Did Bharatiyas
Help the Growth and Prosperity of Christianity ?
(Compilation
for a D discourse at Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville TN, USA, January2014)
I call Indian population as Bharatiyas then, because at that time they were not called
by the name
of any religion (Hindu Religion) as India hardly understood what religion
means. The term Hindu and India were
progressively introduced meaning those inhabitants who lived in Sindhu (modern Indus) River Valley who moved
to Gangetic valley. Sindhu became Indu for Arabs, Magi means Kings in Persian who
visited the baby Jesus Christ as displayed in Nativity and Walk Through
Bethlehem Nativity Scenes as mentioned
in my earlier discourse. Mathew
the only Gospel reference uses the Greek word Magoi, meaning wise man in general, and says they
announced that they had seen a star at its rising and followed it to Bethlehem.
The New Testament does not give the names of the Magi, however, traditions and legends identify a variety of different names for them. In the Western Christian Churches they have been all regarded as saints and are commonly known as:
1) Melchior a Persian scholar;
2) Caspar also Gaspar, Jaspar,
Jaspas, Gathaspa, and other variations), Indian scholar
3) Balthazar also Balthasar, Balthassar, and
Bithisarea, an Arabian scholar.
"According to Western
church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia, Melchior
as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India." These
names apparently derive from a Greek manuscript probably composed in Alexandria around 500, and which has been
translated into Latin with the title Excerpta Latina Barbari. Another
Greek document from the 8th century, of presumed Irish origin and translated
into Latin with the title Collectanea et Flores, continues the
tradition of three kings and their names and gives additional details. One
candidate for the origin of the name Caspar appears in the Acts of Thomas as Gondophores (21 – c. AD 47), i.e., Gudapharasa
(from which "Caspar" might derive as corruption of
"Gaspar"). This Gondophares
declared independence from the Aersacids to become the first Indo-Parthian king, and he was allegedly visited
by Thomas the Apostle. According to at least one scholar, his name
is perpetuated in the name of the Afghan city Kandahar (then Gandhara), which he is said to have founded under the
name Gundopharron. Christian legend may have chosen
Gondofarr simply because he was an eastern king living in the same period.” says encyclopaedia Britannica.You
may kindly recall my reference to history St. Thomas Mount in Chennai in my
last discourse on Festival of Lights. It is the town ship named after him with
the church on the top of the hill.
The Economist December 20th states the Magi
came from, most probably the border between Iran and Afghanistan,
probably India, via the Silk Road and they were scholars and it was difficult
to say what sort of scholars they were. It also says heavenly phenomenon the
wise men were meant to have seen is probably a conjunction of Jupiter and
Saturn in the constellation of Pisces in 7 BC; and possibly a comet, since the
star's beams were often said to stream and wave like a bird flying.
On May 28 of this year,
the two “heavyweights” of our planetary system— Jupiter and Saturn—will
meet in the sky, forming what astrologers call a “ Conjunction”
(two planets more or less in the same degree of the same sign. Right now if we
look toward the western horizon shortly after dusk, we should be able to make
out these two planets together in the sky, accompanied for the moment by Mars.
Jupiter and Saturn are the largest planets in the solar system, and are
also the farthest planets visible to the naked eye. Ancient astrologers
accorded them special importance. It is
believed that the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn was the “star of Bethlehem”
from which the three wise men predicted the dissension of Jesus Christ. Whether
or not the Star of Bethlehem was a Jupiter Saturn conjunction, there is little
doubt that it was an astrological event of some kind that three men had read as
an omen of Christ’s birth. This is easier to believe as there was a king from
India in the team who comes from a country which was very strong in
astronomical predictions in those days which gave astronomy and astrology to
the world. Ancient Chaldea in the West by then had learnt astrology from India
which might have also guided the other two.
Wikipedia says “Greatest conjunction is a
conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn or near their opposition to the Sun.
In this scenario, Jupiter and Saturn will occupy the same position in right
ascension
on three separate occasions over a period of a few months. Such tripled occurrences
are actually known as triple conjunctions. The
so-called "Star of Bethlehem” – thought to have appeared about 7
BC – was theorized to be a greatest conjunction; and some went so far as
to assert that it was an occultation of
Saturn by Jupiter, with the two planets appearing to merge into a single object
as seen from Earth. However such an event did not take place at
historic times. At the greatest conjunction in 7 BC, which is said to be the
"Star of Bethlehem", the minimum distance between Jupiter and
Saturn was around 1 degree; this is twice the Moon diameter. The next
occultation of Saturn by Jupiter will take place in 7541”.
The kings also set out singly, since they
ruled over lands that were far apart, and came together only when they
reached Jerusalem. Was the Indian king an astronomer, nobody knows? This
supports well that one was from India. That, men should venture from such far
off places as India to find the Christ-child is much more interesting than a
short hop from Middle East. It is more interesting if the wise men were
not too wise but, like kings, often floundering and beset. It is said a
lamp-like star guided each of them; but had it not hung before their nose as
close as a fish on a line (for kings, not being astronomers, could not read the
sky and needed leading), they would have never made to the manger where the
child was born. Economist has forgotten that Hindu kings were sages and wise
too, for example, Janaka. The Indian king among them was perhaps the wisest, or
the only one. The kings were also of all ages of man, respectively 20, 40, 60.
The oldest had snowy hair and beard, struggling to kneel to give his present
first, was usually taken to be Melchior. “Gaspar was the young blade, rosy
cheeked and beardless, and just occasionally oriental” says Economist referring
to the Indian King. The eldest was given
the opportunity to give the present as in the Hindu tradition to respect the
elder.
Together, then, the 3 kings
added up to everyman; and as such they
became a triune symbol of human Srishthi, Sthiti and Laya (Birth, existence, and
decay) and not striving, hope and folly
as the Economist says.
These wise men were taken in, too, by King
Herod who co-opted them to spy on the child and report back, and they were
happy to oblige. Luckily, an angel intervened and warned them not to. Hindu mythology talks about Asareeravani or heaven’s announcement—(Voice of the heavenly body-less
beings). They were
then told to return “by another way”; starless this time, with no God-assisted
steering. They took two laborious years over it, seeking direction from everyone
on the route. Their onward journey was a divine blessed operation while the
return journey was not.
Magi might have had only a small portable gift each, and the gold must have been by the Hindu king. It is customary to give a new born child a gold coin or jewelry, an ancient Hindu tradition unlike sweets or candies as they feel the three presents brought by wise men are hardly suitable to baby or the mother. In the 13th century “Book of Marco Polo” said that the Christ-child gave them a present in return; a box which they eagerly opened on the way home, was found to contain a stone. Disgusted, the kings threw it down a well, where upon it burst into flames: they somehow fished it out, took it home and worshiped it. The stone flames might have appeared as Jyotirlinga to the wisest Indian king among them and therefore they decided to worship it as a Linga, a visible-invisible form of Hindu worship of Siva (Vyakta-avyakta form).
Having journeyed back together, influenced by
their Guru St. Thomas from India they preached Christ together. They were
baptized together by St. Thomas the Apostle, somewhere in India where he found them all in virtuous
decrepitude were buried together and
were gathered up afterwards by St. Helena, Mother Constantine, to end as a cozy fraternity of
bones in a magnificent high altar in the great cathedral of Cologne. Before
they died they had built a wood chapel on the mountain of Vauls, the summit
topped with a golden star that turned in the wind. It is interesting to note
almost in every fairy tale the third, who wins love, finds the treasure or save
the day, while the siblings trail home disappointed. “For those who feel
deprived of mystical significance of the kings, however, there is a more
profound dimension to the rule of three to ponder. For three encompasses
everywhere; past, present and future; here, there, everywhere; earth, sea and
air; positive, negative and neutral, this that and the other. Through these
trinities the kings, who might be any Tom, Dick or Harry, wander in search of
answers (yes, no or may be) to mysteries even older than that of Father, Son
and the Holy Ghost; the birth of light, the dawn of life and the primacy of
life” says The Economist.
Hemis Gompa, one of the most important and
largest Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh is twenty five miles from Leah. The Russian
Traveler Nicholas Notovitch met here a monk to show him the two books that
according to Buddhist account described the Jesus Christ’s visit to India to
return the visit of the “Three wise men from the East” which included an Indian
king who came to Bethlehem to honor His arrival. The document in the monastery
covers life of Jesus from 13 to 26 years about which the Holy Bible is silent.
The chronicle confirms that Jesus visited the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri,
Varanasi and other such sacred cities in India. Notovitch never doubted the
authenticity of the documents. Coming from a Westerner, who are always critics
of Hinduism, this information seems to have been thoroughly scrutinized. A book titled Unknown Life of Jesus Christ translated
from the French by V.R. Gandhi published in 1894 is available which has these
details.
Sanatana dharma with its liberal mindedness of Maanava Dharma and through its spokesman Lord Krishna promoted the concept of leading all to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. The Gita said by then that the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals provided they followed the Universal Laws of Dharma taught by the wisdom of Vedas. It therefore gave birth to, many religions among which Christianity was one. It is no wonder then, in 70 AD when the Romans under Emperor Nero were feeding Christians to angry lions, in Kerala, in India, Christians were already worshiping in churches.
St Thomas was the chosen Apostle of Jesus
Christ by the assembly of Apostles after the ascension of Jesus Christ to
preach the Gospel in India according to
a very ancient Syrian work, The
Acts of Judas Thomas. Thomas did not want to go to India. He had a dream in which Jesus asked him to go
to India. Poor Thomas was just then purchased as a slave by a merchant from the
Northwest India and forcefully taken there. May be this was a divine will! On
arrival he converted his master also to Christianity, sailed close to Cochin
and established churches all over Kerala.
His teachings had a very close resemblance to Sanatana Dharma. World knows very little of his teachings today especially after the house cleaning of the Holy - Bible in 6th century. Some parts of the lost original text of the Gospel of Thomas were found in 1945. Early Christian missionaries worked along with liberal Hindu theologians to eradicate the evils that crept into Hindu society and brought mass education. But after 15th century they became aggressive and dominating and started forceful conversion.
Gnosticism describes a
collection of ancient religions whose adherents shunned the material world and embraced
spirituality. Gnosticism is interpreted
as knowledge, enlightenment, salvation emancipation and oneness with God. Practices varied among those who were Gnostic
but basically consisted of philanthropy to the point of personal poverty,
sexual abstinence and seeking enlightenment
for wisdom and to help others. In Gnosticism, the world of the demiurge is represented by the lower world. which is
associated with matter, flesh, time and, more particularly, an imperfect,
ephemeral world. The world of God is represented by the upper world and is
associated with the soul and perfection. The world of God is
eternal and not part of the physical. It is impalpable and timeless. Gnosticism
is primarily defined in a Christian context but
surprisingly no authentic information is available by way of Christian literature. Gnosticism as a unique and recognizable belief
system is typically considered to be early Christian thought. May be they might have successfully eliminated
all reference and sources! May be they
did not want to acknowledge help from Sanatana Dharma from which they seem to have
drawn lot of help to establish their new found religion. The
book, The Gnostic Gospels written by Elaine Pagels in French translated by an
Indian author and published by Vintage
Books is now available. It contains
those archeological findings on the visit of Jesus to India and references to the
gospel of St. Thomas.
But for the Vedic wisdom of “Eko viprah Bahuda vadanti” “Aatmavat
sarvabhooteshu” “sarve janah sukhino
bhavany” “Krinvantoi viswamaaryam” further elaborated by Gita, Christianity
would not have thrived and occupied its prestigious number one position among
all religions. By 189 AD most part of South India
had very large population of Christians. Consider the present day trends of religious
practices of even highly educated religious Hindus who raise
even liberated souls like Saibaba and Swami Narayan to Divinity. It this context it is reasonable to believe that people in
India after the return of the King should have thought Jesus as another avatar
like Krishna remembering his birth in the manger and the conjunction of stars
Jupiter and Saturn and flocked to new faith successfully promoted by St. Thomas
like what happened in Buddhism and Jainism.
Thomas with his Gnosticism was also influenced by Sanatana Dharma and included its wisdom of Maanava Dharma in his promotional activity which the later Christians deleted as Pagan and blind belief. Christianity further spread by leaps and bounds after the arrival of Portuguese under the stewardship Vasco de Gama who arrived in Calicut in 1948. Saint Francis Xavier was another great preacher who touched the heart of Indians in spite of the unpopular rule of Portuguese. Their soldiers were ruthless. St xavier established around 50 churches in 15th century along coastal India, He even visited the tomb of St. Thomas in Chennai. By 1599 Catholic Church was well established in India. Up to this period Christianity thrived out of free will of the people like the followings of Swami Narayan and Saibaba today.
Thomas with his Gnosticism was also influenced by Sanatana Dharma and included its wisdom of Maanava Dharma in his promotional activity which the later Christians deleted as Pagan and blind belief. Christianity further spread by leaps and bounds after the arrival of Portuguese under the stewardship Vasco de Gama who arrived in Calicut in 1948. Saint Francis Xavier was another great preacher who touched the heart of Indians in spite of the unpopular rule of Portuguese. Their soldiers were ruthless. St xavier established around 50 churches in 15th century along coastal India, He even visited the tomb of St. Thomas in Chennai. By 1599 Catholic Church was well established in India. Up to this period Christianity thrived out of free will of the people like the followings of Swami Narayan and Saibaba today.
Early Christian theologians such as Saint Augustine
of Hippo were very much influenced by the Greek philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Until 553 AD The Christian church had unshakable
fascination with reincarnation. Justin
Martyr (100 to 165 AD) founder of the first Christian School in Rome wrote in
his Dialogue with Trypho that the
soul inhabits a succession of bodies but it cannot remember its previous lives.
St Thomas belonged to this school of Christian thought which found favor with
the majority population and he had no difficulty in getting a large following.
Those ideas became so controversial that in the sixth century they were
officially condemned in the second council of Constantinople as anathema. The
teachings of Origen on reincarnation were thus expunged from Church doctrine,
never to return. Why did they take such drastic steps? Seeing the progress of
Christianity they were afraid of Roman, Greek and Hindu ideas taking over
Christian doctrines. That is why world
knows very little of teachings of St. Thomas
today which during his time attracted large followers.
The aggressive Muslim rule in India resulted
in many forcible mass conversions to Islam and many converted by sexual abuses.
What could not be prevented had to be endured. The converts who could not
adjust to the new religion only waited patiently till the British arrived. Also
Hindu orthodoxy Puritans became too rigid and threw many in large numbers out
of Hinduism as untouchables which process had started in small numbers even in Sankara’s
days. Under British patronage disgusted Muslim converts and many untouchables
walked into Christianity hoping for better life in society and cringing favor by
the ruling power: they could not also get back to Hinduism. Hinduism with its conservative religious
outlook went by the strict religious codes which had no conversion provision to
reconvert those who wanted to come back to main Hindu fold. So Christianity
prospered. British Government also encouraged Missionaries to freely operate in
India and convert large numbers by coaxing and hanging a carrot before them. Majority of convert Muslims in India were so
brain washed they could hold on to
their large population and also multiply because they were allowed to have as
many as four wives while Hindus were restricting focusing on Ekapatni Vrata (one wife) and no widow marriage or divorce.
Many walked out of Hinduism being forced to acts like forceful Sati. Muslims concentrated on regularly multiplying
their tribe.
Some philanthropic and sympathetic Christian Missionaries who cared for human values worked along with liberal Hindu theologians to eradicate the evils in Hindu society bringing mass education which task still remains uncompleted in the hands of Sovereign Democratic Secular Indian Republic after 67 years of Independence. The situation is otherwise today. Hindus have started a war against forceful conversion by Christian missionaries operating in India. American Christian Missionaries cannot do this in their own land but can do this in India. One self-assumed Guru and reformer has threatened to reconvert those Christians, who were Hindus before, on Christmas Day this year in India. The Government seems to be helpless.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim to arise from the
patriarch Abraham. and are therefore considered Abrahamic Religions. Those who walked out of Judaism established Christianity and Islam. Islam originated and spread in the Arabian Peninsula, and many aspects of
Islam's core values, structure, jurisprudence and practice are based on
Judaism. In the late 20th century, Jews were expelled from nearly all the Arab
countries. Most have chosen
to live in Israel or USA. Today, anti-Semitic
themes have become commonplace in the propaganda of Arab Islamic movements such
as Hezbollah and Hamas. Of course their philosophy is ANTI anything and everything. While Sanatana
Dharma propagates Universal Oneness these Abrahamic religions preached
brotherhood and loving neighborhood but they have not stopped fighting as
brothers and neighbors. In practical
life brothers and neighbors do fight and so the fight goes on. Unfortunately this
fight is extended on others more. You may say practically all religions today
in practice are either emerged out of Judaism or Sanatana Dharma. The religions
that emerged out of Sanatana dharma, including modern Hinduism seem to live
more at peace than later Abrahamic religions or Modern practicing Hinduism.
If we analyze dispassionately both Judaism and Sanatana Dharma or not on
attack; it is Hinduism as practiced today, Christianity and Islam are at war
all the time sometimes dragging Buddhism. Hinduism is a more recent nomenclature
given to a conglomeration of heterogeneous traditions and plurality of beliefs
and worship with a long history of development from the Vedic sacrificial
religion through the worship of epic and puranic heroes and personal deities,
cults and sects, as well as philosophical systems rather than a monolithic
tradition or structure based on single system of beliefs and worship or a
single text or scripture. Puranas say that after Buddha the next Avatar is Kalki.
But we find today so many deities like Andal, Saibaba, Swami Narayan and others who are elevated to
Avatars. It is this diversity that is causing problem. Similar is the problem
plaguing Christianity and Islam.
Various factors described in this discourse beginning with the visit of a wise king of
Bharat as a team member of Magi to Bethlehem to see the Christ-child, a
friendly Sanatana Dharma populace favorably disposed to Gnostic
philosophy oriented St. Thomas, absence of the rebellious who
later walked out of Judaism and hated Christianity who
were yet to form a new religion of their own (later formed Mohammedanism)
at that time and many other factors have contributed to make
Christianity the Religion of most followers in the world.
Christians claim it is easy to follow Christianity with less restraints, with
one scripture and
only their powerful God, no castes but only the rich, the middle class and the
poor, with the philosophy that men need some religion and Christianity is
convenient in contrast to spirituality
which is vague or Sanatana
Dharma which is too complicated, practiced
by the prosperous and powerful society
in the world, not the poor and Pagan, and
not necessarily aimed at permanent Liberation and Eternal Bliss to merge with the Supreme. In
that bargain they don’t mind one time hell or heaven and no hassle of repeated births and deaths
which anyhow makes the world overcrowded as too many return back with the hope everyone
can be saved. Why
should anybody be saved if they do not believe in Jesus? They say loving neighborhood is better than
Universal Oneness, while Islam believes in Universal brotherhood
as it is convenient to fight. Christians are also free to divorce and
marry as many times as possible leaving many children to Good Lord to take
care of. It also allows widow marriage. Everyone has to repent for his sins and
God will save them how serious their sin may be if he is a true
Christian! Do what you want including capital crimes but repent once, for
Good Lord atoned already for your sins on certain conditions! Amen is
sweet and Om is too much of an exercise and too long!
“India was the mother of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages. She was the mother of our philosophy, mother through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics, mother through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity, mother through village communities of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.”-Will Durant
REFERENCES
1) The Rule of Three, The meaning of the Magi, The
Economist, December 20th—January 2nd.
2) Ed Viswanathan, Am I A Hindu,
Rupa & Co., New Delhi, India.
3) Robert Arnett, India Unveiled, www. Atmanpress.com
4) Harrry Bhalla, Beyond Religion—The Gita Doctrine,
International Gita Society, USA
5) Wikipedia, Greatest Conjunction.
6) Pierz Newton John,
Psychotherapist cum Astrologer on Conjunction
of Jupiter and Saturn.
APPENDIX
THE IDENTITY OF ABRAHAM AND SARA WITH
BRAHMA AND SARASVATI
(E-Mail sent to HR Forum Participants on July 24, 2018)
In his History of the Jews, the Jewish
scholar and theologian Flavius Josephus (37 - 100 A.D.), wrote that the Greek
philosopher Aristotle had said: "...These Jews are derived from the Indian
philosophers; they are named by the Indians Calani." (Book I:22.)
Clearchus of Soli wrote, "The Jews
descend from the philosophers of India. The philosophers are called in India
Calanians and in Syria Jews. The name of their capital is very difficult to
pronounce. It is called 'Jerusalem.'"
"
Megasthenes, who was sent to
India by Seleucus Nicator, about three hundred years before Christ, and whose
accounts from new inquiries are every day acquiring additional credit, says
that the Jews 'were an Indian tribe or sect called Kalani...'"
(Anacalypsis, by Godfrey Higgins, Vol. I; p. 400.)
Martin Haug, Ph.D., wrote in The Sacred
Language, Writings, and Religions of the Parsis, "The Magi are said to
have called their religion Kesh-î-Ibrahim. They traced their religious books to
Abraham, who was believed to have brought them from heaven." (p. 16.)
There are certain striking similarities
between the Hindu god Brahma and his consort Saraisvati, and the Jewish Abraham
and Sarai, that are more than mere coincidences. Although in all of India there
is only one temple dedicated to Brahma, this cult is the third largest Hindu
sect.
In his book Moisés y los
Extraterrestres, Mexican author Tomás Doreste states: Voltaire was of the
opinion that Abraham descended from some of the numerous Brahman priests who
left India to spread their teachings throughout the world; and in support of
his thesis he presented the following elements: the similarity of names and the
fact that the city of Ur, land of the patriarchs, was near the border of
Persia, the road to India, where that Brahman had been born.
The name of Brahma was highly respected
in India, and his influence spread throughout Persia as far as the lands bathed
by the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. The Persians adopted Brahma and made him
their own. Later they would say that the God arrived from Bactria, a
mountainous region situated midway on the road to India. (pp. 46-47.)
Bactria (a region of ancient
Afghanistan) was the locality of a prototypical Jewish nation called Juhuda or
Jaguda, also called Ur-Jaguda. Ur meant "place or town." Therefore,
the Bible was correct in stating that Abraham came from "Ur of the
Chaldeans." "Chaldean," more correctly Kaul-Deva (Holy Kauls),
was not the name of a specific ethnicity but the title of an ancient Hindu
Brahmanical priestly caste who lived in what are now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
the Indian state of Kashmir.
"The tribe of Ioud or the Brahmin
Abraham, was expelled from or left the Maturea of the kingdom of Oude in India
and, settling in Goshen, or the house of the Sun or Heliopolis in Egypt, gave
it the name of the place which they had left in India, Maturea." (Anacalypsis;
Vol. I, p. 405.)
"He was of the religion or sect of
Persia, and of Melchizedek."(Vol. I, p. 364.)
"The Persians also claim Ibrahim,
i.e. Abraham, for their founder, as well as the Jews. Thus we see that
according to all ancient history the Persians, the Jews, and the Arabians are
descendants of Abraham.(p.85) ...We are told that Terah, the father of Abraham,
originally came from an Eastern country called Ur, of the Chaldees or Culdees,
to dwell in a district called Mesopotamia. Sometime after he had dwelt there,
Abraham, or Abram, or Brahma, and his wife Sara or Sarai, or Sara-iswati, left
their father's family and came into Canaan.
The identity of Abraham and Sara with
Brahma and Saraswati was first pointed out by the Jesuit
missionaries."(Vol. I; p. 387.)
Comments:
Very interesting sir!
--Swami
Chidananda of FOWAI Forum
Very
interesting. Thanks for bringing these facts into light. Here is how I
think the evolution of various major religions, based on various circumstances/
historical timings: Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) —> Islam —> Judaism —>
Christianity.
--Nashville
Nagarajan
Sanskrit in Bible
By S. Swaminathan
Annam (Manna=food) ,Kinnara (Kinnor=musical
instrument/celestial musician), Mandrake( Mantra Korai), Om (Amen), Mass
(namaz=namaskaram),Adam and Eve (Atma and Jeevatma), Tukum (Sukam=parrot),Kapi
(ape=monkey), Ibha (elephant), Abraham (Ibrahim=Abi Raman) , Nava (Nova=new)
are some of the Sanskrit words in The Bible, the holy book of Christians.
There are lot of striking similarities between Hindu and
Christian scriptures. They cannot be discounted as coincidences because such
similarities are too many. There is good evidence to show that they are
borrowed from other sources.
1. 1. The
Bible begins with a story from the Upanishads. It is the story of two birds
eating the fruits, but instead of two birds the Bible says Adam and Eve.
The very name betrays its Hindu origin of the story. In the
Upanishads the two birds are the symbolic representation of Athma (athma=Adam)
and the Jeevatma (Jeev-Eve). Any Student of linguistics can easily recognise
the transformation of Athma into Adam and Jeeva into Eve. This Parallel has
been pointed out by Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathy, Sankaracharya of Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetam 60 years ago (I have already written it in my post “Three
Apples That Changed the World”)
2. The Bible says Eve was created from Adam’s left rib. This
is once again the Hindu story of Uma/ Parvathy forming the left part of Shiva.
Nowadays we call our wife as the other half. It is very interesting to note
that this expression has come from the Vedas. Kalidas and other Sanskrit poets
also use this expression freely. Hindus still worship as Ardha Nareeswara (Half
Woman +Eswara).
3. The expressions found in the Bible such as ‘Honey and
Milk’ are used by the Sanskrit and Tamil poets hundreds of times in their 2000
years old Sangam literature and Sanskrit literature.
The Upanishadic phrases ‘the blind leading the blind’ “He or
She lived as many days as the number of sands on the river/sea bank’ etc, are
found in the Bible. The Saiva Siddhanta principle of Pasu, Pati, Pasam (Father,
Son and Holy Spirit) and the Adwaita principle are also found in the Bible.
Jesus Teaches ‘DWAITA’ first. Then he teaches Adwaita by saying I and Lord are
one. Swami Vivekananda has also pointed out this in his talks.
4. Kinnar: Kinnaras
are celestial musicians according to Sanskrit literature. The Bible mentions
Kinnor 47 times to mention a stringed musical instrument. Even today the
Malayalees in South India use this word for musical instruments which is a pure
Sanskrit word. It is similar to Greek lyre. Sometimes called David’s Harp, the
Kinnor is not a true harp. The word David’s harp sounds like Dravidian Harp.
Sangam Tamil literature is of full of praise for the Yaz (lyre or harp).
Dravida meant South India in those days.
5. Ramayana in the Bible: Lord Rama’s name is mentioned in
the Bible a number of times and the most important of these is the core story
of Ramayana found in Genesis. Only a few lines are given to this story.
(Genesis 18- The Story of Abraham and Sarah).
A Tamil leaflet detailing the facts in a lengthy article was
published in Sankara Krupa, a magazine brought out by Sringeri Shankaracharya
Mutt.
Ram, Ramah, Ramiah, Rameses, Abraham, Abiram, Ahiram, Amram,
Adoram, Adoniram, Hiram, Horam, Huram, Hadoram, Jehoram, Joram, Malchiram- are
used in at least 21 places.
Beside this there are many towns with the name of Ram in
Madagascar Island and in and around Middle East. (Please see my article
Madagascar-India link via Indonesia).
Abraham and Ibrahim are one and the same name. Abba in Hebrew
means father. Even today we name our sons Rama-Iyah or Rama-Appa (father). But
in Hebrew language the suffix Appa-father- will come only as a prefix. That is
how they get the names Abba+ram=Abraham. (PLEASE SEE NO 10 FOR OTHER
INTERPRETATION OF ‘ABRAHAM’)
Cuneiform inscriptions giving the names of Tushrata/Dasaratha
and Pratardhana were found in Syria and they are dated as 1500 BC. No part of
Bible was written before this date. The oldest part of the Bible was written in
900 BC according to Hutchinson Encyclopedia.
Egyptian Kings with
Ram’s name
Egyptian Kings also bear the name of Rama and we find at
least 17 kings with Rameses as their names. It can be interpreted as Rama
Seshan (Vishnu) or Ramesan (Shiva). All those kings have snakes on their heads
like Lord Shiva. Rama’s story was so popular that even Buddhists used Dasaratha
Jataka as one of their stories. To reciprocate their good gestures, Hindus gave
avatar status to the Buddha. THUS BUDDHA WAS ONE OF THE TEN AVATARS OF VISHNU
ACCORDING TO GITA GOWINDA OF JAYADEVA.
6. Teak wood, ivory and birds are mentioned in the Bible with
Sanskrit and Tamil words. The names of all the articles brought back by
Solomon’s fleet are pure Sanskrit words. The names are Sen-habim or teeth of
elephant, Kophim or apes and Tukum or parrots. The equivalent Sanskrit words
are Ibha (elephant), Kapi (Ape/monkey) and Sukam (parrot) with
the mere
addition of Hebrew plural termination.
7. The oral tradition in Kashmir says that the Biblical king
Solomon visited Kashmir. Jesus Christ was said to have spent his last days in
Kashmir after resurrection. Some scholars have even pointed out that Jesus
spent 20 years in the Himalayas. The Bible did not say where he was between age
13 and 33. The present Bible was redacted in 3rd century AD in Constantinople
and lot of different versions were burnt at that time. Like Hindu Puranas they
had various versions of the Bible. To avoid confusion they were burnt by the
king Constantine.
There is a grave in Kashmir, which is considered Jesus’
grave. The epitaph on the grave says, “The messenger of peace rests here”.
Several scholars have pointed out the similarity between the parables of the
Upanishads and Christ.
8. Vibhuthi (Holy Ash) which is used by the Saivaite Hindus
everyday was used by the Christ. Ash Wednesday is the celebration of the holy
ash. Ash is mentioned in the Old Testament as well.
9. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert at the beginning of
his ministry.
Even today 40 day fasting period leading up to Easter was
followed by orthodox Christians. This 40 day period is called a Mandalam in
Hindu scriptures. Even today millions of Hindus visiting Sabarimalai in Kerala
and Murugan temples in Tamilnadu (Skantha Shasti) follow this custom.
10. Following words are used by Hindus, Christians and
Moslems which have nearly the same meaning:
Hindus : Namaskar- Om- Brahma
Christians : Mass- Amen- A braham
Moslems : Namaz- Amin- I brahim
All the first three words mean “worship”. All the important
Veda Mantras like Gayathri pray for many instead of a single man. This shows
that group prayer evolved in India, which is followed by others.
The Christian interjection Amen and The Hindu interjection Om
mean the same thing viz. ‘It is so’ or ‘So be it’ or Yea’ or Verily’ or
‘Truly’. The only difference between the two is whereas the Christian Amen is
pronounced at the end of the prayer, the Hindu Om is usually pronounced at the
beginning of a prayer.
11. We come across Image worship in the Old Testament which
is very common among Hindus. Only Moses put an end to this practice.
12. ‘NAVA’ IN SANSKRIT MEANS ‘NEW’
The story of the Great Floods (deluge) is found in all the
ancient cultures and the very word ‘NOVA’ is itself a Sanskrit name meaning
‘New’. The flood story is the first of the 10 avatars of Vishnu. According to
Hindu mythology a NEW (nova) Manu comes to power after every deluge.
13. The word rutham (Rig veda) meaning Truth, Right, Order
and law gave the Biblical name RUTH and the English words Right, Rhythm and
Truth. Moses, Abel and several other Biblical names can be traced to their
Sanskrit roots:
Yadu-Yada, Jew-Juda. (YADAVAS=YUDA= JEWS). Yayathi-jayathi
(Jewish Rabbi’s name).
14.Swami Vivekananda in his conversations with the disciples
told them about his strange
dream about the Chirst. One day when Swamiji’s ship
was nearing the Crete Island he dreamt of a saint who came in the guise of a
Buddhist monk. He called himself Thera Buddha and told Swamiji that there was
no Chirst but people called himself the Christ. Swamiji did not pursue this
matter for obvious reasons. (For more details see Vivekanandar Sambashanikal
(Tamil) published by Ramakrishna Mutt, Madras.)
15. Like Sermon on the Mount and the Buddhist Dhammapada, the
Hindu scriptures also teach men to return good for evil. This is what said to
have uttered by Vidura, the wise man of Mahabharata in the Vidura Neethi.
Thiruvalluvar, the great Tamil saint in his Thirukkural says:
‘The best way to punish those who harm you is to make them
feel ashamed by doing them good and thinking no more of it’ (couplet 314).
16. Washing the feet: When Dharma alias Yudhistra performed
the Rajasuya Yagna he allocated the tasks to different people. Krishna chose
the work of washing the feet of the worthy Brahmins. One but cannot recall to
mind an identical incident in the Life of Jesus, who when he ate the Passover
meal with his 12 disciples went round washing their feet. This custom of
washing the feet existed in Ancient India even today when great men like
Sankaracharyas visit any one, it is done.
[This discourse material is a compilation from the reference above as well as other sources for a prepared lecture for delivering at Vedanta Class of Sri Ganesha Temple which is gratefully acknowledged. I do not claim anything as original though I have included my explanations and comments elaborately suitably editing. Anybody is free to download partly or fully this discourse, modify and redistribute this as well as other discourses from the blog Hindu Reflections <nrsrini.blogspot.com> for spreading the wisdom of Vedas and scriptures further. These lectures are posted on the blog for the benefit of those who are not able to attend my lectures personally due to personal reasons or due to not living in Nashville or able to go through the various sources as I have done.]