Sunday, November 18, 2012

Christ and Krishna - Is it NOT time to think beyond traditions ?


Christ - Christus - Kristo - Krishna ?

When a person calls the name Christ or Krishna, often pronounced as, “Krsta”. (Krsta is a Sanskrit word meaning “attraction”). So when we address God as “Jesu Krsta”, or “Kristna” we indicate the same all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead ? Is it not time to realize the same ?

Be it Bible or Gita, shouldnt we not consider the message above the traditions or practices ?

Below is a summary of similarities between Christ's and Krishna's life incidents, which I had collated from multiple sources over a period of time. Isn't it thought provoking, than mere coincidence ?

1) Both, Krishna and Christ, where born in a city far away from their actual home.

2) Both were visited at birth by wise men and shepherds, guided by a star.

3) Both, Krishna and Christ, where born to virgin mothers.

Christ' and Krishna's mothers were holy virgins:
Immaculate conception is being referred to in case of Christ's birth, where mother Mary conceived from holy sprit.
Miraculous conception and birth of Krishna (as her eighth child in one tradition and another states that it was a virgin birth) as the divine Vishnu himself descended into the womb of Devaki and was born as her son Krishna

  Further, lores on Christ' and Krishna's mothers had similar names: Maria (Mary) and Maiya (Krishna's foster mother Yashoda)

4) Both were identified as "the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head."

5) Jesus was called "the lion of the tribe of Judah." Krishna was called "the lion of the tribe of Saki."

6) Krishna was born in a prison cell (cave) - Christ was born in a stable (again, in a cave).

Krishna's "...foster-father Nanda had to journey to Mathura to pay his taxes" just as Christ foster-father Joseph is recorded in the Gospel of Luke as having to go to Bethlehem to pay taxes.
"The story about the birth of Elizabeth's son John (the Baptist), cousin of Christ, corresponds with the story in the Krishna myth about the birth of the child of Nanda and his wife Yasoda." Nanda was the foster-father of Krishna.

7) In infancy, both Krishna and Christ were sentenced to death by kings who viewed them as pretenders to the throne. 
Due to this threat: Krishna's father was warned by a heavenly voice to fly with the child to Gokul, across the river Jamuna
Christ' father was warned in a dream, rise and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt

8) One of these kings, Kamsa then ordered "the massacre in all his states of all the children of the male sex during the night of the birth of Krishna."
The other, Herod, ‘.sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem, and in all that region, who were two years old or under...’

9) “One of both Krishna and Christ' first ’miracles’ performed as adults was the curing of a leper.” 

10) Both claimed: "I am the Resurrection."

11) “Urged by Krishna to make a request, a man replied: ‘Above all things, I desire to have my two dead sons restored to life.’ Immediately they were brought to life and came to their father."
"While [Christ] was thus speaking to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying: `My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live....' But when the crowd had been put aside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose"

12) Either a poor cripple or a lame woman came with "a vessel filled with spices, sweet scented oils, sandalwood, saffron, civet, and other perfumes, and made a certain sign on [Krishna's] forehead, casting the rest upon his head."
"Now when Christ was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster box of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at the table"

13) Both Christ and Krishna withdrew to the wilderness as adults, and fasted

14) Both washed the feet of their disciples.

15) Both had a beloved disciple.

16) Krishna said: "Let him, if seeking God by deep abstraction, abandon his possessions and his hopes, betake himself to some secluded spot, and fix his heart and thoughts on God alone.
Christ said: "But when you pray, go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father Who is in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you"

17) Krishna said: "I am the light in the sun and the moon, far, far beyond the darkness. I am the brilliancy in flame, the radiance in all that's radiant, and the light of lights."
Christ said: "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life".

18) Krishna said: "I am the sustainer of the world, its friend and Lord. I am its way and refuge."
Christ said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me".

19) Krishna said: "I am the Goodness of the good; I am Beginning, Middle, End, Eternal Time, the Birth, the Death of all." If you worship me with devotion, you will attain my kingdom. 
Christ said: "Fear not, I am the first, and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades".

20) Both "descended" to hell, to the Lord of Death.

21) Both referred to themselves having existed before their birth on earth.

22) Both were "without sin."
23) Both were god-men: being considered both human and divine.
24) They were both considered omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
25) Both cast out indwelling demons, and raised the dead.
26) Both were meek, and merciful. Both were criticized for associating with sinners.

27) Both encountered a Gentile woman at a well.
28) Both celebrated a last supper. Both forgave his enemies.
29) Both descended into Hell, and were resurrected. Many people witnessed their ascensions into heaven.

30) Both "ascended" to heaven before witnesses.

31) Both are said to have been divine, Krishna is God incarnate and Christ is the son of God.

Christ and Krishna were called both a God and the Son of God.
Both was sent from heaven to earth in the form of a man.
Both were called Savior, and the second person of the Trinity.

32) Before death, Krishna was pierced with an arrow  and Christ with a spear.

33) Both were crucified:

Were Krishna and Christ both crucified and later raised to heaven?

In addition to the above points of correspondence between Christ and Krishna, there may be one more similarity: they were both crucified. In his book, Graves stated flatly that both Christ and Krishna were crucified between two thieves by "wicked hands."  

a) To read more on Krishna's crucifixion:

The "common, orthodox depiction of Krishna's death relates that he was shot in the foot with an arrow while under a tree." 

The author Jacolliot, referring to the "Bagaveda-Gita and Brahminical traditions," states that the body of Krishna: "was suspended to the branches of a tree by his murderer, that it might become the prey of the vultures...[Later] the mortal frame of the Redeemer had disappeared--no doubt it had regained the celestial abodes..." 

M. Guigniaut's Religion de l'Antiquité, which states: "The death of Crishna is very differently related. One remarkable and convincing tradition makes him perish on a tree, to which he was nailed by the stroke of an arrow."
There are other references to Krishna being crucified, and being shown with holes in his feet, hands and side.

b) To draw more similarities, in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) Christ's crucifixion on a cross or stake is often referred to as being "hung on a tree:", as in the case of Krishna

Acts 5:30: "The God of our fathers raised up Christ...hanging him on a tree.
Acts 10:39: "...hanging him on a tree."
Acts 13:29: "...they took him down from the tree..."
Galatians 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
1 Peter 2:24: "...who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree..."

34) When Krishna disappeared, it is said that a black circle surrounded the moon, the sun was darkened at noon, the sky rained fire and ashes, and spirits were seen everywhere. When Christ disappeared, the sun was darkened from the sixth to the ninth hour, graves were opened, and saints rose and entered the city.

35) Both were "resurrected, appeared again."

36) "Krishna will return in the end days as an armed warrior, riding on a winged white horse (Kalki-Avatara). He will destroy the wicked then living. The sun and the moon will be darkened, the earth will tremble, and the stars will fall."

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days [following Christ' "return"] the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" 

37) The description of the future Avatara of God (Lord Kalki) sounds almost the same in the Bible as in the Puranas:

Here are some additional interesting points to consider. There are verses from the book of Revelations in the Bible that are very similar to the above descriptions in the Puranas about Lord Kalki. These verses are so similar that they cannot be ignored and may provide additional insight for Christians and similarities they may share with Vedic culture. In Revelations (19.11-16, & 19-21) it states:

The Apocalyptic Horse Rider

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, but no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat on the horse."

This sounds so much like the incarnation of Lord Kalki that it could hardly be anyone else. Surely, by the time Lord Kalki appears, no one will have the slightest expectation of Him or His appearance. No one will know His name. And His army of brahmanas will be as pure as if they had descended from heaven. At the time of Lord Kalki's appearance, He will kill the remaining miscreants and deliver the few saintly people from the present conditions of the earth, changing it back to the Golden Age of Satya-yuga.

"Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, riding His swift horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, will travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic powers and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequalled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves and rogues who have dared dress as kings." 

"Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulence's and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His unequalled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings."

"After all the imposter kings have been killed, the residents of the cities and towns will feel the breezes carrying the most sacred fragrance of the sandalwood paste and other decorations of Lord Kalki, and their minds will thereby become transcendentally pure."

"When the Supreme Lord Hari [Krishna] has appeared on earth as Kalki, the maintainer of religion, Satya-yuga [the age of truth] will begin, and human society will bring forth progeny in the mode of goodness."

The mission of Kalki Avatara is to re-establish the religious principles, which have disappeared by the end of Kali Yuga, the iron age of hypocrisy and quarrel.

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