Part 5: Krishna - The Purna Avatara (Names 697–786) 💙
1. The Birth & Childhood of Krishna (697–720) 👶
Focus: The divine birth, the transfer to Gokula, and his childhood pranks (Leelas).
| No. | Name (Sanskrit) | Meaning (Parashara Bhatta) | Context/Anecdote from Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 697 | Vasuretaha | He who was born with divine luster. | Krishna was born with a divine radiance (Divya Jyoti) that illuminated the jail. |
| 698 | Vasupradah | Giver of Himself (as a treasure). | Though he is the Supreme Lord, he gave himself as a son to Vasudeva and Devaki. |
| 699 | Vasupradah | Giver of Status/Fame. | (Repeated Name) He gave fame to his parents at birth. Anecdote: He was born with 4 hands holding weapons and Shrivatsa (Lakshmi). Thus, Devaki became a mother, a mother-in-law (due to Lakshmi), and a grandmother (due to Brahma in the lotus) simultaneously. |
| 700 | Vasudevaha | Son of Vasudeva. | Born to Vasudeva (Anakadundubhi). |
| 701 | Vasuhu | The Dweller (from Kshirabdi). | He moved his residence from the Milky Ocean (Kshirabdi) to Mathura. |
| 702 | Vasumanaha | Mind in Vasudeva/Mathura. | Though he belongs to Vaikuntha/Ocean, his mind accepted the jail in Mathura as his home due to love for his parents. |
| 703 | Havihi | The Offering (Shared). | Like an offering shared in Yagya, he was born to one set of parents (Devaki/Vasudeva) but nurtured by another (Yashoda/Nanda). |
| 704 | Sadgatihi | The Way of the Good / Liberator. | At his birth, he liberated his parents: the chains fell off, and the prison doors opened automatically. |
| 705 | Satkritihi | Doer of Good Deeds (Pranks). | His "good deeds" are his pranks: stealing butter (Navaneeta Chauryam), being tied to a mortar, and Rasa Krida. Listening to these removes our Karma bondages. |
| 706 | Satta | The Existence/Nutrition. | He is the nutrition/sustenance for devotees like Nammalvar, who survived only on Krishna's thoughts. |
| 707 | Sadbhutihi | Support of the Good. | He became everything to the Pandavas: friend, relative, messenger, and charioteer. |
| 708 | Satparayanah | Refuge of the Good. | He is the supreme destination for the Sadhus. |
| 709 | Shoorasenaha | Commander of Valiant Army. | He utilized the Yadavas and Pandavas to remove the burden of the earth. |
| 710 | Yadushreshtaha | Best of Yadus. | He uplifted the Yadu clan (which was cursed) by being born into it. |
| 711 | Sannivasaha | The Abode. | Even as a human, he remained the resting place for sages like Sanaka. |
| 712 | Suyamunaha | Associated with glorious Yamuna. | He made the Yamuna river famous through his water sports (Jala Krida) and Rasa Krida on its banks. |
| 713 | Bhutavasah | Abode of Elements / Hidden. | He hid his supreme power under the guise of a simple human/cowherd. |
| 714 | Vasudevaha | Lord of Dwadashakshari. | He is the essence of the 12-syllable mantra (Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya). |
| 715 | Sarvasunilayaha | Abode of all Life. | He is the life breath (Prana) for all beings. |
| 716 | Analaha | The Unsatisfied / Fire. | Anecdote: Even after saving Draupadi with endless sarees, Krishna felt guilty and unsatisfied ("I was a few minutes late"), thinking he hadn't done enough. |
| 717 | Darpaha | Destroyer of Pride. | He humbled Indra (Govardhana episode), the Snake Kaliya, and Banasura. |
| 718 | Darpadaha | Giver of Pride/Intoxication. | To fulfill Gandhari's curse, he induced pride/intoxication in the Yadavas, leading to their mutual destruction. |
| 719 | Adriptaha | The Prideless. | Despite being pampered by Yashoda and Nanda, he had no arrogance (Garvam). |
| 720 | Durdharah | The Uncontrollable. | As a naughty child, he could not be controlled even by his parents. |
2. Role in Mahabharata & Cosmic Form (721–770) ⚔️
Focus: Krishna as the strategist of the Mahabharata war and the Supreme Being.
| No. | Name | Meaning (Parashara Bhatta) | Context/Anecdote from Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 721 | Aparajitah | The Invincible. | In the Mahabharata war, whether 5 (Pandavas) were on his side or 100 on the other, he ensured victory. |
| 722 | Vishwamurtihi | Form of the Universe. | The entire universe (Chetana and Achetana) is his body. |
| 726 | Anekamurtihi | Many Forms. | Even within Krishna Avatar, he existed as the four forms: Vasudeva (Himself), Sankarshana (Balarama), Pradyumna (Son), and Aniruddha (Grandson). |
| 728 | Shatananah | Hundred/Many Faced. | Refers to the Vishwaroopa (Cosmic Form) shown to Arjuna, which had infinite faces and eyes. |
| 729 | Ekaha | The One / Unique. | He is the unique one (Ayirathil Oruvan)—unmatched and unparalleled. |
| 734 | Kim | The Question (What?). | He is accessible through questions. Anecdote: Like Arjuna asking questions in the Gita (Pariprashnena) to gain knowledge. |
| 741 | Bhaktavatsalah | Affectionate to Devotees. | Anecdote: He ignored the hospitality of Bhishma and Duryodhana to stay and eat banana peels at the humble home of Vidura because of Vidura's bhakti. |
| 746 | Veeraha | The Hero / Slayer. | Even as a baby drinking milk, he killed Putana and Trinavarta. |
| 749 | Ghritashih | Eater of Ghee/Butter. | He stole and ate the butter/ghee stored by the Gopis. |
| 751 | Chalaha | The Mover / Breaker of Promise. | Key Anecdote: Krishna vowed not to lift a weapon in the war. Bhishma vowed to make him lift one. To fulfill his devotee Bhishma's vow, Krishna moved from his own promise and rushed at Bhishma with a chariot wheel. |
| 752 | Amani | Without Pride (Humble). | He willingly took the lowly job of a messenger (Doota) for the Pandavas. |
| 754 | Manyaha | Worthy of Honor. | Even while performing the menial role of a Charioteer (Sarathi), he remained the most worshipable. |
| 758 | Medhajah | Born of Sacrifice. | He was born as the result of Devaki's penance/vow (Medha). |
| 761 | Dharadharah | Supporter of the Mountain. | He lifted the Govardhana Mountain for seven days to protect the cowherds. |
| 765 | Pragrahah | The Controller (Reins). | He held the reins (Rashmi) of the horses and also controlled Arjuna's confused mind. |
| 768 | Naikashringah | Many-Horned / Strategist. | He used various strategies (sometimes bending rules) to win the war. Anecdote: He advised Bhima to hit Duryodhana on the thighs (violating mace war rules) because that was the only vulnerability left after Gandhari's gaze protected Duryodhana's body. |
| 770 | Gadagrajah | Elder Brother of Gada. | Krishna had a younger brother named Gada (born to Vasudeva and Sunamayi); thus, he is Gada's elder brother. |
3. Vyuha in Krishna (Chaturmurti) (771–786) 👨👩👧👦
Focus: The expansion of Krishna into his family forms, mirroring the Cosmic Vyuha.
| No. | Name | Meaning | Context/Anecdote from Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 771 | Chaturmurtihi | Of Four Forms. | Just as in Vaikuntha, in the Yadu clan, he manifested as Balarama (Sankarshana), Krishna (Vasudeva), Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. |
| 772 | Chaturbahu | Four-Armed. | Anecdote: He was born with four arms in the jail to Devaki. She prayed for him to hide them to protect him from Kamsa. He showed the four-armed form again to Arjuna in the Gita. |
| 773 | Chaturvyuhaha | Of Four Emanations. | He possesses the six attributes (Jnana, Bala, etc.) distributed among these forms. |
| 781 | Durjayah | Invincible / Hard to Conquer. | He cannot be conquered by power, but can be "conquered" (tied up) by love. Anecdote: Yashoda tied him to a mortar not because of the rope's strength, but because he allowed it out of love (Damodara). |
| 782 | Duratikramah | One who cannot be bypassed. | One cannot ignore Him and go to other deities for protection. If He decides to protect, no one else is needed; if He decides not to, no one else can help. |
| 785 | Durgah | The Fortress / Hard to Access. | He is guarded by fortresses like Avidya (Ignorance) and Karma, making it hard for non-devotees to reach Him. |
| 786 | Duravasah | Hard to Reside In. | It is difficult to attain a residence at His feet without total surrender. |
The Supreme Paradox 🌟
The Divine Child 👶💫
What makes Krishna unique among all avatars is the beautiful paradox Parashara Bhatta reveals through these names. Here is the Supreme Lord who:
- Illuminates the jail with divine radiance yet hides his power as a simple cowherd
- Liberates his parents from chains yet allows himself to be tied by Yashoda's love
- Destroys pride in demons and gods yet remains completely humble himself
- Controls the universe yet cannot be controlled even by his own parents
The Perfect Friend 🤝💖
In the Mahabharata section, we see Krishna's extraordinary accessibility:
- He ignored royal hospitality to eat simple food with devotee Vidura
- He willingly became a messenger despite being the Supreme Lord
- He served as Arjuna's charioteer while remaining the most worshipable
- He broke his own vow to fulfill his devotee Bhishma's promise
The Complete Teacher 📚🎯
The name Kim (What?) beautifully captures how Krishna makes himself accessible through questions. The entire Bhagavad Gita emerges from Arjuna's questions, showing that the Supreme Lord becomes available to anyone who sincerely asks.
The Eternal Protector 🛡️🏔️
From lifting Govardhana Mountain to providing endless sarees to Draupadi, Krishna shows that divine protection knows no limits. Yet the name Analaha (Unsatisfied) reveals his eternal concern - even after saving Draupadi, he felt he was "a few minutes late."
The Vyuha Family 👨👩👧👦
The final section beautifully shows how the cosmic Vyuha forms manifest as Krishna's own family:
- Krishna as Vasudeva
- Balarama as Sankarshana
- Pradyumna as his son
- Aniruddha as his grandson
This reveals that the highest theological truths are lived out in the most intimate family relationships.
The Conquerable Conqueror 💕🎭
Perhaps the most beautiful paradox comes in name 781 - Durjayah: He who cannot be conquered by power but can be "conquered" by love. The Supreme Lord who defeats all demons allows himself to be tied up by his mother's affection.
This is the essence of Krishna - the Purna Avatara who demonstrates that the highest spiritual truths are not philosophical concepts but lived realities of divine love, accessible to anyone with a sincere heart.
Reference 🎥
📝 Acknowledgment & Disclaimer
These articles are based on discourses by Sri Dushyanth Sridhar, who renders discourses in English & Tamil on Rāmāyana, Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata, Vishnu Purāna, Bhagavad Gitā, Vishnu Sahasranāma, and Divya Prabanda in the upanyāsam, pravachanam, or kālakshepam style. Visit https://desikadaya.org for more information. These notes are presented solely for educational purposes to help viewers download and benefit from these teachings. Any incorrect interpretations or inaccuracies are mine and unintentional—please forgive me. For any feedback, please send an email.