ŚRĪ NAṬAVARA KṚṢṆA 5” Panchaloha Icon

Description

Natavara Krishna is depicted as a playful and charming form of bhagavan Vishnu as bāla kṛṣṇa, holding navanīta or butter and muraḷī or flute in his hands. The word “Natawara” translates to “greatest dancer”. This form of Krishna embodies grace, love, and divine playfulness, captivating the hearts of his devotees.

This form of kṛṣṇa symbolizes the eternal love between devotees and the supreme nārāyaṇa. His melodious flute attracts and enchants not only humans but also animals and nature spirits, showcasing the universal appeal of his divine presence. The dancing form is the epitome of the delight that the supreme nārāyaṇa emanates for his devotees when they are fully absorbed in the anubhava of his nāma, guṇa, līlā.

The butter in his hand represents the sublime & pure bhakti that develops in the hearts of his devotees, which he immediately steals the moment it is fully formed and epitomized by mukhyaprāṇa. The flute in kṛṣṇa’s hand is the embodiment of lakṣmī who emanates the transcendent śabda – the veda-s – which represents the eternal jñāna imperative for the devotee jīva to realize oneself and develop pure & sublime bhakti.

Vaidika upāsanā (~ worship) of the natavara form of krishna is important for those seeking to obtain the direct experience of the transcendent pastimes of the supreme nārāyaṇa in their hearts. Worshipping this form gradually and steadily purifies the antahkaraṇa (~ intrinsic faculty of experience) thereby helping realize the wisdom enshrined in the veda-s as a consequence of which innate sublime bhakti emerges within the devotee. Being one of the most accessible forms the supreme, worshipping natavara krishna is one of the best ways to attain quick adhyātma progress especially in kaliyuga. The worship of naṭavara kṛṣṇa generally involves the ṣoḍaśopacāra pūjā and can be elaborated to include catuśśaṣṭyupacāra with the primary emphasis always on bhāva – intrinsic mindset – than merely on the rituals themselves. This is true for worship of all forms of nārāyaṇa where the self-realization and mokṣa are prime importance, both of which, as the vaidika śāstra-s promulgate, are impossible without the anugraha (~ blessing) of nārāyaṇa.