''Svayam Bhagavan '' -
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Sivan Krishnan
Jun 16, 2016, 9:16:59 PM6/16/16
to Sivan Krishnan
''
Svayam Bhagavan '' -
KRISHNA , THE ABSOLUTE ONE...I am presenting you below a very interesting observation collected from various reliable sources as to the primordial supremacy of Krishna as the Absolute One - Swayam Bhagavan. I am sure you will all like this.
There need be no ambiguity. It is very clear in the Hindu philosophy in different schools of thought which all proclaim that Lord Krishna is Svayam Bhagavan - the undoubted supreme god head, being the One called differently as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and as Trinity, the Thri murthi
Svayam Bhagavan means ''God Himself'' as taught in Gita.
Para Brahman appeared before Vasudeva and Devaki in the prison cell of Kamsa, at Mathura, in his divine form of hour hands before born as Krishna to Devaki, just because she pleaded and appealed to Him to appear as any other normal child. He transformed Himself into the little blue baby boy, of magnificent beauty. He actually never took birth from the womb of anyone like other common babies. Gaudiya Vaishnavas in their Krishna based theology refer to Him only by this title Svayam Bhagvan unmindful of various other meanings in holy spiritual scripts like B hagavata Purana..
Other than Gaudiya Vaishnavas the Nimbarka Sampradhaya and the followers of Vallabhacharya who all consider Krishna as the source of all other Avatars being the source of Vishnu and Narayana justifying the title regarding Him as Svayam Bhagavan. Krishna is eclectic and is an embodiment of different countless perspectives and view points from then till now....pleasing everyone. YATH BHAVAM THATH BHAVATHI is true in His Love to all, Krishna is Narayana, Narayana is Vishnu, Vishnu is Krishna..... all one and same.. Interpretation may differ to please anyone according to his likes. Sweet by any name is only sweet.
While commenting on Bhagavatha Purana, Madhvacharya, defined SVAYAM BHAGVAN, to mean
"Krishna being Bhagavan
Some say of course in accordance with their Krishna centered traditions to the subordination of Krishna to Vishnu. The reasons for that are given that it was the easiest way to accommodate Krishna's human story within the composite Vaishnava theological perspective. These "core texts assert and defend the ultimacy of Kr
Saint Poet
In support of their theology, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and followers of the Vallabha Sampradaya and Nimbarka Sampradaya,
the Gopala Tapani Upanishad, Vedanta Sutras and other Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana as in verse 1.3.28 and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, among others, to
The 16th century author Jiva Goswami
In
The understanding of the evident supremacy of Svayam Bhagavan in the Gita, is a popular view on Krishna being the highest and fullest Avatar of the Lord, Vishnu or Narayana.
The Bhagavad Gita depicts Krishna not only as Brahman but also as an 'Avatar of Vishnu' and the friend of Arjuna." In summary in accordance with this view Svayam Bhagavan Krishna is considered to be the purna-avatara (full incarnation) of Vishnu or, according to some, the universal Narayana who transcends even Brahman.
The well known
Sri Vaishnavas identify Vishnu with the Brahman, while Krishna-centered traditions will associate Para Brahman with Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan. According to Ramanujacharya, Brahman is personal. Indeed, he is the supreme person, creator and Lord, who leads souls to salvation. Brahman is the sum of all “noble attributes” — i.e. omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and all-merciful, all qualities attributed to Vishnu by all Vaishavas. According to South Indian traditions
The term Krishnaism has been used to describe the cults of Krishna, reserving the term "Vaishnavism" for cults focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna is an Avatar, rather than a transcended being.[39]
"Greater Krishnaism" revolv
Relationship between different forms of Krishna as
When Gaudiya Vaishnavas present their views on Krishna being Svayam Bhagavan, they present a number of perspectives some include comparison with other forms such as Vishnu, that are considered supreme in other sampradayas. The Bhagavat Sandarbha and the Tattva Sandabha are among quoted works by Jiva Goswami, "Vaishnavas don't argue among themselves if Krishna or Vishnu is the Supreme. They consider it a matter of one's relationship with the Lord. Someone has a relationship with Vishnu, someone with Rama, someone with Krishna, etc. as per rasa theology."
Pancaratra sources are accepted by all of Vaishnava traditions, and confirmed by Yamunacarya preceding in the line of Ramanuja, summarizing in his Agamapramanya, a defense of the revelation of the tantric
The Krishna Upanishad supports this conclusion of Gopala Tapani,
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as a cowherd boy. Cheated and bewildered by His illusory potency, the world could not understand His true identity."Even all the demigods cannot defeat the Lord's Maya potency. By the Lord's Yogamaya potency Brahma became a stick and Siva became a flute. How did the Lord's Maya potency manifest the entire universe?"Knowledge is the strength of the demigods. The Lord's Maya potency steals away that knowledge in a single moment. Lord Se
Gaudiya Vaishnava believe that Krishna possesses qualities that are absent in other forms and they relate to his sweetness in Vrindavana lila. Krishna is himself Narayana.
Jiva Gosvami’s Bhajan Kutir a
In Gaudiya Vaishnava, Vallabha Sampradaya Nimbarka sampradaya and old Bhagavata school, Krishna believed to be fully represented in his original form in the Bhagavata Purana, that at the end of the list of avataras concludes
In another place of the Bhagavata Purana 10.83.5-43 those who are named as wives of Krishna all explain to Draupadi how the 'Lord himself' (Svayam Bhagavan, Bhagavata Purana 10.83.7) came to marry them. As they relate these episodes, several of the wives speak of themselves as Krishna's devotees.
Many Krishna-centered traditions believe that Svayam Bhagavan personally carries his unalloyed devotees (vahamy aham) like a husband carries his bride across the threshold into the house of prema bhakti.
While some place Krishna-centered worship as Svayam Bhagavan in the medieval times of Indian history, there is some evidence suggesting the opposite. In antiquity Krishna images were worshiped at many places. Quoting Curtius, Dr. D.C. Sircar says that an image of Herakles (i.e. Vasudeva-Krishna according to Sircar) was being carried in front of the Paurava army, as it advanced against the Greeks led by Alexander the Great (The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. 4. p. 115) An interesting terracotta plaque showing Vasudeva carrying the infant Krishna over his head across the flooded Yamuna river, belonging to c. first century is housed in the Mathura Museum. A Mora stone inscription of about the same time refers to some images of Bhagavata Vrshni Panchaviras, Sankarshana, Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Samba and Aniruddha - which were very beautifully carved in stone.
Archaeological
Svayam Bhagavan means ''God Himself'' as taught in Gita.
Para Brahman appeared before Vasudeva and Devaki in the prison cell of Kamsa, at Mathura, in his divine form of hour hands before born as Krishna to Devaki, just because she pleaded and appealed to Him to appear as any other normal child. He transformed Himself into the little blue baby boy, of magnificent beauty. He actually never took birth from the womb of anyone like other common babies. Gaudiya Vaishnavas in their Krishna based theology refer to Him only by this title Svayam Bhagvan unmindful of various other meanings in holy spiritual scripts like B hagavata Purana..
Other than Gaudiya Vaishnavas the Nimbarka Sampradhaya and the followers of Vallabhacharya who all consider Krishna as the source of all other Avatars being the source of Vishnu and Narayana justifying the title regarding Him as Svayam Bhagavan. Krishna is eclectic and is an embodiment of different countless perspectives and view points from then till now....pleasing everyone. YATH BHAVAM THATH BHAVATHI is true in His Love to all, Krishna is Narayana, Narayana is Vishnu, Vishnu is Krishna..... all one and same.. Interpretation may differ to please anyone according to his likes. Sweet by any name is only sweet.
While commenting on Bhagavatha Purana, Madhvacharya, defined SVAYAM BHAGVAN, to mean
"he who has bhagavata";
that is,
"he who has the quality of possessing all good qualities"
. while others have simply stated
"the Lord Himself".
Vaishnavites have no second opinion inasmuch as they believe that Krishna is among the highest and fullest of all Avatars and is considered to be the "paripurna avatara", complete in all respects and the same as the original.
They refer to Krishna
as the
purnavatara (complete manifestation) of Bhagavan, while other incarnations are called partial. "Krishna being Bhagavan
,
the mind of man 'centred intensely', whatever the motive and however ignorant it might be, is centred in Him." Generally there is a universal acceptance of the uniqueness of Krishna incarnation throughout Hinduism, as well as the principles involved in His life and personality for which He has been described as
Svayam Bhagavan.Some say of course in accordance with their Krishna centered traditions to the subordination of Krishna to Vishnu. The reasons for that are given that it was the easiest way to accommodate Krishna's human story within the composite Vaishnava theological perspective. These "core texts assert and defend the ultimacy of Kr
ishna'
s identity".
It is valid to accept that
inclusion of Krishna in the list of avataras
as the last,
does not necessarily subordinate him to Vishnu as one of the latter's expansions.Saint Poet
Jayadeva considered dasavatara to be principal incarnations of Krishna, rather than Vishnu
as explicitly stated in his Gita GovindamIn support of their theology, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas and followers of the Vallabha Sampradaya and Nimbarka Sampradaya,
bank onthe Gopala Tapani Upanishad, Vedanta Sutras and other Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana as in verse 1.3.28 and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, among others, to
declare that Krishna is indeed the Svayam Bhagavan. The 16th century author Jiva Goswami
summarizes the above theology in his work Krishna-sandarbha. It
is stated that
Krishna H
imself is mentioned in one of the earliest texts of Vedic literature - the Rig-VedaIn
Mahābhārata, the Bhishma Parva (where the Bhagavad Gita is
a part
), Krishna offers numerous quotations that reaffirm the belief that He H
imself is the Svayam Bhagavan. Verse7.7 of the Bhagavad Gita.
This serves undoubtedly to reiterate
the opinion that Krishna H
imself is the Svayam Bhagavan, and that no impersonal form of Brahman supersedes H
is existence, as it is a common view that
Bhagavad Gita was propounding Krishna-theism before first major proponents of monism.The understanding of the evident supremacy of Svayam Bhagavan in the Gita, is a popular view on Krishna being the highest and fullest Avatar of the Lord, Vishnu or Narayana.
The Bhagavad Gita depicts Krishna not only as Brahman but also as an 'Avatar of Vishnu' and the friend of Arjuna." In summary in accordance with this view Svayam Bhagavan Krishna is considered to be the purna-avatara (full incarnation) of Vishnu or, according to some, the universal Narayana who transcends even Brahman.
The well known
theologian Abhinavagupta, in another tradition of Hinduism, introduces a quotation from the Bhagavad-gita saying.
'I', (
Krishna)
am
the highest Self who transcends the perishable and imperishable.
Sri Vaishnavas identify Vishnu with the Brahman, while Krishna-centered traditions will associate Para Brahman with Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan. According to Ramanujacharya, Brahman is personal. Indeed, he is the supreme person, creator and Lord, who leads souls to salvation. Brahman is the sum of all “noble attributes” — i.e. omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and all-merciful, all qualities attributed to Vishnu by all Vaishavas. According to South Indian traditions
H
e is also advitya (Sanskrit meaning without rival).
All other deities of
the Hindu pantheon are viewed as Brahman's
manifestations
created and commissioned by
Him as necessitated by demands of situations
. S
ome early schools of thought, such as Panch
aratra in particular, refer to Vasudeva-Krishna (Krishna, the son of Vasudeva) as the source of all incarnations and as no different from the ultimate and absolute reality,.
The term Krishnaism has been used to describe the cults of Krishna, reserving the term "Vaishnavism" for cults focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna is an Avatar, rather than a transcended being.[39]
"Greater Krishnaism" revolv
es
around the cults of Vasudeva, Krishna, and Gopala.
Today the faith has a significant following outside of India as well.
Supremacy of Krishna is the key concept of Krishnaism. Gaudiya is one of the main traditions worshiping Radha Krishna that developed this concept.Relationship between different forms of Krishna as
P
aripurna avatara
of Vishnu and as '
svayam bhagavan'
being direct representation of
svayam rupa.
Krishna at
Udupi is the main deity worshipped by the followers of
Madhvacharya.Bhagavad-gītā (7.7), which says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no truth superior to Me." Where Krishna is 'bhagavan' himself, whose partial manifestations are the other
deities.
This idea is reflected in the Bhagavata Purana. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana tells us Krishna is the ultimate source from which Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Prakriti originate.
He is Svayam Bhagavan while other incarnation are His
partial manifestations. Sridhara Svami (an early Sankara sect commentator), bring out uniqueness of Krishna
stating that
Krishna is perfect as all potencies are observed to be full in him.
Atharva
vedasamhita, describes Krishna
having slain the giant Kesi was named
Keshava. The Kaustiki Brahmana alludes to Krishna Angirasa, who is an object of evening ceremony in connection with Brahmanaas
. The Aitareya Aranyaka speaks of two Krishnas of Harita Gotra.
However the south Indian Vaishnavism makes very little stress on Krishna and altogether ignored Radha in contrast with the other traditions. Very strange.
Bhagavad-gita
states that this bhakti-yoga is secretive:- "Just hear from Me again about the most confidential part of the instructions in Bhagavad-gītā."
Sanskrit dictionary accept that the direct meaning of aham and me, refers to Krishna H
imself.
Krishna and Balarama meet their father and mother - Vasudevaand Devaki. Thus a personal name of Krishna as Vaasudeva or son of Vasudeva, and Devakinandana,son of Devaki.When Gaudiya Vaishnavas present their views on Krishna being Svayam Bhagavan, they present a number of perspectives some include comparison with other forms such as Vishnu, that are considered supreme in other sampradayas. The Bhagavat Sandarbha and the Tattva Sandabha are among quoted works by Jiva Goswami, "Vaishnavas don't argue among themselves if Krishna or Vishnu is the Supreme. They consider it a matter of one's relationship with the Lord. Someone has a relationship with Vishnu, someone with Rama, someone with Krishna, etc. as per rasa theology."
In the Caitanya Caritamrita Chaitanya discusses this in a joking mood with Venkatta Bhatta from Sri sampradaya.
In the Madhya lila of the Chaitanya charitamrita a presentation is given,
Prabodhananda Sarasvati who was a Sri Sampradaya sannyasi was converted as to supreme position of Radha-Krishna being Svayam Bhagavan instead of Lakshmi-Narayana. He apparently came to appreciate the supremacy of Radha worship from Caitanya.
Pustimarga tradition predates Gaudiya Vaisnavism in Radha worship.
When Chaitanya traveled through South India in 1509-10, he stayed at the house of Venkata Bhatta, the father of Gopala Bhatta, priest of Srirangam. Venkata and his two brothers, Gopala's uncles Thirumala
and Prabodhananda Sarasvati "were converted from their Sri Vaishnava faith in Lakshmi-Narayana as supreme to one in Radha Krishna" as Svayam Bhagavan.
The dialog of this conversion is recorded in 16 c. Caitanya Caritamrita biography by Krishna dasa Kaviraja.In the Madhya lila of the Chaitanya charitamrita a presentation is given,
referring to a
verse of the tenth canto of Bhagavata Purana as to the reason why
Lakshmi also known as Sri (thus the name of Sri Sampradaya) is burning with desire and still not capable of entering to the realm of Vrindavana.Prabodhananda Sarasvati who was a Sri Sampradaya sannyasi was converted as to supreme position of Radha-Krishna being Svayam Bhagavan instead of Lakshmi-Narayana. He apparently came to appreciate the supremacy of Radha worship from Caitanya.
The view of South Indian Vaishnava groups on sarga, or subtle creation, is based upon scriptural adherence to Narayana or Vishnu being the cause of creation expanding into Viraja and then Maha-Viṣṇu glancing over pradhana, and that is the start of actual function of creation. This view is not contradicted by Krishna-centered Vashnavism and does not appear to be in contradiction with Svayam Bhagavan who as Vasudeva (son of Vasudeva, Krishna) is according to Pancaratra is at the source of creation.Pancaratra sources are accepted by all of Vaishnava traditions, and confirmed by Yamunacarya preceding in the line of Ramanuja, summarizing in his Agamapramanya, a defense of the revelation of the tantric
Vaishnava Pancaratra, defending whole body of the texts being part of the Veda: "The Pancadratra Tantra is authoritative like the Vedic sentences ordaining sacrifice on the grounds that it is based on knowledge free from all defects".
Amalananda
defends Pancaratra and while confirming that Agamas do not have the same self-authenticating validity, as the four Vedas, but the authenticity of it assured because Veda bear witness to the omniscience of Vasudeva. This position also forms the basis of Bhagavata Purana based theology.The
Sanatana Goswami'
s Brihad Bhagavatamrita, illustrated this principle, not just in terms of comparative cosmology or avatara hierarchy as in Vaishnava Pancaratra, but also in terms of cosmology of adi-rasa.
The cosmological principle of the four dhamas (with a separate place for the last two: Vaikuntha - abode of Vishnu or Narayana, tad-ekatma rupa, in transcendence, and
Goloka as abode of Svayam Bhagavan in transcendence) is the key of the graphical presentation, but it is also an answer to the dilemma.
In accordance with the cosmology of the Brihad Bhagavatamrita Krishna is believed to be
the original and most complete in all rasas or tastes, He
is in fact not engaged and non engaging, in
his independence, He
does not even,
in this H
is original form, carry symbols of Viṣṇu. He
only carries his own flute, and that is the pleasure of his devotees.
The
sage who composed the Purusha Sukta hymn has been assimilated to the Purusha whose praise he had sung, and he himself became the object of worship. Mentions of a divine sage named Narayana, along with counterpart Nara, appears in many Puranic texts.
Purusha is also identified with Vishnu in the Rig Veda and interpreted accordingly by many traditions of Vaishnavism. In the Bhagavata he is recognized as "the Lord whose being is sacrifice, YajnaPurusha" This
verse of the Rig Veda is a foundation of Vaishnava tradition. In the Gopala Tapani Upanishad the Rig Veda verse(1.22.20) was addressed paraphrasing the original of the Vedic hymn in accordance with the beliefs of the Gaudiya Vaishnava: It outlines a specific view held by the Gaudiya Vaishnava and Vallabha Sampradaya, that the conclusion of Vishnu worship is meditation ongopa-rupah or specific form of Krishna.The Krishna Upanishad supports this conclusion of Gopala Tapani,
and refers to the original "the most divine form of bliss dwells in the supremacy of love of Lord Krishna", Sakshaath
Hari as gopa-rüpa. (1.10-12).
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as a cowherd boy. Cheated and bewildered by His illusory potency, the world could not understand His true identity."Even all the demigods cannot defeat the Lord's Maya potency. By the Lord's Yogamaya potency Brahma became a stick and Siva became a flute. How did the Lord's Maya potency manifest the entire universe?"Knowledge is the strength of the demigods. The Lord's Maya potency steals away that knowledge in a single moment. Lord Se
sh
anaga appeared in His original form as Lord Balarama. The eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as Lord Krishna."Gaudiya Vaishnava believe that Krishna possesses qualities that are absent in other forms and they relate to his sweetness in Vrindavana lila. Krishna is himself Narayana.
Narayana is often identified with supreme, however, when his beauty and sweetness (madhurya) overshadow his majesty, he is known as Krishna, i.e. Svayam Bhagavan.
As Friedhelm Hardy says, the concept of Bhagavan, "a single, all-powerful, eternal, personal and loving God ... is an empty slot, to be filled by concrete characteristics" and these characteristics culminate in Krishna.Jiva Gosvami’s Bhajan Kutir a
t
tRadha-kunda. Jiva GoswamisSandarbhas summarize Vedic sources of Gaudiya Vaishnavatradition's accretion of the conceptbhagavān svayam based on paribhasa-sutra of Bhagavata Purana.
In Gaudiya Vaishnava, Vallabha Sampradaya Nimbarka sampradaya and old Bhagavata school, Krishna believed to be fully represented in his original form in the Bhagavata Purana, that at the end of the list of avataras concludes
, that
''
All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead (Svayam Bhagavan)''
In another place of the Bhagavata Purana 10.83.5-43 those who are named as wives of Krishna all explain to Draupadi how the 'Lord himself' (Svayam Bhagavan, Bhagavata Purana 10.83.7) came to marry them. As they relate these episodes, several of the wives speak of themselves as Krishna's devotees.
Many Krishna-centered traditions believe that Svayam Bhagavan personally carries his unalloyed devotees (vahamy aham) like a husband carries his bride across the threshold into the house of prema bhakti.
Badarayana Vyasa says in his Brahma Sutras, '
visesam ca darsayati''
, implying that the scripture declares a difference with regard to the passing from the world of '
nirapeksa''
or unflinching devotees.Baladeva Vidyabhusana, in his commentary on Gopala Tapani Upanishad states: Glory to the Gopala Tapani Upanishad, which to the pious reveals Lord Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul near to all moving and unmoving creatures
The word used is
According to the Upanishads it is believed that when Brahma, who is said to be the original created being, was approached by the sages, the Four Kumaras, he was presented with critical questions: – Who is the Supreme Lord? Who does death fear? – By knowing whom, does everything become realized? – Who is that person, who is behind the repetition of the creation of this Universe?
.
The word used is
''
krsna svayam isvaram''
, the paraphrase of the Bhagavata Purana verse 1.3.28 that Jiva Goswami has called a key sutra,
not only to the Bhagavata Purana
but to Vedanta and thus all the Vedas.According to the Upanishads it is believed that when Brahma, who is said to be the original created being, was approached by the sages, the Four Kumaras, he was presented with critical questions: – Who is the Supreme Lord? Who does death fear? – By knowing whom, does everything become realized? – Who is that person, who is behind the repetition of the creation of this Universe?
His own original or sweet form, Sva-bimbaṁ is not manifested in the Universe, loka-locanam. Gaudiya Vaishnavas quote sources that claim that it happens only once in a universal day of Brahma, and its only at that time its believed, once every fourteen manvantaras, each seventy one divya-yugas duration
Sanat-Kumara Samhita confirms the belief that this Kama Gayatri is the foundational structure of the Goloka, believed to be the abode of Krishna, who is the original Vaasudeva: "
.
To answer the four Kumaras, Brahma needed to relate this secret word of the seed mantra.
And this is believed to be the answer to the question, who is supreme god and how he creates this world.
Brahma replied to the sages: "Krisna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Death fears Govinda. By knowing Gopi
jana
vallabha everything becomes realized. By pronouncing the word "svaha" the Personality of Godhead created the world.
In the wider context of the Bhagavata's total perspective, Krishna is "not one among many but the Lord himself".Sanat-Kumara Samhita confirms the belief that this Kama Gayatri is the foundational structure of the Goloka, believed to be the abode of Krishna, who is the original Vaasudeva: "
in the whorls of
the lotus flower
which is Lord Krishna's transcendental abode, the Gopala mantra is written."While some place Krishna-centered worship as Svayam Bhagavan in the medieval times of Indian history, there is some evidence suggesting the opposite. In antiquity Krishna images were worshiped at many places. Quoting Curtius, Dr. D.C. Sircar says that an image of Herakles (i.e. Vasudeva-Krishna according to Sircar) was being carried in front of the Paurava army, as it advanced against the Greeks led by Alexander the Great (The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. 4. p. 115) An interesting terracotta plaque showing Vasudeva carrying the infant Krishna over his head across the flooded Yamuna river, belonging to c. first century is housed in the Mathura Museum. A Mora stone inscription of about the same time refers to some images of Bhagavata Vrshni Panchaviras, Sankarshana, Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Samba and Aniruddha - which were very beautifully carved in stone.
A Gupta period research makes a "clear mention of Vasudeva as the exclusive object of worship of a group of people," who are referred as bhagavatas.Archaeological
excavations in
Mathu
ra region
support the fact that the popularity of these two divine figures had reached its zenith in the Mauryan and the Shunga period and associated Bhagavata religion had become widespread throughout Mathura and Western India areas. This period coincides with the large migrations of Jainas from Magadha to
Mathura. Baladeva is referred to by Jaina Puranas as Halabhrit, without any support All the Vasudevas are modeled after the description of Krishna found in the Puranas. They are called blue-black (nila) in complexion and are designated exclusive names
to Krishna e.g. Keshava, Madhava, Govinda, Vishnu and Narayana (which is used as synonym for the name Vasudeva). I
n Patanjali's time identification of Krishna with Vasudeva is an established fact as is surmised from a passage of the Mahabhasya - (jaghana kamsam kila vasudevah). In the 6th to 5th
centuries BCE ,
Panini, in his Astaa
dhya
ayi explained the word V
asudevaka as a bhakta, devotee, of Vasudeva and its believed that Bhagavata religion with the worship of Vasudeva and
Krishna were at the root of the Vaishnavism in Indian history. P
anini gives some support to the ancient root of Krishna-Vaasudeva bhakti - (vāsudeva arjunābhyāṁ, or related to Arjuna),
it is however only much later (2nd century BC) Patanjali who refer in his definition of the devotee or bhakta as "the follower of Vasudeva, God of gods."The Brahma Vaivarta Purana and Garga Samhita often refer to Krishna as paripūrṇatama, the term used in Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amnaya Sutra -
''
krishnas tu paripurnatma sarvatra sukha-rupaka''
translated as 'original Supreme Personality of Godhead'Reply all
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