himalaya]
10.26: I am Asvatthah (religiousa Indica) among the trees, Narada among the celestial sages, Chitraratha among the gandharvas and Kapil Muni among the spiritually accomplished.
[Asvatthah sarvabrikshanang devarshinancha naradah
Gandharvanang chtrarathah siddhanang kapilo munih]
10.39: O Arrjuna, I am the primordial seed of all beings. There is nothing in the universe that can emerge without me.
[Yacchapi sarvabhutanang bijang tadahamarjuna
Na tadasti vina yat syanmaya bhutang characjaram]
The following pictures of Krishna and His foster mother Yashoda have strong purifying effects on mind. It is better to view these pictures in private than to attend vociferous festivals and ostentatious places of Krishna worship. Conspicuous garments, hairstyles, shaved head, distinguishing marks etc. to advertise that one is a devotee are all obstacles on the path of true devotion. Most of the festivals and famous show-biz centers of ostentatious Krishna cult reminds me of a Tagore song (translated from Bengali by me):
“The sacred mantras of worship are subdued by wild hollering. With deep pain the God utters :Sons of the earth this drinking vessel is full of poison. Throw right away this venomous vessel.”
In the pictures below child Krishna is shown as a great thief. Watch them with rapt attention and ponder over them. May be the Great Thief would steal your mind, heart and soul and the path to wisdom would open up before you.
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The Author
The author of this booklet is a Ph.D. in economics and professionally an economist but his passion for knowledge compels him at times to eschew the arena of economics and venture into other fields of knowledge, philosophy and religion are important among them. Dr. Basu may be contacted at rlbasu@rediffmail.com.