ZEITGEIST: THE MOVIE

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