Krishna (/ˈkrɪʃnə/; Sanskrit: कृष्ण, IAST: Kṛṣṇa pronounced [ˈkr̩ʂ.ɳɐ] (Classical Sanskrit) and [kr̩ʂ.ɳɐ́] in (Vedic Sanskrit) is a Hindu deity worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. In Hinduism, Krishna is recognized as the complete and eighth incarnation of Vishnu, or as the Supreme God (Svayam Bhagavan) in his own right.
As one of the most popular of all Hindu deities, Krishna has acquired a number of epithets, and absorbed many regionally significant deities, such as Jagannatha in Odisha and Vithoba in Maharashtra. The Hindu texts portray him in various perspectives: a lovable infant, a divine child, a prankster, a cowherd, a model lover, a divine hero, a diplomat, a king, a kingmaker, a selfless friend, a philosopher, charioteer to Arjuna and a dispenser of spiritual discourse, in the Bhagavad Gita. Among the principal scriptures that discuss Krishna's legend are the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the Srimad Bhagavatam, and the Vishnu Purana. The Vishnu Sahasranama, the list of Vishnu's thousand names, also includes many of the titles and names of Krishna.
Epithets
In popular culture, Krishna is often associated with 108 names. The following is a list of fifty of among the most popular names, titles, and epithets associated with the deity Krishna:
| Name | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| अच्युत | Acyuta | He who is infallible |
| माधव | Mādhava | He who is the lord of knowledge; He who is like honey |
| गोविन्द | Govinda | He who is a cow-protector |
| जनार्दन | Janārdana | He who is the original abode and protector of all living beings |
| केशव | Keśava | He who has long locks of hair; slayer of Keshi; He who is himself the Trimurti |
| हरि | Hari | He who takes away (sins) |
| द्वारकानाथ | Dvārakanātha | He who is the lord of Dvaraka |
| मुरारि | Murāri | He who is the slayer of the asura Mura |
| वासुदेव | Vāsudeva | He who is the son of Vasudeva |
| मुकुन्द | Mukunda | He who offers liberation |
| पार्थसारथि | Pārthasārathī | He who is the charioteer of Partha (Arjuna) |
| मधुसूदन | Madhusūdana | He who is the slayer of the asura Madhu |
| दामोदर | Dāmodara | He who has a rope around his stomach |
| जगन्नाथ | Jagannātha | He who is the lord of the universe |
| गोपाल | Gopāla | He who is a cow-protector |
| पुरुषोत्तम | Puruṣottama | He who is the highest being |
| नन्दकुमार | Nandakumāra | He who is the prince (son) of Nanda |
| मनोहर | Manohara | He who is lovely |
| जगदिश | Jagadiśa | He who is the protector of the universe |
| सुरेश | Sureśa | He who is the lord of the suras (devas) |
| श्रीकान्त | Śrīkānta | He who is beloved by Shri (Lakshmi) |
| श्रीनाथ | Śrīnātha | He who is the husband of Shri (Lakshmi) |
| परमेश्वर | Parameśvara | He who is the supreme lord |
| मोहन | Mohana | He who is enchanting |
| गिरिधर | Giridhara | He who bears mountains |
| सर्वजन | Sarvajana | He who is omniscient |
| पुण्य | Punyah | He who is supremely pure |
| मुरलीधर | Muralīdhara | He who bears the flute |
| देवकीपुत्र | Devakīputra | He who is the son of Devaki |
| नवनीत | Navanīta | He who eats butter |
| निरञ्जना | Nirañjanā | He who is unblemished |
| हृषीकेश | Hṛṣīkeśa | He who is the master of the senses |
| पतितपावन | Patitapāvana | He who is the purifier of the fallen |
| श्यामसुन्दर | Śyāmasundara | He who is dark and handsome |
| यदुनन्दन | Yadunandana | He who belongs to the Yadu dynasty |
| ईश्वर | Iśvara | He who is the lord (of the universe) |
| ज्ञानेश्वर | Jñāneśvara | He who is the lord of wisdom |
| चतुर्भुज | Caturbhuja | He who has four arms |
| दयानिधि | Dayānidhi | He who is the treasure of mercy |
| दयालु | Dayālu | He who is the repository of compassion |
| अनिरुद्ध | Aniruddha | He who cannot be obstructed |
| अक्षरा | Akṣarā | He who is indestructible |
| अद्भुत | Adbhutā | He who is astonishing |
| रुक्मिणीपति | Rukmiṇīpati | He who is the husband of Rukmini |
| योगेश्वर | Yogeśvara | He who is the lord of yoga |
| राधावल्लभ | Rādhāvallabha | He who is the beloved of Radha |
| पाण्डुरङ्ग | Pāṇḍuraṅga | He who is the lord of Pandharpur |
| ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പൻ | Guruvāyūrappan | He who is the father of Guruvayur |
| கண்ணன் | Kaṇṇaṉ | He who is dear |
| कान्हा | Kāṇha | He who is dark-skinned |
| पद्मनाभ | Padmanābha | one from whose navel the lotus emanates |
See also
References
- Mahony, W.K. (1987). "Perspectives on Krsna's Various Personalities". History of Religions. 26 (3). American Oriental Society: 333–335. doi:10.1086/463085. JSTOR 1062381. S2CID 164194548.
- Knott 2000, p. 56
- Knott 2000, p. 36, p. 15
- Rogerson, Barnaby (7 November 2013). Rogerson's Book of Numbers: The culture of numbers from 1001 Nights to the Seven Wonders of the World. Profile Books. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-84765-983-5.
- Nadeau, Randall L. (13 January 2014). Asian Religions: A Cultural Perspective. John Wiley & Sons. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-118-47195-1.
- www.wisdomlib.org (9 April 2016). "Acyuta, Acyutā: 31 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment And Illumination. iUniverse. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
- Fieldhouse, Paul (17 April 2017). Food, Feasts, and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 331. ISBN 978-1-61069-412-4.
- Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment And Illumination. iUniverse. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
- Hopkins, Steven P. (18 October 2007). An Ornament for Jewels: Love Poems For The Lord of Gods, by Vedantadesika. Oxford University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-19-804372-0.
- www.wisdomlib.org (13 January 2019). "Murari, Mura-ari, Murāri: 10 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (7 August 2016). "Mukunda, Mukundā, Mukumda: 20 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (20 April 2017). "Parthasarathi, Pārthasārathī, Pārthasārathi, Partha-sarathi: 4 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (29 June 2012). "Madhusudana, Madhusūdana, Madhu-sudana: 20 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (29 June 2012). "Gopala, Gopāla, Go-pala: 28 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (8 January 2019). "Muralidhara, Muralīdhara, Murali-dhara: 9 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (25 May 2018). "Patitapavana, Patitapāvana: 3 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- Easwaran, Eknath (2004). Bhagavad Gita. Shambhala Publications. p. 258. ISBN 978-1-59030-190-6.
- www.wisdomlib.org (19 December 2011). "Dayanidhi: 4 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (10 January 2022). "Rukminipati, Rukmini-pati, Rukmiṇīpati: 1 definition". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- www.wisdomlib.org (6 January 2019). "Radhavallabha, Rādhāvallabha: 6 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- Hopkins, Steven P. (18 October 2007). An Ornament for Jewels: Love Poems For The Lord of Gods, by Vedantadesika. Oxford University Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-19-804372-0.
Bibliography
- Knott, Kim (2000). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-285387-2.
External links
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- Krishnamrita stotra: 108 Names of Krishna as found in Brahmanda Purana 3.36; English translation by G. V. Tagare
- 108 Names of Krishna
- Astottara-satanamas (108 names): Krishna devanagari mp3 audio
- Sahasranamas (1000 names): Krishna, Gopala, Balakrishna, Radha-Krishna
- List of more names of Lord Sri Krishna
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