Features of Shri Krishna: His Blue Colour
On this auspicious day of Janmashtami, I want to share with you the different implications of the blue colour of LORD KRISHNA. I have posted the same in my blog (http://dpriya-viewsonpurnavataar.blogspot.com/) last year, but today posting it for the first time in IF 😊.
At first I want to tell you about the various sources which helped me in understanding these features. Regarding this topic I have read a lot from books, various websites on the internet, and I have listened to many satsangs. So I cannot point out any single source- all these has helped me in forming my views .
Another thing I want to mention is that THE LORD is Unfathomable. If I can really understand a minute particle of HIM or HIS creation, that will be enough for me 😊. So this post is my humble endeavor to sing the glory of the LORD. I never-ever claim to be an authority on LORD KRISHNA, I am only a Devotee of the Lord. HE is truly The Ultimate One. No words are enough to describe HIM...
THE BLUE COLOUR
Traditionally Lord Krishna has always been painted or referred to as 'blue– coloured'. I found it really striking and searched for the reasons or sources of this particular colour. I got many answers which now I am going to write down one by one. They are not in any particular order. I know, even after knowing all these, still we won't be able to find out the actual reason😊 of the colour. But these are the probable Symbolisms ---:
# As He is the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu (who is blue coloured), so Lord Krishna is also blue coloured. This is the most standard answer I have come across.
# When Krishna defeated the poisonous serpent Kaliya during childhood , He took the poison inside. Thus he became 'blue-coloured'.
# Blue colour has always been associated with Divinity. As He is the God so He is blue in colour. This point has been explainded in many way . I will discuss some of them here:-
* Lord Krishna is not purely black. Actually He is like 'nilotpala-dala' (like blue lotus), He has 'ratna-baahu'(sapphire-like hands). His colour is like bluish cloud . His colour resembles a dark blue gem (ujjwal-nila mani).
* Narrating the previous point –Lord Krishna's colour reminds us of the colour of the sky. He is blue during the day, like the sky; and at night His complexion turns blackish, like the night sky. In this way He represents both day and night. Thus He is around us always. It is His colour which reflects in the universe .
# HIS colour may be associated also with phases of Moon- the Krishna Paksha .
# Like the sky, which is vast with no Beginning and no Ending, in the same way, the Lord has Boundless ('mayaa bhutam characharam'). The Lord converts the infinite to the finite through the blue colour, thus He makes Himself tangible into the world of the mortal beings.
# The blue colour can also be a symbol of Ocean. Shri Krishna is as vast and as unfathomable as an ocean. Like an Ocean, HE conveys the qualities of calmness , tranquility and completeness.
# I have found out two interesting Scientific symbolisms also 😊 - :
a) Blue or black can resemble the Black Hole as well. Black hole attracts even the light! Like that Lord Krishna can conquer anyone upon HIS will. He is the Supreme (the All-Attractive One) .
b) Blue signifies both Spatial (or Horizontal) and vertical, which can be termed as plane and depth.
What i can make out of this particular theory is that Shri Krishna signifies both earthly pleasures(horizontal) as well as spiritual progress (vertical).
They can also be related with the concepts of Love and Renunciation.
# Blue is a colour between 2 extreme colours - Black and White (though i think grey colour comes exactly between black and white 😊, but anyway, I liked this interpretation also 😊). In this way blue (that is Lord Krishna) also signifies the meeting place of Two Equally Opposing Forces (as in Kurukshetra War in Mahabharat).
# According to Vaishnav tradition the blue colour reflects Pure Love (that is 'Madhurya Ras' as mentioned by Roop Goswami). This colour Attracts and makes everyone fall in Love with the LORD.
# Shri Krishna's color is often mentionaed as 'Shyam-varna' (which means bluish black), which itself is a colour of conjugal love.
# In Traditional Literature we find that blue colour reflects Beauty, Strength, Power or Force. These all are the attributes of the LORD .
At the end we have to remember that the word KRISHNA actually means 'dark in colour ' in Sanskrit. Now, after discussing all these symbolisms still we won't be able to completely understand His qualities 😊. On His Birthday, I just tried to discuss the relevance or the symbolisms conveyed by the 'Blue Colour'.
I know this post of mine is full of 'Dry Knowledge' 😊 in comparison to the Ras (Divine Love) we all feel for the Lord. But all these information helped me a lot to connect with the Lord in the initial stages of feeling the Devotion for Shri Krishna, so thought to post it here. Do tell me if you all got Bored 😆 while reading this Endless (Really Lengthy😊) collection of Facts/Information about the Lord.
Jai Shri Krishna
Edited by Debipriya - 13 years ago
comment:
p_commentcount