Lord Krishna

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ਮੈ ਨ ਗਨੇਸ਼ਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਮਨਾਊਂ ॥ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਕਬਹੂੰ ਨਹ ਧਿਆਊਂ ॥ਕਾਨ ਸੁਨੇ ਪਹਿਚਾਨ ਨ ਤਿਨ ਸੋਂ ॥ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੀ ਮੋਰੀ ਪਗ ਇਨ ਸੋਂ ॥੪੩੪॥

मै न गनेशहि प्रिथम मनाऊं ॥ किशन बिशन कबहूं नह धिआऊं ॥कान सुने पहिचान न तिन सों ॥ लिव लागी मोरी पग इन सों ॥४३४॥
I do not adore Ganesha in the beginning and also do not mediatate on Krishna and Vishnu; I have only heard about them with my ears and I do not recognize them; my consciousness is absorbed at the feet of the Supreme Kal (the Immanent Timeless One).434.

Krishna with Gopis
Painting from Smithsonian Institution

Lord Krishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the Supreme Being.

The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in the Dasam Granth has written a section of Bani called Chobis avatar. This is the seventh Bani in the second holy scriptures of the Sikhs. The Chobis avatar, a collection of tales of the twenty-four incarnations of the demi-god Vishnu, forms a part of the Bachitra Natak. The complete work contains a total of 4,371 verse units of which 3,356 are accounted for by "Ram avtar" and "Krishna avtar". The shortest is Baudh Avatar (The Buddha) comprising three quatrains, and the longest is Krishn avtar, with 2,492 verse units, mostly quatrains.

In Hindu literature, Krishna is often depicted as an infant, as a young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita. The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being. The principal scriptures discussing Krishna's story are the Mahĝbhĝrata, the Harivamsa, the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana.

Lord Krishna and Sikhism

Gurbani

Wandering through 8.4 million incarnations, Krishna's father Nand was totally exhausted.

Because of his devotion, Krishna was incarnated in his home; how great was the good fortune of this poor man! (1)

You say that Krishna was Nand's son, but whose son was Nand himself?

When there was no earth or ether or the ten directions, where was this Nand then? (1)(Pause)


The True Creator Lord is diffused into His creation; He is not just the dark-skinned Krishna of legends. (2)

Through the Tenth Gate, the stream of nectar flows; take your bath in this.

Serve the Lord forever; use your eyes, and see Him ever-present everywhere. (3)

The Lord is the purest of the pure; only through doubt could there be another.

O Kabeer, mercy flows from the Merciful Lord; He alone knows who acts. (4)(1)

Dasam Granth:

Main article: Chobis avatar


This a collection of tales of twenty-four incarnations of the Vishnu, and forms a part of Bachitra Natak, in Guru Gobind Singh's Dasam Granth. The complete work contains a total of 4,371 verse units of which 3,356 are accounted for by Ramavtar and Krishnavtar. The shortest is Baudh Avatar (The Buddha) comprising three quatrains, and the longest is Krishnavtar, with 2,492 verse units, mostly quatrains.

The Chaubis Avatar is the second largest work within Dasam Granth Sahib (Dasam Guru Durbar) covering 5297 verses, it recounts the 24 incarnations of Vishnu:

Machh, Kachh, Rudra, Jallandar, Bisan, Sheshmai, Arihant, Dev, Manu Raj, Dhanantar, Nar, Narayan, Mohini, Varaha, Narsingha, Baman, Parshuram, Brahma, Suraj, Chandra, Ram Krishan, Arjan, Buddha, and Nehklanki (Kalki - the future and last Avatar of Vishnu).

The introductory thirty-eight chaupais or quatrains refer to the Supreme Being as unborn, invisible but certainly immanent in all objects. Whenever evil predominates, saviours of humanity (avatars) emerge by His hukam (order), to re-establish righteousness. They fulfil His will and purpose. Akal Purakh who creates them ultimately subsumes them all in himself. The poet asserts his monotheistic belief here and while enumerating the avatars discountenances any possibility of their being accepted as the Supreme Being.

In the epilogue to one of the episodes in Krishnavtar occurs a statement repudiating the worship of popular deities like Ganesa, Krishna and Vishnu (verses 43440). The Supreme Being, called in the Guru's authentic idiom, Mahakal (the Supreme Lord of Time) is acknowledged as the Succourer to whom prayer is made to keep operative the defensive might (tegh) and dispensing of charity (deg). Thus is set forth the basic principle of the Sikh faith amid a long literary exercise.

The poet asserts that he, having descended from the martial Kshatriyas, cannot think of adopting the attitude of a recluse towards the disturbed conditions of his time. The greater part of the tales of Ramavtar and Krishnavtar are taken up with battle scenes evoked through many alliterative devices with the clash and clang of arms constantly reproduced. At the close of Krishnavtar, in a kind of postscript, is proclaimed the crusader's creed, which is ever "to remember God, to contemplate holy war; and, unmindful of the destruction of the perishable body, to embark the boat of noble repute." The poet has thus extracted the element of heroism from the prevalent stories without projecting the attitude of a worshipper, with the sole purpose of inspiring his followers with the resolve to fight for Dharma, i.e. to uphold righteousness.

See also: Gurmat View on Krishna

Sakhi of Sudama and Krishna

Sudama, a poor brahman, was known to be a friend of Krishna from childhood. His brahmin wife always pestered him as to why he did not go to Lord Krishna to alleviate his poverty. He was perplexed and pondered over how he could get re-introduced to Krishna, who could help him meet the Lord. He reached the town of Duaraka and stood before the main gate (of the palace of Krishna). Seeing Sudama from a distance, Lord Krishna, bowed and leaving his throne came to Sudama. First he circumambulated around Sudama and then touching his feet he embraced him. Washing his feet he took that water and made Sudama sit on the throne. Then Krishna lovingly enquired about his welfare and talked about the time when they were together in the service of the guru (Sandipani). Krishna asked for the rice sent by Sudama's wife and after eating, came out to see off his friend Sudama. Though all the four boons (righteousness,wealth,fulfillment of desire and libereation) were given to Sudama by Krishna, Krishna's humbleness still made him feel totally helpless.

Vaar 10 Pauri 9 Sudama Vaaran Bhai Gurdas

See also

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