The Christ and the Gopala

[Toby Stimpson]

I just read the thread on Jesus and Horus...and the similarities between the archetypes. I have heard of that theory before, but as I was thinking...I was wondering if there were any links between Sri Krishna of India and Jesus Christ. I mean the names are very similar, Krishna...Christ, and both hold a very powerful place in thier religions. I mean, look at their birth stories, both have Kings who hate them and want to see them destroyed. Both Kansa and Herod attack babies around Krishna and Christ's age...both teach of the monism of God, and both claim to be the highest form of God. Krishna had deciples, Arjuna and his cousins, and so did Christ. What do you think?

Namaste,

Tobias

[misschief]

haven't you guys ever noticed that they are ALL similar?? a god is a god is a god, no matter the name.

[Toby Stimpson]

*sighs*.....ic...so Hades is similar to Ra....sureeeeeeeee....I can see what your getting at, that all Gods are one God...but still, i'm talking on a more personal level. Aphrodite isnt similar to Kali, or Morgaines is not similar to Kwan Yin in personality type...I'm talking about the legends...not just the fact that all of them are divine...

[misschief]

at the base.. yes. the little details are just that.. little details. people create what they need to think is there for comfort...

[Toby Stimpson]

This thread was not started to debate little details...it was created to evaluate the similarities between two gods from two very different religions. Hopefully showing that even two very different religions are more similar than people may think. If you have any comments on that, please do share them...but otherwise, I suggest you start a thread on 'little details' and debate their creation...in my opinion however, little details can make a lot of difference and to simplify things like that is quite, simplistic.

[misschief]

i don't remember debating. you asked for an opinion, i gave you one. if you don't like that don't ask questions.

[shenanigans]

Oh, I've noticed the similarities myself.

Among the similarities you mentioned: Both were believed to be saviors of mankind and avatars or sons of God. Both were divinely conceived. Both births were divinely foretold. Both were born in odd places, Christ in a stable and Krishna in a jail cell. Christ was often called a shepherd, Krishna was a cowherd. Both taught love and peace.

Many religions have similar figures, it's a common archetype, I think.

[Neptune496]

I think both stories are very similar yes, but there seems to also be a 3rd god you may find yet even more similar to Krishna!

Galadraal, have you ever read about Dionysos (Greek/Thracian god of the Vine, Fertility and Ecstacy), his stories, iconography, just look at him! He looks just like Krishna! That long flowing hair, his eyes, the way he stands! And the stories, once again, are very similar. I was very surprised to see that the characteristics, you know how Krishna is; loving, mischievous, strong-willed, loved by the common folk, and sexually erotic; are all the same for Dionysos. The Romans called him Bacchus and identified him with their native god, Liber.

And the thing that really through me out the window was his devotees! The Devotional Ecstacy is just too similar, and the flute-playing, the devotees dancing around the forests with animals and satyrs, all in spiritual ecstacy and freedom from worldy care? Coincidence? I think not!

[Toby Stimpson]

I'm glad you brought thta up...I have heard of those similarities, the Bhaccai and the Gopis are very similar in way of worship. I have not studied Dionysus to the extent of speaking about him, was he not prone to playing the flute as well?

[Eudaimonia]

Shoot... Krishna and Christ born on the same day, both by virgins? I think that's a fact, but I can't find the flippin' info.

Will repost once the wandering mystic returns to town.

[Neptune496]

I'm sure there had to have been some art with him and a flute. I've seen him sometimes carrying a shephard's staff, looking a lot like christ in some pottery pictures, even having the same kind of white robe we're used to seeing christ in.

I do know that musical instruments and chanting were a huge part of the bacchic ceremonies, tamborines, cymbols, bells and flutes, lyres, all that stuff.....

[charmedkisses1]

If anything the Krishna was an adaptation of Christ, considering the timeline. That's cool :)

[CleftOfLight]

Krishna translated into greek means Christ.Also Jesus was not and is not a god.But you are correct Kisishna and Jesus have similiar stories.I have read that jesus went to india before he was 30.Also check out the buddha similiar stuff there too.

[MoonKnight]

If anything the Krishna was an adaptation of Christ, considering the timeline. That's cool :)
Actually, Krishna was worshipped for centuries before Christ. :)

I did a quick search and found this site. It has a chart comparing the two.
http://www.bobkwebsite.com/krishnajesusmyths.html

[Toby Stimpson]

It's true...Krishna was worshipped years before Christ. Then again...there is no real time basis for the Bhagavad Gita...onl that it is older than the Bible. There is great debate as to whether or not Jesus Christ ever went to India...but the Zoroastrian Magi would have no doubt have been aware of Vaishnava philosophies...perhaps borrowed parts of the Krishna story for the Christ story?

[Toby Stimpson]

I just looked at your website Moonknight...it took me a while but im bored so why not. In Hinduism, there is no such thing as an angel...and Krishna was not crucified...instead he and his brother Balarama chose to rejoin Vishnu after a long life of ruling. Just a thought...:). Namaste

[Paracelsus]

Krishna translated into greek does not mean Christ; Christ means "Anointed one", Krishna means "all attractive".
These similarities are well recorded in a great deal of orientalist study of Hinduism. The most fundamental similarity is one that has not yet been discussed, which is that their religious teaching is fundamentally based upon love; for Christians developing a loving relationship with God through Christ, for Hindus developing Bhakti (loving devotion) for Krishna. This is the aspect that awoke most interest in the orientalist writers.
Of course the similarity is only that, a similarity, the accompanying theologies are radically different - Christians are offered "eternal life", i.e. continuing separate existence as an individual in the presence of God, Bhaktas are offered Mukti - absorption into the divine.
Some of the mythological elements are similar, but there are also radical differences - Krishna's erotic adventures with the Gopis are unparalleled in Christian ideas (although some gnostics might disagree), and one must remember that the concept of avatar (descent) is not limited to Krishna in Hinduism; Vishnu has, as you all know, a number of avatars (conventionally ten, but many others in folk traditions), Yhvh has only one.
Having said all that, both the bible and the gita are fantastically beautiful books describing the relationship of love than can exist between the divine and the human - both monuments to the religious expression of mankind.
BB