Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

The Supreme Lord be any color He wants to be, right? Also any form.

hes blue black

Ive heard many reasons in the rasa category, possibly from acaryas like Rupa Gosvami and Visvanath Cakravartipad, but dont remember them. Certainly no one else decides what color He should be. ;)

Btw, Sri Ramas color is also syama. See attached file with Valmiki Ramayana quotes.

I think the question is actually "Why is Krishna depicted as blue in paintings". In scripture He is described as shyam, and His hue is likened to that of a thundercloud, a deep black.

If you pay attention you will see also Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Goswami depicted as blue in paintings. The explanation that I heard for this, is that blue paint was very difficult to make previously, as it required a rare and expensive ingredient. As a result, painting a person completely blue was very expensive and emphasized that they were a very special personality and central to the painting. So great personalities, such as Sukadeva Goswami, Vyasadeva, and Krishna, are painted as blue in traditional-derived schools of art.

That explanation made a lot of sense to me, so its the one that Ive used since I heard it. Sorry, I couldnt tell you with certainty where I heard that.

BLUE: THE HISTORY OF A SACRED COLOUR. This is a hugely interesting subject. We assume that we know all we need to know about the colour blue (or any other colour for that matter). In fact, it has a most interesting and chequered history. Did you know, for example, that at least some art historians have asked whether the ancient Greeks and Romans could even SEE the colour blue - that is, as we see it? Pythagoras and Pliny, for example, specifically recognised only four palette colours - black, red, yellow, and white. Obviously, it was a colour well-known and used in India, the Far East, and Egypt. Even in the early European Medieval period it was hardly ever used - except by the peasantry in their clothing. It was even banned(!) in the Carolingian court. It was never favoured as a liturgical colour - despite its role in the garments of Mary. This is still the case. And so on. (Brother Aelred Edmunds/Caitanya dasa)

See attached file about the blue color of God in inter-religious history.

He is not really black like african black:
Brahma said: "Your bodily features are of the color of clouds filled
with water. You are glittering with a silver electric aura emanating from Your
yellow garments".
KB C14

nectar. ill start a thread - why is the sky blue ....

Sruti-sastra:
"He eternally manifests the color syama, within which all colors rest.
His complexion is not the material color black."

That verse says "sarva-varno" which means that the colour syama is a special color, which is like a composite of all colours. And we notice that if we combine all colours we get a colour which is blackish, but not black.

Isnt color of material designation? Specific colors appear,when there is a filter of the other colors[of the rainbow] In the spiritual world,one can change color or form unlimitedly....So the Lord is also not limited to a certain color or form!

[quote][cite] Balaramadas:[/cite]Isnt color of material designation? Specific colors appear,when there is a filter of the other colors[of the rainbow] In the spiritual world,one can change color or form unlimitedly....So the Lord is also not limited to a certain color or form![/quote]
We all know that these explanations are approximations, that spiritual and material colors are different and Krishna has unlimited forms and colors. Thank you.
But trying to understand the form and pastimes of the Lord is the medicine to get out of this material world, not being over-simplistic and "transcendental".

[quote][cite] abhiram:[/cite]He is not really black like african black:
Brahma said: "Your bodily features are of the color of clouds filled
with water. You are glittering with a silver electric aura emanating from Your
yellow garments".
KB C14[/quote]
Africans are not black:they are not their bodies!
Spiritually,they are equal to whites!
And are 10,000 times as radiant as the sun!

Heres what Krishna.com says:

Q:
Why is Krishnas body bluish-blackish?

A:
We often get these sorts of questions and the answer generally given is
"Well, Hes God, therefore He can be any color He wants to be." But this
isnt so satisfying. With the same logic, the question "Why does Krishna
descend to the material world?" could be answered "Well, Hes God,
therefore He can go anywhere He wants to go." I doubt that answer is
going to take us back to Godhead since Krishna gives us the promise that
one who understands His appearance and activities will never take birth
again. (Bhagavad-gita 4.9)

So my question also implies that since Krishna has a personality,
wouldnt it be sensible for Him to have a reason for choosing to be a
certain color? Maybe it is His favorite color. In other words, can we
expect every single action of Krishnas to have some logic or reason,
even if it is something silly or extraordinary according to His
personality. Does Krishna ever do something without any real reason?

The most satisfying answer I have found for this question is that the
color of Krishnas body (krishna) is the color of madhurya rasa, the
color of pure love. So can you confirm this and also perhaps elaborate
if we have such information.

Krishna is unlimited and His actions are indeed unfathomable by
our limited intelligence. The limited living entity can never FULLY
understand the unlimited, but we can understand to the extent He reveals
Himself and empowers us to understand. Whatever we do know, we can know
through the medium of revealed scriptures and saintly persons. As
Krishna recommends in Bhagavad-gita 4.9 (http://vedabase.net/bg/4/9/en),
it is important for us to understand the divine nature of His appearance
and activities, but the process of such understanding is not through our
mental exertion, but by hearing in Disciplic succession. (Bhagavad-gita
4.2 & 4.34 http://vedabase.net/bg/4/2/en, http://vedabase.net/bg/4/34/en
) Such hearing, with an attitude of submission, service and great faith,
will enable us to actually understand (tattvatah) and thus go back to
Godhead; theoretical or intellectual understanding will not.

In the case of why Krishna descends to the material world, He does state
some specific reasons (Bhagavad-gita 4.8 http://vedabase.net/bg/4/8/en)
and there are further elaborate discussions on this topic (for instance
see prayers by Queen Kunti, Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.30-35
http://vedabase.net/sb/1/8/) It is certainly important for us to be
eager to get an insight into these reasons but equally important is the
understanding that ultimately He is not bound by any of these reasons.
As revealed in Prahlads prayers and other places, the Lord actually
appears for His own pleasure and to please His devotees.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.13 http://vedabase.net/sb/7/9/13/en)

Even great mahajans like Bhismadeva admit that no one can fully
understand Krishnas plans. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.16
http://vedabase.net/sb/1/9/16/en) Likewise, great devotees like
Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami repeatedly state the impossibility of
penetrating into the meaning of Lord Caitanyas pastimes. This is to say
that we may not expect to be able to understand the logic and reason
behind everyone of the Lords actions; trying to do so would be
presumptuous and also unnecessary. Devotees are happy to appreciate the
fact that their Lord is completely independent & merciful, and
simultaneously eager to understand the confidential reasons behind His
actions as much as guru, sadhu and sastra reveal to them, which they
fully accept without further doubts.

As for the reason behind Krishnas having a bluish complexion, here is a
very beautiful explanation given in Krishna Bhakti Ratna Prakasa by
Raghava Gosvami wherein it is said:

atha kaiscid uktam. yadi sva-prakaso lila-rasa-mayah paramatma-svarupas
tasmin katham syama-varnatvam sarvatra prasiddham. yatha srutau rupam na
vedyam na ca bindunadah ity adi. tad aha

syamabhatvam vidhatte yat
sarva-varno tra liyate
nityam ca prabhavaty eva
kalo smin naiva vidyate

Translation:
At this point some may ask: Why is it that the form of the Personality
of Godhead, which He manifests only by His own wish, and which is made
of the sweetness of transcendental pastimes, is famous everywhere for
its dark complexion?"

Part of the answer to this question may be found in the statement of the
Sruti-sastra: "No one can understand even a drop of the Lords
transcendental form." Aside from this it is also said:

"He eternally manifests the color syama, within which all colors rest.
His complexion is not the material color black."

Thus from the last verse we see it says "sarva-varno" which means that
the colour syama is a special color, which is like a composite of all
colours. And we notice that if we combine all colours we get a colour
which is blackish, but not black.

I read in His Grace Ravindra Svarupa Prabhus blog that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati stated that Krishnas hue is the color of a vantasi flower, a flax flower.
http://soithappens.com/2009/04/01/flowers-of-devotion/