Brahmavaivarta Purana

ब्रह्मवैवर्तपुराण

The Brahmavaivarta Purana (~18,000 verses, 4 Khandas) — one of the 18 Mahapuranas, unique in presenting Krishna as Para-Brahman. 'Brahmavaivarta' = the transformation of Brahman into form. Kh1 Brahma: 'saccidānandarūpāya kṛṣṇāya' — the nirguna-saguna synthesis; 'ekamevādvitīyam brahma...kṛṣṇākhyam' — the formless absolute and personal Krishna are one. Kh2 Prakriti: divine feminine theology — Radha, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Savitri as five aspects of one primordial shakti; 'rādhā kṛṣṇasya paramā śaktiḥ premasvarūpiṇī...jale śītalatā yathā' — Radha and Krishna are inseparable as water and its coolness. Kh3 Ganesha: 'prathamapūjya' — Ganesha as cosmic buddhi; the logic of invoking intelligence before all undertakings. Kh4 Shrikrishna Janma: 'kalau govindakīrtanam' — chanting is the path for the imperfect in Kali Yuga; Rasa lila as the cosmos dancing — 'yatra nṛtyati govindo rāsamaṇḍalamadhyagaḥ tatra sarvāṇi tīrthāni' — wherever genuine love of the divine is present, all sacred places are there.