The Sanskrit word 'Krishna' is explained in a verse from Udhyoga parva (
71.4) of Mahabharata as:
kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdo
ṇaś
ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ
tayor aikyaṁ paraṁ brahma
kṛṣṇa ity abhidhīyate
kṛṣiḥ — the verbal
root kṛṣ; bhū — attractive existence; vācakaḥ — signifying; śabdaḥ — word; ṇaḥ — the syllable ṇa;
ca — and; nirvṛti — spiritual pleasure; vācakaḥ — indicating; tayoḥ — of both; aikyam — amalgamation; param — supreme; brahma — Absolute
Truth; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; iti — thus; abhidhīyate — is called.
“ ‘The word “kṛṣ” is the attractive feature of the Lord’
s existence, and “ṇa” means spiritual pleasure. When the verb “kṛṣ” is added to the affix “ṇa,” it becomes “Kṛṣṇa,” which indicates the Absolute
Truth.’