Lord Krishna and Lord Christ

Courtesy:C.D. Verma, Hindustan Times.

The root of the word 'gospel' in old English is 'godspel,' which means 'god' (good) plus 'spell' (tale).So the gospel in general means the message or teachings of a religious teacher, regardless of time and geographical location.

Take Lord Krishna and Lord Christ, the many-splendoured Apostle-Teachers. Though they were born in different times, in different climes the twain have interesting similarities in their lives and precepts.Both descended to earth with the same purpose, to raise man to higher grade of life, overthrow the forces of ignorance, hatred, selfishness and unrighteousness and redeem mankind.

Kansa, the King of Mathura, and Herod, the king of Palestine, were forewarned that they would be killed by a child. So they slaughtered children mercilessly But as divinity ordained, Krishna and Christ had miraculous births.

Krishna was born in captivity and Christ in a manger. Christ means the Annointed One. Jesus signifies the Saviour, Jesus Christ came into the world to save mankind. And so did Lord Krishna who preached universal brotherhood, (Gita 3.25) "Sarva bhuta hite ratah", indulge yourself in the welfare of all creatures.

Similarly, Christ said "Love thy neighbor as thyself " Krishna and Christ were basically pacifists. But they also resorted to violence to destroy sin and evil.Thus, they were a synthesis of a lamb and a lion.

In the Mahabharata, Krishna makes all efforts to avoid war before fighting. Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, preaches humility, peace and non-violence.But the same Christ in the War in Heaven, pursues Satan down to the hell (called the Harrowing of Hell) and destroys him.

The vision of the Cosmic Form that Krishna reveals in Chapter 11 of the Gita: "I behold Thee as One without beginning, middle or end," has its echoes in the New Testament (Mark: 2-8) and in Revelation (4): " Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come."

Time has no power over the names, deeds and words of our Apostle-Teachers.

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