294

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

Full of astonishment, and with hair erect, he

bent his head before the god, and, folding his hands, spoke. (xi. 14.) When I see thy countenance, I know no place, I feel no joy. (xi. 25.) Then he comforted again that astonished one, for the great spirit was merciful. (xi. 50.)

The speech of Arjuna in the tenth song (śl. 12) has a striking resemblance to Peter's con fession of the divinity of Christ in connection with his answer in John, vi. 68:— Arjuna said, Thou art the highest Brahma . . . . all the sages call thee the eternal divine spirit, the highest God. All that thou sayest to me I believe to be true. (x. 12-14.) And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art

[October, 1873.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. (Matt. xvii. 6.) He wist not what to answer; for they were sore afraid. (Mark ix. 6.) Conf. Mark, ix. 3. And Jesus came and touched them, and said,

Arise, and be not afraid. (Mutt. xvii. 7.) John, James, and Jude, have been used.

Of the

Old Testament (apart from some curious coinci dences with passages in the Proverbs and Psalms which scarcely justify the hypothesis of a direct borrowing), only the Book ºf Wisdom was proba bly known to the composer. Compare the fol lowing passages:–

divine glory, and the exclamation of Peter when

Infinitely strong and of great power, thou com prehendest everything. (B. G. xi. 40.) She (Eternal Wisdom) reacheth from one end to another mightily: and sweetly doth she order all things. (Book of Wisdom, viii. 1.) It is hard for those in the body to obtain the invisible way. (B. G. xii. 5.) For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things. (Wis

he has witnessed the miracle of the

dom, ix. 15.)

the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. xvi. 16.) Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John, vi. 68.) As unmistakable is the similarity between

the apology of Arjuna for having held familiar intercourse with Krishna without knowing his fishes.

Although the words are different, the situation is exactly the same:– “Forgive me, O immeasurable one, for the eager words I spoke when I thought you my friend : Ho Krishna, Jādava, my friend; for the honour I withheld from you.” (xi. 41, 42.) -

-

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus'

knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

(Luke, v. 8.)

Finally there seems a certain similarity, which may be accounted for by an intentional imitation, between the conclusion of the twelfth

chapter (Śl. 13–20) and the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The repetition of the words “Blessed are " are paralleled by “Such a one is dear to me,” and in both places there is an enumeration of virtues and perfections which men are exhorted to attain. If we look for a moment in conclusion at

the single parts of the New Test timent of whose use there are traces in the Bhagavad-Gitt, we find that it is the Gospel of John in particular from which the composer has taken the most impor tant and the greatest majority of phrases. But

Before concluding this investigation, we must answer two objections which may be raised. My commentary has indicated that several pas sages which bear a Christian stamp, and even some of those which agree in expression with passages of the New Testament, are to be found

in some Upanishad, sometimes word for word, sometimes with insignificant discrepancies. As the Upanishads which are considered parts of the Vedas have a relatively high antiquity ascribed to them, and are regarded as older than the oldest Christian records, the supposition that those expressions and thoughts were borrowed from Christianity seems to be excluded. A thorough discussion of the age of those Upa mishads, and their relation to Christian doc

trines and ideas, would overstep the limits of these observations. I content myself with a short statement of my view of the Upani. shads in question, and their relation to Chris tianity and the Blutgavad-Gita, and leave the further investigation to others. The Upanishads

which are chiefly in question are the Svetásrā

he has also taken a good deal from the other

tira-, Katha-, Mundaka- and Praśna-Upanishads.

three gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Jºe relitions. The Epistles of St. Paul, too, with the exception of those to the Thessalonians and to I’hilemon, as well as the letters of Peter,

All these Upanishads, as far as their contents are concerned, stand in close connection with

themselves and the Bhagarad-Gita ; they have several passages in common ; they all reverence