Uniqueness of Krishna’s Divine Form

Question: What is special about Shri Krishna’s divine form that whosoever sees Him gets mesmerized?

Answer: You must have heard the glories of Shri Krishna's divine form being sung in verses like this:

अनुपम रूप नीलमणि को री । उर धरि कर करि हाय! गिरत सोई, लखत बार इक भूलेहुँ जो री ।
anupama rūpa nīlamaṇi kō rī | ura dhari kara kari hāya! girata sōī, lakhata bāra ika bhūlēhum̐ jō rī | (Prem Ras Madira)

"The beauty of the sapphire-complexioned Shyamsundar is incomparable. Those who get even a glimpse of Him place their hand on their heart and fall unconscious, unable to bear the weight of such infinite bliss."

As the Vedas categorically declare the reason for why His form is captivating

आनंद एवाधस्तात् आनंद उपरिष्टात आनंद पुरस्तात् आनंद उत्तरतः आनंद दक्षिणतः आनंद  एवेदॅ्सर्वम्।
ānaṁda ēvādhastāt ... ānaṁda ēvēdaṁ sarvam|
"His personality is made of Ananda (Bliss) alone."

आनंद चिन्मयदुज्वलविग्रहस्य गोविन्दमादिपुरुषं तमहं भजामि॥
ब्र सं.
ānaṁda cinmayadujvalavigrahasya govindamādipuruṣaṁ tamahaṁ bhajāmi।। bra saṁ.
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Personality of Godhead, whose form is bliss and radiant."
Br. Sam.

आनंदमात्रकरपादमखोदरादिः ।
ānaṁdamātrakarapādamakhodarādiḥ।
"Bliss has taken the form of His hands, feet, stomach (entire personality)".

On the spiritual journey, an aspirant naturally desires to attain this bliss. To reach this state, we practice Roopdhyan —lovingly visualizing and meditating upon His divine form. To strengthen this meditation, we must understand what makes His body unique.

The Composition of His Body

In the entire creation, material bodies fall into specific types. However, Shri Krishna's divine body is unique.

श्री कृष्ण देह तो है गोविंद राधे। सच्चिदानंद स्वरूप बता दे ॥ śrī kr̥ṣṇa dēha tō hai gōviṁda rādhe | saccidānaṁda svarūpa batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7245)

"Shri Krishna’s body is created from Sat (Truth), Chit (Consciousness), and Ananda (Bliss)."

Because of this, His body possesses qualities found nowhere else:

1. Omnipotent Senses

कृष्ण का प्रति अंग गोविंद राधे। सब इंद्रियों का करें कर्म बता दे॥ kr̥ṣṇa kā prati aṁga gōviṁda rādhe | saba iṁdriyōṁ kā karēṁ karma batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7246)

"Each pore of Shri Krishna's body is capable of doing the work of the mind, intellect, and all the senses."

2. Svagata Bheda Shoonya (No Internal Difference)

कृष्ण या कृष्ण देह गोविंद राधे। दोनों ही हैं एक तत्व बता दे॥ kr̥ṣṇa yā kr̥ṣṇa dēha gōviṁda rādhe | dōnōṁ hī haiṁ ēka tatva batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7247)

"Shri Krishna and His divine body are one and the same."

3. No Distinction Between Body and Soul

कृष्ण में देह देही गोविंद राधे। गुण गुणी रूप रुपी भेद ना बता दे॥ kr̥ṣṇa mēṁ dēha dēhī gōviṁda rādhe | guṇa guṇī rūpa rupī bhēda nā batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7248)

"There is no body-soul difference between Shri Krishna and His body. In Him, there is no difference between the virtue and the virtuous."

4. Name is Form

कृष्ण में नाम नामी गोविंद राधे। लीला अरु लीलाधारी भेद ना बता दे ॥ kr̥ṣṇa mēṁ nāma nāmī gōviṁda rādhe | līlā aru līlādhārī bhēda nā batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7249)

"The name of Shri Krishna is Shri Krishna Himself. He is the lila and the performer of the lila."

For example, Shri Krishna's name is Ajit (Invincible), which means The One who cannot be defeated. Just as His name says, He is invincible.

5. He is the Essence of All

श्री कृष्ण का सब कुछ गोविंद राधे। श्री कृष्ण ही हैं सार बता दे ॥ śrī kr̥ṣṇa kā saba kucha gōviṁda rādhe | śrī kr̥ṣṇa hī haiṁ sāra batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7251)

"Shri Krishna's name, form, divine pastimes, qualities, abodes, and saints are all Shri Krishna Himself."

He Himself becomes His abode. So if you touch a particle of dust in Golok you will experience the same bliss as you would if you embrace Shri Krishna.​

Color of Shri Krishna's Body

Shri Krishna's color is blue, but not the material blue we see in the world. Saints have contemplated deeply to find a way to describe His unique complexion to those of us bound by material perception. Because the physical world offers no equivalent color, the saints have humbly accepted their "defeat" in finding a perfect match. Instead, they utilize three specific comparisons, choosing each for two distinct qualities they share with His form:

• Neelmani (Devanagari: नीलमणि; ISO 15919: nīlamaṇi): The blue sapphire—smooth and shiny.
• Neel Kamal (Devanagari: नील कमल; ISO 15919: nīla kamala): The blue lotus—soft and fragrant.
• Neel Jaldhar (Devanagari: नील जलधर; ISO 15919: nīla jaladhara): The rain-laden cloud—cooling and heat-absorbing.

For Roopdhyan, endow the qualities of these three multiplied infinitely into Shri Krishna.

Characteristics that Captivate

To aid your meditation, further enrich His Roop with following attributes:

1. More Blissful than Brahm

ब्रह्महूँ ते सरस गोविंद राधे। आनंदकंद कृष्ण चंद हैं बता दे॥ brahmahūm̐ tē sarasa gōviṃda rādhe | ānaṃdakaṃda kṛṣṇa caṃda haiṃ batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7252)

"Shri Krishna’s bliss is so unique that even those who have attained Brahm get enchanted by Him. If the bliss of Brahmanand is multiplied by one hundred thousand trillion (1 followed by 17 zeros), it will not be equal to even a drop of the bliss of Premanand."

2. Sweeter than Sweetness

मधुर मधुरहूँ ते गोविंद राधे। चपल चपलहूँ ते हरि हैं बता दे॥ madhura madhurahūm̐ tē gōviṃda rādhe | capala capalahūm̐ tē hari haiṃ batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7253)

"Whatever is the sweetest thing you can imagine, Shri Krishna is infinitely sweeter. He is swifter than Swiftness"

3. Swifter than Swiftness

कमला चला है किंतु गोविंद राधे। हरि ढिग जाके भई अचला बता दे॥ kamalā calā hai kiṃtu gōviṃda rādhe | hari ḍhiga jākē bhāī acalā batā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7254)

"Mahalakshmi is called Chapala (swift), but upon seeing Shri Krishna's mind boggling swiftness, She was so captivated that She became Achala (statue-like)."

4. Mesmerizes Cupid (Kamdev)

सबते हैं सुंदर गोविंद राधे। काम, श्याम सौंदर्य काम को हरा दे॥ sabatē haiṃ suṃdara gōviṃda rādhe | kāma, śyāma sauṃdarya kāma kō harā dē || (Radha Govind Geet 7255)

"In the material world Kamdev (Cupid) is the most good looking man. Kamdev once decided to compete with Shri Krishna, but seeing Shyam Sundar's beauty accepted defeat without a contest."

5. The Ornament of Ornaments

कृष्ण के अंग सब गोविंद राधे। भूषण के भी हैं भूषण बता दें॥ kṛṣṇa kē aṃga saba gōviṃda rādhe | bhūṣaṇa kē bhī haiṃ bhūṣaṇa batā dēṃ || (Radha Govind Geet 7258)

"Shri Krishna body enhances the beauty of the ornaments He wears."

6. Softer than Softness

The softness of His body is described through a hierarchy of comparisons:

पद्म पंखड़ियों की गोविंद राधे। कोमलता है प्रसिद्ध बता दें॥ padma paṅkhaṛiyōṁ kī gōviṃda rādhe | kōmalatā hai prasiddha batā dēṃ || (7259)

उनकी अनंत गुनी गोविंद राधे। कोमलता रमा पद में बता दें॥ unakī anaṃta gunī gōviṃda rādhe | kōmalatā ramā pada mēṃ batā dēṃ || (7260)

वाते भी कोमल गोविंद राधे। रामा के दो कर कमल बता दे ॥ vātē bhī kōmala gōviṃda rādhe | rāmā kē dō kara kamala batā dē || (7261)

रमा कर तल ते भी गोविंद राधे। कोमल कृष्ण के चरण है बता दे॥ ramā kara tala tē bhī gōviṃda rādhe | kōmala kṛṣṇa kē caraṇa hai batā dē || (7262)

विश्व में कहीं भी कोई गोविंद राधे। उपमा न कोमलता की बता दे॥ viśva mēṃ kahīṃ bhī kōī gōviṃda rādhe | upamā na kōmalatā kī batā dē || (7263)

तनु की मधुरता ते गोविंद राधे। मधुर है कृष्ण मुखचन्द्र बता दे ॥ tanu kī madhuratā tē gōviṃda rādhe | madhura hai kṛṣṇa mukhacandra batā dē || (7264)

"Lotus petals are known for softness. Mahalakshmi's feet are infinitely softer than petals. Her hands are infinitely softer than Her feet. Shri Krishna's feet are infinitely softer than Her hands. Nothing in the world compares to His softness. And His face is even softer than His body."

7. The Divine Fragrance

Eight specific fragrances emanate from His body:

मुख ते मधुर अति गोविंद राधे। मुख की है दिव्य सुगंधि बता दे॥ mukha tē madhura ati gōviṃda rādhe | mukha kī hai divya sugaṃdhi batā dē || (7265)

कृष्ण दिव्य तनु ते तो गोविंद राधे। अष्ट सुगंधि निकले बता दें॥ kṛṣṇa divya tanu tē tō gōviṃda rādhe | aṣṭa sugaṃdhi nikalē batā dēṃ || (7266)

"Shri Krishna's face is very sweet, and His fragrance is even sweeter. Eight fragrances spring out of His divine body:"

The specific breakdown of the eight fragrances:

एक सुगंधी तो है गोविंद राधे । श्री कृष्ण दिव्य मुख पद्म की बता दे॥ ēka sugaṃdhī tō hai gōviṃda rādhe | śrī kṛṣṇa divya mukha padma kī batā dē || (7267) (Fragrance of His lotus face)

एक सुगंधि तो है गोविंद राधे । हरिचंदन तनु लेप बता दे ॥ ēka sugaṃdhi tō hai gōviṃda rādhe | haricaṃdana tanu lēpa batā dē || (7268) (Fragrance of Harichandan paste on His body)

एक सुगंधि मिश्र गोविंद राधे । हरिचंदन कुमकुम की बता दे ॥ ēka sugaṃdhi miśra gōviṃda rādhe | haricaṃdana kumakuma kī batā dē || (7269) (Mixed fragrance of Harichandan and Kumkum)

एक सुगंधि तो है गोविंद राधे । माला बिच तुलसी की बता दे॥ ēka sugaṃdhi tō hai gōviṃda rādhe | mālā bica tulasī kī batā dē || (7270) (Fragrance of Tulsi in His garland)

एक सुगंधि तो है गोविंद राधे । वन्य पुष्पमालाओं की बता दे॥ ēka sugaṃdhi tō hai gōviṃda rādhe | vanya puṣpamālāoṃ kī batā dē || (7271) (Fragrance of forest flowers)

तुलसी मंदार कुंद गोविंद राधे । पारिजात पद्म वनमाला बना दे ॥ tulasī maṃdāra kuṃda gōviṃda rādhe | pārijāta padma vanamālā banā dē || (7272) (Specific flowers: Tulsi, Mandara, Kunda, Parijat, Padma)

एक हरिचंदन गोविंद राधे। कुंकुम कस्तूरी मिश्र बता दे॥ ēka haricaṃdana gōviṃda rādhe | kuṃkuma kastūrī miśra batā dē || (7273) (Mixture of Harichandan, Kumkum, and Kasturi)

एक हरिचंदन गोविंद राधे। कुंकुम वन्य पुष्प मिश्र बता दे॥ ēka haricaṃdana gōviṃda rādhe | kuṃkuma vanya puṣpa miśra batā dē || (7274) (Mixture of Harichandan, Kumkum, and forest flowers)

एक श्री कृष्ण मुख गोविंद राधे। सब ही सुगंधि मिश्रित हैं बता दे॥ ēka śrī kṛṣṇa mukha gōviṃda rādhe | saba hī sugaṃdhi miśrita haiṃ batā dē || (7275) (The final combined fragrance mixed with His lotus face)

The Divine Reality: The Timeless Body

All biological forms on Earth are bound by the laws of nature and time. According to the scriptures, every material body must inevitably pass through six distinct states of existence (Shadvikar):

1. Asti:The moment of conception or beginning.
2. Jayate: The act of taking birth.
3. Vardhate: The process of growth.
4. Viparinamate: The stage of maturing.
5. Apakshiyate: The beginning of wearing off or decaying.
6. Vinashyati: The inevitable end or death.

Because our experience is limited to these six states, we often assume that God’s body must also be subject to these biological constraints. But it is not!

In His divine abode Golok, Krishna’s body does not follow these rules. He is eternally youthful, appearing as a sixteen-year-old forever. He was never born, never matures, never ages, and never dies.

​You might wonder: If He doesn't age, why do the stories say He was a baby and then grew up on Earth?

The scriptures explain that this is a "divine drama" (lila) played out for our benefit:

• His "Beginning": When Krishna descends to Earth, a mother might feel she is pregnant, but this is just a feeling. In reality, He enters her mind, not her physical womb.
• His "Birth": He isn't born like a normal baby. For example, when Lord Ram was born, He first appeared to His mother as a fully grown sixteen-year-old. He only turned into a tiny infant after she asked Him to, even granting her a boon to "forget" He was God so she could love Him as a son. Krishna did the same for Mother Devaki.
• His "Growth": While it looked like Krishna was growing up for sixteen years, He was never stuck in any age. He could change His appearance at will. In the famous poetry of Prem Ras Madira (प्रेम रस मदिरा, prēma rasa madirā), it is described how He would suddenly appear older. He would take the more mature form during the Maharaas just to make His devotees happy.

निज ब्रजधाम लेहु नंदरानी, हम कहुँ अंत बसेंगी जाए  ।
छोटो सो मत जान यशोदा, हाल बड़ो ह्वै जाए ।
प्रेम रस मदिरा श्री कृष्ण-बाल-लीला-माधुरी - पद नंबर ७३

nij brajadhāma lehu naṃdarānī, hama kahum̐ aṃta baseṃgī jāe ।
choṭo so mata jāna yaśodā, hāla baḍa़o hvai jāe ।
Prem Ras Madira śrī kṛṣṇa-bāla-līlā-mādhurī 73

"O Queen of Nand! you alone stay in Braj Dham. We are all leaving this place for we are fed up of your son's non-stop pranks. Don't think He is a little baby. He grows up whenever He feels like it".

This is a rasik gopi's queer way of getting an opportunity to see Him and talk about His pastimes without seeming like she is smitten by His sweetness.

Even regarding the "end" of life, God is transcendental. Shrimad Bhagawat Mahapuran states that after 125 years, Shri Krishna ascended to His Golok along with His divine form. Similarly, Shri Ram ruled Ayodhya for 11,000 years and then submerged in the River Saryu (Jal Samadhi) and disappeared.

There are many more unique qualities in His body, which are indescribable through words. But as you progress in devotion you too can experience them.

Conclusion: How to Progress in Bhakti

People are attracted to beautiful objects. Therefore, imbue all these divine qualities into your mental image (mansi moorti) of Him.

As Jagadguruttam Swami Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj advises:

अभ्यास ते ही मन लगे कह बामा । बार बार रूपध्यान करो आठु-यामा ॥ abhyāsa tē hī mana lagē kaha bāmā | bāra bāra rūpadhyāna karō āṭhu-yāmā || (Shyama Shyam Geet 68)

"The mind will attach to God only through practice. Therefore, perform Roopdhyan repeatedly, day and night."

Keep doing Sadhana Bhakti. Bhakti will one day make you eligible to experience that incomparable beauty.

अनुपम रूप नीलमणि को री । उर धरि कर करि हाय! गिरत सोई, लखत बार इक भूलेहुँ जो री । anupama rūpa nīlamaṇi kō rī | ura dhari kara kari hāya! girata sōī, lakhata bāra ika bhūlēhum̐ jō rī |

Further Reading and Reference

• Related Concepts:
  • prabhav deh
  • Demystifying the Diverse Roop of God
  • Is God One or Many? The Great Hindu Mystery Solved
  • Types of Life Forms
  • What Bhakti Does Behind the Scenes
  • Why Pursue Pure Bhakti?