St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-12-13
Ole TaIedunian.
From an Occasional Correspondent.
KRISHNA.


A Heather God Whom Ingersoll Thinks
Worthy a Leader Jesus Christ.
One of the deities to whom special
worship is given, and whose worship
is being revived in India in these days
is Krishna an incarnation of Vishnu.
1t is impossible to gain much certain
knowledge of who or what Krishna
was. His name is first mentioned in
an old poem "Mahabharat," but in
that he is represented as the king of
Dwaraka, taking part on one side in
the great war and driving the war
chariot of his friend, a great warrior,
giving him directions, even advising
him to prove false and use treachery
in order to gain advantage over his
enemy. No reference whatever is
made to his early exploits at Mattra,
except in one disputed passage. Hence
those writer's who have investigated
the matter most carefully consider that
these tricks and wonders related of his
youth ut Mattra and Bindraban, which
now alone are remembered and report
ed by the Hindus, were all inventions
of a later date. The earliest accounts
of these are found in book Of COM
paratively modern date. The first
references are supposed to date sever
al centuries before Christ, while the
stories now repeated and illustrated
were recorded rs late as the tenth cen
tury after Christ.
Each of the Hindu "Awators" (incar-
natiOns) was manifested for a special
work, and it is said that Krishna was
born to destroy KaDsa, the cruel king
of Mattra. This king was an incarna-
ton of demon and filled his city with
carnage and blood, killing even the
Brahmins and the sacred cows and de-
filing the temples. In answer to the
prayers of the people IL voice told Kan
sa that lie should be destroyed by the
eighth son of his brother, Yasudeva.
The king at once called his brother to
his palace and placed him under guard,
and each son that was born was taken
to the tyrant and ut once killed. One
son, however, was conveyed before it's
birth to another woman and thus born
and saved and named Bala Kan.
When the eighth son was born, which
was the wonderful Krislna, the father
caught it up at once and passing
through the guards unseen ran with it
to Bindraban, six miles from Mattra.
On reaching the river Jamma, which
which was swollen on account of the
rains, the father stepped into the boil
ing current, but as soon as the water
touched the foot of the child the river
was quieted and rose no higher. Here
in the forest the chief herdman's wife
had just given birth to a daughter, no
earthly child however. Krishna was
ut once changed for this girl, and the
girl was taken back in haste and plac-
ed on the bosom of the mother of
Krishna. At once it began to cry and
the guards rushed in and bore it off to
the tyrant who dashed it to the ground,
but the child rose up in celestial beauty
and assembled to heaven, and is now
worslipped as the goddess Durga. At
once the tyrant ordered search to be
made for all young children, that the
son of his brother might be slain with
them, but he was safe in the forest of
Bindra.
Then follow many marvellous tales
of the childhood of Krishna. Demons
in all conceivable forms came to de-
strOy him and aid kansa. One as il
woman took the child to her breast
that he should draw deadly poison
therefrom but he drew out her life
blood instead, and with groans that
shook the earth she died. Another
swept the child from the earth in
whirIwind, but the demon not the boy
was destroyed. Another came as Il
monstrOus crane and ate the children,
but krishna proved such IL hot mouth
full that he was glad to drop him, and
at once the boy seized his bill and
split him in two parts. Others came
as serpent, once us Il wolf, but all
were destroyed or bruised so that they
fled. One enormous animal opened
his jaws till they appeared like cave
in the mountain. All the children in
curiosity drew near and were all drawn
into the enormous creature and at once
his mouth was closed. Krishna told
the children not to fear and at once
caused his body so to swell that the
animal burst, and all the children ran
out unframed Thus all conceivable
marvellous stories are related.
Other stories follow to show krish
mas superiority over the other deities.
One day the Jealous Brahma, the crea-
tor, stole all the cattle from the jungle.
The children who were guarding them
went i'm search but krislna under
standing the trick just created other
cattle exactly like the lost ones. The
children not returning KrisiIna knew
that Brahma had also stolen these so
he created more exactly like the stolen
ones. When Brahma after Il long
sleep came back to see the desolation
of Bindraban without cattle or child
rem he found all rs usual, and worship
ped the superior Krishna.
The people yearly offered a sacrifice
to Indra the god of the sky and the
rain, but krishna advised that the sac
rifice be made to the deity of the hills.
Hence he assumed two forms, in one
he was among the wOrshippers at the
foot of the hill, and in the other he was
on top of the hill as a deity and re-
ceived for himself all the offerings and
worship. Indra was of course very
angry at this and sent terrible storm
to destroy all the cattle and all the
people of Bindraban. Krishna at once |
tore up the hill and balancing it on his |
finger held it up as an umbrella, call
ing all the people and cattle to take
refuge under the hill For seven days |
and nights the storm ragged and not
once did the finger that held the
mountain tremble or the smile leave
his face. After the storm abated the |
mountain was restored and the great
god Indra mounting his elephant came
and worshipped this greater deity.
Thus the Votaries of krishna prove
that he is the chief deity, and that
Mattra and Bindraban are the most