Krishna

Krishna ...Sweet are His words, Sweet are His actions, Sweet his sleeping...
Everything of Lord Krishna is Sweet...
(From the Madhurashtaka of Sri Vallabhacharya)

A few devotees have been blessed with the name of Krishna or a spiritual name containing the name Krishna (such as Ramakrishna, Harikrishna and so on). There are many meanings and interpretations of the great name Krishna.

Lord Krishna was Lord Vishnu's eighth incarnation and this is His 58th name as listed in the Vishnu Sahasranama, the thousand names of Lord Vishnu. Krishna means black or dark-coloured. Lord Krishna's complexion was said to be dark like the most beautiful clouds full of rain. This means that Lord Krishna is full of sacred grace and blessings and He is always ready to shower this auspicious energy on His true devotees.

Many great saints have meditated on and worshipped Sri Krishna as the embodiment of perfection. Famous great souls such as Sri Chaitanya, Vallabhacharya, Nimbarka and others attained the highest stage of perfection through devotion to Krishna, Krishna-bhakti. The name Krishna invoked in them the very highest ideal of perfect love. Krishna's pure love and His complete message of self-effacing and overflowing devotion purify the heart of lower tendencies and bring the people to God-consciousness.

We have mentioned the sage Adi Shankaracharya earlier in Prema Shakti. He was a well-known spiritual master and philosopher who also wrote many devotional works in praise of the Hindu Gods and also explaining the various spiritual paths. Adi Shankaracharya was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar and he has also given an explanation of the name of Lord Krishna. He said that God is called Krishna because he purifies His devotees from the effects of their wrongdoings and cleanses them of other defects such as anger, jealousy, pride, egoism and so on. He further says that krish means truth and na means bliss. Therefore the name Krishna means " the One whose very nature is truth and bliss." Yet another source states that the Sanskrit word krishtihi means, "to draw and attract."