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IS KRISHNA GOOD???
The Hari Krishna sect of Hinduism was
founded by Bhaktivedanta (1896-1977),
though he claimed it came from classical
Hinduism. Since many people wonder about
Hari Krishnas and about the Krishna they
worship, here are some things you might
want to know about Krishna.
Krishna is known as the Cosmic Lover.
According to traditions Hindus believe,
Krishna was irresistible with women. He
could even cause married women to leave
their meals and the husbands and tryst with
him. Women from all over would come just
to give him themselves.
If you had a daughter, would you let her
adore Krishna as the legends tell both the
unmarried and married women did?
If someone followed Krishna's example,
would you deplore immorality in humans
that is OK for Krishna's partners?
No one can deny Krishna had a sense of
humor. Sometimes when women were
bathing in the river, he would steal their
clothes, and they would have to beg him to
give their clothes back. If you were a judge
in a court of law and somebody came before
you who did that, what punishment would
you give?
In the Bhagavad Gita, or "Lord's Song",
Krishna counsels Arjuna why it is good he
and his brothers go to war to kill their own
cousins to rule their land. Do you think this
was good advice?
A reason Krishna gave was that the
physical world is illusion, so nobody really
would die, since our physical bodies are all
illusions. Can you believe that?
At the end of the story of Krishna and
Arjuna, Arjuna's wicked cousins are feasting
in heaven, because they fulfilled their
dharma (duty) and did what they were
supposed to do in fighting their cousins.
Arjuna's ally and brother, Yudhisthira was in
hell, because he resisted the system and
questioned his duty in fighting his cousins.
Should we ever resist the system because it
is evil, or should we always follow a system
because we are told to without questioning?
If all, even classes and tests are illusion,
then why study? In fact, why work hard at
anything?
If all the universe is illusion, then is the
love and friendship others have for you
illusion too? What a lonely thought.
If everything is illusion, then I suppose this
tract is just illusion, and it does not matter
whether others read it or not, since in the
end, nothing matters.
Hari Krishnas claim that Krishna and
Jesus Christ are the same. So Hari Krishnas
should at least claim to believe what Jesus
and the Bible say.
The Truth, the (One) Way,
and the Life
This universe matters very much to God,
and He cares very much for us. John 3:16
says, "For God so loved the world, that He
sent His only begotten son, that whosoever
believes in Him, should not perish but have
everlasting life."
Jesus' apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 5:7,
"Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because
he cares for you."
Only One Way
After John 3:16, Jesus goes on to say, "For
God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe
stands condemned already because he has
not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son." (John 3:17-18)
According to Jesus, the truth, the ultimate
reality, is Him and nobody else. John 14:6
says, "Jesus answered, 'I am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the
Father except through me.'"
Jesus' apostle Peter said in Acts 4:12,
"Salvation is found in no one else, for their
is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved."
In John 8:23-24. Jesus told the Pharisees,
"You are from below; I am from above. You
are of this world; I am not of this world. I
told you that you would die in your sins' if
you do not believe that I am the one I claim
to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
No Reincarnation
Heb 9:27 says, "Just as man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment, so
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the
sins of many people; and he will appear a
second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Meaning in Life
Perhaps you feel that the meaning in life in
general, or perhaps your life in particular is a
meaningless illusion. It need not be. We are
so precious to God that the precious blood of
Jesus was shed for us (1 Pet 1:19). In John
10:10 Jesus says He came "that we might
have life, and have it to the full."
Romans 10:9-10 tells how to be saved.
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus
is Lord," and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved."
So make Jesus your Lord, and make sure
your Jesus is the real Jesus. 2 Cor 11:3
warns, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was
deceived by the serpent's cunning, your
minds may somehow be led astray from your
sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
If you would like more information, or if
you would like to know the real Jesus, talk
with Christians in A.C.C.C.F. or other
Bible-believing Christian groups.
IS
KRISHNA
GOOD
???
NOTE: One person claimed it might
be hate speech to say that Hinduism
taught that Krishna was adulterous.
As a response, I am against hate
speech myself. I have no hatred of
Hindus; my personal friends who
are Hindus would tell you the same.
Rather than hating them or wanting
to see them harmed, I love Hindu
people, and not only want good
things for them, but the very best
thing: that they would find the true
God and go to Heaven. I apologize if
my criticizing what is wrong in
Hinduism has been misconstrued by
anyone as hating Hindu people, but
you can criticize an idea and still
love people trapped by that idea. If
someone were to insist that
repeating the accepted fact that
legends of Krishna tell of his
romantic escapades outside of
marriage, then my sources,
including Time-Life Books and the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as
artwork by Hindus themselves,
would have to be called hate speech
too.
Historic India by Lucille Schulberg
and the editors of Time-Life Books
p.115 says of Krishna “As a youth
he is irresistible; he courts and wins
the love of countless peasant girls.
Later he turns solemn and goes to
war-and fulfills the prophecy of the
seers by killing the king. He marries
more than 16,000 wives, who bear
him 180,000 sons.” p.123 says,
“girls, in turn, revered him as a
passionate lover.”
Ibid on p.132 says, “Krishna, in
addition to all his other attributes,
was a man women could not resist.
When he played his flute at night,
ladies – even respectable married
ones – felt helplessly drawn to his
side. ‘Some ran off in the middle of
their dinner,’ one Indian chronicler
wrote, ‘others while bathing and
others while engaged in plaiting
their hair.’ Once his admirers had
joined him, Krishna would sport
with them by moonlight in a forest
river (right), lead them in dances
and make love to them.
Krishna’s love-making was
interpreted by Hindus as something
far more significant than mere
pleasure-seeking. The tales of
women abandoning their families to
run after him served as poetic
expressions of the soul’s quest for a
union with divinity.”
The picture across from the text is
an archaic drawing of Krishna
embracing two topless women with
18 other topless women (and no
other men) close by. The credits at
the end of the book on p.185 say the
picture is called “The Water Sports
of Krishna,” Bharat Kala Bhavan,
Varanesi (Raghubir Singh form
Nancy Palmer Agency).
For more evidence of Krishna's
amorous ways, The Encyclopaedia
Britannica vol.13 1971 p.491 says,
“The cowherd Krishna became
widely renouned as a lover and for
the ecstatic delight with which the
milkmaids, among them his
sweetheart, Radha, followed the
sound of his flute.”
The 1956 Encyclopaedia Britannica
vol.13 p.503 says that the better
side of the Krishna cult owed much
to Chaitanya, a Vaishnava reformer
of Bengal, and “its worse to
Vallabha, who founded the
notorious sect of the
Vallabhacharyas of Guzerat and
Rajputana.”. It also mentions
Krishna’s “dallies with Goipis or
cowherds’ daughters.”
For a list of references to Krishna as
divine love, look at
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southa
sia/Religions/Avatars/Krishna_bibli
o.html (5/2007)
The following is from:
http://www.dollsofindia.com/radha
krishna.htm (3 May 2007)
Radha is recognized as the loveliest of all the
cowgirls. She was the wife of Ayana and the
daughter of the cowherd Vrishabhanu and his
wife, Kamalavati. Radha was a childhood friend
and soulmate of Krishna and the two were
inseparable as playmates and later as lovers.
Theirs was a love hidden from society, given
Radha's status of a married woman. They had
their moments of love, passion and anger just like any two lovers in love and yet their
love could not stand the test of duty that
Krishna had to face. He had to leave
Vrindavan, and Radha, to ensure that the
ideals of truth and justice were established but
in the process had to let down the ideal of
personal love. He became a king, defeated
innumerable enemies and even married a
number of times. And yet it is said Radha kept
waiting for him to come back to her. Her love
for Krishna is considered so divine and so pure
that Radha herself obtained the status of a
deity, with her name being insperably linked to
that of Krishna. Most of Krishna's images are
considered complete when Radha stands by his
side.
Krishna's captivating charm and aura of
passion as Radha falls into a state of desire for
this God. Radha is the soul; Krishna is the God.
Krishna is the shaktiman - possessor of energy
- and Radha is His shakti - energy. She is the
female counterpart of the Godhead. She is the
personification of the highest love of God, and
by her mercy the soul is connected with the
service and love of Krishna.
The word Radha means the greatest worshiper
of Krishna. No other gopi in Vrindavana has
such a significant name as Sri Radha. Of
course, all the Braja gopis love and give
pleasure to Krishna. However, compared to
Radhika's ocean of love for Krishna, the other
gopis are merely pools, ponds and rivers. As
the ocean is the original source of all the water
found in lakes and rivers, similarly the love
found in the gopis, and in all the other
devotees has its origin in Sri Radha alone.
Since Radha's love is the greatest, she gives
the greatest pleasure to Krishna. 'Krishna
enchants the whole world, but Srimati Radhika
enchants even Him. Therefore, Radha is the
Supreme Goddess.' In Vrindavana, people are
accustomed to chant Radha's name more than
Krishna's name.
Radha is married or involved with someone
else, and still cannot resist Krishna's musical
call. In being with Him she risks social censure,
alienation and humiliation. Riddled with shame
and inappropriateness, this is hardly a
relationship that purportedly embodies the
highest union of pure love. Music becomes the
voice of their illicit love which is too
passionate, and secretive. Krishna is the
cosmic musician who woos the gopi's (cowherd
girls) with his tunes. Krishna's flute sounds so
powerful that they embodied the energy of the
cosmos. His beauty, charm and musical skill
impassion women everywhere; at the sound of
his flute playing, the gopis "jump up in the
middle of putting on her makeup, abandon her
family while eating a meal, leave food to burn
on the stove, and run out of her home to be
with Krishna". In the embrace of Krishna, the
gopis, maddened with desire, found refuge; in
their love dalliance with him who was the
master in all the sixty-four arts of love, the
gopis felt a thrill indescribable; and in making
love with him in that climatic moment of
Radha's love for Krishna is all consuming and
compels her to ignore her family honor and
disregard her husband. Radha serves as a
symbol for all of the Gopi girls' love for
Krishna. Their relationship develops on
The relationship between Radha and Krishna is
the example of the highest and purest love, an
indissoluble union of the highest intermingling
and completion; it is also a love expressed
through music. Music underlines the illicit
relationship; this love shadowed by secrecy,
adultery and scorn, finds its outlet in Krishna's
charming and passionate musical talents.
release, in that one binding moment, they felt
that joy and fulfillment which could not but be
an aspect of the divine.
Through their experience, thus, the erotic the
carnal and the profane became but an aspect
of the sublime, the spiritual and the divine.
This cumulative myth sustained one basic
point: for women, Krishna was a personal god,
always accessible and unfailingly responsive.
He was a god specially made for women. In the
popular psyche, Krishna and Radha became
the universal symbol for the lover and the
beloved. Krishna was the ideal hero, and
Radha the ideal heroine.
This is the tie that binds Him and Radha; erotic
musical passion overrides the social and
female responsibilities Radha is tied to and she
relinquishes herself to her adulterous, but
passionate affair with Krishna.
as has been interpreted by numerous Indologists the erect penis is symbolic of the life
Indian Temple Architecture which was one of the mos
force, of creative energy and of the harnessing of these energies. This erect penis or
celebration of Indian erotica. The feminine form has b
the urdhvalinga pressing against the abdomen is symbolic of the ascent of the semen
Khajuraho. In fact the architecture of the temple spea
characteristic of Shiva image and implies that no semen is allowed to leave the bodythe human coital union. The sanctum sanctorum is th
control of the seminal fluid is believed to entail ‘control of all passions and the
‘mandapa’ is the bride, the ‘antarala’ or the passage b
achievement of desirelessness’ (1970: page 294. A. Bharati- The Tantric Tradition}
sthala’, or meeting place. “That place in front where th
becomes the sandhiksetra, or place of juncture.” It is
The erect penis or phallus of Lord Shiva is one of the most widely worshipped icon, by
on the juncture walls of the exterior facade, that sculp
devotees even today. In the popular Shiva temples the lingam rests on the ‘yoni’ or the
or ‘joining’ couples. These images are a celebration o
vagina which is symbolic of the union of Shiva and Parvati.
where sex is an important component. A stock image
maithuna
couple
voluptuous figures of a man and w
In some sivalingams is represented the separation between the
pure male
and– female.
around
waist
andthe
shoulders, symbolic of wealth pr
These perfectly shaped white lingams are worshipped on a red
cloth,the
white
being
sculptured
couples
also
nucleus of Being while red is the active and passionate attachment which projects outhad a protective function, and
between sexuality, fertility and the auspicious in Indian
into space and time.
becomes a site for the common man to view and is no
It became
a public arena where erotic image
From earliest times Indian Art Thought and Literature has notpatrons.
only been
preoccupied
with but in many ways obsessed with erotica. From the secular to the non secular,
In addition
thefolk
plastic
arts of the temples the perfor
from the advaita to tantric philosophy, from the Buddhist to Islamic,
fromtothe
to the
connection
with
sexuality
within the temple complex it
tribal erotica is a dominant motif .
who were also synonymous as ‘wife of the god’ or dan
home | back
performances
which
were
In the Indian tradition ‘rasa’ is the basis of the aesthetic appreciation
of Indian
art be
it part of the ritual of worship.
overtones
performed
in many Hindu temples in fr
the visual or the performing arts, the ‘shringara’ or the erotic is
also the was
‘rasaraja’
or
symbolic
of giving
the king of the sentiments. Bharata the author of the Natyasastra
explicates
theoneself upto God. This was the leit
India. The
of the devadasis continued in the f
sentiment thus: “Whatever is sacred, pure, placid and worth seeing”
cantradition
be compared
Indian Erotic Art
royal
courts
of
India,
to Shringara. Bhoja the author of the ancient text Samaranganasutradhara definesright through to post independen
Shringara as that through which a shringa or peak is reached evidently he speaks of a
“When his mouth faced my mouth, I turned aside.
Sexual intercourse was accepted between the devada
peak or climax of delight.
And steadfastly gazed only at the ground;
temple, because the male diety or icon of the temple w
I stopped my ears, then at each coaxing word
earth,exist
who in
must
be attended to by a body of female d
From the seventh century onwards a luxurious collection of works
which
They tingled more: I used both hands to hide
married
to
him.
Therefore
‘shringara’ or erotica attains a high level of visibility, not only in painting and sculpture - when male visitors couple w
My blushing, sweating cheeks. Indeed I tried,
bliss. Thisinisthe
part of the underlying philosoph
of which Konarak and Khajurhao are brilliant examples of thecelestial
erotic sentiment
But Oh, what could I do, then, when I found
sculptors
that
adorn
medieval Hindu Temples.
visual
arts
but
also
in
texts
such
as
the
Kama
Sutra
which
has
gained
world
wide
My bodice splitting of its own accord?”
fame. Kama Sutra being the earliest known text is followed by a number of other texts
The sexual activities
and positions as displayed on the
which abounds
deal withwith
erotic sentiment such as the Koka Sastra, Anangaranga,
Rasamanjari
The canvas of Indian art, particularly the ancient and the medieval
temple
groups
all
over
gothe
intoearliest
intricate detailing of the nuances of lovemaking. Contrary to popular India are linked to tantric belief
imagery both direct and indirect to the sensual and the erotic.which
One of
manifestation of Indian feeling art and religion. Even t
belief
theprimordial
Kama Sutra
images pertaining to the theme is the seated ithyphallic image
of the
Godis not an erotic text but is a manual for social behavior where
of practice
and belief
there is one common thread wh
theIndus
art ofValley
love making
is part of the 64 attributes which a ‘cultured’
man must
possess.
who is identified as proto – Shiva. This terracotta seal from the
Civilization
thread
isofthe
ideaare
that
tantra is a cult of ecstasy focus
Indian
sculptors
and
painters
who
have
in
turn
produced
a
vast
body
work
fully
depicts a male figure enthroned in a particular yoga posture with his feet crossed
sexuality.” (1993: page 7. Rawson Phillip. The Art of T
conversant
with
these
texts.
below an erect7 penis, he has buffalo horns surrounded by four animals. In its most
London)
obvious interpretation it would be linked directly to sex and erotica. On a deeper level
From Dr. Alk Pande’s web site:
http://www.alkapande.com/Intro_p
aper.htm
break with the visuality of traditional Indian painting and sculpture but retains some
The tantric iconography of sexual union has travelled through time. Taking the union of
kind of a link with the metaphysical concepts of Indian Erotica.
man woman as a metaphor for Shiva-Shakti the foundation on which tantric thought
rests, all imagery spider webs from this.
Post Independent India sees the emergence of artists who are now becoming more
conscious of their own cultural identity in the face of globalization. Erotica is no longer
Mandala designs, yantras, snakes, triangular female emblems, lingam, explicit
a central theme in their work, though in the works of some artists it is still palpable.
copulating couples, symbolism of fire, colour form the repertoire through which the
Issues of post colonialism are becoming predominant. In the works of Nilima Sheikh,
artist created images Every minor detail was taken into account. Creativity was not the
Rekha Rodwittiya, Nalini Malani sculptors Meera Mukherjee and Mrinalini Mukherjee.
hallmark, rather it was the transferring of the text into the image, .From the ovoid
they are engaged more with the subtle but complex feminist messages. There is a
lingam adorned with a five hooded serpent head symbolic of cosmic energy executed
transformation of representation. Despite the importance and significance of the
by the ancient Indian artist to the serpent heads used by the contemporary Indian
mother goddess cult the position of Indian women in society went on a downhill swing.
painter Manu Parekh, to the explicit depiction of male and female genitalia by Ranbir
From the Indus Valley civilization to the present the status of women reached an all
Kaleka a continuum of the imagery is perceived.
time low at the turn of the century. But as we move into the twentyfirst century women
artistsphilosphy
are reclaiming
The body was turned into a geometric ideal of beauty. The tantric
spilledtheir rights and positions in society. The translation of erotica is
seen in
over into the Indian miniature tradition of painting, be it Rajasthani
or the
the female
Pahari images where the body has been used by them as a metaphor for
dealing
issues
miniature schools. Indian myths and legends are woven into a
densewith
tissue
of of gender, feminism, social strictures, i.e. bride burning At times
erotica
can
be
felt
as in the case of Mrinalini Mukherjee whose mostly sexually
meaning leading to a planet of vivid imagination.
ambiguous figures hint at sexuality. In the case of Anjolie Ela Menon there is a harking
back
to the
The cosmic love between Radha and Krishna was an important
muse
foremblematic
the court mother goddess but in an autobiographical genre. Arpana
Caur onoften
the other
hand
does draw some imagery from the emblematic mother
painters and the folk artists who were unabashed in their exposition
showing
the
andGita
the heroines
divine couple in amorous dalliances. The twelfth century poetgoddess
Jayadeva’s
Govinda of the Indian miniature tradition in a feminist light.
has been the muse of a number of miniature painters. In fact the erotic cult of the god
Indian
erotica started
loosing its pre eminence from the Mughal period onwards.
Krishna has origins which are not directly related to the Tantrik
philopsophy.
But one
Sexuality
became
hidden
set of thinkers believe that the personable form of Krishna who is the ideal lover for all and covered, and during the Victorian period even the legs
of thefemale
legs piano
covered. Victorian prudery set the sun on the frankness of
the ‘gopis’ or the shepherdess of Brindavan, is in fact the highest
Nityawere
who is
Erotica was not just a matter of pleasure but had a deeper scientific
also known as lalita the great goddess herself, embracing all Indian
womenerotica.
and entrancing
sensethe
to ‘wife’
it. It was
linked with texts not only of the visual and performing arts, but also
the world. The red female principle the Nitya-Lalita is also Parvati
of Shiva.
religious
and
literary
Krishna then becomes the dominant erotic symbol in the whole of Indian culture. genre. It was a part of everyday society and to separate one from
the other was unthinkable.
The love between Radha and Krishna again represents transfigured desire seen from
The
sivalingamofisthe
theacts
best example of the high point of Indian Erotica . Minimal at one
a different perspective. There are literary texts which give long
descriptions
level,
it
achieves
the
final
abstraction of its concept and form in the Svayambhu or self
and postures the divine lovers perform. The visual imagery in fact moves a step
originated.
Subtly
rounded
in its surface, curved on top and bottom that do not emerge
further by depicting the divine lovers in the most intimate, delirious, ecstatic, erotic
from
anywhere
in
our
time
or
space. Representative of the transcendent cosmic
detail, promoting “an endless transcendent Desire fanning the inner fire of bhakti.”
energy
where
male
and
female
can be seen as distinct. It is this separation and union
(Rawson:104) Again the travel through time the essence of Indian erotica can be felt in
of
the
male
and
female
which
makes
Indian Erotica so holistic giving equal importance
the works of many contemporary Indian painters like F.N. Sousa, M.F. Hussain,
to both the sexes and their shared energies.
Bendre, Jatin Das.
The contemporary Indian artists deal with erotica in a completely different way.
Though linked with the spirit of traditional Indian folk and tribal paintings the visual
language of the modern Indian artist changed dramatically. It sees a near complete