21 Reasons why “Krishna is the Supreme GOD”
Why is Krishna God? We are reading about Lord Krishna, who he is and why he is regarded by great persons as God, the supreme absolute truth. There are many explanations given by various spiritual personalities about what possible qualities God possesses and how Krishna possesses all such qualities.
Why is Krishna God? One such interpretation is given by Sri Parashar Muni, a great Vedic personality and father of Srila Vyasadeva, who is the compiler of all Vedic literature. Parashar Muni says that God must be “all-encompassing”. Let’s try to understand the factors that make someone “all attractive”, or at least, attractive.
Part A : Sovereignty over the gods
Deities are ordinary creatures whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead has given power to represent them in the management of the universe. The best of the deities is Brahma. Indra is the god of rain, the sun of the sun, the moon of the moon, and the Varuna of water. All the thirty three category deities of Mila are deities. They live in the upper regions of the universe called Swarga, or Swarga Loka. The Sanskrit equivalent of the word Devagiri is Dev or Devata.
According to the Vedic concept, there are thirty-three deities along with Indra, Chandra, Varuna and many others. John Walters in his book ‘World Religion’ made a sarcastic remark that Hinduism has a higher God in proportion to man. One God for every three men. There is a misconception about Hinduism that claims other religions such as Christians and Muslims, who say that Hinduism has many gods. Actually it is not a fact. God is one, but there are many other powerful living entities in charge of various departments of administration. They are called demigods or deity-ganas. All deities are official servants who carry out the orders of the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna. We should give due respect to all the gods. If someone can also give respect to an ant, then why not the gods? However, we should always know that no deity is equal to or superior to the Supreme God.
Lord Brahma is the first creature of the universe and the creator of creation. Directed by Lord Vishnu, He creates all life forms. He also controls royalty.
1. Lord Brahma confirms in Brahma Samhita
Once Lord Brahma wanted to test Krishna’s power, he gave all his calves and cowherds. Hid friends and placed them in a different place. When a full year had passed, Brahma returned and saw that Krishna was still engaged in sports as usual with his friends and calves and cows. Then Krishna displayed all the calves and cowherds in the four arms and armed forms of Narayana. Then Brahma could understand the power of Krishna, Krishna bestowed his innocent mercy on Brahma and freed him from confusion. At that time Lord Brahma prayed to sing the glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ..
pasyesa me nayam ananta adye
paratmani tvayy api mayi-mayini
maya vitatyeksitum atma-vaibhava
hy aha kiyan aiccham ivarcir agnau
My God, just look at my rude disqualification! To test your power I tried to confuse you, you who are unlimited and divine, and also the master of illusion. Who am I comparing you to? I am like a small spark in the presence of a great fire. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.11)
Lord Brahma also says in Brahma-samhita prayers.
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
Krishna is the supreme deity known as Govinda. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no origin and is the prime cause of all causes. (Brahma-samhita 5.1)
2. Lord Shiva confirms
Lord Shiva is a partial incarnation of Lord Krishna and he is in charge of ignorance or tamo-virtue among the three qualities of material nature. He takes charge of destroying the universe at the time of destruction. He is also considered to be the highest devotee to the highest Vaishnava, or Lord Krishna. They are believed by people to be Gods in the false misconception.Lord Shiva prays while instructing the sons of King Prachinabarhi about the absolute truth:
namas ta ashisam isha
manave karanatmane
namo dharmaya brhate
krsnayakuntha-medhase
purusaya puranaya
sankhya-yogeshvaraya ca
My dear lord, you are the supreme blessing giver and always joyful. You are the master of all spiritual philosophies of the world, because you are Lord Krishna, the supreme cause of all causes. You are all religious principles, supremely intelligent, and you have a brain that can never be confused with any condition. So, I salute you again and again. (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.42)
Lord Shiva, gives further instructions…
yah param ramhasah saksat
tri-gunai jiva-samjnitat
bhagavantam vasudevam
prapannah sa priyo hi me
Anyone who has surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, who is the physical nature as well as the living entity, the controller of everything, — he is indeed very dear to me. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.28)
3. Lord Indra confirms
Lord Indra is the chief god of heaven, the controller of rain and father of Arjuna. He is the son of Aditi.
Once Lord Indra got angry when the residents of Braj started Govardhan Yajna in place of Indra Yajna in respect of Krishna. He tried to punish them by sending devastating rain clouds to Vrindavan, but Lord Krishna protected Gokul by lifting Govardhana Pavart and used it as an umbrella to avoid rain for seven days. Embarrassed at attacking Vrindavan with a violent storm, Indra is secretly in front of Lord Krishna as the father and spiritual master of this entire universe, and also its supreme controller. You are also Kaal, who punishes sinners for their good. Indeed, in various incarnations chosen by your own free will, you act decisively to remove the false pride of those who consider themselves the masters of this world.
pitā gurus tvaṁ jagatām adhīśo
duratyayaḥ kāla upātta-daṇḍaḥ
hitāya cecchā-tanubhiḥ samīhase
mānaṁ vidhunvan jagad-īśa-māninām
You are the father and spiritual master of this entire universe, and also its supreme controller. You are insurmountable time, imposing punishment upon the sinful for their own benefit. Indeed, in Your various incarnations, selected by Your own free will, You act decisively to remove the false pride of those who presume themselves masters of this world.(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.27.6)
namas tubhyam bhagavate
purusaya mahatmane
vasudevaya krsnaya
satvatam pataye namah
You salute, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the great soul, who is omnipresent and who lives in the heart of all. Krishna, the head of the Yadu dynasty, I bow to you. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.27.10)
4. Yamraj- The Lord of death God confirms
Yamraj is the symbol of death, which punishes non-devotees at the time of death. He is the son of the Sun God and brother of the holy river Yamuna.
Yamraj has directed his messengers, Yamdoots as follows
Yama Uvacha
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusash ca
otam protam patavad yatra vishvam
yad-amshato ‘sya sthiti-janma-nasha
nasy otavad yasya vashe ca lokah
“My dear servants, you have accepted me as supreme, but in reality I am not. Above me, and above all other gods including Indra and Chandra, is a supreme master and controller. Partial manifestations of his personality are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and destruction of this universe. It is like two threads that make up the length and width of the woven fabric. The whole world is controlled by them like a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose. “(Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.12)
aham mahendro nirrtih pracetah
somo ‘gnir ishah pavano virincih
aditya-vishve vasavo ‘tha sadhya
marud-gana rudra-ganah sasiddhah
anye ca ye vishva-srjo ‘maresha
bhrgv-adayo ‘sprsta-rajas-tamaskah
yasyehitam na viduh sprsta-mayah
sattva-pradhana api kim tato ‘nye
I, Yamraj; Indra, the king of heaven; Relentless; Varun; Chandra, the moon-god; Fire; Lord Shiva; Holiness; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun god; Trustworthy; Eight vasu; Practicable; Marut; Rudra Proven; And Marchi and other great sages are engaged in maintaining the divisional affairs of the universe, as well as the best deities led by Brahaspati, and the great sages led by Bhrigu are all definitely free from the influence of the two basic physical qualities, namely Royal and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in Satoguna, we cannot understand the activities of God. What, then, is to be said of others who, under the illusion, presume to know only God? (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.14–15)
5. Lord Ganesha confirms
Lord Ganesha is a symbol of material prosperity and good fortune. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, and the author of the Mahabharata.
In the Brahma Samhita, it is said
yat-pada-pallava-yugam vinidhaya kumbha-
dvandve pranama-samaye sa ganadhirajah
vighnan vihantum alam asya jagat-trayasya
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
I worship Param Purushottam Govinda, whose feet I always wear on my forehead to gain strength for my task of destroying all obstacles (Brahma-samhita 5.50).
6. Lord Varuna confirms
Lord Varuna is the deity in charge of the oceans.
Once Nanda Maharaja kept the fast prescribed on the eleventh day of the moon month and then thought to fasten his fast on the twelfth day. Paran had only a short time left and so he decided to take his bath at the end of the night, though astrologically it was an inauspicious time. When a servant of Varuna, the god of the sea, saw that the Nanda Maharaja entered the waters prohibited by scripture, he was taken to the abode of Varuna. In the morning the Guwals discovered him, but Lord Krishna immediately understood the situation and went to meet Varuna. Varuna worshiped Krishna with a large and varied celebration. He later begged God to forgive his servant for foolishly arresting Nand Maharaj.
Shri-Varun Uwacha
adya me nibhrto deho
‘dyaivartho’ dhigatah prabho
tvat-pada-bhajo bhagavann
avapuh param adhvanah
Lord Varun said: Now my body has completed its work. Actually, now I have achieved the goal of life, O Lord. Those who accept your step lotus, they can move on the path of physical existence. — (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.28.5)
namas tubhyam bhagavate
brahmane paramatmane
na yatra shruyate maya
loka-srsti-vikalpana
O Absolute Purushottam Lord, Absolute Truth, Supreme Soul, who has no trace of illusion within, who arranges this world, my salute to you. (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.28.6)
7. Lakshmi Devi confirms
Lakshmi Devi is the Goddess of Destiny and the eternal consort of the Supreme Lord in the form of Lord Narayana, who lives in the unlimited spiritual folk of Vaikuntha.
In the Brahma Samhita, it is mentioned,
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-shata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
I worship Govinda, who is the chief progenitor, and who is grazing cows, who fulfill all desires in habitats built with spiritual nagans, surrounded by millions of Chintamani trees, where there are always hundreds of thousands of Lakshmis. Serve with full respect and affection. (Brahma-samhita 5.29)
8. All Demi-Gods confirm
When Purna Purushottama Lord Krishna entered Devaki’s womb to kill Kamsa, all the gods offered him womb-praise prayers.
matsyashva-kacchapa-nrsimha-varaha
hamsa-rajanya-vipra-vibudhesu krtavatarah
tvam pasi nas tri-bhuvanam ca yathadhunesha
bharam bhuvo hara yaduttama vandanam te
O supreme controller, you first accepted Vamadeva a deity, a horse, a turtle, Narasimhadeva, a boar, a goose, an incarnation of Lord Ramachandra, Parashurama among the gods, humans and animals to protect the whole world from your mercy. Now reduce sin in this world and protect us again with your mercy. O Krishna, the pioneer of Yaduvansh, we bow to you respectfully. (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.40)
Deities are powerful beings whom God has given the power to represent them in the management of the universe. The best of the deities is Braha. Indra is the controller of rain, the sun of the sun, the moon of the moon, and the Varuna of water. There are thirty three deities in all. They live in the upper regions of the universe called heaven, or heaven. The Sanskrit equivalent of the word Devagiri is Dev or Devata.
They announce:
Satya-vratam satya-param tri-satyam
Satya yonim nihitam si sati
Satya satyam rita-satya-netram
Satyakamam tvam sharanam prapanna
“Being present in the three stages of cosmic manifestation — creation, maintenance and destruction — you are the supreme truth. You are the active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, and therefore you are known as the Antaryami, the inner force. You are the absolute truth in all respects. “(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.26)
Part B : Confirmed by great personalities
9.Confirmed by Lord Chaitanya:
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) who is Lord Krishna himself, and has appeared as his supreme devotee. He appeared in the Navadvipa of West Bengal, and chanted the holy names of the Lord to show the path to pure love to God through sankirtana.
Lord Chaitanya uses the word ‘Jagdish’ to explain the glory of Krishna. Jagat means the universe and God means God. Whether we are Hindu, Muslim or Christian or whatever, we have to accept that there is a supreme controller of this universe. Our supreme father is Jagadish, the God of the entire universe. Only Lord Jagadish is in control; Everyone else is controlled. Krishna’s superiority cannot be measured but can be accepted through the proof of the original Vedic texts (Vedas and Upanishads), which are directly given by the Supreme Lord. There are many things that we have to accept solely on the basis of superiority. One has to accept the existence of his father on the basis of his mother’s authority. There is no better source of understanding the identity of the father than the mother.
Great personalities in the past have accepted Krishna as the supreme God and concluded that no one is superior to them. It should be considered supported by Vyasa, Deval, Asit, Narada and later Acharya Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarka and Vishnu Swami, and later supported by the greatest Acharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Let us know what these great personalities have to say about Lord Krishna.
Ekale Isvara Krishna, Ara Saba Brhati: (Chaitanya-Charitamrit etc. 5.142) “Only Krishna is the supreme personality of God, and all others, including gods like Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Goddess Durga and Ganesha are his servants.” All gods accept the supremacy of Lord Krishna
10. Confirmed by Suta Goswami:
Sut Goswami relates the conversation between the great Rajarshi Parikshit and Shukdev Goswami, which form the basis of Srimad Bhagavatam.
एष वै भगवान्साक्षादाद्यो नारायण: पुमान् ।
मोहयन्मायया लोकं गूढश्चरति वृष्णिषु ||
eṣa vai bhagavān sākṣād
ādyo nārāyaṇaḥ pumān
mohayan māyayā lokaṁ
gūḍhaś carati vṛṣṇiṣu
“Shri Krishna is none other than the unimaginable, original personality of the Supreme Truth. He is the first Narayana, the supreme enjoyer. “(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.18)
11. Confirmed by Uddhava
Uddhava was a well-qualified disciple of Jupiter and a confidential friend of Lord Krishna in Dwarka; Uddhav is Krishna’s best friend in Krishna’s Mathura and Dwarka Leela. He spoke to the residents of Vrindavan to comfort him in the grief of Krishna’s absence. In the eleventh wing of the मrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Krishna imparts the most important transcendental knowledge to Uddhava. He announced:
svayaṁ tv asāmyātiśayas tryadhīśaḥ
svārājya-lakṣmy-āpta-samasta-kāmaḥ
baliṁ haradbhiś cira-loka-pālaiḥ
kirīṭa-koṭyeḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ
“Lord Krishna is the God of all kinds of locos and is supremely independent of the attainment of all kinds of fortune. They are worshiped by the eternal maintainers of creation, who praise their crown by touching their feet. “(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.2.21)
12. Confirmed by Maitreya Muni
Maitreya Muni is the great sage who had a spiritual conversation with Vidur in Srimad-Bhagavatam. He also advised the Pandavas during their exile in the jungle.
तदाहुरक्षरं ब्रह्म सर्वकारणकारणम् ।
विष्णोर्धाम परं साक्षात्पुरुषस्य महात्मन: ||
tad āhur akṣaraṁ brahma
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
viṣṇor dhāma paraṁ sākṣāt
puruṣasya mahātmanaḥ
In many religions, God refers to many divine beings who possess the attributes of being God. The term “Supreme Personality of Godhead” refers to Lord Krishna or any of his incarnations who are accepted by great spiritual personalities as being superior to all gods. Therefore Sri Krishna is considered the root cause of all causes. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.11.42)
13. Confirmed by Four Kumaras (Son of Lord Brahma)
Char Kumar Brahma has four sons, named Sanatan, Sanandan, Sanak and Sanatan, who are incarnations of the knowledge-power (power of knowledge) of Lord Vishnu. They live for the entire duration of universal time, but only appear as 5-year-old children. He is the original founder of the Kumar sect — one of the four Vaishnava sects.
They announce:
तं त्वां विदाम भगवन् परमात्मतत्त्वं
सत्त्वेन सम्प्रति रतिं रचयन्तमेषाम् ।
यत्तेऽनुतापविदितैर्दृढभक्तियोगै-
रुद्ग्रन्थयो हृदि विदुर्मुनयो विरागा: ॥
taṁ tvāṁ vidāma bhagavan param ātma-tattvaṁ
sattvena samprati ratiṁ racayantam eṣām
yat te ’nutāpa-viditair dṛḍha-bhakti-yogair
udgranthayo hṛdi vidur munayo virāgāḥ
“We know that you are the supreme absolute truth, the supreme Purushottam God, who reveals the true nature of Satta in his pure essence.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.47)
14. Confirmed by Sages of Kurukshetra
Prominent among the sages in Kurukshetra are Krishna-Dwipayana Vyasa, the great sages Narada, Savan, Deval, Asit, Vishwamitra, Shatananda, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Lord Parashurama (with his disciples), Vashistha, Galav, Bhrigu, Pulastya, Kashyapa, Atri, Markandeya. , Brihaspati, Dwit, Trit, Ekat, four Kumar sons of Brahma (Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatana and Sanatana-Kumar), Angira, Agastya, Yajnavalkya and Vamadeva.
Having concluded that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sages addressed Him thus: “Dear Lord, we, the leaders of human society, are supposed to possess the proper philosophy of life, yet we are bewildered by the spell of Your external energy. We are surprised to see Your behavior, which is just like that of an ordinary human being and which conceals Your real identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we therefore consider Your pastimes to be all-wonderful.
In Chhandogya Upanishad 3.14, a Brahmin is described as ‘Tatjalan’, as the (Tatta) out of which the world arises (J), in which he returns (La), and by whom is supported and lived ( a). (Chapter 84, Yajna ceremony performed by Vasudeva, Krishna)
15. Confirmed by Kunti Maharani
Kunti is the mother of the Pandavas and the aunt of Lord Krishna in the Mahabharata. She was the daughter of Shursen and Vasudev’s sister. He was adopted by King Kuntibhoja and later married King Pandu. His other name is Prithvi.
In her prayers to Lord Krishna, she says
namasye purusham tvadyam
ishvaram prakriteh param
alakshyam sarva-bhutanam
antar bahir avasthitam
“You are the original personality and unaffected by the qualities of the physical world. You are present both within and outside every organism and matter. “(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.18)
Uttara was the daughter of King Virat and wife of Abhimanyu. Virat first wanted to marry Arjun’s own daughter, but Arjun refused and said that his son Abhimanyu should marry her. Uttara is the mother of King Parikshit.
She prays to Lord Krishna,
pahi pahi maha-yogin
deva-deva jagat-pate
nanyam tvad abhayam
pashye yatra mrityuh parasparam
“O God of Gods, controllers of the universe! You are the best yogi. Please protect me, because there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality. ”(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.9)
17. Confirmed by Prahlad Maharaja :
Prahlāda Mahārāja is a high-level devotee of Lord Krishna, who was persecuted by his atheistic father Hiranyakashiyu, but always protected by God and ultimately saved by God as Narasimhadeva. Prahlada is one of the most prominent authorities on Bhakti-yoga. Many important verses in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are spoken by him. He is one of the leading authorities on Bhakti Yoga.
यथा हि पुरुषस्येह विष्णो: पादोपसर्पणम् ।
यदेष सर्वभूतानां प्रिय आत्मेश्वर: सुहृत् ॥
yathā hi puruṣasyeha
viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam
yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ
priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt
The human form gives an organism the opportunity to return home, back to the lord of God. Therefore every living being, especially in the human form of life, should engage in devotional service in the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Vishnu, the Supreme God, is the most attractive, lord of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.2)
Arjuna, the great archer and a close friend of Lord Krishna, acknowledges Krishna’s supremacy in the Bhagavad-gītā.
अर्जुन उवाच
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् ।
पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम् ॥
आहुस्त्वामृषय: सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा ।
असितो देवलो व्यास: स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे ॥
arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. (Bhagavad-Gita 10.12–13)
19. Confirmed by Dhruv Maharaja
Dhruva Maharaja is a great devotee who underwent severe austerities at the age of five and saw Lord Vishnu. He found an entire planet, Dhruva Tara.
ध्रुव उवाच
योऽन्त: प्रविश्य मम वाचमिमां प्रसुप्तां
सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधर: स्वधाम्ना ।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन्
प्राणान्नमो भगवते पुरुषाय तुभ्यम् ॥
dhruva uvāca
yo ’ntaḥ praviśya mama vācam imāṁ prasuptāṁ
sañjīvayaty akhila-śakti-dharaḥ sva-dhāmnā
anyāṁś ca hasta-caraṇa-śravaṇa-tvag-ādīn
prāṇān namo bhagavate puruṣāya tubhyam
Dhruva Mahārāja said: My dear Lord, You are all-powerful. After entering within me, You have enlivened all my sleeping senses — my hands, legs, ears, touch sensation, life force and especially my power of speech. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.9.6)
20. Confirmed by Maharaj Yudhisthira
Yudhishthira is the eldest of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, and is the son of Dharmaraja or Yamaraja, the god of death. He led the battle of Kurukshetra which resulted from a dispute between the Pandavas and the Kauravas over the succession to the throne in India; After which he ruled the earth.
He explained why he wants to perform Rajsuya Yagya ..
“I want to execute this Rajsuya sacrifice and invite the gods to show that they have no power over you — that they are all your servants and you are the supreme God.” (Chapter 72, The Liberation of King Jarasandha, Krsna)
21. Confirmed by Raja Kulasekhara
Kulasekhar was a great devotee king and the author of Mukunda-Mala Strota, prayers to Lord Krishna. In his prayers he describes,
cintayami harim eva santatam
manda-hasa-muditananambujam
nanda-gopa-tanayam parat param
naradadi-muni-vrinda-vanditam
“I always think of Lord Hari, the Supreme Lord, whose name removes all inauspiciousness and touches the hearts of his devotees and whose lotus-like face is adorned with a gentle smile. Although he is the son of Maharaj Nanda, he is also the supreme absolute truth worshiped by great sages like Narada. “(Verse 7, Mukunda-Mala Stotra)
An assignment submitted to the fulfillment of Milestone -1 of Bhakti Vrikshya Learning Pathway at ISKCON Gurugram, India. I am grateful to my Coaches, Mentors, Preachers at ISKCON Gurugram for their valuable input to draft this content.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !!! Hare Krishna !!!
