Why Krishna is Blue

[Madhuri]

I found a nice explanation of why gods like Krishna, Shiva and Rama are depicted as having blue skin. It's something I was always told but could never find a good online source to share with people who asked.
This is from the Isha Foundation.

Blue is the color of all-inclusiveness. You will see in the existence, anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky. Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness. It is based on this that so many gods in India are shown as blue-skinned. Shiva has a blue skin, Krishna has a blue skin, Rama has a blue skin. It is not that their skin was blue. They were referred to as blue gods because they had a blue aura.

Why Is Krishna Blue?

 

[Poeticus]

I found a nice explanation of why gods like Krishna, Shiva and Rama are depicted as having blue skin. It's something I was always told but could never find a good online source to share with people who asked.
This is from the Isha Foundation.

Blue is the color of all-inclusiveness. You will see in the existence, anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky. Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness. It is based on this that so many gods in India are shown as blue-skinned. Shiva has a blue skin, Krishna has a blue skin, Rama has a blue skin. It is not that their skin was blue. They were referred to as blue gods because they had a blue aura.

Why Is Krishna Blue?

I always thought that Krishna
was supposed to look like
Denzel Washington with a hint
of Antonio Banderas - both in
their younger days, and
sporting quite a heavy, dark tan.

And, I always thought that Shiva
was supposed to be white as
camphor, and Lord Rama - green.
​

 

[ShivaFan]

Shiva has a Blue Throat (nila, e.g.. Nilakantha) as He drank the cobra venom. He covers Himself in White ashes. He Has the White Moon in His hair. We offer Him White flowers.

He is associated with white.

Very powerful aspects of Shakti consort is Green. She may be Golden, or White or Green or Black.

My Rama is the Green (greenish blue).

Just saying! (smiles) ...

 

[Aupmanyav]

And, I always thought that Shiva was supposed to be white as camphor, and Lord Rama - green.

Sources, please. Not sure about Shiva, he is depicted both as fair and dark; but Rudra was 'babhru' (tawny, reddish).

 

[Poeticus]

Sources, please.

No need. "I always thought"
implies not a conclusive
statement, but one in need
of correction or agreement.​

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Shiva is white, because he is wearing on his skin the ashes of the cremation grounds. His most faithful devotees, like some sadhus and aghoris, do the same and have the body white with ashes.

In his most terrible forms he is depicted black or red.

Each of his five heads have a specific colour. But his body is white smeared with ashes
Ancient indian art, hymns on Shiva, and many scriptures and prayer will tell you the same.

Shiva white, Rudra/Mahakaal/ugra aspect red or black.

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Sources, please. Not sure about Shiva, he is depicted both as fair and dark; but Rudra was 'babhru' (tawny, reddish).

Does his color matter?....

asau yastAmro aruNa uta babhruH suma~NgalaH|
ye chemAgM rudrA abhito dikShu|
shritAH sahasrasho'vaishAgM heDa Imahe||1.7||

This "sun" (i.e. shiva) rises as copper-red (aruNa),
then golden brown (babhruH),
of highly auspicious from,
the (other) thousands of rudra-s are spread on all directions of this earth,
we request them to control their rage.

asau yo'vasarpati nIlagrIvo vilohitaH|
utainaM gopA adR^ishannadR^ishannudahAryaH|
utainaM vishvA bhUtAni sa dR^ishhTo mR^iDayAti naH||1.8||

The blue throated one who descends as the sun glowing red,
tis he who the cowherds and water carrying maids witness,
all the beings in the universe see him as such,
may he be gracious to us.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I found a nice explanation of why gods like Krishna, Shiva and Rama are depicted as having blue skin. .. This is from the Isha Foundation.

It is never blue, always 'Ghanashyam' - the color of rain laden clouds. Faulty source.

No need. "I always thought" implies not a conclusive statement, but one in need of correction or agreement.

Agree. You are right.

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Shiva white, Rudra/Mahakaal/ugra aspect red or black.

If you want to get really technical, shiva actually has five "colors," since each mukha represents a different tattva...

 

[Aupmanyav]

Does his color matter? ..

Not really, only historical perspective. The source is ..? Reference to blue throat means perhaps Puranas?

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Not really, only historical perspective. The source is ..? Reference to blue throat means perhaps Puranas?

No, silly (I know I shouldn't speak like that to my elders, but it's the internet so who cares, ). Anyway, nIlagrIvaH is in the shrIrUdram as well (verses I pasted and translated are recited from 1:19-1:52):
[youtube]vQjBQJqi0Ak[/youtube]

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

If you want to get really technical, shiva actually has five "colors," since each mukha represents a different tattva..

Yes, I told it in my message

Each of his five heads have a specific colour..

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Yes, I told it in my message

Lol, I really need to learn to read each post carefully before rushing to clarify. I didn't even notice you said that before.
Edit: Anyway, back on topic, I think that mAdhurI was giving the explanation as to why those devatA-s are often painted as blue.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram Madhuri ji :namaste

I found a nice explanation of why gods like Krishna, Shiva and Rama are depicted as having blue skin. It's something I was always told but could never find a good online source to share with people who asked.
This is from the Isha Foundation.

Blue is the color of all-inclusiveness. You will see in the existence, anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky. Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness. It is based on this that so many gods in India are shown as blue-skinned. Shiva has a blue skin, Krishna has a blue skin, Rama has a blue skin. It is not that their skin was blue. They were referred to as blue gods because they had a blue aura.

Why Is Krishna Blue?

something which may be of interest and prehaps might explain how or why a buddhist would immidiately accept Krsna to be the supreme .....

I hope no one minds my introduction of buddhist iconography for the purpose of this conversation ....Vajradhara the primordial or Adi Buddha is seen as the highest manifestation of dharma he is the truth body of all of the Buddha's throughout time , and from whom all Buddha's manifest , he is deepest blue , the image of Vajradhara which is conscidered to be his bliss body the sambhoga kaya conveys supreme enlightenment which is the primordial state of of all being , the Dharmakaya .
thus to me tiis blueness expresses the depth of being that is without begining and without end , it is the depth if inexplicable , unfathomable knowledge only atained by meditation upon the nature of the supreme .

here Vajradhara seated at the top of the thanka as he is the source of the five Dhyani Buddha's below each having their own colour expressing their atributes

so from this veiw point also I would agree that as the author of your article states ...

''anything that is vast and beyond your perception generally tends to be blue, whether it is the ocean or the sky. Anything which is larger than your perception tends to be blue because blue is the basis of all-inclusiveness''

if by all inclusiveness he means having all qualities beyond comprehension , then I happily agree :namaste

 

[ratikala]

If you want to get really technical, shiva actually has five "colors," since each mukha represents a different tattva...

jai jai , in just the same respect that the five Dhyani Buddha's express the five atributes of the Buddha mind :namaste

please please jaskaran if you would be so kind , expand on the five colours and tattvas :namaste

 

[ratikala]

please also remember that krsna is described as blue black ....
as he is of course lord of the universe

 

[zenzero]

Friend Madhuri,

True about Blue!!

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

I saw this image and others on Google. This seems to be a modern painting (see the electric sparks coming out of whatever he holds in his hands). In the second image, Shiva is fair, while Parvati is dark. No problem there, Parvati is always considered dark. In Madhubani paintings (recent), Shiva is shown as dark. In the Medieval paintings, there is no consistency. Sometimes dark, sometimes fair. Therefore, doubt.

Sri Rudram is in Panini's Sanskrit (though I have not studied it minutely), so perhaps dates from around Buddha's time. Perhaps a later addition to YajurVeda. Rudra is not described in this as he is in RigVeda. He has become Shiva now. Chamakam is said to be an even later addition. Just some points.

 

[Ravi500]

I believe that the blue-black complexion, for some reason, is a distinguishing trait of the Avatar.

I am aware of an Avatar who was born with this complexion, much to the surprise of the parents and family, though it changed to dark later on.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

........

Mystics don't argue, like a teacher very dear to me here taught me.

It have been told to me by Agama, by GuruJi, and by history. Now you believe whatever you want, but I don't care and don't want to get involved in another debate that will serve nothing else than derailing the tread and stroking our ego.

Are we really arguing about which color is the Supreme Brahman ?

Then debate on which color is the colorless, which attributes is the attributeless, tell me how to precisely measure the infinite.

I'll just back off from this tread now and keep going on with my duties to realize it without wasting time arguing.


Jai Sri Krsna