Krishna, the world's guru

The Hindu

15-06-2025

Adi Sankara says , 'The one with curly hair, whose face looks like the full moon, who is adorned with great looking earrings, I bow to you, Lord Krishna, the guru of the world.' Narayana manifested on earth as Rama and Krishna with a distinct purpose. He was born as Rama in Ayodhya, and lead by example, a life of virtue despite being assailed by the vicissitudes of life. He chose to be born as Krihsna for the purpose of establishing righteousness. In Chapter IV, verse 8 of the Bhagavad Gita, He says, 'Partithranaya sadhunam, vinasaya cha dhushkrutham, dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. (For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age).'
He foretells His avatar, and says 'I will be born in Mathura but I will go elsewhere, live with the Yadavas and return to destroy Kamsa. He even chooses His parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, and to facilitate their marriage, He enters the mind of Kamsa and makes him conduct the wedding and drive his wedded sister's chariot.
He had another purpose in His manifestation as Krishna. He wanted to establish His status as the guru. In order to do so, one has to have a sishya and Arjuna was the ideal one, said Damal S. Ramakrishnan. His Gita upadesam resulted in His being hailed as Gitacharyan, in Triplicane Parthasarathy temple. Krishna says, in Chapter IV, verse 7 of the Bhagavad Gita, 'Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavatibharata. (Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness, I will manifest, Oh Arjuna).'
In His avatar as Krishna, the Lord stayed on earth for a long time, from birth to a long life. As a naughty child, He was a handful for Yasodha to handle, and yet, while still an infant, He opened his mouth and showed her the entire universe, leaving her ecstatic. Vedantha Desika says whoever listens to stories from Krishna avatar will be freed from the shackles of birth and rebirth.