In the Chhaandogya Upanisad, there is mention of a Krishna who was the son of Devaki.
In the third chapter of the Chhaandogya Upanisad, there is a passage the purport of which is to liken a man to a sacrificer, and thus institute a comparison between the human life and the sacrificer's life. The passage states that Ghora Aangirasa, the reputed teacher of Krishna who was the son of Devaki, institutes a comparison between the life of a sacrificer and the life of a man in general.
As for the life of a sacrificer, when he undertakes to perform a sacrifice, he is first disallowed to take food or drink water or enjoy in any other way. This is in the nature of his diksha. Secondly, there are certain ceremonies called the upasadas in that sacrifice in which he is allowed to eat, drink, and enjoy. Thirdly, when such a sacrificer wishes to laugh, eat, and practise sexual intercourse even while the sacrifice is going on, he is allowed to do so if he just sings the hymns of praise called the Stuta-sastras. Fourthly, he must give dakshinaas or gifts to the sacrificial priests in honour of the sacrifice being performed. Fifthly, he pours out the Soma libation, which is equivalent to a new birth of the sacrificer. Finally, the sacrificer takes the Avabhritha bath at the end of the sacrificial ceremony, which puts an end to the sacrifice. These are the stages through which a sacrificer's life passes while performing the sacrifice.
As for the life of a man, at the initial stage, he has to serve merely as an apprentice, and cannot eat and drink and enjoy on certain occasions. Secondly, another stage opens before him when he can eat and drink and enjoy. Thirdly, when he grows a little older, he can laugh and eat and practise sexual intercourse. Fourthly, the price, which he has to pay for leading a holy life, is that he should cultivate the virtues such as penance, liberality, straightforwardness, harmlessness, and truthfulness.
Fifthly, when he has procreated, it can be said that he is born again in his child. The final act of human life takes place when death is about to overtake him.
In the Chhaandogya Upanisad, Ghora Aangirasa tells Krishna that, at such a critical time in the life of man, he must take refuge in three thoughts - ‘Thou art the indestructible! Thou art the unchangeable! Thou art the very edge of life!' (III.17.1-6). When this knowledge was imparted to Krishna, it is said in the passage that he never thirsted for further knowledge.
Based on this passage, some commentators have argued that Krishna, the son of Devaki, must be regarded as identical with Krishna, the divine hero of the Mahabharata. This argument seems to be without proof. For instance, there is no mention, whatsoever, of Ghora Aangirasa of the Chhaandogya Upanisad, in the Mahabharata. If Ghora Aangirasa were to be considered as a teacher of Krishna, the Mahabharata, the great epic, could not have left his name without being mentioned. Secondly, if the Krishna of the Chhaandogya Upanisad is to be identified with the Krishna of the Mahabharata, are we to identify the Harischandra of the Aitareya Brahmana who had a hundred wives, with the Harischandra of mythology who had only one wife?
Mere similarity of names does not prove anything. But the mention of the gifts by the sacrificer to the priests of the sacrifice stated in the passage in the Upanisad makes an interesting reading. The gifts a sacrificer should make are of the virtues such as Tapas, Daanam, Arjavam, Ahimsaa, and Satyavachanam. This list is quite similar to the virtues enumerated in the Bhagavad-Gita (XVI.1-2) and almost in the same order, with only an addition of some more virtues. Even this fact does not establish the identity of the two persons; for the Bhagavad-Gita has borrowed similar quotations, phrases, and ideas from the Upanisads quite extensively.
There may be another point for consideration. The Bhagavad-Gita has not incorporated the teachings of Ghora Aangirasa that a man at the last moment of his life should take resort to the three thoughts ‘Thou art the indestructible! Thou art the unchangeable! Thou art the very edge of life!', but only advises that a man should utter AUM at the time of his death and meditate upon God. If there is identity between the Krishna of the Chhaandogya Upanisad and the Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita, it is very probable that the Bhagavad-Gita would have adopted the teachings of Ghora Aangirasa, too, which are very noble.
In the result, it does not stand established that the Krishna of the Chhaandogya Upanisad is the same Krishna of the Mahabharata.
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