Who is above Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Adi Parashakti, and Krishna?

Answer by Niraj Bidawatka

Krishna is the greatest. He is greater than Brahmā, Vishnu, Shankara and Adi-Parashakti. No one is greater than or equal to Krishna. This is confirmed by the Bhagavad Gita (7.7): mattah parataram nānyat kincid asti dhananjaya: There is no truth greater than Krishna.

The proponents of the impersonal māyāvāda philosophy claim that the formless Brahman is superior than the personal gods and that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by the formless Brahman within Krishna. But this is a false theory and this sort of fallacious reasoning is rejected by Krishna Himself. He states in the Bhagavad Gita (14.27) that “I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman (brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham).” Therefore the māyāvāda, or advaita-vāda philosophy, which claims that the impersonal and formless Brahman is superior to Krishna, is out-rightly rejected by the Bhagavad Gita in this verse.

Krishna further confirms in the Bhagavad Gita (10.2) that “I am the origin of all the devatās (aham ādir hi devānām).” This is conclusive proof that Krishna is the origin of all the devatās, including Brahmā, Vishnu and Shiva.

Now one may argue that, “This is the claim of Krishna Himself. How can I believe His claim. Anybody can claim that, ‘I am God’ but how do I accept that Krishna is Supreme.”

The answer is given by Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita (10.12–13) wherein Arjuna confirms that Krishna is param-brahma, i.e. the source of the impersonal Brahman. Arjuna clarifies that he accepts Krishna as Supreme not only because Krishna claims it but also because this is confirmed by great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa.

The Srimad Bhāgavatam (1.3.28) also confirms that Krishna is Supreme (kr̥ṣṇas tu bhagavan svayaṁ). Lord Brahmā, in the first verse of the fifth chapter of the Brahma Saṁhitā, confirms that Krishna is Supreme (īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kr̥śṇaḥ). In the same Brahma Saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā goes on to confirm that even Lord Mahavishnu, from whose pores innumerable universes manifest, is just a plenary portion of the portion of Lord Krishna (viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā viśeṣaḥ).

Thus, the conclusion of all the scriptures and all the self-realized sages is that Krishna is the Supreme Lord, Who is greater than even Brahmā, Vishnu, Shiva and Adi-parashakti.