Born in the dark hours of a stormy midnight Krishna the dark god is the most adored among the avataras. He has lived his life to the fullest. Breaking old norms and setting new ones, His journey comprises a unique blend of divinity and humanity.
Before the Harivamsha Purana was written, Krishna was known as a diplomat, a politician, and the Jagatguru who preached the philosophy of Gita in Mahabharat. Harivamsha Purana was a later suppliment to Mahabharat, wherein the earlier life of Krishna is beautifully described.
During Bhakti Movement, vaishnavism became the prominent sect in India. The vaishnava acharyas and saint poets imagined Krishna in multitude images as a mischevious son of Yashoda, a divine and brave kid who destroyed the asuras sent by Kamsa, and the darling of all gopis. The Bhagvata Purana is the most venereated purana of vaishnava sect which vividly describes the divine acts of Krishna....the 'leelas'. The acharyas also depicted the rasa theory based on Krishna's leelas.
The Bhakti movement was a rebel of the masses against the ritualistic religion. People, especially the downtroden were in need of a simple way of worship which involved pure devotion devoid of any material offerings to god. The dissatisfaction with the priestly rituals and the urge of freedom on the path of salvation, gave rise to the idea of a personal god. The god who can be worshipped in any form. The worship of personal god was not as dry as a ritual but, it was full of emotions similar to human relations. Thus, a god whom one could love as a child, as a mother, a friend, a lover, who encompassed all human emotions was worshipped in the form of Krishna.
The cowherd or the gop god was happy with a simple offering of milk, curd, butter or puffed grains. He didnt expect any pompous rituals to be pleased. He was the Krishna sakha of all. However he was worshipped in various forms by the saints. All types of human love was transcended into sublime form. Saints like Nimbarka and Madhva worshipped Him in the form of divine lover. Saint Surdas imagined Him as a child. Saint Meera bai loved Him as her husband. The saints in Maharashtra loved him as their mother and thus addressed Vitthala as Vithaai.
The Krishna of Mahabharata is revered as a politician, a great hero and philosopher yet his image in Gokul is closer to the heart and is thus worshipped with utmost love.
Perhaps it is due to His character that encompasses all human shades and due to his great deeds that Krishna is considered as Purnavatara. The dark god born in the dark hours of midnight enlightens the world not only with his divinity but his love towards all human beings.
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क्या बात है वरदा.. उत्तम माहिती....
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