| abstract
| - Svayam Bhagavan (IAST svayam bhagavān, "The Lord" or "The Lord Himself") is a Sanskrit theological term for the concept of absolute representation of God as Bhagavan within Hinduism. He is the One eternal Supreme Being called Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Trimurti. According to Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna is termed as Svayam Bhagavan which means God Vishnu himself. As stated in Bhagavata Purana, Hindu Vedic Supreme God Vishnu appeared before Vasudeva and Devaki in his divine original four handed form before taking birth as Krishna. Both Vasudev and Devaki after praising Vishnu requested him to hide his divine form agreeing to which God Vishnu transformed himself into a small baby Krishna. According to this account, Krishna never took birth from the womb of his mother like a common baby. It is most often used in Gaudiya Vaishnava Krishna-centered theology as referring to Krishna. The title Svayam Bhagavan is here used exclusively to designate Krishna, while there are conflicting semantics or other usages in the Bhagavata Purana. Traditions of Gaudiya Vaishnavas, the Nimbarka Sampradaya and followers of Vallabha consider him to be the source of all avatars, and the source of Vishnu and Narayana himself. As such, he is therefore regarded as Svayam Bhagavan. Though Krishna is recognized as Svayam Bhagavan by many, he is also perceived and understood from an eclectic assortment of perspectives and viewpoints. When Krishna is recognized to be Svayam Bhagavan, it can be understood that this is the belief of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the Vallabha Sampradaya, and the Nimbarka Sampradaya, where Krishna is accepted to be the source of all other avatars, and the source of Vishnu himself. This belief is drawn primarily "from the famous statement of the Bhagavatam"(1.3.28). A different viewpoint differing from this theological concept is the concept of Krishna as an avatar of Narayana or Vishnu. It should be however noted that although it is usual to speak of Vishnu as the source of the avataras, this is only one of the names of the God of Vaishnavism, who is also known as Narayana, Vasudeva and Krishna and behind each of those names there is a divine figure with attributed supremacy in Vaishnavism.
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