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“Star in the East”: Although it is not specifically termed a ―star in the east,‖ in the Indian text the<br />
Bhagavata Purana (10.3:1), a constellation called ―Rohini‖ or ―his stars‖ is present at Krishna‘s birth. As<br />
professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University Dr. Edwin F. Bryant remarks:<br />
At the time of [Krishna‘s] birth, all the constellations and stars were benevolent. The constellation<br />
was Rohini, which is presided over by Brahma. 148<br />
Regarding this stellar motif, J.M. Robertson states:<br />
Now, it is a general rule in ancient mythology that the birthdays of God were astrological; and the<br />
simple fact that the Purana gives an astronomical moment for Krishna‘s birth is a sufficient proof<br />
that at the time of writing they had a fixed date for it. The star Rohini under which he was born, it<br />
will be remembered, has the name given in one variation of the Krishna legend to a wife of<br />
Vasudeva who bore to him Rama, as Devaki...bore Krishna. Here we are in the thick of ancient<br />
astrological myth. Rohini (our Aldebaran) is ―the red,‖ ―a mythical name also applied now to<br />
Aurora, now to a star.‖ 149<br />
The point here is that a celestial portent is common at the birth of great gods, legends, heroes and<br />
patriarchs, as can be found in other stories and myths, including the Persian lawgiver Zoroaster, whose<br />
very name means ―star of splendor,‖ 150 and Buddha, as the ―immortals of the Tushita-heaven decide that<br />
Buddha shall be born when the ‗flower-star‘ makes its first appearance in the East.‖ 151 Hence, the story<br />
about the star in the east at Christ‘s birth is an unoriginal and patently mythical motif.<br />
Performed Miracles: Quoting Murdock:<br />
Krishna‘s performance of miracles, in front of his disciples, is legendary, including many in the<br />
Mahabharata, in which he reveals mysteries to his disciple Arjuna (John?). Krishna does likewise<br />
in the Bhagavad Gita, in which he describes himself as the ―Lord of all beings,‖ among many<br />
epithets similar to those found within Christianity. In this same regard, Krishna says: ―I am the<br />
origin of all that exists, and everything emanates from Me.‖ 152<br />
Death and Resurrection: Concerning Krishna‘s death and ascension, in The Oxford Companion to<br />
World Mythology, Dr. Leeming states:<br />
Just after the war, Krishna dies, as he had predicted he would, when, in a position of meditation,<br />
he is struck in the heel by a hunter‘s arrow. His apotheosis occurs when he ascends in death to<br />
the heavens and is greeted by the gods. 153<br />
Regarding the resurrection/ascension, the Mahabharata (4) says that Krishna or ―Keshava,‖ as he is also<br />
traditionally called, immediately returns to life after being killed and speaks only to the hunter, forgiving<br />
him of his actions:<br />
…he [the hunter] touched the feet of [Krishna]. The high-souled one comforted him and then<br />
ascended upwards, filling the entire welkin [sky/heaven] with splendour... [Krishna] reached his<br />
own inconceivable region. 154<br />
Concerning Krishna‘s death, Murdock remarks:<br />
Although it is not specifically stated that Krishna ―resurrects‖ upon his death—when he is killed<br />
under a tree—he does ascend into heaven, alive again, since he is considered to be the eternal<br />
God of the cosmos. Krishna‘s death is recounted in the Mahabharata and Vishnu Purana, both<br />
148 Bryant, KS, 119.<br />
149 Robertson, 177.<br />
150 Zoroaster or Zarathustra has been credited with ―prophesying‖ the appearance of the ―star in the east‖ over the<br />
place of the coming savior, as in the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour (10). (Roberts, ANF, VIII, 406.) This<br />
―prophecy‖ is also considered to be the prediction of his own rebirth.<br />
151 The star at Buddha‘s birth is said to be the ―Pushya Nakshatra‖ (Prasad, G., 25.) This episode of the star Pushya<br />
at Buddha's birth is found in the Buddhist texts the Mahāvastu and the Lalita Vistara. (Edmunds, 123.)<br />
152 Murdock, RZC, 17.<br />
153 Leeming, OCWM, 232.<br />
154 Rāya, 12.