Krsna is that of a deity? Who are the Hare Krishnas?

To understand the adherents of a new religious movement for Europe (and Russia in particular), it is necessary to find out who Krishna is. Is it God, the prophet or one of the many idols of the Hindu pantheon? Let's understand this. Are the Hare Krishnas adherents of monotheism or do they profess polytheism? They say that the cult comes from India. But the Krishnas themselves declare that they believe in one God. Moreover, they assure that there is no fundamental difference between their religion and Christianity. Even the names of the Messiah were the same. Krishna and Christ, in the opinion of some adherents of the cult, are two hypostases of the same God. What kind? We learn from this article.

Who is Krsna?

Photos, printed in religious literature, often represent to our gaze the figure of a man with a strange skin color. In Sanskrit, "krsna" means dark blue. And in religious texts the skin color of this God is described as "similar to the blue clouds". This is how he is portrayed on the pages of the Bhagavad-gita, a book that, no doubt, can be called the "Bible of Krishnaism."

But God is also a character of other religious texts. These are Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata and Harivamsha. And then for the European there is confusion. In some texts, Krsna is a charming kid, stealing oil from his mother, in the other - a shepherd of cows and an ideal lover or courageous warrior giving instructions to his friend Arjuna. But first of all, he is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. And this last one is one of the key gods of the Hindu pantheon.

The History of Krishna

According to the sacred texts, in the fourth millennium BC Vishnu came to the material world from the spiritual world, born in the form of a person in the city of Mathura, as the eighth child of Vasudeva and his wife, Princess Devaki. He came to show people their religious principles and show divine deeds. In the episode of the birth of Krishna, there are indeed many similarities with the life of Jesus Christ. So, his mother's brother was predicted that he would die at the hands of the eighth nephew. And this king did everything to kill his sister's child. In a slightly different way than Christ, saved from the death of Krishna. It was a mystical transfer of the baby to foster parents - shepherd Nande and his wife Yashoda. During this period of life, Krishna is portrayed as the ideal youth, playing with the cowherd girls and his beloved Radha. When he matured, he returned to Mathura, killed his uncle and returned the throne to his grandfather. After that, Krishna became friends with Prince Arjuna and gave him moral instructions before the Battle of Kurukshetra. But the hunter with the eloquent name "Old age" (Jara) wounded him with his arrow.

Attributes and names of Krishna

The various branches and teachings within Hinduism give this deity other names. The Avatar of Vishnu is often called Gopala or Govinda. These names directly indicate the shepherdess and the ideal lover. And for the people of Orissa, Krsna is Jagannatha. Vishnu has more than a thousand names, many of them are inherent and his avatar. But the Hare Krishnas have their own interpretation of the name of the deity. If you emphasize the letter "a", then the name translates as "dark blue". And if on "and", then Krishna means "attracting". From this interpretation, the attributes of the deity also depend. Govinda is portrayed as a beautiful dark-skinned youth, often with a flute. He stands in a relaxed pose, cross-legged. Often he is painted in the company of beloved Radha. But sometimes Krsna manifests the divine attributes of Vishnu - many hands, heads or chakra.

From polytheism to monotheism

The earliest evidence of the existence of the cult of this Hindu Olympus character dates back to the fifth century BC. But gradually the qualities of Krsna began to distinguish him from other gods. In the ninth century AD his cult became extremely popular in South India. And three hundred years later, religious schools such as Srinathjee (Rajasthan), Vithoba (Maharashtra) and Jagannath (Orissa) were formed and crystallized. Krishna was endowed with such qualities as "eternal youth," "radiant radiance," "truth." And, finally, in the last derivation - Gaudiya Vaishnavism - he is attributed to the attribute of one God - the so-called Absolute Truth.

Western Hare Krishna: who are they?

In the sixty-sixth year of the last century the preacher of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the religious organization "International Society for Krishna Consciousness". He fulfilled the will of his mentor Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and translated the basics of Vaishnavism into English. At that time, Roman Christianity was in crisis. New trends captured the thirsting sakrum by their exoticism. The founders of the "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" first registered in the United States, then similar organizations began to appear in Western Europe. With the fall of the so-called Iron Curtain, religious communities began to appear in the territory of the former Soviet Union. But these people in white and saffron robes, shaving their heads - are not the only ones who believe in Krishna. The "Society of Consciousness" is only one of the many religious directions within the Vishnu. They call Krishna the supreme deity, the Absolute.

Cult

As in all Hindu religions, adherents of this teaching gather in ashrams. This is not a temple in the Christian sense of the word. Ashram can be an ordinary apartment or a house. This is the place where the congregation gathers, so that under the guidance of the guru, one should engage in spiritual practices. The very word "ashram" means "protection." That is, they come under trusteeship, which gives attracting Krishna. The photos depicting ashrams show that there is a sculptural image of a deity, often not one but with a friend of Radha. She, by the way, is associated with the female hypostasis of Krsna. Deity believers are presented prasadam - ritual food, which is prepared for the love of God and his children.