CHAPTER XXVIII. CHRIST CRISHNA AND CHRIST JESUS COMPARED. BELIEVING and affirming, that the mythological portion of the history of Jesus of Nazareth, contained in the books forming the Canon of the New Testament, is nothing more or less than a copy of the mythological histories of the Hindoo Saviour Crishna, and the Buddhist Saviour Buddha,' with a mixture of mythology borrowed from the Persians and other nations, we shall in this and the chapter following, compare the histories of these Christs, side by side with that of Christ Jesus, the Christian Saviour. In comparing the history of Crishna with that of Jesus, we have the following remarkable parallels: 1. "Crishna was born of a chaste virgin, called Devaki, who was selected by the Lord for this purpose on account of her purity." 2. A chorus of Devatas celebrated with song the praise of Devaki, exclaiming: "In the delivery of this favored woman all nature shall have cause to exult."4 3. The birth of Crishna was announced in the heavens by his star. 1 It is also very evident that the history of Crishna-or that part of it at least which has a religious aspect-is taken from that of Buddha. Crishna, in the ancient epic poems, is simply a great hero, and it is not until about the fourth century B. C., that he is deified and declared to be an incarnation of Vishnu, or Vishnu himself in human form. (See Monier Williams' Hinduism, pp. 102, 103.) "If it be urged that the attribution to Crishna of qualities or powers belonging to the other deities is a mere device by which his devotees sought to supersede the more ancient gods, the answer must be that nothing is done in his case which has not been done in the case of almost every other member of the great company of the gods, and that the systematic adoption of this method is itself conclusive proof of the See The Gospel of Mary, Apoc., ch. vii. 4 Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 329. 5 Mary, Apoc., vii. Luke, i. 28-30. 4. When Jesus was born, the angels of heaven sang with joy, and from the clouds there came pleasing sounds.' 5. "The birth of Jesus, the King of Israel, took place under circumstances of extreme indigence; and the place of his nativity, according to the united voice of the ancients, and of oriental travelers, was in a cave.' 194 6. The moment Jesus was born, "there was a great light in the cave, so that the eyes of Joseph and the midwife could not bear it."" 7. "Jesus spake even when he was in his cradle, and said to his mother: 'Mary, I am Jesus, the Son of God, that Word which thou didst bring forth according to the declaration of the Angel Gabriel unto thee, and my Father hath sent me for the salvation of the world.' "8 8. The divine child-Jesus-was recognized, and adored by shepherds, who prostrated themselves before the heaven-born child. 10 9. Jesus was received with divine honors, and presented with gifts of frankincense and myrrh. 12 12. Jesus, although born in a state the most abject and humiliating, was of royal descent." 13. Jesus' father was warned "in a dream" to "take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt," as the reigning monarch sought his life.4 14. The ruler of the country in which Jesus was born, having been informed of the birth of the divine child, sought to destroy him. For this purpose, he ordered "all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof," to be slain." 15. Matarea, near Hermopolis, in Egypt, is said to have been the place where Jesus resided during his absence from the land of Judea. At this place he is reported to have wrought many miracles. 8 16. Jesus was preceded by John the "divine herald," who was born a short time before him, and whose life was sought by Herod, the ruling monarch, at the time he attempted to destroy the infant Jesus, 10 17. Jesus was sent to Zaccheus the schoolmaster, who wrote out an alphabet for him, and bade him say Aleph. "Then the Lord Jesus said to him, Tell me first the meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I will pronounce Beth, and when the master threatened to whip him, the Lord Jesus explained to him the meaning of the letters Aleph and Beth; also which where the straight figures of the letters, which the oblique, and what letters had 18. "At a certain time, Crishna, taking a walk with the other cowherds, they chose him their King, and every one had his place assigned him under the new King." 19. Some of Crishna's play-fellows were stung by a serpent, and he, filled with compassion at their untimely fate, "and casting upon them an eye of divine mercy, they immediately rose," and were restored.4 20. Crishna's companions, with some calves, were stolen, and hid in a cave, whereupon Crishna, "by his power, created other calves and boys, in all things, perfect resemblances of the others."6 21. One of the first miracles performed by Crishna, when mature, was the curing of a leper."8 22. A poor cripple, or lame woman, came, with "a vessel filled with spices, sweet-scented oils, sandal-wood, saffron, civet, and other perfumes, and made a certain sign on his (Crishna's) forehead, casting the rest upon his head."10 23. Crishina was crucified, and he is represented with arms extended, hanging on a cross. 12 24. At the time of the death of Crishna, there came calamities and bad omens of every kind. A black circle surrounded the moon, and the sun was darkened at noon-day; the sky rained fire and ashes; flames burned dusky and livid; demons committed depreda 1 Infancy, Apoc., ch. xx. 1-8. 2 Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 321. Infancy, Apoc., ch. xviii. 1–3. • Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 343. Infancy, Apoc., ch. xviii. double figures; which had points, and which had none; why one letter went before another; and many other things he began to tell him and explain, of which the master himself had never heard, nor read in any book." 18. "In the month Adar, Jesus gathered together the boys, and ranked them as though he had been a KING. . . And if any one happened to pass by, they took him by force, and said, Come hither, and worship the King."3 19. When Jesus was at play, a boy was stung by a serpent, "and he (Jesus) touched the boy with his hand," and he was restored to his former health." 20. Jesus' companions, who had hid themselves in a furnace, were turned into kids, whereupon Jesus said: "Come hither, O boys, that we may go and play; and immediately the kids were changed into the shape of boys." 21. One of the first miracles performed by Jesus, when mature, was the curing of a leper.9 22. "Now, when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. "11 23. Jesus was crucified, and he is represented with arms extended, hanging on a cross. 24. At the time of the death of Jesus, there came calamities of many kinds. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, the sun was darkened from the sixth to the ninth hour, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the 7 Infancy, Apoc., ch. xvii. 8 Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 319, and ch. xxvii. this work. Matthew, viii. 2. 10 Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 320. 11 Matt. xxvi. 6 7. 12 See ch. XX. Mytho., vol. ii. p. 186. tions on earth; at sunrise and sunset, thousands of figures were seen skirmishing in the air; spirits were to be seen on all sides. 1 25. Crishna was pierced with an arrow.3 26. Crishna said to the hunter who shot him: "Go, hunter, through my favor, to heaven, the abode of the gods."5 27. Crishna descended into hell." 28. Crishna, after being put to death, rose again from the dead.' 29. Crishna ascended bodily into heaven, and many persons witnessed his ascent. 11 30. Crishna is to come again on earth in the latter days. He will appear among mortals as an armed warrior, riding a white horse. At his approach the sun and moon will be darkened, the earth will tremble, and the stars fall from the firmament. 13 31. Crishna is to be judge of the dead at the last day. 15 32. Crishna is the creator of all things visible and invisible; "all this universe came into being through him, the eternal maker. "17 33. Crishna is Alpha and Omega, "the beginning, the middle, and the end of all things."19 34. Crishna, when on earth, was in constant strife against the evil spirit."1 He surmounts extraordinary dangers, strews his way with miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick, restoring the maimed, the deaf and the blind, every 1 Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 71. 2 Matt. xxii. Luke, xxviii. See ch. xx. 4 John, xix. 34. 5 See Vishnu Purana, p. 612. Luke, xxiii. 43. 7 Sec ch. xxii. 8 See Ibid. See ch. xxiii. 10 Matt. xxviii. 11 See ch. xxiii. 12 See Acts, i. 9-11. 13 See ch. xxiv. 14 See passages quoted in ch. xxiv. 18 See Oriental Religions, p. 504. 16 Matt. xxiv. 31. Rom. xiv. 10. 17 See ch. xxvi. saints which slept arose and came out of their graves. 25. Jesus was pierced with a spear 26. Jesus said to one of the malefactors who was crucified with him: "Verily I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise." 196 27. Jesus descended into hell.R 28. Jesus, after being put to death, rose again from the dead. 10 29. Jesus ascended bodily into heaven, and many persons witnessed his ascent. 12 30. Jesus is to come again on earth in the latter days. He will appear among mortals as an armed warrior, riding a white horse. At his approach, the sun and moon will be darkened, the earth will tremble, and the stars fall from the firmament. 14 31. Jesus is to be judge of the dead at the last day. 16 32. Jesus is the creator of all things visible and invisible; "all this universe came into being through him, the eternal maker."18 33. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning, the middle, and the end of all things. 20 34. Jesus, when on earth, was in constant strife against the evil spirit." He surmounts extraordinary dangers, strews his way with miracles, raising the dead, healing the sick, restoring the maimed, the deaf and the blind, 18 John, i. 3. I. Cor. viii. 6. Eph. iii. 9. 19 See Geeta, lec. x. p. 85. He 20 Rev. i. 8, 11; xxii. 13; xxi. 6. 21 He is described as a superhuman organ of light, to whom the superhuman organ of darkness, the evil serpent, was opposed. is represented "bruising the head of the serpent," and standing upon him. (See illustrations in vol. i. Asiatic Researches; vol. ii. Higgins Anacalypsis; Calmet's Fragments, and other works illustrating Hindoo Mythology.) 22 Jesus, "the Sun of Righteousness," is also described as a superhuman organ of light, opposed by Satan, "the old serpent.' He is claimed to have been the seed of the woman who should" bruise the head of the serpent." (Genesis, iii. 15.) |