Shree Krishna
The meaning of the word Krishna in Sanskrit is all-attractive. He is the supreme personality of godhood, also called God of gods. He held the fate of the emperors in the palm of his hand, but never desired a throne himself. The great hero was born in a prison and died in solitude in a forest. He gave the world the Bhagavad Gita. He is the architect of Dharma who lives forever in the hearts of the people of India. I used symbolism, medium, history and my unique qualities to represent Krishna in this drawing.
In the Hindu religion, Krishna is one of the most popular gods and an eighth reincarnation of the god Vishnu. In art and paintings, he is depicted blue and is known to provide protection to his followers and devotees.
The special attributes that are related with Krishna are the flute and the cows that surround him. Krishna’s flute is the symbol of freedom. It is this flute that attracted the devoted Gopis, the maidens of Vraja, to meet their beloved Lord on the banks of the sacred Jamuna. The flute represents the destruction of egoism and total self-surrender. If you have completely surrendered at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, you have already reached the realm of peace. Hence, it is necessary to represent Krishna with a flute in all illustrations. Cows and Krishna have always been together. In his original form in the spiritual world, Krishna is a cow herding boy in the agricultural community of Vrindavan, where he keeps unlimited, transcendental surabhi cows. When he descends to Earth, Krishna brings a replica of Vrindavan with him, and he spends his childhood tending cows and calves while playing in the pasturing grounds with his friends. His examples show the importance of cows to human society, the practical benefits of caring for them, and the advantages of an agrarian economy based on cooperation between men and cows. It is necessary to include cows in any portrait of the god Krishna. Therefore, in my drawing I included Krishna’s flute and cows.
I chose the medium of pencil sketch to represent the god Krishna, so the viewer can identify symbolism. I can express the god Krishna clearly. The colors I had at my disposal would not do the god justice. I can express the attributes of Krishna with pencil sketch because personally, it is the easiest and most clear way to portray the god. When I was in 12th grade, I took part in a state level drawing competition, and I won it. The reason why I chose to express my thoughts through pencil sketch is because I knew it would express most clearly.
I chose to draw a relaxed Krishna in a serene scene. Krishna was always found near the river bank playing his flute with cows wandering around him. These characteristics that were portrayed in my drawing show the calm nature of the god Krishna.
Hinduism does not have an individual founder. Its origins can be traced back to around 1500 B.C. in present-day India. It is a polytheistic and ritualistic religion with various rituals performed by the head of particular families or tribes. As time passed, the rituals became increasingly more complex and there was a need for a priestly class to perform these rituals. During this time, the Vedas were written to instruct priests on how to perform these rituals. After the Vedas were written, the Upanishads followed. The story of Mahabharata is in the Bhagavad Gita, the most popular Hindu scripture with the main character Krishna.
Krishna’s youthful looks and beautiful blue skin were the qualities of his godliness and his union with women that symbolize mystical love. He is always depicted as a child, but particularly his image as a shepherd playing his flute as protector of all shepherds and their herds is popular. From my piece of art, the viewer is able to know about Krishna’s childhood. Additionally, my piece of art represents all the aspects of Krishna. For example, he plays his flute on the river bank with cows wandering around him. The difference between my depiction and other depictions is lack of color. Because the colors I had at my disposal could not do the god justice, so I decided not to include color.
I represented Krishna through symbolism, medium, history, and my unique abilities. If I got a chance to do this one more time, I would like to draw a sketch of Krishna with his companion Radha. I would like to draw a sketch of when they were playing Ras. I feel proud that I drew a sketch of the reincarnated Vishnu before his next arrival to Earth.