Krishnavatara
Encyclopedia
Krishnavatara is a series of seven novels written by Dr. K.M. Munshi. The eighth was not completed. The novel is based on life of Lord Krishna
and the epic Mahabharata
.
It goes on to say:
"Krishna
literature has grown since it first took definite shape in Mahabharata
, then in Harivamsha and Vishnu Purana
, and was elaborated in Shrimad Bhagavata and other Puranas
. To this literature in Sanskrit
has been added other literature, for the story of his life has been told in epic, song and story by thousands of poets in every Indian language for centuries. In the course of being so told, Shri Krishna
has come to be invested with traits and credited with exploits of such divergent nature that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for a reader to have a clear picture of the Krishna
as he was known by his contemporaries."
"In making this attempt to divest his personality of later accretions, Munshi has sifted the available Krishna literature in Sanskrit to find the Krishna as he must have lived. Then, with the aid of his creative imagination, he has woven the essential events of his life with romance, to present in this work, Shri Krishna at once as a man, a superman and God. What was, according to Bhagavata, the story of God who had come to the world as a man, has become, in Munshiji's hands, the fascinating story of a man who became God."
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and the epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
.
About Krishnavatara
reads the preface to the series.It goes on to say:
"Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
literature has grown since it first took definite shape in Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, then in Harivamsha and Vishnu Purana
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana is a religious Hindu text and one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna...
, and was elaborated in Shrimad Bhagavata and other Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. To this literature in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
has been added other literature, for the story of his life has been told in epic, song and story by thousands of poets in every Indian language for centuries. In the course of being so told, Shri Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
has come to be invested with traits and credited with exploits of such divergent nature that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for a reader to have a clear picture of the Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
as he was known by his contemporaries."
"In making this attempt to divest his personality of later accretions, Munshi has sifted the available Krishna literature in Sanskrit to find the Krishna as he must have lived. Then, with the aid of his creative imagination, he has woven the essential events of his life with romance, to present in this work, Shri Krishna at once as a man, a superman and God. What was, according to Bhagavata, the story of God who had come to the world as a man, has become, in Munshiji's hands, the fascinating story of a man who became God."
The series
- Krishnavatara I: The Magic Flute
- Krishnavatara II: The Wrath of an Emperor
- Krishnavatara III: The Five Brothers
- Krishnavatara IV: The Book of BhimaBhimaIn the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
- Krishnavatara V: The Book of SatyabhamaSatyabhamaSatyabhama is the third wife of Lord Krishna, known for her strong will and tantrums.She is believed to be a partial avatar of Bhudevi.-Marriage:...
- Krishnavatara VI: The Book of VedavyaasaVyasaVyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
The Master - Krishnavatara VII: The Book of Yudhishthira
- Krishnavatara VIII: The Book of KurukshetraKurukshetraKurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
(incomplete)