Editing Krishna (section)

== Iconography ==
<gallery mode="slideshow" showfilename="yes" caption="The Variation in Iconography Depicting Krishna and the Ras Leela">
File:Krishna dances in the Raslila with the Gopis.jpg
File:Radha, Krishna and the gopis, Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum, Udaipur, India.jpg
File:Krishna dancing with the gopis (6124519381).jpg
File:Krishna and Radha dancing the Rasalila, Jaipur, 19th century.jpg
File:Fresco depicting Raslila, the joyful dance of Krishna with his favourite gopi, Radha, from a Hindu temple in Fateh Jang, Attock district.jpg
File:ShyamRai Mandir Bishnupur WB Terracotta works Ras Leela.jpg
File:The Hindu deity Krishna playing the flute.jpg|alt=|[[15th century|15th Century]] [[South India|South-Indian]] statue of [[Krishna]] carved from [[Granite]]
</gallery>
Krishna is represented in the [[Indian tradition]]s in many ways, but with some common features.{{sfn|Archer|2004|loc=The Krishna of Painting}} His iconography typically depicts him with black, dark, or blue skin, like [[Vishnu]].<ref>{{cite book|author=T. Richard Blurton|title=Hindu Art|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xJ-lzU_nj_MC&pg=PA134 |year=1993|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-39189-5|pages=133–134}}</ref> But ancient and medieval reliefs and stone-based arts depict him in the natural color of the material out of which he is formed, both in India and in southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite book|author=Guy, John|title=Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vO_-AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA222|year=2014|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|isbn=978-1-58839-524-5|pages=222–223}}</ref><ref>[a] {{cite journal | last=Cooler | first=Richard M. | title=Sculpture, Kingship, and the Triad of Phnom Da | journal=Artibus Asiae | volume=40 | issue=1 | pages=29–40 | year=1978 | doi=10.2307/3249812 | jstor=3249812}};<br />[b] Bertrand Porte (2006), "La statue de Kṛṣṇa Govardhana du Phnom Da du Musée National de Phnom Penh." UDAYA, Journal of Khmer Studies, Volume 7, pp. 199–205</ref> In some texts, his skin is poetically described as the color of [[Jambul]] (''[[Jamun]]'', a purple-colored fruit).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vishvanatha|first1=Cakravarti Thakura|title=Sarartha-darsini|date=2011|publisher=Sri Vaikunta Enterprises|isbn=978-81-89564-13-1|page=790|edition=[[Bhanu Swami]]}}</ref>
[[File:Krishna-in-Kyoto.jpg|thumb|upright|Depiction of Krishna playing the flute in [[Tōdai-ji|Todai-ji Temple]], constructed in 752{{nbsp}}CE on the order of Emperor Shomu, in [[Nara, Nara|Nara]], Japan]]

Krishna is often depicted wearing a peacock-feather [[wreath]] or crown, and playing the [[bansuri]] (Indian flute).<ref name="Grolier">{{cite book|title = The Encyclopedia Americana|publisher = Grolier|location = [s.l.]|year = 1988|page = [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaamer30grol/page/589 589]|isbn = 978-0-7172-0119-8|url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaamer30grol/page/589}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= The New Encyclopædia Britannica |author = Benton, William|year= 1974|publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica|isbn=978-0-85229-290-7|page= 885|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=G8YqAAAAMAAJ&q=Krsna+blue+skin+deity}}</ref> In this form, he is usually shown standing with one leg bent in front of the other in the ''[[Tribhanga]]'' posture. He is sometimes accompanied by cows or a calf, which symbolise the divine herdsman ''Govinda''. Alternatively, he is shown as a romantic young boy with the [[gopi]]s (milkmaids), often making music or playing pranks.<ref>{{cite book |author=Harle, J. C. |title=The art and architecture of the Indian subcontinent |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |location=New Haven, Conn |year=1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/artarchitectureo00harl/page/410 410] |isbn=978-0-300-06217-5 |quote=figure 327. Manaku, Radha's messenger describing Krishna standing with the cow-girls, gopi from Basohli. |url=https://archive.org/details/artarchitectureo00harl/page/410 }}</ref>
[[File:Krishna Govardhana. Bharat Kala Bhavan, ni03-24.jpg|thumb|upright|Krishna lifting Govardhana at [[Bharat Kala Bhavan]], recovered from Varanasi. It is dated to the [[Gupta Empire]] era (4th/6th century{{nbsp}}CE).<ref>{{cite book|author=Diana L. Eck|author-link=Diana L. Eck|title=Banaras, City of Light|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J57C4d8Bv6UC|year=1982|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-11447-9|pages=66–67}}</ref>]]

In other icons, he is a part of battlefield scenes of the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. He is shown as a charioteer, notably when he is addressing the Pandava prince [[Arjuna]], symbolically reflecting the events that led to the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]''{{snd}}a scripture of Hinduism. In these popular depictions, Krishna appears in the front as the charioteer, either as a counsel listening to Arjuna or as the driver of the chariot while Arjuna aims his arrows in the [[Kurukshetra war|battlefield of Kurukshetra]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Ariel Glucklich|title=The Strides of Vishnu: Hindu Culture in Historical Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KtLScrjrWiAC&pg=PA106|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-971825-2|page=106}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=T. A. Gopinatha Rao|title=Elements of Hindu iconography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJD-KresBwIC&pg=PA210 |year=1993|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0878-2|pages=210–212}}</ref>

Alternate icons of Krishna show him as a baby (''[[Bala Krishna]]'', the child Krishna), a toddler crawling on his hands and knees, a dancing child, or an innocent-looking child playfully stealing or consuming butter (''Makkan Chor''),<ref name="hawley3">{{cite book|author=John Stratton Hawley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncb_AwAAQBAJ|title=Krishna, The Butter Thief|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4008-5540-7|pages=3–8}}</ref> holding [[Laddu]] in his hand (''Laddu Gopal'')<ref>{{cite book |title= Students' Britannica India|last= Hoiberg|first= Dale |author2=Ramchandani, Indu |year= 2000|publisher= Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-0-85229-760-5|page= 251|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kEj-2a7pmVMC&q=Bala+Krishna&pg=PA251}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | title = The Qualities of Sri Krsna | author = Satsvarupa dasa Goswami| author-link = Satsvarupa dasa Goswami | publisher = GNPress | year = 1998 | page  = 152 | isbn = 978-0-911233-64-3 }}</ref> or as a cosmic infant sucking his toe while floating on a banyan leaf during the [[Pralaya]] (the cosmic dissolution) observed by sage [[Markandeya]].<ref>{{cite book |
title=India: Art and Culture, 1300–1900
|author=Stuart Cary Welch
|publisher = Metropolitan Museum of Art |date=1985
|isbn= 978-0-03-006114-1|page =58}}</ref> Regional variations in the iconography of Krishna are seen in his different forms, such as [[Jaganatha]] in Odisha, [[Vithoba]] in Maharashtra,<ref name="vithoba">[[Vithoba]] is not only viewed as a form of Krishna. He is also by some considered that of Vishnu, [[Shiva]] and [[Gautama Buddha]] according to various traditions. See: {{cite encyclopedia | title = ''Sri-Vitthal: Ek Mahasamanvay (Marathi)'' by R. C. Dhere | volume = 5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&q=vithoba&pg=PA4179|access-date=2008-09-20|author= Kelkar, Ashok R.| encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia of Indian literature|publisher = [[Sahitya Akademi]]|pages= 4179|year = 2001|orig-year = 1992| isbn = 978-8126012213  }} and {{Cite book|author=Mokashi, Digambar Balkrishna|author2=Engblom, Philip C. |title=Palkhi: a pilgrimage to Pandharpur&nbsp;– translated from the Marathi book Pālakhī by Philip C. Engblom|year=1987|publisher=[[State University of New York Press]]|isbn=978-0-88706-461-6| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vgLZGFH1ZTIC&q=Palkhi:+a+pilgrimage+to+Pandharpur&pg=PA14|page = 35|location=Albany}}</ref> [[Shrinathji]] in Rajasthan<ref>{{cite book|author=Tryna Lyons|title=The Artists of Nathdwara: The Practice of Painting in Rajasthan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cKnGJGOEQukC |year=2004|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-34417-5|pages=16–22}}</ref> and [[Guruvayurappan|Guruvayoorappan]] in Kerala.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kunissery Ramakrishnier Vaidyanathan|title=Sri Krishna, the Lord of Guruvayur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1XLXAAAAMAAJ |year=1992|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|pages=2–5}}</ref>

Guidelines for the preparation of Krishna icons in design and architecture are described in medieval-era Sanskrit texts on Hindu temple arts such as ''Vaikhanasa [[Agama (Hinduism)|agama]]'', ''Vishnu dharmottara'', ''Brihat samhita'', and ''[[Agni Purana]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author=T. A. Gopinatha Rao|title=Elements of Hindu iconography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJD-KresBwIC&pg=PA200 |year=1993|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0878-2|pages=201–204}}</ref> Similarly, early medieval-era [[Tamil literature|Tamil texts]] also contain guidelines for sculpting Krishna and Rukmini. Several statues made according to these guidelines are in the collections of the [[Government Museum, Chennai]].<ref>{{cite book|author=T. A. Gopinatha Rao|title=Elements of Hindu iconography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJD-KresBwIC&pg=PA204 |year=1993|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0878-2|pages=204–208}}</ref>

Krishna iconography forms an important element in the figural sculpture on 17th–19th century terracotta temples of Bengal. In many temples, the stories of Krishna are depicted on a long series of narrow panels along the base of the facade. In other temples, the important Krishnalila episodes are depicted on large brick panels above the entrance arches or on the walls surrounding the entrance.<ref name="Amit">{{citation|url=https://www.aishee.org/krishnalila-in-terracotta-temples|title=Krishnalila in Terracotta Temples|author=Amit Guha|access-date=2 January 2021|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102202220/https://www.aishee.org/krishnalila-in-terracotta-temples|url-status=dead}}</ref>