Sandipani

Sandipani , sometimes rendered Sāndīpana, is the guru of Krishna and Balarama in Hinduism. He is said to have educated them regarding all the Vedas, the art of drawing, astronomy, Gandharva veda, medicine, training elephants and horses, and archery.

Legend 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

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 once in each. Upon the rapid completion of their studies, they persuaded their teacher to ask for a gurudakshina (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 Harivamsa 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: