ON KRISHNA, AND SOLAR MYTHS. 161 
is based the new teaching of the Bhagavad-Giti—namely, 
entire devotion to the person of Krishna. Strangely blended 
with the Yoga philosophy, yet as often setting even it aside, 
this is the peculiar doctrine of the poem. ‘Thus, to quote 
Mr. Telang’s translation, chapter vi., “‘ He who has devoted 
his self to abstraction, by devotion, looking alike on every- 
thing, sees the self-abiding in all beings, and all beings in the 
self. T’o him who sees me in everything, and everything in 
me, I am never lost, and he is not lost to me. The devotee 
who worships me abiding in all beings, holding that all is one, 
lives in me, however he may be living.” - Arjuna fears lest he 
should not attain the consummation of devotion, and to him 
Krishna replies: ‘The devotee working with great efforts, 
and cleared of his sins, attains perfection after many births, 
and then reaches the supreme goal. The devotee is esteemed 
higher than the performers of penances, higher even than the 
men of knowledge, and the devotee is, higher than the men of 
action: therefore, O Arjuna, become a devotee. And even 
among all devotees, he who, being full of faith, worships me 
with his inmost self intent on me, is esteemed by me to be the 
most devoted.”? Here the worship of Krishna is placed above 
even the perfection of works which yet are allowed. Krishna 
further enforces devotion to him to be “ the chief among the 
sciences, the chief among the mysteries, the best means of 
sanctification.” He says, ‘‘ Whatever you do, O son of Kunti, 
whatever you eat, whatever sacrifice you make, whatever you 
give, whatever penance you perform, do that as offered to me. 
. Those who worship me with devotion (dwell) in me, 
and I too in them. Even if a very ill-conducted man 
worships me, not worshipping any one else, he must certainly 
be deemed to be good, for he has well resolved. He soon 
becomes devout of heart, and obtains lasting tranquillity 
.... my devotee is never ruined. For, O son of Pritha, 
even those who are of sinful birth, women, Vaisyas, and 
Sidras likewise, resorting to me, attain the supreme goal.” 
Then he adds the principle of “love”: “The wise full of 
love worship me .... T'o these . . . . who worship with 
love, I give that knowledge by which they attain to me. And, 
remaining in their hearts, I destroy, with the brilliant lamp of 
knowledge, the darkness born of ignorance in such men 
only, out of compassion for them.” Such _ sentiments 
find no place, so far as my knowledge goes, in the Vedic 
writings. He enforces his authority by claiming to be 
‘the beginning, and the middle, and the end of all beings.” 
And when Arjuna desires him to “show his inexhaustible 
form” to him, Krishna tells him, ‘“‘ You will not be able to 
