Krishna in Classical Sanskrit Sources and Archaeology

The guru Yogananda (1893-1952) teaches that Krishna and Jesus are behind him: he had visions of them both, he said.

A little scepticism: Are visions of a fairy-tale creature the fit proof you need that it exists? Here is a page on Yogananda visions: [Link]

How certain is it that it is a real Krishna that is seen in a vision? [cf Yoga Sutras 3;36-37]

Searching for evidence, you may find there are only few mentions of a Krishna in the instructive, old Upanishads. They are religio-philosophical works mainly. Three of them spend some lines on Krishna, and the rest do not mention him. The three mentions in Sixty Upanishads of the Veda [So] are:

• Ghora Angirasa has explained it to Krishna, the son of Devaki" . . . he was free from thirst [commonly understood as desire] - Chandogya Upanishad 3.17 [So 115]
• So pious was Devaki's son . . . [he perceived] him who dwell in all beings . . . - Narayana Upanishad 5. [So 805] - it is a minor upanishad. - The Narayana Upanishad's fifth verse makes use of the older Atmabodha Upanishad passage. [So 803, 807-8]

The authors of Classical Hindu Mythology [Clh], professors J. A. B. van Buitenen and Cornelia Dimmitt, think he could have existed a long time before the current era, since the medieval Harivamsa tales speak about him so well - but those tales are not exactly history works. Anyhow, the two translators give Krishna the benefit of doubt. And Poul Tuxen, a Danish professor who translated the Bhagavad Gita into Danish [Wy], also considers that we cannot rule out that there was a historical Krishna.

Maybe you consider the long epic poem of Mahabharata about the marring war that Krishna is involved in, as proof. Consider Dr Poul Tuxen's [Wy] points then:

1. The Mahabharata grew considerably in time.
2. Words in the Bhagavad Gita that appear in it, were added in the course of time over many centuries.

Remains of a well-fortified township claimed to be Krishna's capital Dwarka (also called Kathiawad and Dwaraka) were found in 1981 under water on the coast of Gujarat in western India. The findings conform with Mahabharata descriptions. Some think the findings along with the epic descriptions are valid proof that Krishna existed. The findings are of immense cultural and religious importance to India. The dating of findings is said to fit too. [More]

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