Synopses & Reviews
The first book to cover Krishnaandrsquo;s entire life, from his childhood pranks to his final powerful acts in the Mahabharata war andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Draws from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and Indiaandrsquo;s sacred oral tradition andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Shows how the stories of Krishnaandrsquo;s life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Provides a valuable meditative tool that allows the lessons of these stories to illuminate from within andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Krishna, one of the most beloved characters of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many lights: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, an exemplary ruler, and the Supreme Being. In andlt;Iandgt;The Complete Life of Krishnaandlt;/Iandgt;, Vanamali, a leading Krishna expert from a long line of prominent Krishna devotees, provides the first book in English or Sanskrit to cover the complete range of the avatarandrsquo;s life. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Drawing from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and Indiaandrsquo;s sacred oral tradition, Vanamali shares stories from Krishnaandrsquo;s birth in a dungeon and early days as a merry trickster in Vrindavana, through his time as divine ruler at Dwaraka, to his final powerful acts as the hero Arjunaandrsquo;s charioteer and guru in the Kurukshetra war. She explains how Krishna became a mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, and attained complete mastery over himself and nature. By integrating the hero-child with the mahayogi, the playful lover with the divine ruler, Vanamali shows how the stories of Krishnaandrsquo;s life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;This complete biography of the man who was also a god provides a valuable meditative tool allowing Krishnaandrsquo;s lessons to illuminate from within.
Review
andldquo;Scholarly and insightful on the meanings of these legends, andlt;Iandgt;The Complete Life of Krishnaandlt;/Iandgt; is a strongly recommended pick for religious history collections focusing on Hinduism and eastern religions.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita and other sacred texts, the author explains how Krishna became a mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, with complete mastery over himself and nature. On whatever level you receive these stories, they are a valuable meditative tool, full of delight and wisdom.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Vanamaliandrsquo;s new book will entrance readers as a first introduction to the immortal Lord of Love, or as a cherished opportunity to once again dip into the nectar of the Lordandrsquo;s andlt;Iandgt;lilaandlt;/Iandgt;, his play on earth.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Recommended for new age and spirituality collections alike, this draws from a range of sources, from Indiaandrsquo;s oral tradition to the Bhagavata Purana, Gita, Mahabharata and more, exploring Krishnaandrsquo;s life, how he became the greatest of all yogis, and how he evolved to the position of a divine ruler. Any collection strong in Indian spirituality needs this in-depth coverage.andrdquo;
Review
“Scholarly and insightful on the meanings of these legends, The Complete Life of Krishna is a strongly recommended pick for religious history collections focusing on Hinduism and eastern religions.” < i=""> Midwest Book Review, <> August 2012
Review
“Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita and other sacred texts, the author explains how Krishna became a mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, with complete mastery over himself and nature. On whatever level you receive these stories, they are a valuable meditative tool, full of delight and wisdom.” < i=""> Whole Life Times <> , August 2012
Review
“Vanamali’s new book will entrance readers as a first introduction to the immortal Lord of Love, or as a cherished opportunity to once again dip into the nectar of the Lord’s lila, his play on earth.” < i=""> Light of Consciousness <> , October 2012
Review
“Recommended for new age and spirituality collections alike, this draws from a range of sources, from India’s oral tradition to the Bhagavata Purana, Gita, Mahabharata and more, exploring Krishna’s life, how he became the greatest of all yogis, and how he evolved to the position of a divine ruler. Any collection strong in Indian spirituality needs this in-depth coverage.” < i=""> Midwest Book Review <> , November 2012
Synopsis
The first book to cover Krishna’s entire life, from his childhood pranks to his final powerful acts in the Mahabharata war
• Draws from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and India’s sacred oral tradition
• Shows how the stories of Krishna’s life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings
• Provides a valuable meditative tool that allows the lessons of these stories to illuminate from within
Krishna, one of the most beloved characters of the Hindu pantheon, has been portrayed in many lights: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, an exemplary ruler, and the Supreme Being. In The Complete Life of Krishna, Vanamali, a leading Krishna expert from a long line of prominent Krishna devotees, provides the first book in English or Sanskrit to cover the complete range of the avatar’s life.
Drawing from the Bhagavad Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, and India’s sacred oral tradition, Vanamali shares stories from Krishna’s birth in a dungeon and early days as a merry trickster in Vrindavana, through his time as divine ruler at Dwaraka, to his final powerful acts as the hero Arjuna’s charioteer and guru in the Kurukshetra war. She explains how Krishna became a mahayogi, the greatest of all yogis, and attained complete mastery over himself and nature. By integrating the hero-child with the mahayogi, the playful lover with the divine ruler, Vanamali shows how the stories of Krishna’s life are expressed with such simplicity and humor that they enable anyone--man, woman, or child--to see the wisdom of his teachings.
This complete biography of the man who was also a god provides a valuable meditative tool allowing Krishna’s lessons to illuminate from within.
About the Author
Mataji Devi Vanamali has written seven books on the gods of the Hindu pantheon, including andlt;Iandgt;Hanuman, The Play of God,andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;The Song of Ramaandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Shaktiandlt;/Iandgt;, as well as translating the Bhagavad Gita. She is the founder and president of Vanamali Gita Yogashram, dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma and charitable service to children. She lives at the Vanamali ashram at Rishikesh in northern India.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Foreword by Swami Krishnananda andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Preface: The Historical Krishna andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Introduction: Krishna the Supreme Incarnation andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Part One andlt;BRandgt;Bala-Lila--The Play of the Childandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Advent andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Birth of the Unborn andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Divine Infant andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Butter Thief andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;5andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Bondage of the Boundless andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Brahma Bemused andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Enchanting Flute andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;8andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Krishna Lifts the Mountain andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;9andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Divine Lover andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;10andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Lord of Vraja andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part Two andlt;BRandgt;Raja-Lila--The Royal Gameandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;11andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Prophecy Fulfilled andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;12andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Uddhava at Gokula andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;13andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Lord of Dwaraka andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;14andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Abduction of Rukmini andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;15andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Cursed Gem andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;16andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pandavas andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;17andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Divine Husband andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;18andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Sons of Krishna andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;19andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Divine Ruler andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;20andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Rajasuya Sacrifice andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part Three andlt;BRandgt;Uttama-Lila--The Game Supremeandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;21andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Gambling Match andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;22andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Exile andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;23andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Lord as Ambassador andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;24andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Declaration of War andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;25andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Srimad Bhagavad Gita andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;26andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Mahabharata War andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;27andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The End of the War andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;28andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Advice of Bhishma andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;29andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Story of Sudama andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;30andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Dharma Rules Supreme andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;31andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Curse of the Sages andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;32andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Advice to Uddhava andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;33andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Death of the Deathless andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Epilogue: Lila--The Cosmic Play andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix One. Alphabetical List of Mantras andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix Two. List of Characters andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Glossary of Sanskrit Terms andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Index andlt;/Bandgt;