Materials for the Study of the Early History of the Vaishnava Sect c8.259

c8.259

The pre-epical literature of the Hindus bears unequivocal testimony to the human character of Kṛṣṇa. The *Chhāndogya Upanishad* which is one of the oldest Upanishads¹ and which undoubtedly belongs to the pre-Buddhistic period² mentions Kṛṣṇa Devakīputra as a human sage, a disciple of the Rishi Ghora Āṅgirasa :³ “ *Taddhaitad Ghora Āṅgirasaḥ Kṛṣṇāya Devakīputrāyoktovāchā pipāsa eva sa babhūva so’nta velāyāmetat ’trayam pratipadyeta—akshita-machyutamasi prāṇasansilamasīti.* ”