Karshati Iti Krishna

Lord Krishna

This is one of my most prized possessions, one of the few things that I brought from India along with me and have never parted with. It has been a source of hope, energy, worship, inspiration, reverence and serenity for me. I don't know exactly why this simple portrayal appeals so much to me, it does more than the other idols and more traditional holy pictures. It epitomises, to me, an immense power of the divine over the carnal and dark.

Besides, Krishn stands for 'the one that attracts all', though sometimes it is used as a synonym for 'dark colored skin'. The nature of His character from the Hindu myth has always intrigued me to the core. It brings back the memory of childhood where whole family would spend that sunday 9-10 AM hour attentively in front of the TV sets watching Mahabharat. I love that show till date and have watched it innumerous times during the course of its repeat telecasts. I could understand it more than Chanakya, which I had watched at a much younger age and I couldn't understand the political plot or the shuddh hindi. Mahabharat's grandeur and riveting storyline had always enthralled me. The whole episode of Lord Krishn and Bhagvad Gita is the ultimate triumph of Hinduism as a religion and philosophy as pertinent in modern era. Lord Ram, as many might say, is too idealistic for 'kalyug'. I will not go into that debate however. I was brought up in a religious and enlightened environment. By enlightened, I mean that religion was not forced upon or preached without the cause. My grandfather and father hold deep knowledge in hindu religion and epics like Ramayan, which has been read by all my family members and is hel in extremely high regards. I have been taught the religion as a philosophy and my faith and not fear in God, thus, comes naturally. I read Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, the hindi version of original Ramayan written in sanskrit. Presence of God is like an axiom in Mathematics for me, its the eternal truth which can not and need not be proved. So when I hear someone innocently denouncing God and saying things like 'if there is God, would all these crimes be happening in the world', I just feel like smiling. I believe in both traditional and idol-less worships because both are same for me. Its ultimately the One, whatever form you or I may imagine in. Religions and forms are immaterial. Anyways, I have drifted badly. What I wanted to post was simply this beautiful picture. I am infinitesimally insignificant to even discuss the presence of the Almighty.


"If the radiance of a thousand suns Were to burst at once into the sky That would be like the splendor of the Mighty one -- I am become Death, The shatterer of Worlds."
-Hindu Spiritual, Bhagavad Gita

[Btw, 'Karshati Iti Krishna' means the one who attracts (karsh = attract) is Krishna]