कृष्ण
Krishna
(kṛṣṇa)Dark, black, all-attracting — the eighth avatāra of Vishnu
Full Meaning
Kṛṣṇa means "dark blue" or "all-attracting." He is the eighth avatāra of Vishnu, the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita, the hero of the Mahabharata, and the central figure of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. His life spans the entire arc of divine play — from divine child at Vrindavan to philosopher-king at Kurukshetra.
Etymology
From the root kṛṣ (कृष्) — to pull, to attract. Kṛṣṇa is "the one who attracts all." Also means "black" or "dark blue" — the color of the infinite sky and deep ocean.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The Bhagavad Gita is the teaching of Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra — the most influential philosophical text in Indian history, spoken at the moment of greatest crisis.
कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् — I salute Krishna, the guru of the universe.
Related Sanskrit Words
Learn Sanskrit — not just the words, but the language.
VedaLingo teaches Sanskrit from the alphabet up — free, 10 minutes a day.
Start Learning Free →