Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s11.797

v1.c3.s11.797

3. Kṛṣṇa Devakī-putra is mentioned in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad¹ as a pupil of the mythical Ghora Āṅgirasa. Tradition,² and several modern writers like Grierson, Garbe, and von Schroeder, recognize in him the hero Kṛṣṇa, who later is deified. In their view he is a Kṣatriya teacher of morals, as opposed to Brahminism.³ This is extremely doubtful. It appears better either to regard the coincidence of name as accidental, or to suppose that the reference is a piece of Euhemerism. To identify this Kṛṣṇa with the preceding, as does the St. Petersburg Dictionary, seems to be quite groundless.