| Krishna Upanishad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Devanagari | कृष्ण उपनिषद् |
| IAST | Kṛṣṇa Upaniṣad |
| Title means | The Upanishad ofKrishna |
| Type | Vaishnava[1] |
| LinkedVeda | Atharvaveda[1] |
| Chapters | 2[2] |
TheKrishna Upanishad (Sanskrit:कृष्ण उपनिषत्) orKrishnopanishad is one of 108Upanishads ofHinduism, written in theSanskrit language. It is a minorVaishnava Upanishad, dedicated to the godKrishna, and adheres to the tradition ofVaishnavism.[3] TheKrishna Upanishad is attached to theAtharvaveda.[1]
The Upanishad narrates how the godRama took birth as Krishna, and how various divinities and virtues became people or objects in Krishna's life.
The date or author ofKrishna Upanishad is unknown. It is likely a late medieval era text.[4] Manuscripts of this text are also found titled asKrsnopanisad.[2][5] In the Telugu languageanthology of 108 Upanishads of theMuktika canon, narrated byRama toHanuman, it is listed at number 96.[6]
The text is structured into twokhanda (parts).[3] The first part is in verse form, the second in prose form.[2] However, some manuscripts of theKrishna Upanishad lack the second part.[7]
The Upanishad starts with the prelude tale when therishis (sages) come to meet the godRama (Vishnu's seventhavatar) in the forest. Enthralled by the sight of Rama, the sages express their wish to hug him.[8] Rama advised them to wait for making such an expression of divine love. Rama said, that even if the sages used Yoga to assume the form of females, he is unable to grant them their wish, because it would inappropriate given the vow he has given to his wifeSita.[8][9] He added that he would take the avatar ofKrishna and the sages will be reborn asgopis (milkmaids) when they can choose to embrace him.[8][10] The sages, asserts the text, were delighted with Rama's offer.[11]
Then the Upanishad describes the avatar of Krishna and those in his life. Krishna's childhood homeGokulam is described as heaven; Vishnu incarnated as Krishna the cowherd, gopa. His fellow cowherds were gods, states the text. His foster-parentsNanda andYashoda were Bliss andMoksha (salvation).[12] Those who underwenttapas were born as trees in Gokulam.Pranava (Om) became Devaki, while the Nigama of theVedas became Vasudeva – the father of Krishna.[13] The hymns of the Vedas became the cows, asserts Krishna Upanishad.[13][10] The verses of the Upanishads became 16,108 girls infatuated with theBrahman manifested in the form of Krishna, and each herself the supreme Brahman in the hymns ofRigveda.[14][10]
Mercy was born as his "mother"Rohini,Bhudevi (the earth goddess) became his wifeSatyabhama. Tranquility became his friendSudama.[15] Anger, greed, and other vices becameasuras (demons).[10][15] Self-restraint (Damah), truth (Satya) and theOcean of milk becameUddhava,Akrura, and broken curd pots for Krishna's play respectively, asserts the text.[16] SageKashyapa andAditi – the mother of the gods – became the mortar and rope to which the mischievous Krishna was tied to.Shiva,Kali, andMaya became his weapons,sword,mace, andbow respectively.[17] Thelotus in his hands is stated to be the origin of the universe. The harvest seasonSharada was his food. Vishnu's abodeVaikuntha was recreated on Earth.[18][19]
The second part of the text describes a symbolic reality of how living beings and virtues emerged in the universe.[20][21] The text asserts that Vishnu as ultimate reality was first born into a living creature namedSanskarsana, who desired and begot offsprings, starting with god of love (Pradyumna), who himself procreated Aniruddha (unrestraint), Ahamkara (ego) and Hirangarbha (golden womb).[20] The last procreated and produced Prajapatis, Marici, air, Sthanu, Daksha, Kardama, Priya-vrata, and Uttanapada. It is these, asserts the text, who procreated all life in the universe.[20][21]
The remnants of Vishnu'sShesha asserts the text is all matter and life, as well as knowledge, and meta-knowledge.[20][21] He is the embodiment of skill, anddharma (virtues) too, states the Upanishad.[20] Meditating on this origin of the universe, of the ultimate nature of Vishnu, repeatedly muttering his name and attributes, is the path to liberation, asserts the text.[20][21]
The celestials descend on Earth to be with Krishna, experience Bliss through their love of Krishna.[22] The Upanishad advocatesBhakti yoga, serving God by love andbhakti (devotion) to achieve emancipation.[23][24]
The Vaishnava philosopherVallabhacharya in his commentary on this Upanishad observed that the gopas and the gopis were the male and female friends of Krishna. The greedy people living there were described as demons. He also stated that the five facets of ignorance, symbolized as five evil people, were eliminated by Krishna.[25]
| Philosophy |
|  | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texts |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Deities |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Practices |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Related | |||||||||||||||||||
