If Krishna is a far cry from the superlative person of Jesus, there is another person in the Rig Veda who fits the comparison most.  As there are 73 books in the Holy Bible, there are 10 books in the Rigveda. Ten mandalams. First nine mandalams refers to a God and presents methods of worship as rituals.  In the tenth mandalam, besides this Lord Almighty, there is the mention about a man. The first born and only born son of the God. His name is ‘Prajapathy’. Prajapathy, the son of the God comes to this world at the appropriate time. After coming to this world he travels around advising mankind, what is sin and what is not sin; what is to be done and what is not to be done; what is wrong and what is right. To those human beings, who accept his advises and obey his orders, he offers prosperity and peace in this worldly life and salvation at the time of their death. And being the completion of his venture to redeem mankind from sin, he gets sacrificed at the end his specified period on earth.

In verse 7 chapter 90 of the 10th book of the Rigveda, the sacrifice of Prajapathy the Son of God, is well explained.

‘At the time of sacrifice, the son of God will be tightly tied to a wooden sacrificial post using iron nails by hands and legs, he will bleed to death and on the third day he will regain his life in a resurrection.”   Evidently none of the avatars meets this description. Nor are they expecting another incarnation, which will fit the description and attributes.  The attributes of Prajapathy are given in the Rigveda and as in Sathapadha Brahmana, a supplement to Yajurveda.  The next avatar is Kalki who is simply the destroyer.  Let us start from the beginning:

sa paryaghachachukrama virunamsnaviram shudhhama papavittham kavirmanishi :
paribhur swayambhur yadhatha ityadhorthan  viyadhadhacha chiviyaha samabhyaha”
 
A self realized person visualizes that supreme personality of God head as
(1) paryagathaha – omnipresent
(2) Shukramaha – omnipotent
(3) akayamaha – having no phenomenal body
(4) avranamaha – in this person there are no imperfections that of gross physical body
(5) Asnaviramaha – without any vein (his actions do not depend upon the viens for emulation of blood to the limbs of his body which is perfect on his own occord, in other words no blood in his veins)
(6) shukthamaha – he is pure, perfect, no impurity
(7) appapavidhham – he is beyond any mundanity as maya never can have any hold ( dark ness can’t enter him) (8) kavihi – he becomes the efficient cause for the creation and preservation of the universe and therefore he is omniscient
(9) manishihi – he is the first philosopher who destroys the darkness of the heart of the soul with his spiritual light (10) paribhuhu – controller of everything
(11) swayambhuhu – self-existent, from the beginning, he is not of the father and mother by flesh
-isha upanishad

.In the beginning God was there and he was a spirit. (Ithereya Upanishad:1/1/1)  Kathopanishad says: “ Naiva vaacha na manasaa Praapthum shakyo na chakshusha Astheethi bruvathonyyathra Kadam thadupalabhyathe ” The Holy Spirit of the God cannot be reached with the eyes, mind or words. Only those who believe that He exists and says so, will be reaching Him. (Katham 6:12)

“Sa eekshatheeme nu loka Lokaa Paalaanusruja ithi Sodbhaaya eva purusham Samudruthya moorchayaayt” After the creation of the Firmament, Earth and Waters, the Holy Spirit of the God thought like this. “I have created all the Worlds. For them I should create a protector (Savior). With this intention, the Holy Spirit created a Person from His own self. (Ithareyopanishad 1. 1:3)

“Hiranyagarbha: samavarthaagre Bhuuthasya jaatha: pathireka aaseeth Sadaadhaara Prudhwivim dyaamuthemam Kasmai devaaya havisha vidhemam.” In the beginning, God and his supreme spirit alone existed. From the supreme Spirit of the God proceeded Hiranya Garbha, alias Prajapathy, the first born of the God in the form of light. As soon as born, he became the savior of all the worlds. RgVeda X:121:1

“Thasmaad virraada jaayatha viraajo adhi purusha: Sjaatho athyarichyatha Paschaad bhoomimadhopura:” From that male the universe came into being. From that body of the universe came the omnipresent Person. That Person thus became manifest, adopted various forms and character and created the earth and other planets along with the creatures to live in them. (Rigveda X:90:5)

“Purusha evedam sarvam Yadbhutham yachabhavyam Uthaamruthathwasya esaana Ya daannenathirohathi” This man, the first born of the God is all that was, all that is and all that has to be. And he comes to this world to give recompense to everybody as per his deeds. (Rigveda X:90:2)

“Tham yajnam barhishi proukshan Purusham jaathamagratha Thena deva ayajantha Sadhya rushayaschaye” This man, the first born of the God, was tied to a wooden sacrificial post and the gods and the Kings along the seers performed the sacrifice ‘Purushasookta’ Rigveda X:90:7

“Thamevam Vidwanamruthaiha bhavathy Nanya pandha ayanaya vidyathe” This (sacrifice) is the only way for redemption and liberation of mankind. Those meditate and attain this man, believe in heart and chant with the lips, get liberated in this world itself and there is no other way for salvation too Yajurveda XXXI:18, Rigveda X:90:16.

http://www.prayergroup.net/menon2.htm

 Other identical Christian teachings are found in the various Upanishads, which are practically alien to the current Hindu teachings

Christ in the Holy Books of the East:  Aravindaksha Menon
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/6265/

Jesus  is indeed the “Prajapathirdevebhyam Athmanam Yagnam Kruthwa Prayaschittaha” mentioned in Vedas.   
http://www.karma2grace.org/Testimonies/mnp.htm

 

Adhyaksha Anubhavananda Kesava Raya Sarma Mandapaka’s   presentation of Who is Jesus? Summarises the argument.    http://www.tehillah3.co.za/engsubj/02722.htm

 “All mankind have sinned, having transgressed the law of God.  Therefore, they devise various ways and means as to how to escape the wrath of God, and live.  In our own country, the Brahmins perform sacrifices, and the non-Brahmins offer animals in sacrifice    

  An examination of the Vedas reveals that sacrifice is spoken of as the only means of salvation.  “Prathamani Dharmani”; “Sacrifices are the foremost of our first duties.”

 

  “Yagnovai Bhuvanasya Nabhih”- “Sacrifice is the mainstay of the world”.

 “Yagne Sarvam Pratishthitam” – “It is sacrifice that bestows all things”.

  “Yagnovai Sutarmanowh”- “Sacrifice is the bark (boat) that enables one to live well”.

 “Yagnena Va Deva Divangatah” – “Only by means of sacrifice, the gods attained heaven”

  “Rutasyanah Pathanaya Ati Viswani Durita”- “Deliverance through the path of sacrifice”

 

      The above doctrines proclaimed by the Vedas emphasize that sacrifices should be the foremost of all penances that must be performed for the atonement of sins. 

      Let us also see what the Bhagavad Gita says: 

      “Sahayagnah Prajasrushtva Purovacha Prajapatih Anena Prasavishyadhwam Eshavvostvishta Kamadukh” – “In the beginning alone, along with the creation of man, God instituted the sacrifice, and told them, “May this grant the desires of your heart” 
“Yagnakshapitakalmashah” – “Those whose sins have been effaced by means of sacrifice” 
“Nayam lokostyayagnasvah kutanayah kurusattama” – “Oh, noble Guru, there is no place in this world for him who does not perform even a single one of these sacrifices; how then shall he obtain heaven?” 

      In this manner, the importance of sacrifice is taught. 

      Further, in the Mundakopanishad, we see, “Plava hyere adrudhayagnarapah” – “The timbers of the bark of sacrifice are unsound”. 

      In Skanda Puranam Yagna Vaibhava Khandam, 7^th chapter, we read: “Plava eyete sura yagna adrudhasheha na samshayah” – “Ye gods, sacrifices are like the timbers of a bark; there is no doubt that they are unsound” 

      Tandya Maha Brahmanam says, Sru: “Yagnota avati tasyachhaya kriyate” – “It is a sacrifice that saves.  What is being performed, is the shadow of sacrifice”. 

      In Rig Veda, we read, Sru: “Atmada baladah yasya chhaya-mrutam yasya mruatyuh” – “He whose shadow and death become nectar shall, by his shadow and death, confer the spirit and strength”. 

      The above sayings clearly reveal that the sacrifices performed do not themselves confer salvation but they are the type and the shadow of a great salvation-giving sacrifice. 

      Aitareya Brahmanam says, Sru: “Yaja-manah pashuh yajamanameva suvargam lokam gamayati” – “He who offers the sacrificial animal; therefore, he who performs sacrifices goes to heaven” 

      In the Satpatha Brahmanam, we read, “Prajapatir yagnah” – “God Himself is the sacrifice”. 

      In Tandya Maha Brahmanam of Sama Veda, we read, Sru: “Prajapatir devebhyam atmanam yagnam krutva prayachhat” – “God would offer Himself as a sacraifice and obtain atonement for sins” 

      Satapadha Brahmanam says, “Tasya prajapatirardhameva martyamasidardhamrutam” – God became half mortal and half immortal”.

This means that He united in Himself the human and the divine. 

      In the Purusha Sukta, we read that the God Brahma is sacrificed.  What is evident from the above teachings is that the true and great redeeming sacrifice would be the one performed by the Sovereign Lord of this world, who putting on both mortality and immortality and becoming incarnate as God-man, would Himself be the sacrificial animal and offer Himself as a sacrifice to redeem mankind from their sins. 

This is what the Rig Veda says about the sacrificial animal

1.  It must be a goat without blemish
2.  The “balusu” bush must be placed round its head;
3.  It must be bound to a sacrificial post.
4.  Nails must be driven into its four legs till they bleed.
5.  The cloth covering the goat should be divided among the four priests.
6.  None of its bones must be broken.
7.  The goat should be given a drink of Soma juice.
8.  After it has been slain, it must be restored to life again. Its flesh should be eaten

Now these details lead us to conclude that the sacrificial death of the incarnate God-head must have answered this description in full. 

Thus, it is said that God Himself must become man, and then become a sacrifice to save sinners.  But we do not read any such thing written about the incarnations of our country nor in the Sastras.  There is no God-incarnate man, who died a sacrificial death to save sinners

Most of these studies can be seen in the following publications:
Mr. Koshy Abraham: Is Man A sinner By Birth, The Christ Of Aryan Vedanta, The Christian Philosophy Of Aryan Vedanta, Crucifixion: Which Is Prajapati Sacrifice.
Dr. Joseph Padinjarekara: From Death Lead Me To Immortality,  Christ In Ancient Vedas
Arvindaksha Menon:  Divine Harmony. 

 

The presence of such teachings right in the midst of the Hindu Scriptures have been interpreted errorneously as prophetic utterances of the ancient sages. Such an approach may be acceptable to the Hindu public who claim origins of the Vedas and Upanishads beyong human history.  The fact is that these were of recent origin.  That alone can explain these passages.  Christianity came in India through the ministry of St.Thomas around the second half of the first centuary AD.   These passages corroborates the tremendous influence it had on the Indian ethos.  In the early chrsitian era, evidently there existed an Indian Christian Church in the midst of the Vedic and Dravidic and Rural religions of the period.  Their impact was so great that no scripture or revelation that came after that period in India could ignore the Purusha Prajapathy presented by Thomas.

This identity is acknowledged in the following article which I quote:

 

While identification of Prajapathi as Christ in evident, later mythical development around it has to be also understood in the same spirit.   We should remember that there were several opposing sects in the Indian religion which were out to mock at each other.  Such derogatory stories abound in all six sections of the modern hinduism.  Vaishnavites have made stories that laugh at Siva and Sivites have made stories that laugh at Vaishanavites and so on.  Then someone else would come along and make a compromise and make a myth of synthesis.  Such vilification process also came in along with the lofty Purusha Prajapathy concept to undermine the supremacy of Purusha. 

These only show that the development and assimilation of of the concept was a process and that other  religious forces were in the foray.