Sandipani (), sometimes rendered Sāndīpana, is the

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is on ...

and

Balarama Balarama ( Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Bala ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. He is regarded to have educated them regarding all the

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

, the art of drawing, astronomy, gandharva veda, medicine, training elephants and horses, and archery.

Legend

The ''

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...

'' relates the following story regarding Sandipani: While staying as students at the residence of Sandipani, the brothers Krishna and

, and their friend, Sudama, mastered every single lesson, although only having been instructed in each once. Upon the rapid completion of their studies, they persuaded their teacher to ask for the preceptor’s ''

dakṣiṇā or Dakshina ( sa, दक्षिणा) is a Sanskrit word found in Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Jain literature where it may mean any donation, fees or honorarium given to a cause, monastery, temple, spiritual guide or after a ritual. It may be ex ...

'' (a type of honorarium to one's guru) of his own choosing. Sandipani asked for the restoration of his child, who had disappeared in the ocean at Prabhasa. The two brothers travelled to Prabhasa and found that the son had been snatched away by a being named Śaṅkhāsura (). Krishna rescued his son and they returned him to their preceptor. In the Harivamsha Purana, Krishna learnt that Sandipani's son has been swallowed by an

asura Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated ...

called Panchajana, and had perished. Krishna and his brother travelled to Yamaloka to persuade

Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...

to restore his preceptor's son back to life, and succeeded:

Gallery

File:Krishna and Balarama Studying with the Brahman Sandipani (1525-1550 CE).jpg, ''Krishna and Balarama Studying with the Brahman Sandipani'' (

, 1525-1550 CE print). Krishna in blue is seated next to Balarama, both wearing peacock-feather headdresses, in front of their teacher Sandipani. Two other students appear on the left. File:Krishna Receives the Sacred Thread and Returns his Preceptor Sandipani's Son, Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord) LACMA AC1995.220.2.jpg, ''Krishna Receives the Sacred Thread and Returns his Preceptor Sandipani's Son'', Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord). India, Madhya Pradesh, Malwa, circa 1640

External links

Main extract of the Bhagavata Purana related to Sandipani

References

* {{Rishis of Hindu mythology Rishis People related to Krishna Characters in the Mahabharata Indian Hindu spiritual teachers