Understanding the Meaning of Kṛṣṇa

The Supreme Lord here reveals how the meaning of the word Kṛṣṇa refers not only to His incarnation of Dvāpara Yuga but encompasses essence of the entire existence.

(Below is the revelation as extracted from Māḻikā, given by Śrī Guru Lord Jagannātha in Oḍiā; translated and summarised into English for the benefit of Mankind)

Summary:

The word Kṛṣṇa is often considered as referring to the incarnation of the Supreme and whose Līḻā (Play) in the Mahābhārata and Śrīmad Bhagavatam. However, the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Nāma Tattva ~ the principle behind the “Kṛṣṇa” name extends beyond such reference to encompass essence of the entire existence itself.

(1) The Supreme Lord here asks what the meaning of Lord Kṛṣṇa is and then explains the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Tattva. Each word of His has hundred and eight meanings. Although it is sufficient to hold onto one meaning and move forward to reaching Him, the Lord explains the meaning of the name Kṛṣṇa.

(2) The incarnation of the Supreme Lord who was born in the Dvāpara Yuga (Third Era of Present Cycle of Creation) and did Mānava Līḻā (Play among Humans) in Mathurā, Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā, holding a flute in His hand is known by the name of Kṛṣṇa. Since Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on Bhū Loka (Earth) in the Sixteenth Kaḻā ~ Svarūpāvasthiti (ability to be in true form), His form is the same as the Ādi Puruṣa ~ the primeval form, the form with beginning, known as Govinda. This has also been addressed by Brahmā in the Brahma Saṁhitā.

Govinda – the Ādi Puruṣa is also the one who descended on earth in the Dvapara Yuga (Third Era of Present Cycle of Creation) as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and has been the object of love and devotion of devotees from across the three worlds.

(3) However, Kṛṣṇa also refers to the Anādi Puruṣa, the eternal form of the Supreme Lord. His eternal form is that of a Phallus (Liṅga).

(4) The Great Phallus (Mahā Liṅga) is the body of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This body of Lord Kṛṣṇa as Anādi Puruṣa, the eternal form is also known as Mahā Viṣṇu or Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu (the great one who enters and lies on the causal ocean). Uncountable material universes are created through His potency.

The Supreme Lord enters each universe as Ādi Puruṣa, the primeval form, also known as Ādi Viṣṇu or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (the one who enters and lies on the material ocean). Uncountable planets and cosmic bodies are created through His potency.

The Supreme Lord again enters each fragment of the creation as Śrī Viṣṇu or Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (the one who enters and lies on the milky ocean). This milky ocean is the representation of the Galaxy (the Milky Way or Kṣīra Sāgara, in our case), each of whose center is a Black Hole.

Representation of the Kṣīra Sāgara – the Milky Way Galaxy. Crores such Galaxies are part of the Universe, each around a Blackhole. Innumerable Universes are part of the Cosmic Body of Anādi Puruṣa.

(5-6) Literally, Kṛṣṇa means that which is black in colour. The black colour here refers to darkness. By darkness, the Supreme Lord here is also alluding to the concept of Avidyā (Ignorance). Kṛṣṇa as Avidyā (Ignorance) keeps all from realising the self. Hence His Līḻā (Play of Creation) keeps going on. Engulfed by the Illusion of Reality (Māyā) one is unable to understand the true nature of Brahma (the Absolute Truth), and keeps playing in His Līḻā (Play).

(7-9) However, one can overcome this darkness which is the form of ignorance when Sadguru or Śrī Guru shall show the path. Other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Puruṣottama, the Supreme Lord, no one in the entire world has capability of becoming Guru. While Sadguru may be of any form, in any corner of the world, it is none other than Kṛṣṇa who plays through that Guru, and shows the way to cross the darkness.

(10) The name Kṛṣṇa refers to both the Ādi Puruṣa and the Anādi Puruṣa. This is also the reason in Brahma Saṁhitā Kṛṣṇa is referred to as Anādi-Ādi Govinda.

(As extracted from Brahma Saṁhitā, 5.1; original composition in Sanskrit)

Beyond the primeval form of Kṛṣṇa as the Ādi Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa, the Anādi Puruṣa. Beyond the Phallus (Liṅga), the eternal form as Anādi Puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa is present again. Kṛṣṇa as darkness, the Avidyā limits the soul from realising the true self. Again Kṛṣṇa as Śrī Guru helps cross that darkness to reach Him – the Paramātma (Supreme Soul) which is the Anādi-Ādi Mūḻa ~ the root of both the Anādi Puruṣa (the Eternal Form) and Ādi Puruṣa (the Primeval Form). Hence, Kṛṣṇa as Paramātma is also celebrated as Puruṣottama (Greatest among all the Forms). This is also referenced to in the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā (15.16 – 15.18).

(11) Crossing the Blackhole, is a six cornered island, white in colour, called the Svetadvipa (White Island). Here, the Supreme Lord is called as Svetādhipati (Lord of the White Island).

The shape of the six cornered island is represented by two triangles, one upward and one inverted, one as Liṅga (Phallus) and one as Yoni (Womb), one as Male and one as Female, one as Kṛṣṇa and one as Rādhā, one as Paramātma (Supreme Soul) and one as Jivātma (Being Soul), one as Anādi (Eternal) and one as Ādi (Primeval), one as Father and one as Mother, one as Space and one as Time, one as Śiva and one as Śakti, one as Puruṣa and one as Prakṛti, enjoined, in union. This representation of the six cornered union of two triangles can also be seen in David’s Star in the Jewish faith and the Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu Yantras in Hinduism.

David’s Star showing the Yoga (Union) of the Male (Puruṣa) and the Female (Prakṛti)

The face of Lord Jagannātha’s idol which is black in colour represents the Blackhole. The six sides of the face represent the six sides of the Svetadvipa (White Island). The left side of the face represents the Male form named Kṛṣṇa and the right face represents the Female form Kāḻī, both of whose personified forms are depicted as Black or Blue in colour. This is also the reason Jagannātha is worshiped as both Kṛṣṇa and Kāḻī (specifically as Dakṣiṇa Kāḻī, since dakṣiṇa means right-side, and the right side of Jagannātha’s face represents Kāḻī). He is the Māyādhar (Controller of Illusion) as well as the Māyāmayi (Creator of Illusion) and the resulting union of the two – the unfathomable, indescribable Yogamāyā (Illusion from Union) called the Universe.

The Jagannātha idol’s strange iconography consists of a six sided, predominantly black face with two protruding hand-like extensions and a phallus shape below it.

The two eyes of the idol represent the Jivātma (Soul of Being) and the Paramātma (Soul of Supreme), the Unconsciousness and the Consciousness, separated from one another. Their union is called the Big Bang. From the six sided face, Anādi (the Eternal) aspect of the Supreme Lord known as Mahā Viṣṇu (The Great one who Pervades Everything) manifests as the Mahā Liṅga (Great Phallus) from whence subsequent processes of creation take place. This is represented by the lower part of Jagannātha’s idol which is in the form of a Liṅga (Phallus) and comprises the body of this Cosmic Form known as the Virāṭa Puruṣa (Ginormous Form) holding crores and crores of universes. This Cosmic Form is the Anādi-Ādi Rūpā (Eternal-Primeval Form) known as Puruṣottama (Greatest among all the Forms) and is the one and only true form of existence. In the miniature form, this is represented as the strange looking Jagannātha idol.

Subtle representation of the Cosmic Form known as the Virāṭa Puruṣa (Ginormous Form) in which innumerable universes are contained.

(12-13) In this Svetadvipa, the white island, the form of the Supreme Lord is that of Radhā Kṛṣṇa together as one but undifferentiated from one another. Radhā is the Jivātma (Soul of Being), Kṛṣṇa the Paramātma (Soul of Supreme), who together are represented at the centre of the union of the two triangles, as the Bindu Brahma (Absolute Reality as the Point of Existence) of the Aṇākṣara (Indeterminable Form), equivalent to the Bindu (Dot) in Oṃkara, also known as the Anādi-Ādi Mūḻa (Source and Root of Eternal and Primeval Forms).

Thus the Supreme Lord again says:

(As extracted from Māḻikās; original composition in Oḍiā)

In it’s ultimate goal, every Jivātma (Individual Soul) is Radhā, yearning to mix with Kṛṣṇa – the Paramātma (Supreme Soul), and become one in the Yoga (Union). The Paramātma (Supreme Soul) too yearns to mix with the Jivātma (Individual Soul). This mutual yearning, filled with absolute bliss, is called the Rāsa Līḻā (Divine Play of Aesthetics).

Disclaimer:

The Divine Revelations extracted and presented here in their original and uncorrupted form have made heavy incorporation of Chanda (Poetic Metre and Crypt), have multiple meanings and ingrain deep symbolism which make them very difficult to understand. While the same Sūkti (Divine Revelation) may also be understood and interpreted differently by different seekers and teachers of Spiritualism, all paths lead to the same goal towards realisation of Brahma (the Ultimate Truth).

The above Translation and Summarisation is a humble attempt by members of Hari Parivār to interpret and explain the original extraction in context of the Supreme Lord Jagannātha’s prescribed path of Bhāva (Emotion), Bhakti (Devotion) and Prema (Love).