Rebuttal: M.N. Anderson’s article Prophet Muhammad in Hindu Scriptures?

M.N. Anderson starts his article listing some of the prophecies in Prati Sarg Parv III: 3, 3, Verse 5. The translation of Verses 5-27 (Sanskrit text of the Puranas, Prati Sarg Parv III: 3, 3) etc.


M.N. Anderson writes:

The above quotations seems to be so fantastic, unbelievable and too good to be true.Indeed they are.

My Response:

Too good to be true? Well, then how do you explain this?

http://www.answering-christianity.com/predict.htm

They are more than too good to be true but they are.


M.N. Anderson writes:

Dr. Haq's claims will stand or fall on the reliability of these Hindu Scriptures.

My Response:

This is a very good trick, to reject the book altogether to escape from accepting the truth. But your claims shall be answered wherever you make them.


M.N. Anderson writes:

Both Dr. Haq and Menon told us that `Bhavishya Puran,' literally means future events and Menon added
"What is relevant here, is that everything, every episode and every character portrayed in the Holy Bible appears in the form of prediction in this Indian mythology."
If the above is true how can the story of Adam and Eve appear in the form of a prophecy and a future event?! Who was there before Adam to transmit or receive this prophecy?
It is obvious then that although that `Bhavishya Puran,' literally means future events it is actually attempting to narrate events of past history and the so called prophecies about Muhammad fall into the same category as that that of the story of Adam.


My Response:

First of all, the part of everything being a prophecy is the view of Mr. Menon but since the story of Prophet Adam is mentioned (as you claim), this view of Mr. Menon is not 100% correct. This book contains prophecies as well as descriptions of the past. Just quoting one person and ignoring the book altogether and other scholars is a very deceiving trick played by Mr. M.N Anderson. On one hand, the Christians claim that Psalms prophesizes Jesus and the verse which says that his legs were not broken is taken to be referring to Jesus. If Mr. Anderson reads these so-called prophecies, he would see that they use past tenses which is also the case in the Puranas. Whether the book should be trusted or not is discuss below.



M.N. Anderson writes:

But that is not all, Menon then went on quoting:
As detailed in the Bible later, the lineage of Adaman is very long and luminous. The son of Adaman and Hvyavathy is Shwethanama (Seth). His son is Anoohan (Enoch). Then the lineage goes like this. Keenashan (Kenan), Mahallalan (Mahallalel), Viradan (Jered), Hanukan (Enoch), Manochillan (Methuselah), Lomakan (Lamech), Newhan (Noah).
God warns His devotee Newhan in his dream, of the impending flood and asks him to take refuge in a boat with his family. Newhan embarked on the boat with his family. The floodgates of the sky opened and fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. The flood came. All the four seas came into confluence. Only Newhan, his kith and kin along with the hermits of Badarya survived. By their fervent prayer the flood subsided and the water was gone.
Note the close resemblance and oneness, even in the names of the lineage from Adam and Eve to Noah in the book of Genesis of the Holy Bible and above. The difference is only that in the Bible it is treated symbolically while narrating history whereas in Bhavishyapurana it is given as prediction of the future. Noah, Ark, Forty days flood and its riddance by exactly one year, are all predicted word by word.


My Response:

All the above is once again the thinking of Mr. Menon.

The son of Adaman and Hvyavathy is Shwethanama (Seth). His son is Anoohan (Enoch). Then the lineage goes like this. Keenashan (Kenan), Mahallalan (Mahallalel), Viradan (Jered), Hanukan (Enoch), Manochillan (Methuselah), Lomakan (Lamech), Newhan (Noah).

The words in the brackets are the interpretation of Mr. Menon supposedly. From the Hindu scriptures, we see that Noah is named Manuh whereas the above calls Newhan as Noah. This looks like a deliberate attempt to make this a discussion of the Prophets.

Let’s suppose for a moment that it really is discussing the people named in the brackets, does it prove that this is a book not to be trusted at all?

The answer is no because the Bible has several similar contradictions and illogical statements in it. If Mr. Anderson calls this book to be completely unauthentic, then he should first throw away the Bible as proven in the links below;

The Genealogies of Jesus Christ



Historical Errors in the Gospels


101 Contradictions in the Bible


Rejecting a book completely on the grounds of incorrect stories is not a correct thing to do. Even a corrupted book can have some truth in it and the truth of Prophet Muhammad (s) being mentioned in Hindu books has been proven by time.
From Hindu books of the past, writings, history books etc, we do not see any evidence that shows that the Hindus believed in Prophet Muhammad (s) to be mentioned in their books. This is a recent discovery.
Hindu scholars have called this prophecy to be absolutely true. 8 respected Pandits (Hindu priests) had given confirmation that the man being foretold in their books is none other than Muhammad (s).

A Hindu scholar Prof. Pundit Vaid Parkash writes,

***** The Last Kalki Autar (Messenger) that the Veda has foretold and who is waited on by Hindus is the Prophet Muhammed ibn Abdullah (saw) *****
A recently published book in Hindi has raised a lot of hue and cry all over India. In the event of the author being Muslim, he would have been jailed AND a strict ban would have certainly been imposed on the printing and the publishing of the book.
The author of this important research work "Kalki Autar" i.e. "Guide and Prophet of whole universe" comes of a Bengali race and holds an important portfolio at Ilahabad University. Pundit Vaid Parkash is a Brahman Hindu and a well known Sanskrit scholar and research workder.
Pundit Vaid Parkash, after a great deal of toil and hard-work, presented the work to as many as eight great Pundits who are themselves very well known in the field of research in India, and are amongst the learned religious leaders. Their Pundits, after thorough study of the book, have acknowledged this to be true and authentic research work.
Important religious books of India mention the guide and prophet by the specific name of "Kalki Autar" it denotes the great man Muhammed (saw) who was born in Makkah. Hence, all Hindus where-ever they may be, should wait no longer for any other 'kalik autar' but to embrace Islam and follow in the footsteps of the last Messenger of Allah (swt) who was sent in the world about fourteen hundred years ago with a mission from Him and after accomplishing it has long ago departed this world. As an argument to prove the authenticity of his research, Pundit Vaid Parkash quotes from the Veda, a sacred book among Hindus:
1. Veda mentions that 'kalki autar' will be the last Messenger/Prophet of Bhagwan (Allah) to guide the whole world. Afer quoting this reference the Pundit Parkash says that this comes true only in the case of Muhammed (saw).
2. According to a prophecy of Hinduism, 'kalki autar' will be born in an island and that is the Arab territory which is known as 'jazeeratul Arab'.
3. In the 'sacred' book of Hindus the father's name of 'kalki autar' is mentioned as 'Vishnu Bhagat' and his mother's name as 'somanib'. In sanskrit, 'vishnu' stands for Allah (swt) and the literal meaning of 'bhagat' is slave.
'Vishnu Bhagat' therefore, in the Arabic language will mean Allah's slave (Abdullah). 'Somanib' in Sanskrit means peace and tranquilty which in arabic is denoted by the word 'Amina'. Whereas the last Messenger Muhammed's (saw) father and mother's names were Abdullah and Amina respectively.
4. In the big books of Hindus, it is mentioned that 'kalki autar' will live on olive and dates and he will be true to his words and honest. In this regard Pundit Parkash writes, "This is true and established only in the case of Muhammed (saw)".
5. Veda mentions that 'kalki autar' will be born in the respected and noble dynasty of his land. And this is also true as regards Muhammed (saw) as he was born in the respected tribe of Quraish who enjoyed great respect and high place in Makkah.
6. 'Kalki Autar' will be taught in the cave by Bhagwan through his own messenger. And it is very true in this matter. Muhammed (saw) was the only one person in Makkah who has taught by Allah's Messenger Gabriel in the cave of Hira.
7. It is written in the books which Hindus believe that Bhagwan will provide 'Kalki autar' with the fastest of a horse and with the help of which he will ride around the world and the seven skies/heavens. The riding on 'Buraq' and 'Meraj' by the Prophet Muhammed (saw) proves that
8. It is also written in the Hindus' books that 'kalki autar' will be strengthened and heavily helped by Bhagwan. And we know this fact that Muhammed (saw) was aided and reinforced by Allah (swt) through His angels in the battle of Badr.
9. Hindus' books also mention that 'kalki autar' will be an expert in horse riding, arrow shooting, and swordsmanship. What Pundit Vaid Parkash comments in this regard is very important and worth attention and consideration. He writes that the age of horses, swords, and spears is long ago gone and now is the age of modern weapons like tanks, missiles, and guns, and therefore it will be unwise to wait for 'kalki autar' bearing sword and arrows or spears. In reality, the mention in our books of 'kalki autar' is clearly indicative of Muhammed (saw) who was given the heavenly book known as Al-Qur'an.

M.N. Anderson writes:

Menon further added:
Then it was predicted that a master (Patriarch) will come by the name of Moosa (Moses) and his faith will spread all over the world. When the era of Kali has reached three thousand years (This is the 5095th year of that era. So it is two thousand years ago) Jesus Christ appears with the name "Easa Maseeha" in the land of Huna. Here we should remember that Jesus Christ is 'Easa Maseeha' in Hebrews. At that time it was King 'Shakapathi' who ruled that land. In the mountainous terrain of Hunadesha the Kings meeting with a white clad male is described thus:
"Ko bhavaanithi tham praaha
Sahovaachamudaanwitha:
Eshaputhram cha maam vidhi
Kumaaree garbha sambahavam
Aham Eesa Maseeha nama:"
King Shaka asked "May I know, who you are!". With apparent joy that male replied "Know that I am the Son of God. I am born in the womb of a virgin. 'Easa Maseeha' is my well known name". (Bhavashya purana- Prathisarga parva, IIIrd part- 2nd chapter- 23rd verse.)
The two expressions "the well-known Mahamad" and 'Easa Maseeha' is my well known name". Let the cat out of the bag. These parts of Hindu scripture are not prophecies written in the distant past but written at a time when Muhammad's name became well known and Jesus was known as Easa Maseeh.
Contrary to Menon's understanding that Easa Maseeh is the Hebrew form of Jesus Christ, it is actually an Islamised version of Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for Jesus is Yeshua, not Easa.

My response:

First of all, the son of God part. This is nothing but false translations.



http://essenes.net/The%20name%20of%20Jesus.htm



The name of Jesus Christ in his own language is Eesa and not Jesus or Yeshua.

The above given verse is not actually a translation but is an interpretation of Mr. Menon. The real translations can be read here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm



M.N. Anderson writes:

As a matter of fact the expression Easa Masih is the Persian version of Jesus the Christ. In both the Qur'an and the Hadith the name Jesus Christ appears as Masih Easa (if we delete the article). In other words Masih comes before Easa in the Qur'an and the Hadith, not the other way around. The "Easa Masih" form is the Persian version for the name of Jesus Christ. This points out that the time of compiling this part of this Hindu document was done at least after the spread of Islam to Persia or the spread of Islam to India through Persian contacts.
This is strong evidence that this part of Hindu Scripture was written after Islam had spread to the Indian subcontinent. In other words, all the above quotations by Dr. Haq and Menon are not prophecies but recent compilations.

My Response:

Persian or Sanskrit?

First of all, this conclusion is not a valid conclusion as it lacks evidence and does not discuss about the language in which it is written. In Sanskrit, the name of Jesus has Easa before the Massih. This is a general rule in Sanskrit and also Hindi that a word, thing or a person is described with the word before the description.

For example:
Coffee is good – Correct statement

Good is coffee – Incorrect statement

The word that is described comes before the word that is the description.

Mr. Anderson needs to bring some reasonable proof for his claims. Just concluding without any proof just shows his closed-mindedness.


M.N. Anderson writes:

Menon then goes on to show the similarities between the Bible and the Rigveda:
In the book of Revelation, the last in the Bible, we can see a lot of resonance, at so many places, similar to the hymns of Rigveda.
'PRAJAPATHY', the male image, the pivotal figure in the tenth volume of Rigveda is the central point of this concordance. The birth and public life of Jesus Christ of the holy Bible maintain an intimate similarity with this worshipful male.
In the first hymn of the 121st aphorism in the tenth volume of Rigveda, the narration about the birth of this male is given like this:-
"Hiranyagarbha: samavarthathaagre
Bhuuthasya jaatha: pathireka aaseeth
Sadaadhaara prudhwivim dyaamuthemam
Kasmai devaaya havisha vidhemam.
'Prajapathy' alias 'Hiranya garbha', the first born, was born to the HolySpirit (Paramatma) before Genesis. Upon birth, He became one andonly God to the universe comprising the Skies, Stars Earth and theSeas. He rules the endless firmament and the whole of the earth. Weplease this deity, Prajapathy, who is called 'Kan' affectionately, withofferings in sacrifices (Rigveda X: 121,1)We can see a mention of this son of the spirit of God inIthareyopanishad also."Sa eekshatheeme nu lokaLokaa Paalaanusruja ithiSodbhaaya eva purushamSamudruthya moorchayaayt"After the creation of the Firmament, Earth and Waters, the Holy Spiritof the God thought like this. "I have created all the Worlds. For them Ishould create a protector (Saviour). With this intention, the Holy Spiritcreated a male from His own self. (Ithareyopanishad 1. 1:3)...."Thasmaad virraada jaayathaviraajo adhi purusha:Sjaatho athyarichyathaPaschaad bhoomimadhopura:"From that male the universe came into being. From that body of theuniverse came the omnipresent male. That male thus becamemanifest, adopted various forms and character and created the earthand other planets along with the creatures to live in them.(RigvedaX:90:5)In 1:3 John says, "through him God made all things; not one thing inall creation was made without him". Isn't this similarity in essencebetween these mutually supporting statements, amazing?Rigveda says again about this male, the creator and sustainer."Purusha evedam sarvam Yadbhutham yachabhavyam Uthaamruthathwasya eesaana Yadaannenathirohathi" It is definitely this very same male who exists now, who has gone byand who is expected to come. Not only that, it is this same male whocontrols the state of eternity (immortality).It is for the redemption of mankind, he surpasses his immortal sphereand descends to the mortal sphere. He comes to give everyonerecompense as per his deeds. (Rigveda X: 90:2)
It is definitely this very same male who exists now, who has gone byand who is expected to come. Not only that, it is this same male whocontrols the state of eternity (immortality).It is for the redemption of mankind, he surpasses his immortal sphereand descends to the mortal sphere. He comes to give everyonerecompense as per his deeds. (Rigveda X: 90:2)In the book of Revelation, in the Holy Bible, St.John says, verse 8chapter 1. "The Lord God, who is, who was and who is to come." InJohn's Gospel 8th chapter 51st verse Jesus says: "I am telling you thetruth. Whoever obeys my teaching will never die."Again in the book ofRevelation, 22:12 Jesus says: "I will bring my rewards with me, to giveto each one according to what he has done." All the assignmentsentrusted to the idol male is fulfilled in Jesus Christ perfectly.Maintaining resemblance word by word, these statements do notmerely coincide in content, but it reveals a singular purpose ormeaning. We should remember that this unique oneness or singularityis seen in 'Purushasookta' which the venerated vedavyasa hadapplauded as the aphorism of aphorisms.In this very same 'Purushasookta' there is a mention of a divinesacrifice for the deliverance and salvation of human race too."Thaam yajnam barhishi proukshanPurusham jaathamagrathaThena deva ayajanthaSaadhya rushayaschaye"Devas of heaven and the ruling fraternity along with the hermitsoffered the first born male in sacrifice by consecrating him as theanimal of offering by tying him on a wooden sacrificial post. (RigvedaX: 90:7)We read in all the four Gospels in the Holy Bible -Jesus was consigned to a wooden cross by Pilate, he representativeof the Roman Emperor, Herodes, the Jew king (Ruler), and twopriests named Annas and Caiaphas and their henchmen.The crucification of Christ should not be seen as a punishment for amere revolutionary for treason. And it is a sacrifice for the redemptionof humanity as a whole; it is the fulfillment of prophecies of the oldtestaments. If the blood of Christ shed on the cross is the cleansingfactor for the believer of Christianity, here Rigveda comes again.


My Response:

Mr. Anderson again and again quotes Mr. Menon’s book which is his own interpretation and his own translation of the text. Here are the translations of the verses that Mr. Anderson has quoted.

(Rigveda X:121, 1-5)
IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, born Only Lord of all created beings.He fixed and holdeth up this earth and heaven. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Giver of vital breath, of power and vigour, he whose commandments all the Gods acknowledge -.The Lord of death, whose shade is life immortal. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
Who by his grandeur hath become Sole Ruler of all the moving world that breathes and slumbers;He who is Loord of men and Lord of cattle. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
His, through his might, are these snow-covered mountains, and men call sea and Rasa his possession:His arms are these, his are these heavenly regions. What God shall we adore with our oblation?
5
By him the heavens are strong and earth is stedfast, by him light's realm and sky-vault are supported:By him the regions in mid-air were measured. What God shall we adore with our oblation?


Can anyone explain as to how these verses refer to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him)?
The above verses and the ones presented below do not mention Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) in any way. What Mr. Anderson is doing is that he is using Mr. Menon’s work to suit his own purpose of rejecting Prophet Muhammad (s).

Other verses that Mr. Anderson quoted are posted below but a short point needs to be made here. Mr. Anderson only uses the interpretations by Mr. Menon which I call as interpretations rather than translations because the real translations have something else to say.

The real translations can be found here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm




(Rig Veda X:90:5)
From him Viraj was born; again Purusa from Viraj was born. As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o'er the earth. (Griffith)
From him Viraj was born, from Viraj came the Man. When he was born, he ranged beyond the earth, behind and before (Flaherty)

So the Hiranyagarbha is the cosmic Golden Egg and NOT the first born of the Holy Spirit (Paramatma?) as Mr. Menon says. To equate Hiranyagarbha (Hiranya=Golden and Garbha=Womb or Embryo,) with Jesus Christ is nothing but nonsense, to say the least.

The next verse he cites is X.90.2, which looks totally different in other translations!

It is for the redemption of mankind, he surpassed his immortal sphere and descends to the mortal sphere. He comes to give everyone recompense as per their deeds (Menon)

This Purusa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be; The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food. (Griffith)
It is the Man who is all this, whatever has been and whatever is to be. He is the ruler of immortality, when he grows beyond everything through food. (Flaherty)

Devas of heaven and the ruling fraternity along with the hermits offered the first born male in sacrifice by consecrating him as the animal of offering by tying him on a wooden sacrificial post. (Menon)
They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time. With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed. (Griffith)
They anointed the Man, the sacrifice born at the beginning, upon the sacred grass. With him the gods, Sadhyas, and sages sacrificed. (Flaherty)

Where is the Wooden Sacrificial Post in these translations? The Sacred grass has been conveniently taken as wooden post! Where is the question of `tying him' when the post itself is absent? Mr. Menon continues to produce such amazing interpolatory `translations' from the Rig Veda. Here he `translates' X.90.16 to appear like Romans 10:9.


Finally, X.90.7
They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time.With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed.

This verse does not talk about Jesus in any way.


M.N. Anderson writes:

We can see that the author of the Rigveda had thorough knowledge of the Bible. Hence we do not share the amazement of Menon at the onneness between the Hindu Scriptures and the Bible.
We can safely say that the Hindu Scriptures have been continuously modified to incorporate all that is out there.
In the Bhagavad Gita we read that people can remain forever in Hell.
O Krsna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell. 1:43
The belief in Hell is contrary to the endless cycle of death and rebirth that is essential in the Hindu religion. In the Gita much lesser concepts have been expounded and taught in detail, except this one. The word Hell just appears without any explanation.
This is another borrowing from Christianity and Islam.

My Response:

Either Mr. Anderson is ignorant of Hindu beliefs or he is deliberately trying to deceive the readers. Hindus only believe in 7 lives and not an endless cycle of rebirths. After the 7 reincarnations, they either have heaven or hell.

M.N. Anderson writes:

We also find modern words in the Gita:
The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. 18:61
We were asked to believe that the Gita was written some 500 BC.

My Response:

Gita 18:61. Ishvara resides in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, and by the power of His maya He makes all beings to revolve as on a potter’s machine.
Hope that it is clear now. The machine is not a modern word and a potter’s machine existed in 500 B.C. I wonder why Mr. Anderson left out the word “potter”.

M.N. Anderson writes:

Here is another modern word:
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world. Ch 15:6
While we can concede that the word for electricity could be an old one, the fact that electricity produces light like the sun and moon was not known 500 BC.

My Response:

Here is the correct translation of this verse:
15:6. Neither the Sun, nor the Moon, nor fire shine there. Having entered this place one never returns. This is My Supreme Abode.
Even here, there is no problem.

M.N. Anderson writes:

Let us look into the 163'rd aphorism of 10'th volume in Rigveda. There are six hymns in this aphorism. All are hymns for healing. Here is one:
"Aandrebhyasthe gudaabhyoVanishto hridayadadhiYaashmaam mathasnaabhyaam yaknaPlaashibhyo vivruhamithe"
O! You sick and sufferingI herein remove Your illnessFrom the veins of your small intestineFrom the veins that carry oxygen andEnzymes from the large intestine,From the gheartyFrom the mango shaped kidneys on both sidesFrom your lungs and spleen
The Hindu Scriptures can not be taken seriously. Unless we passionately believe that machines, electricity, oxygen, and enzymes are all prophecies along with the names of Muhammad.


My Response:

Here is the correct translation by Griffith:
From viscera and all within, Forth from the rectum, From the heart, From kidneys, liver, and From spleen, I drive thy malady away.
Where from did Mr. Menon discover oxygen, enzyme and the rest?

Conclusion:

Prophet Muhammad (s) has been prophesied in Hindu books correctly as the last Prophet. What Mr. Anderson did was that he quoted only from Mr. Menon’s book to prove his points. All the verses quoted by him of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) are false and do not exist whereas the verses that describe Prophet Muhammad (s) exist in whichever translation one uses. Even an interpretation is not required as the description is very clear. Respected Hindu Pandits have confirmed that the Kalki Avatar / Antim Rishi is none other than Prophet Muhammad (s).