Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 30

22
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1874.
its origin from these gospels, but it is quite pos- the purpose of lowering the Christian religion." sible that it has borrowed something from them." He thinks moreover that the Brahmans "were Still the opinion of those who were opposed to any | not the people to voyage in search of foreign relation whatever between the two remained in systems, * or to give the right of citizenship the scendant. Edw. Moor. in his Hindoo Pantheon to foreign religiona." + Yet even he is compelled (London, 1810), adheres,-in accordance with the to admit that they may have adopted at an view from which he started (Pref., p. xi.), that the early date some of the ideas which were, so to mythological legends of the Indians have been the speak, floating in the ancient world," and indeed sources " whence have been derived the fables and he assumes that they condescended to "borrow deities of Greece and Italy and other heathen from the philosophy of Alexandria and to allow people of the West," --to the view of Sir W. Jones themselves to be influenced by Christian dogma." that (p. 200) not only the name of Krishna, Wollheim also discusses the matter essentially but also "the general outline of his story, were from the same theological standpoint (Myth. des long anterior to the birth of our Saviour, and pro- Alten Indien, Berlin, 1856, p. 65): "If we must," bably to the time of Homer." For all that, he says he, "compare Krishna with a known God cannot resist making the observation, with refer- [as if that were the point at issue], let us take ence to the beautiful picture he gives on plate 59, not the founder of our religion, who is too pure "Crishna nursed by Devaki," that this " beautiful and exalted to admit of such & comparison, and highly finished picture may easily remind but rather the Apollo of the Greeks. And of us of the representations by Papists of Mary and special interest in this respect is a letter which the infant Jesus."
Al. 7. Humboldt wrote me with reference to my Creuzer, in his Symbolik' (3rd ed., Leipzig, 1837) previous paper on Krishna's birthday, in trang. rejects, although he quotes Kleuker, all Christian mitting a copy of which I would seem to have parallels; but with them he rejects the parallels alluded to a rumour I had heard on good authority with Greek and Roman divinities, and is more in- that W. v. Humboldt had certain theological clined to see traces of the Egyptian myths of Osiris. considerations with reference to the discussion of Guigniaut, in his translation of Creuzer's work this subject. I give this letter in a note. (Paris, 1825; I. 212, 293), refers Moor's picture not In the "priest-ridden kingdom of the leopards" to Krishna but to Buddha. In more recent times itself, as Al. v. Humboldt calls it in this letter, there have been special theological reasons un. some voices have been heard lately which bear favourable to the discussion and decision of this witness to a conception of the question com. question. Writers seem really to fear that some of pletely free from theological considerations. the sanctity of Christianity will be lost if something Talboys Wheeler, in the first volume of his 80borrowed from it is found in the Kộishna-cult. called History of India (London, 1867), leaves Thus Parie's polemic in his work 'Kộishna et sa it andecided, it is true, in his detailed account Doctrine, Bhagavat Dasam Askand,' which appear. of the legends of Krishna, whether or not in the ed in Paris in the year 1862, is directed especially legend of his birth a borrowing, "as supposed by against those who assume relations of this kind
many," has taken place " from the Gospel account between the Krishna-cult and Christianity " for
of king Herod," and rejects utterly a similar Hague in 1724 I have not been able to find anything of the never made any discovery in the matter where can Lichkind. To what passage does Kleuker refer? But if we tenstein have picked up this myth? And as for the consider those fables themselves, they seem to be of the 'weighty reason which compelled my brother to keep kind which might have originated in several independent silence, such weakness was not in his character. The heads. We might as well assume that the composers of
love-adventures of the young saviour with the shepherdthese histories of childhood of Christ borrowed some of esses are delightful, and were certainly unknown to him. their legends from Indian fable. For in several of the May your paper on the Indian Christ remain unread in the apocryphal writings there are clear traces of Indian doe- priest-ridden 'kingdom of the leopards, where they have trine and fable. But since the story of Krishna is much
scented heresies in my Kosmos, mild as it is, and have older than Christianity (Paall. Syst. Br. p. 124), and has also published two editions of it, & castrated and an uncastrated much in common with the story of the Greek Apollo," &c. one. It might do you harm. In my Mexican Antiquities
• We know from Greek and Roman sources of various I have shown the mother of the human race in conversation Indians, from Kalanos down, who did exactly what Pavie with the serpent, the sucking God, the various children denies. -
of the serpent-woman who are striking each other, and the + This is not the point at issue, and if it were, the crist- bird of the ark. ence of the Parsees and of the Thomas Christians shows "In haate, Tuesday night, Yr. AL. HUMBOLDT." that the Indians have not hesitated to extend the civitas to
[Of the quotation made by him at the end of his letter from foreign religions. They were not hostilo even to the Mos.
the Vues des Cordillères, I. 235, 237, 253 only the passage lems at first.
in p. 253 concerns us, where in reference to Pl. XV. n. III. 1 It (postmark "12-5," 1852 P) runs w follows:
v. VII. it is said that a new-born infant is represented four The similarity between the pictures of Krishna at the times, the hair, which rises like two horns on the top of breast and those of the new-born Christ was certainly the head, indicates that it is a girl. The infant is at the subject on which I have beard my brother occasionally brent, they are cutting its navel cord, and presenting it to speak. He seemed to incribe much to the idyllio cha the goddess, touching ita eyes in benediction." There is no racter of the subject and to chance. He himself certainly conceivable relation here to Krishna.]