First writings are the Rig Vedas circa 1800 to 1400 BC
We have been taught by our gurus and pundits that there is no such thing as sin, only positive and negative karma; that there is no eternal heaven or hell; that there is only reincarnation based on karma; that all religions worship the same god; that all religions lead to the same god and destiny; that there is not one exclusive way to God and salvation; and that good deeds earn us salvation. These are the philosophies that we are taught.
When we read the original sacred writing of the Vedas and Upanishads, they teach us differently; they teach about sin, about heaven, hell, salvation from hell (Mukti) and one exclusive way to salvation through the Purush Prajapati. (The oldest Hindu writing is the Rg Veda, written around 1500 BC)
In the scriptures we learn the following:
That the soul will go “into the mouth of death”. Man, whose hands are soiled with sin, cannot cleanse himself from sin even though his intentions may be good. (Kathopanishad 3:10 -15)
The theme in the Rg Veda and the Upanishads is the nature and purpose of one supreme sacrifice known as the Purush Prajapati. This name is translated from Sanskrit as “the Lord of all creation who became man” (Sathpathbrahmana 10.2.2.1_2; Rg Ved Purushasukta 10:19)
After giving Himself as the supreme sacrifice, He resurrected himself (Brihad Aranyak Upanishad 3.9.28.4_5; Kathopanishad 3:15). By his resurrection, the Purush Prajapati conquered death and released sin’s stranglehold on mankind. He will return to earth only once more. At this point in its account, the Vedantic history of Purush Prajapati ends.
This Purush Prajapati is the one and only way to eternal life. “Nanyah pantha vidyate-ayanaya” (Yajur Ved 31:18).
This Supreme Creator took a perfect human body (Nishkalanka Purusha ) and offered it up as a self-sacrifice (Brihad Aranyak Upanishad 1.2.8).
He is the only sinless human being, and only in knowing Him does one obtain immortality (Chandogya Upanishad 1.6:6,7).
Acknowledging the sacrifice of the perfect Purush Prajapati imparts eternal life and we escape the mouth of Death. (Kathopanishad 1, 3.8, 11). The Svetasvataropanishad 3:8 states: ” I know the (one) supreme Purush … Only in knowing Him does one pass over death. There is no other path leading to eternal life”. Yajurved 31:18 concludes the same in the Purushasukta: “… No other way is known for eternal life. (Nanyah pantha vidyate_ayanaya”).
He was symbolized by a spotless lamb, which was the animal most commonly sacrificed in those days.* (Maddyandiniya Sathpathbrahmana III)
* The people place their sins on the lamb and the lamb dies in their place. This form of sacrifice is still a regular occurrence in several Hindu temples throughout India. In most religions, we find traces of the doctrine that ‘without the shedding of blood there no forgiveness of sins’. People sacrifice a lamb or goat as atonement, to make reparation for their sins.
When we look across the scope of history we find many greats from Buddha to Bahaullah from Aristotle to Gandhiji, from Ashok to Mother Teresa, but no one really fits the description of this prophecy in the Hindu scriptures, except Lord Jesus. He is the only one that resurrected as predicted in the Upanishads. He is the only one that physically sacrificed Himself as a lamb for our sins so that we can be forgiven. By accepting his sacrifice for our sins we experience Mukti and escape the mouth of death. By accepting what Jesus did for us, sin has lost its power over us and the fear of death has lost its grip and we receive the gift of eternal life.
