Sandipani (), sometimes rendered Sāndīpana, is the

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

and Balarama in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. He is regarded to have educated them regarding all the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

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

Legend

The '' Bhagavata Purana'' relates the following story regarding Sandipani: While staying as students at the residence of Sandipani, the brothers Krishna and Balarama, 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'' (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 called Panchajana, and had perished. Krishna and his brother travelled to Yamaloka to persuade Yama 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'' ( Bhagavata Purana, 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