OCTOBER, 1873.
CHRISTIAN TRACES IN THE BHAGAWAD-G|TA.
No one knows me. (vii. 23.)
293
No man hath seen God at any time. (John, i. 18.)
Dwelling in light unapproachable; whom never man saw, nor can see. (1 Tim. vi. 16.)
Easy to understand, sweet to do. (ix. 2.) I am the way, beginning, end. (ix. 18.) *
My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt, xi. 30; see also Psalm cz. 10.) I am the way. (John, xiv. 6.) I am the first and the last. (Rev. i. 17.)
I make warm, I hold back and let loose the rain, (ix. 19.)
I never pass away from him, nor he from me.
He maketh his sun to rise. . . . and sendeth
rain . . . (Matt. v. 45.) He dwelleth in me, and I in him. (John, vi. 57.)
(vi. 30.) (Conf. Isa-Upanishad 6 in Bibl. Ind. vol. XV. p. 72). They who honour me are in me, and I in them. (xix. 29.)
None who honour me shall perish. (ix. 31.)
1 in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. (John, xvii. 23; also John, vi. 56.) That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life. (John, iii. 15.)
Gentleness, equanimity, contentment, penance,
The fruit of the Spirit is—love, joy, peace, long
almsgiving, honour and dishonour, these are the
suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meck ness, temperance. (Gal. v. 22-23.)
characteristics of beings, and are all of them from me. (x. 5.)+
I am the origin of all, from me everything pro ceeds. (x. 8.) Thinking of me . . . . instructing one another, ever speaking with me, they rejoice and are glad. x. 9.)
Of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. (Rom. xi. 36.)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing each other
with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, in grace sing
I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of beings. (x. 20). Among letters I am A. (x. 33.)
ing in your hearts to God. (Col. iii. 16.) I am the first and the last. (Rev. i. 17.)
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending.
From all sins will I free thee : be not sorrowful!
(Rev. i. 8.)
Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven (Matt. ix. 2.)
(xviii. 66.)
That the composer of the Bhagavad-Gita knew
That the 11th chapter, in which, at Arjuna's
and used the New Testament, the coincidences
request, Krishna shows himself in his infinite divine glory, in which he comprehends the universe in himself, is a copy of the Gospel narrative of the transfiguration of Christ, is on the one hand probable, because, as has been
which have been pointed out between single thoughts and expressions have been sufficient, as I believe, to prove. In confirmation, however, of the results already won, Imake the further obser vation thatsome largersections of the Gospel nar rative have been imitated in the Bhagavad-Gita. Among these imitations I reckon first and chiefly that of the transfiguration of Christ, further that of Peter's confession of the divinity of Christ, and also of his own unworthiness to
be in the company of the Lord after the miracle of the fishes. To these may also perhaps be added that of the so-called eight beatitudes. Bhagavad Głła.
mentioned above, other characteristic and pro minent incidents in the life of the Saviour (as, for example, his persecution by Herod, and the washing of the feet at the last supper, etc.) have been transferred to Krishna, and is con firmed by the expression borrowed from the Gospel with which this glorification of Krishna is related in the Bhagavad-Gita. Compare the following passages:– New Testament.
. . If light were suddenly to rise from a thousand
And he was transfigured before them ; and his
suns in heaven, that would be like the light of this great Lord. (xi. 12.) Having on (ibid. ii.) hea venly garments and garlands.
face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was
white as the light. (Matt. xvii. 2, and conf. Mark, ix. 3.)
- With the different epithots in this sloka compare also Hosea, xi. 13; Rev. iii. 14: John, i. 18; Psalm vii. 11, and
Heb. xiii. 6; Luke, vii. 24, and xii. 4; Rev. i. 18: Acts, xvii. 28; Col. ii. 3; and John, xii, 24, t Conf. Svetášvatara-Upanishad, vi. 5 (Bibl. Ind. u, s, p. 65), and John, i. 1.