Category:God's Blackness
Theme Analysis
The philosophical essence of this category addresses the transcendental nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's bodily complexion. In the material world, black is often associated with darkness, ignorance, or inauspiciousness. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the blackish hue of Lord Kṛṣṇa is entirely spiritual and free from all material inebrieties. Described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, His body resembles the dark, bluish-black color of a fresh monsoon cloud. Just as a raincloud brings immense relief after the scorching summer heat, the Lord's blackish form brings ultimate cooling relief and bliss to the eyes of His devotees. This spiritual blackness is so dazzling that it easily defeats the beauty of millions of Cupids. The category also outlines the cosmological science of the yuga-avatāras, explaining that the Lord incarnates in different colors for different millenniums: white in Satya-yuga, red in Tretā-yuga, blackish in Dvāpara-yuga, and yellow (golden) in Kali-yuga. When the Lord appears in Kali-yuga as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is the same blackish Kṛṣṇa, but He appears non-blackish because He has assumed the golden complexion and ecstatic feelings of His greatest devotee, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
- The Fresh Monsoon Cloud: The Lord's beautiful complexion is compared to a fresh, blackish raincloud (asitāmbuda). This color is deeply soothing and brings relief to souls burning in the material existence.
- Transcending Mundane Color: God's blackness has no correlation with material blackness. It is a glossy, brilliant, and fully spiritual hue that surpasses the beauty of millions of Cupids.
- The Colors of the Millenniums: The Supreme Lord appears in a specific color for each of the four yugas: white, red, blackish, and yellow (golden).
- The Hidden Blackness of Kali-yuga: In the current Age of Kali, the Lord appears as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Although He is the original blackish Kṛṣṇa, He assumes a non-blackish, golden color to personally experience the devotional ecstasy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
- Other Blackish Forms: The beautiful blackish hue is not limited to Kṛṣṇa alone. Forms like Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the enchanting female incarnation Mohinī-mūrti also exhibit this mesmerizing, dark lotus-like complexion.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: God's Blackness - The Supreme Beauty of the Dark Cloud.
Pages in category "God's Blackness"
The following 19 pages are in this category, out of 19 total.
A
- After the scorching heat of the summer season, it is very pleasing to see dark clouds in the sky. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita. The Lord wears a peacock feather in His hair, and His bodily complexion is just like a blackish cloud
- All glories to the Personality of Godhead, the hue of whose soft body resembles the blackish color of a new cloud! All glories to Lord Mukunda, who removes the burdens of the earth
- As confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam: the hue of the Lord's beautiful form resembles the blackish color of dense clouds - asita means "blackish," and ambuda means - cloud
- As stated in Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38), the Supreme Lord in His original nature is very beautiful. Venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although blackish, is very, very beautiful
H
- He had a glossy blackish complexion, and His tall, strong, heroic stature made Him seem like Cupid himself
- His (Narayana's) complexion was blackish, His garment yellow like gold, and His helmet as dazzling as the sun. His hair was bluish, the color of black bees, and His face was decorated with earrings
L
- Lord Ksirodakasayi Visnu is celebrated as possessing a blackish color, Lord Siva is whitish, and Lord Brahma is reddish
- Lord Ksirodakasayi Visnu is celebrated as possessing a blackish color, Siva is whitish, and Brahma is reddish, but according to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in the Vaisnava-tosani-tika, this exhibition of colors is not what is referred to here - in SB 10.3.20
T
- The body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, blackish in complexion, was free from all inebrieties. His lotus face, decorated with earrings resembling sharks, appeared very beautiful, and on His bosom was the mark of Srivatsa
- The BS confirms that the color God's body is blackish, like that of a new cloud. But this blackish color is so beautiful that it surpasses the beauty of millions of Cupids. So this color does not correspond to any blackish color in the material world
- The four yuga-avataras are also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Satya-yuga, the incarnation of God is white; in the Treta-yuga He is red; in the Dvapara-yuga, He is blackish; and in the Kali-yuga He is also blackish
- The Lord is personal although impersonal, He is atomic although great, and He is blackish and has red eyes although He is colorless
- There are two comparisons in this verse (SB 3.28.30): first the Lord's face is compared to a lotus, and then His black hair is compared to humming bees swarming around the lotus, and His two eyes are compared to two fish swimming about
- This child formerly had three colors according to the prescribed color for different millenniums. Formerly He was white, red and yellow, and now He has assumed a blackish color
- This incarnation as a woman, Mohini-murti, was most pleasing to the mind. Her complexion resembled in color a newly grown blackish lotus, and every part of Her body was beautifully situated