Lord Krishna is definitely mentioned in the Vedas and upanishads
There
are numerous evidences to explain this fact.
Let us see each one of them as follows:
This is a paper writeen by Horacio Francisco Arganis Juarez. Graduate in Linguistics
and Literature at U A de C and M.A. in Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy and Theology
in IBCH. Reseacher Professor in Saltillo, Coahuila, Northeast of Mexico.
Evidences from the Upanishads:
Regarding the Upanisads, the following eleven Upanisads are considered to be
the topmost: Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya,
Aitareya, Chandogya, Brhad-aranyaka and Svetasvatara. However, in the
Muktikopanisad, verses 30-39, there is a description of 108 Upanisads. They
are as follows: (1) Isopanisad, (2) Kenopanisad, (3) Kathopanisad, (4)
Prasnopanisad, (5) Mundakopanisad, (6) Mandukyopanisad, (7) Taittiriyopanisad,
(8) Aitareyopanisad, (9) Chandogyopanisad, (10) Brhad-aranyakopanisad, (11)
Brahmopanisad, (12) Kaivalyopanisad, (13) Jabalopanisad, (14)
Svetasvataropanisad, (15) Hamsopanisad, (16) Aruneyopanisad, (17)
Garbhopanisad, (18) Narayanopanisad, (19) Paramahamsopanisad, (20)
Amrta-bindupanisad, (21) Nada-bindupanisad, (22) Siropanisad, (23)
Atharva-sikhopanisad, (24) Maitrayany-upanisad, (25) Kausitaky-upanisad, (26)
Brhaj-jabalopanisad, (27) Nrsimha-tapaniyopanisad, (28) Kalagni-rudropanisad,
(29) Maitreyi-upanisad, (30) Subalopanisad, (31) Ksurikopanisad, (32)
Mantrikopanisad, (33) Sarva-saropanisad, (34) Niralambopanisad, (35)
Suka-rahasyopanisad, (36) Vajra-sucikopanisad, (37) Tejo-bindupanisad, (38)
Nada-bindupanisad, (39) Dhyana-bindupanisad, (40) Brahma-vidyopanisad, (41)
Yoga-tattvopanisad, (42), Atma-bodhopanisad, (43) Narada-parivrajakopanisad,
(44) Trisikhy-upanisad, (45) Sitopanisad, (46) Yoga-cudamany-upanisad, (47)
Nirvanopanisad, (48) Mandala-brahmanopanisad, (49) Daksina-murty-upanisad,
(50) Sarabhopanisad, (51) Skandopanisad, (52) Mahanarayanopanisad, (53)
Advaya-tarakopanisad, (54) Rama-rahasyopanisad, (55) Rama-tapany-upanisad,
(56) Vasudevopanisad, (57) Mudgalopanisad, (58) Sandilyopanisad, (59)
Paingalopanisad, (60) Bhiksupanisad, (61) Mahad-upanisad, (62)
Sarirakopanisad, (63) Yoga-sikhopanisad, (64) Turiyatitopanisad, (65)
Sannyasopanisad, (66) Paramahamsa-parivrajakopanisad, (67) Malikopanisad, (68)
Avyaktopanisad, (69) Ekaksaropanisad, (70) Purnopanisad, (71) Suryopanisad,
(72) Aksy-upanisad, (73) Adhyatmopanisad, (74) Kundikopanisad, (75)
Savitry-upanisad, (76) Atmopanisad, (77) Pasupatopanisad, (78)
Param-brahmopanisad, (79) Avadhutopanisad, (80) Tripuratapanopanisad, (81)
Devy-upanisad, (82) Tripuropanisad, (83) Katha-rudropanisad, (84)
Bhavanopanisad, (85) Hrdayopanisad, (86) Yoga-kundaliny-upanisad, (87)
Bhasmopanisad, (88) Rudraksopanisad, (89) Ganopanisad, (90) Darsanopanisad,
(91) Tara-saropanisad, (92) Maha-vakyopanisad, (93) Panca-brahmopanisad, (94)
Pranagni-hotropanisad, (95) Gopala-tapany-upanisad, (96) Krsnopanisad, (97)
Yajnavalkyopanisad, (98) Varahopanisad, (99) Satyayany-upanisad, (100)
Hayagrivopanisad, (101) Dattatreyopanisad, (102) Garudopanisad, (103)
Kaly-upanisad, (104) Jabaly-upanisad, (105) Saubhagyopanisad, (106)
Sarasvati-rahasyopanisad, (107) Bahvrcopanisad and (108) Muktikopanisad.
There are 108 accepted Upanisads which are generally accepted, of which eleven
are the most important, as previously stated. Now let us see how they allude
to Lord Krishna:
Chandogya upanishad III.17.6
taddhaitadghor āṅgirasaḥ kṛṣṇāya
devakīputrāyoktvovācāpipā sa eva sa babhūva
so'ntavelāyāmetatt
rayaṃ pratipadyetākṣitamasyacyu
tamasi prāṇasam̐śitamasīti tatraite dve ṛcau bhavataḥ ॥
Ghora Âṅgirasa, after having communicated this (view of the sacrifice)
toKrishna, the son of Devăkî -- and he never thirsted again (after other
knowledge)--said: 'Let a man, when his end approaches, take refuge
with this Triad: "Thou art the imperishable," "Thou art the
unchangeable," "Thou art the edge of Prâna."'
Almost all scholars have assented that Devakiputra Krishna is described here
as the disciple of Ghora Angirasa. But the sceptics reject this attribution
because the teachers of Krishna were Gargamuni and Sandipani in the Puranas.
But the biggest problem with this assumption is that the original text does
not say so. It is Sankaracarya, who in his commentary on the above-mentioned
Upanisad, said that Krishna was the disciple of Ghora Angirasa. The passage
has to be studied in reference to its context, which is given below. The
Chandogya describes here man's life in the form of soma-sacrifice; the natural
function: eating, drinking, procreating and the cardinal virtues are described
as the rewards of the sacrifice. When Ghora Angirasa said (Uktva) this, he
also told (uvaca) Krishna Devakiputra - for he had become free from desire:
"In the final hour one should take refuge in these three thoughts: You are the
Indestructible (asita); Your are the unshaken (acyuta); Your are the very
essence of life (prana)."
The teachings which Krishna heard from Ghora Angirasa, is more or less the
same which He taught to Arjuna in the Gita [XVI 1-2]. Ghora too already
addressed Krishna as Acyuta, the infallible. In the Gita we find this term
being used thrice, and each time Arjuna addresses Krishna as Acyuta [Bg. 1.2,
11.42, 18.73.] Therefore, the self-evident quality of the quote demonstrates
the analogy. But there is not any evidence in other texts of any Krishna, as
the son of Devaki, besides our Krishna Yadava.
The same work has another mention in 8.13.1:
syama cavalam prapadye savalac syama prapadye.
"Through the mercy of Shyama, I seek the shelter of His internal potency,
the hladini-shakti. And through the mercy of this potency I seek the
shelter of Shyama."
Here, Krishna is mentioned by his epithet Syama which means blackish, used in the
Puranic literature for the Lord. The Sanskrit word prapadye-surrender, appears two
times, in the same sense as the Gita.
The epithet bhagesam is found in the Svetasvatara upanishad 6.6:
bhaga-opulence; Isa-Lord. This Sanskrit word is a synonymous with Bhagavan, a
title used for Krishna in the Gita and Puranas.
The Mundaka upanishad 1.3 reads:
kasmin bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati:
"When Bhagavan becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known."
Here the word Bhagavan is clearly used in the same ontological sense that the
Puranas and Gita use for Krishna.
In the above quoted list of 108 Upanisads, there is the Narayana upanishad,
which says:
atha puruso ha vai narayano 'kamayata prajah srijeti -
"The Purusa Narayana, desired to create the living beings." (1)
The same sruti text (4), says:
brahmanyo devakiputra -
"The Brahman absolute is the son of Devaki (Krishna)."
Here the same Devakiputra epithet is ascribed to Krishna as in the Chandogya
and smriti literature. Also the Rig Veda's Purusa is identified with Narayana
and then with Krishna. The same ontological derivation is found in the Gita
and Puranas.
Indications of Devakiputra Krishna are also found in the Vasudeva Upanisad
devaki-nandano 'khilam anadayat -
"The son of Devaki fills the entire world with delightful bliss".
The words are indicatives and the same name of the text considers Krishna the same
as Vasudeva. By a direct reading of these verses, show analogy is drawn with
Vasudeva-Krishna and Devaki's son.
The Mahanarayana Upanisad mentions Vasudeva Krishna, recognized as
Vishnu-Narayana:
narayanaya vidmahe vasudevaya dhimahi tan no visnu pracodayat.
"We meditate on Narayana who is the son of Vasudeva and on Him we
should contemplate. Because He is Vishnu".
In the Purusabodhini Upanisad:
eko devo nitya mukto bhakta vyapi hrdy antarama
"The one Godhead is eternally engaged in many sports (pastimes) in
relation with His devotees".
But how is this eko devo who performed lilas? The same book explains:
gokulasya mathura mandale... dve parsve candravali radhika ca -
"His place is the land of Gokula in the Mathura mandala. On two sides he
has Radha and Candravali."
The quote alludes to the same geographical area and the gopi associates of Krishna
lila indicated in the Puranic texts.
Gopala-tapani-upanisad, a treatise on glories of Lord Krishna, says that the own
theme of this work is Krishna in the same way as in Puranic texts:
Sac-cid-ananda-rupaya krsnayaklista-karine
namo vedanta-vedyaya Gurave budhi-saksine:
"I offer my respects unto Krishna, who has a form of bliss, eternity and
knowledge. Understanding Him means understand the end of Vedas and
He is the supreme Guru." (1.1)
This Upanisad is part of the Atharva-Veda.
Another interesting work from the above list of Upanisads is the Krsna-upanisad.
This text is part of Rig-Veda
Om Krsno vai sac-cidananda-ghana
krsna adi-purusah krsna purusottamah...
Kali-upanisad or Kali-santarana. In states as follows:
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam natha parataropayah
sarva-vedesu drsyate:
"These sixteen words - Mahamantra- Hare-Krishna-Rama - are especially
meant for counteracting the contamination of Kali. To save oneself from
the contamination of Kali, there is no alternative but the chanting of this
Mahamantra, even after searching through all the Vedas."
Hare is the vocative of Hari, which means "Oh Lord Hari!" Another meaning is
the vocative of the word Hara, which means Radha, the internal sakti of Hari.
However the word is used, the direct reading of the text indicates a
relationship with Krishna because the epithet Hari is used for Krishna.
Therefore the literal translation means, "Oh Lord Hari - Krishna!" or "Oh the
energy of Lord Krishna!"
Till now ,we quoted from the various upanishads, now let us look the other vedic literatures.
Evidences from the Brahmanas, Samhitas and Aranyakas
The Maitrayaniya samhita of Yajur Veda makes allusions to Krishna in the
Narayana gayatri similar to the Mahanarayaniya Upanisad. (There are other
references of the same Narayana gayatri in the Narayana sukta, that it has
another verse:
rtum satyam param brahma purusa krsna pingalam
urdhvaretam virupaksam visvarupaya namo namah:
The text has the adjectives for Krishna satyam-truth; param-supreme; brahma-
Absolute; purusam-Male, personality, used in the same ontological sense as in the
Bhagavata Purana and the Gita. Unfortunately, I do not have an accurate reference
of this quote on hand.
Indications that the Vrisni dynasty is part of the Yadu clan, to which Krishna
belonged, are found in the Taittiriya Samhita 3.2.93, Taittiriya Brahmana
3.10.9.15 and the Satapatha Brahmana 3.1.1.4. We find other evidences that
disclose the identity of Krishna in the srutis, which refer to Radha, the
principal gopi girlfriend of Krishna, in the following Samhitas: Vajasana
1.4.83, Katha 6.34, Taittiriya 3-10 and Madhyandina 3.9.
Jaiminiya Upanisad-Brahmana: we find evidences that indicate names of
devotees of Krishna: Krsna Harita - "Captivated by Krishna" (The teacher Krishna-
Harita is also mentioned in the Aitareya Aranyaka 3.2-6 and the Sankhyayana
Aranyaka 8.10.); Krsna-datta - "Given by or to Krishna"; Krsna-dhrti - "Determined in
Krishna"; Krsna-rata Lauhitya - "Delighting in Krishna, who is dark and
reddish" (Lauhitya). And there is another evidence: The epithet of Krsna-dhrti
is adjective of Satyaki, the Yadava hero friend and relative of Krishna. (KLD
P: 268). Later, there is another reference [1.6.1] that indicates the relation
with Krishna in which the Vrisnis and Andhakas, Krishna's family stemming from
the Yadava clan, are mentioned in the same text.
Kausika Brahmana 30.9 also mentions Krishna in relation to the sage Angirasa,
the same sage mentioned in the Chandogya Upanisad quoted before. The
Vajasaneyi Samhita 32.11 and the Satapatha Brahmana 2.1.5,4 mention the
appellation of Krishna as Gopala. The hagiographic Puranic works use this name
for Krishna in his boyhood activities in the company of the Gopas in Vrindavana.
Evidences from the Vedas
"Dr. A.L. Basham, the doyen of historians, recently observed in the course of
a lecture that Krishna existed many centuries prior to Bharata War, because he
has found his name occurring in the Atharva-Veda. On being asked by the
present writer to substantiate this, he explained that the Atharva-Veda is
much early than the Mahabharata where his exploits are described, and the
Chandogya Upanisad, which contains his teaching." (KHL p.i.)
We have already quoted from different Brahmanas and Upanisads of the Sama-Veda
and Yajur-Veda. In the context of Atharva-Veda (1.3.3) are found mentions of
Radha with Candravali, the principals Gopis in the Krishna's history:
radha visake sahabhanu radha.
Other records about Krishna are found in the same book, in the section containing
Pippalada's questions. It is designated as Caitanya Upanisad by the Gaudiya teachers. In verse (5) this reference states:
golokakhye dhamni govindo...
"Goloka, the home of Govinda".
In verse (7):
namo vedanta-vedyadya krsnaya paramatmane -
"I offer my respectful obeisance unto Krishna, the supersoul, who is
understood by the study of Vedanta philosophy".
There is an explanation of the Mahamantra Hare Krishna in text (11):
sa eva mula mantra japati harir iti krsna iti rama iti.
"The mula mantra is murmured, containing the names of Krishna and
Rama."
Its excerpt also makes a semantic explanation of the Mantra (12):
harati hrdaya-granthim vasana-rupam iti harih krs samrane tac ca nas tad-ubhaya-
melanam iti krsnah ramayati sarvam iti rama ananda-rupa atra goloko bhavati
"The names may be explained in the following way: Hari means He who
unties harati, the knot of material desire in the hearts of the living
entities; Krishna is divided into two syllables Krs and na. Krs means he
who attracts the minds of all living entities. Na means the supreme
transcendental pleasure. These two syllables combine to become the
name Krishna; Rama means he who delights -ramayati- all living entities,
and it also means he who is full of transcendental bliss."
In the Rig-Veda we can discover references that indicate that the Bhojas, from
Krishna's clan, were connected with the Angirasa family of priests (Rig
3.53.7). This is appointing why Krishna heard the sage Ghora in the Chandogya
and the Kausika quoted before. The Yamuna region, the playground of Krishna in
the Puranic literature, is also mentioned in the Rig-Veda: I.22.18, I.154.6, I
anuvak 22. Sukta 164. Rig 31. There are other indices that suggest: The Rig
I.56, VIII.64.5, Av. IV.7.8, VI. 12.3 and 17.3, IX.I.18. show the Giri-parvata
(Govardhana mountain), the favourite hill in Krishna's lila in the Puranas. The
epithet Gopa of Krishna is used for Vishnu in the verse VI.7.7:
adabdho gopa amrtasya raksita.
Other reference is I.21.54.6:
tam vam vastuny usmi gamadhye yatra
gavo bhuri-srnga atraha tad
urugasya vrsna paramam padam -
"O both of you. We desire to attain Your supreme abode full of splendid
surabhi cows with beautiful horns. This spiritual realm is the abode of
You, Urugaya, who are glorified by liberated souls and whose lotus feet
fulfil all the devotees desires."
Jiva Goswami already gives the etymological purport of this verse,
tam-from tani means them; vam yuvayoh-of You two; vastuni-place of lilas;
ga-madhye-from gatum - to go to; parpatum-to attain; usmamsi-we desire;
yatra-upon the surabhi cows (gava); bhuri-srngah-beautiful horns or many.
Ayasah-splendid; atra in the earthly Goloka; Urugasya-the original personality
of Godhead, epithet of Krishna in the Bhagavatam (2.3.15), vrsnah-means Of Him
whose lotus feet fulfill all desire, also it is a derived word that comes from
Vrsni, the family of Krishna. Paramam-beyond of reaches of material energy;
padam-abode, bhuri-many ways; and avabhati-manifested. This verse from the
Rig-Veda is in praise of Vishnu and indicate the relation of Vishnu like a
Gopa with the cows, the same topic of Krishna's lila.
Other mention in the Rig-Veda about Krishna is VIII.96.13-15 that explains how
Krishna encamped on the banks of the river Amsumati with the thousand soldiers
and Indra told his friends, the Maruts, to fight against him. Sceptical
thinkers reject the identification with Krishna Yadava, under the assumption
that this verse referred to a demon named Krishna. But the flaw with this
common idea is that the text never said that. It was the interpreter Sayana
from XIV. century A.D. who invented this. But unfortunately, we haven't the
Sanskrit quote. But there are similarities in the name, the fight with Indra,
like passed in the Krishna lila, on the banks of river Amsumati that suggests
the Yamuna river of the Puranas. The soldiers are analogous to the gopa
narayana mention in the Mahabharata. Therefore some scholars counter the
common belief of Sayana saying: "Krishna of the Rig-Veda (8.96.13-16), who
lived on the banks of Amsumati (Yamuna) and fought against Indra, might have
been a tribal god." (BG.S p. xv) Other hymns of the Rig-Veda (I.116.23 and
117.17) indicate the existence of Krishna's devotees or his family members,
using the word krsniya that means the genitive case or patronymic use of the
word "of Krishna or belonging to Krishna". There are other quotes in the
Rig-Veda that mention directly Krishna's name, that taking them under the
context analyzed in this paper demanded serious reconsideration (VIII.85.3,
I.116.23, 8.74.4, VIII. 85.16, VIII. 36.87).
Krishna and Radharani are described in the following statement of the
Rik-parisista-sruti:
Radhaya madhavo devo, madhavena ca radhika, vibhrajante janesu ca
"Radha and the Lord Madhava are splendidly manifest in company of
their associates."
Yajur veda 31/19.also states
ajaymano bahudha vijayate tasya dhirah parijananti yonim
“The unborn takes many births,the wise one understands it “
Lord Krishna also explains the above verse of yajurveda in the Gita 4.6–9.
Thus there abundant evidences found in the Vedic literatures, which directly or
indirectly describes Lord Krishna. In fact, all the Vedas are meant to Know Krishna.
Itihasas like Mahabharata and Ramayana are also meant to assist the Vedas in
knowing about Lord Krishna.Similarly the Puranas aid to serve the same purpose.
Lord Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavatam as follows:
Kim vidhatte kim acaste
Kim anudaya vikalpayet
Ity asya hrdayam loke
Nanyo mad veda kascana
Mam vidhate 'bhidhatte mam
Vikalpyapohyate hy aham
"What is the direction of all Vedic literatures? On whom do they set focus?
Who is the purpose of all speculation? Outside of me (Krishna) no one
knows these things. Now you should know that all these activities are
aimed at ordaining and setting forth Me. The purpose of Vedic literature
is to know Me by different speculations, either by indirect understanding
or by dictionary understanding. Everyone is speculating about Me."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.21.42-43.)
In srimad Bhagavad gita,Lord Krishna says as follows:
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
“ By all the Vedas, I,am to be Known.” (Gita 15.15)
Even Adi Sankaracharya in his Mangala shloka on the commentary of Vishnu
sahasranama says as follows:
"sat chit ananda rupaya krsnaya aklista karine
namo vedanta vedyaya gurave buddhi saksine "
"Obeisances to Lord Krishna, whose form is composed of sat ,chit and
ananda (bliss) ,who performs many wonderful deeds effortlessly. He is
known by the Vedanta sutras. He is the guru and the witness of buddhi."
The Vishnu Purana also states:
paramātmā ca sarveṣām ādhāraḥ parameśvaraḥ /
viṣṇur nāmnā sa vedeṣu vedānteṣu ca gīyate // ViP_6,4.40 //
“The Isvara above all Isvaras, the paramatma who is the supporter of every
being. He is sung by all the Vedas and Vedanta as Lord Vishnu.
Hari-vamsha 113.82 also states as follows:
vede ramayane caiva
purane bharate tatha
adav ante ca madhye ca
harih sarvatra giyate
"In the Vedic literature, including the Ramayana, Puranas and Mahabharata, from
the very beginning (adau), to the end (ante ca), as well as within the
middle(madhye ca), only Lord Hari, the supreme Personality of Godhead, is
glorified."
Thus all the Vedas, Upanishads, Itihasas and puranas glorifies supreme Lord
Krishna in unison as the ultimate destination. All other devatas as mentioned like
Agni,Indra,etc are glorified in the Vedas as the vibhutis of Lord Krishna.Lord
Krishna is the antaryami of all the demigods. But in a ultimate sense, these names
like Indra,Agni,rudra,etc are also the names of Lord Krishna.Hence by the various
names ,only Lord Krishna is glorified in the scriptures. As states the verse of
Bhallaveya sruti:
namani sarvani yam vishanti
tam vai vishnum paramam udaharanti"
"Lord Vishnu alone is primarily described by all names in the Vedas"
Thus throughout the Vedas and the Upanishads, Lord Krishna alone is glorified.
There is no doubt about it.
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