Krishna Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Vaishnavism === {{Main|Vaishnavism|Krishnaism}} [[File:Le temple de Chennakesava (Somanathapura, Inde) (14466110935).jpg|thumb|Relief from the [[Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura|Chennakeshava Temple]] of Krishna with flute with humans and cows listening, 1258 CE.]] The worship of Krishna is part of [[Vaishnavism]], a major tradition within Hinduism. Krishna is considered a full avatar of Vishnu, or one with Vishnu himself.<ref>{{cite book |author=John Dowson |title=Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |year=2003 |page=361 |isbn=978-0-7661-7589-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6JB-KOXy5k8C&q=Vishnu+Sahasranama+Krishna&pg=PA361 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> However, the exact relationship between Krishna and Vishnu is complex and diverse,<ref name = Beck>See Beck, Guy, ''"Introduction"'' in {{Harvnb|Beck|2005|pp=1–18}}</ref> with Krishna of [[Krishnaism|Krishnaite]] sampradayas considered an independent deity and supreme.{{sfn|Hardy|1987|pp=387–392}}<ref name=Knott55>{{Harvnb|Knott|2000|p=55}}</ref> Vaishnavas accept many incarnations of Vishnu, but Krishna is particularly important. Their theologies are generally centered either on Vishnu or an avatar such as Krishna as supreme. The terms [[Krishnaism]] and Vishnuism have sometimes been used to distinguish the two, the former implying that Krishna is the transcendent Supreme Being. {{sfn|Flood|1996|p =117}} Some scholars, as [[Friedhelm Hardy]], do not define Krishnaism as a sub-order or offshoot of Vaishnavism, considering it a parallel and no less ancient current of Hinduism.{{sfn|Hardy|1987|pp=387–392}} All Vaishnava traditions recognise Krishna as the eighth avatar of Vishnu; others identify Krishna with Vishnu, while Krishnaite traditions such as [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]],<ref name = McDaniel>See McDaniel, June, ''Folk Vaishnavism and {{IAST|Ṭhākur Pañcāyat}}: Life and status among village Krishna statues'' in {{Harvnb|Beck|2005|p=39}}</ref><ref name=Kennedy1925>{{cite book| author = Kennedy, M. T.| year = 1925 | title = The Chaitanya Movement: A Study of the Vaishnavism of Bengal| url = https://archive.org/details/pli.kerala.rare.24847| publisher = H. Milford, Oxford university press}}</ref> [[Ekasarana Dharma]], [[Mahanam Sampraday]], [[Nimbarka Sampradaya]] and the [[Pushtimarg|Vallabha Sampradaya]] regard Krishna as the ''[[Svayam Bhagavan]]'', the original form of Lord or the same as the concept of [[Brahman]] in Hinduism.<ref name="KK">{{cite book |author=K. Klostermaier |title=The Charles Strong Trust Lectures, 1972–1984 |publisher=Brill Academic Pub |year=1997 |page= 109 |isbn=978-90-04-07863-5 |quote=(...) After attaining to fame eternal, he again took up his real nature as [[Brahman]]. The most important among Visnu's avataras is undoubtedly Krsna, the black one, also called ''Syama''. For his worshippers he is not an avatara in the usual sense, but Svayam Bhagavan, the Lord himself.|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=F_0UAAAAIAAJ&q=Svayam+bhagavan&pg=PA109 | others = Crotty, Robert B.}}</ref><ref name = VaisnavaInstitute1956>{{cite book |title= Indian Philosophy & Culture, Volume 20 |year= 1975|publisher=The Institute |page= 148|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yEMB3RBwjTsC |others= Institute of Oriental Philosophy (Vrindāvan, India), Institute of Oriental Philosophy, Vaishnava Research Institute, contributors |quote=On the touch-stone of this definition of the final and positive characteristic of Sri Krsna as the Highest Divinity as Svayam-rupa Bhagavan}}</ref><ref name=Delmonico>Delmonico, N., ''The History Of Indic Monotheism And Modern Chaitanya Vaishnavism'' in {{Harvnb|Bryant|Ekstrand|2004}}</ref><ref name=De1960>{{cite book|author = De, S. K.|year = 1960|title = Bengal's contribution to Sanskrit literature & studies in Bengal Vaisnavism|publisher = KL Mukhopadhyaya}} p. 113: "The Bengal School identifies the Bhagavat with Krishna depicted in the Shrimad-Bhagavata and presents him as its highest personal God."</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Bryant|2007|p=381}}</ref> [[Gitagovinda]] of [[Jayadeva]] considers Krishna to be the supreme lord while the ten incarnations are his forms. [[Swaminarayan]], the founder of the [[Swaminarayan Sampradaya]], also worshipped Krishna as God himself. "Greater Krishnaism" corresponds to the second and dominant phase of Vaishnavism, revolving around the cults of the [[Vasudeva]], Krishna, and [[Gopal (Krishna)|Gopala]] of the late [[Vedic period]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url= http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/vaish.html|title= Vaishnava|access-date= 13 October 2008|encyclopedia= encyclopedia|publisher= Division of Religion and Philosophy University of Cumbria|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120212183626/http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/vaish.html|archive-date= 12 February 2012|df= dmy-all}}, University of Cumbria website Retrieved 21 May 2008</ref> Today the faith has a significant following outside of India as well.<ref name="Princeton">{{cite book|author = Graham M. Schweig|title = Dance of Divine Love: The Rڄasa Lڄilڄa of Krishna from the Bhڄagavata Purڄa. na, India's classic sacred love story|publisher = Princeton University Press|location = Princeton, N.J.|year = 2005|pages = Front Matter|isbn = 978-0-691-11446-0|no-pp = true}}</ref> '''Early traditions''' The deity ''[[Krishna-Vasudeva]]'' (''{{IAST|kṛṣṇa vāsudeva}}'' "Krishna, the son of [[Vasudeva Anakadundubhi]]") is historically one of the earliest forms of worship in [[Krishnaism]] and [[Vaishnavism]].<ref name="Cultofgopal">{{cite journal|title = A Revolution in {{IAST|Kṛṣṇaism}}: The Cult of Gopāla |last = Hein|first = Norvin|jstor = 1062622 |volume=25 |issue = 4|pages=296–317 |doi=10.1086/463051 |journal=History of Religions |year=1986|s2cid = 162049250}}</ref><ref name = bryant4 /> It is believed to be a significant tradition of the early history of Krishna religion in antiquity.<ref>Bhattacharya, Gouriswar: ''Vanamala of Vasudeva-Krsna-Visnu and Sankarsana-Balarama''. In: Vanamala. Festschrift A. J. Gail. Serta Adalberto Joanni Gail LXV. diem natalem celebranti ab amicis collegis discipulis dedicata.</ref> Thereafter, there was an amalgamation of various similar traditions. These include ancient [[Bhagavatism]], the cult of [[Gopala]], of "Krishna Govinda" (cow-finding Krishna), of [[Bala Krishna|Balakrishna]] (baby Krishna) and of "Krishna Gopivallabha<ref>{{cite web|date=2014-08-05|title=Gopala: Understanding the Essence of Krishna as a Cowherd|url=https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/gopala-understanding-essence-krishna-cowherd |access-date=2021-06-30 |website=Isha Sadhguru|language=en}}</ref>" (Krishna the lover).<ref name=kk20072>{{cite book|author = Klostermaier, Klaus K.|pages = [https://archive.org/details/surveyhinduismth00klos/page/n221 203]–204|year = 2005|title = A Survey of Hinduism|url = https://archive.org/details/surveyhinduismth00klos|url-access = limited|publisher = State University of New York Press; 3 edition|isbn = 978-0-7914-7081-7|quote = Present-day Krishna worship is an amalgam of various elements. According to historical testimonies, Krishna-Vasudeva worship already flourished in and around Mathura several centuries before Christ. A second important element is the cult of Krishna Govinda. Still later is the worship of Bala-Krishna, the Child Krishna{{snd}}a quite prominent feature of modern Krishnaism. The last element seems to have been Krishna Gopijanavallabha, Krishna the lover of the Gopis, among whom Radha occupies a special position. In some books, Krishna is presented as the founder and first teacher of the Bhagavata religion.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title = Review: ''Krishna: Myths, Rites, and Attitudes''. by Milton Singer; Daniel H. H. Ingalls|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=27 |number=3 |date=May 1968|last = Basham|first = A. L. |jstor = 2051211|pages=667–670 |doi=10.2307/2051211|s2cid=161458918 }}</ref> According to Andre Couture, the [[Harivamsa]] contributed to the synthesis of various figures as aspects of Krishna.<ref>{{cite journal |title= The emergence of a group of four characters (Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha) in the Harivamsa: points for consideration|journal = Journal of Indian Philosophy|author = Couture, André |s2cid = 170133349|year= 2006|volume = 34|issue = 6|pages= 571–585|doi= 10.1007/s10781-006-9009-x }}</ref> Already in the early Middle Ages, the Jagannathism ({{a.k.a.}} [[Odisha|Odia]] Vaishnavism) was origined as the cult of the god [[Jagannath]] ({{lit|'Lord of the Universe'}}){{snd}}an abstract form of Krishna.{{sfnm|1a1=Eschmann|1a2=Kulke|1a3=Tripathi|1y=1978|1p=|2a1=Hardy|2y=1987|2pp=387–392|3a1=Starza|3y=1993|3p=|4a1=Miśra|4y=2005|4loc=chapter 9. Jagannāthism}} Jagannathism was a regional temple-centered version of [[Krishnaism]],{{sfn|Hardy|1987|pp=387–392}} where Jagannath is understood as a principal god, [[Purushottama]] and [[Para Brahman]], but can also be regarded as a non-sectarian syncretic Vaishnavite and all-Hindu cult.{{sfn|Miśra|2005|p=97|loc=chapter 9. Jagannāthism}} According to the ''Vishnudharma Purana'' ({{circa}} 4th century), Krishna is woshipped in the form of Purushottama in Odia (Odisha).{{sfn|Starza|1993|p=76}} The notable [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jagannath temple]] in [[Puri]], Odisha became particularly significant within the tradition since about 800 CE.{{sfn|Bryant|2007|pp=139–141}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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