Hindu mythology
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Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. Despite connotations of fiction in common usage, the term myth, in theological and academic studies, does not necessarily imply that a narrative is untrue. The use of the term mythology is a western construct applied primarily to non-Judeo-Christian religious literature.
It must be noted that many of the topics that fall under the category of Hindu mythology are cherished beliefs of Hindus. All ancient religions contain stories that are accepted as literal truth by some, and as philosophical or allegorical insights by others. Thus, the biblical stories may be similarly construed as Jewish or Christian mythology.
The mythological literature is intertwined with the ethos of ancient Vedic religion and Vedic civilization, and fundamentally constructed with Hindu systems of philosophy.
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[edit] Definition and Misconception
Though they are often classified as 'Hindu' or 'Indian' 'mythology,' the label does not capture the centrality of religious and spiritual affiliations of the texts that ring true today for most Hindus. They are replete with long philosophical discourses and are often seen as sourcebooks for Hindu ethics and practice. It is also to be noted that historical evidence of many acts or places of Hindu narratives have been found, establishing them as historical facts. However, evidence is extremely limited and only allows for the possibility of myths being history.
[edit] Vedic mythology
- See also: Indian mythology
The roots of mythology that evolved from classical Hinduism come from the times of the Vedic civilization, from the ancient Vedic religion.
The characters, theology, philosophy and stories that make up ancient Vedic myths are indelibly linked with Hindu beliefs. The Vedas are said to be four in number, namely RigVeda, YajurVeda, SamaVeda, and the AtharvaVeda. Some of these texts mention mythological concepts and machines very much similar to modern day scientific theories and machines.
[edit] Sources
It is believed that the Hindu mythology dates back to around 7200 BC when the first hymns of the RigVeda were sung praising the elements of nature, namely, the air, the water, the thunder, the sun, the fire, etc. They found expression in early Vedic Gods, namely, Vayu, Varuna, Indra, Surya and Agni. According to modern scholars over a period of time several Vedic Gods were conceptualized. Over next several millennia, in the post-Vedic period, and during the period of the Puranas, the Gods were personified and assumed specific shapes and characteristics, with individual endowments.
This was followed by the period of the epics, when the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were composed. It is believed that they capture and depict, to a large extent, historical events and happenings, and certain modern findings also seem to corroborate this, like the finding of an ancient bridge constructed between India and Sri Lanka. However, more archaeological evidence is required to further substantiate the actual occurrence of the events around which the two epics are based.
The Puranas deal with stories that are "mythologically" older than the epics and are set in the "Kritha" or "Sathya" yuga, the first of the four great time periods said to compose what is called the Divya yuga lasting over 4,320,000 years.
The epics themselves are set in different "yugas" or periods of time in Hindu mythology. The Ramayana, written by the poet Valmiki, describes the life and times of Lord Rama (the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu) and occurs in the Tretha yuga, while the Mahabharatha that describes the life and times of the Pandavas, occurs in the Dwapara yuga, a period in which Lord Krishna (the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu) took birth.
[edit] Epics
The Vedas are the supreme set of Hindu documents. There are four of them: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharvana Veda. The first three provide the rules of daily conduct for all Hindus (both individuals and institutions such as temples). Every brahmin family belongs one of these vedas in the sense that they conduct all their religious activities according to the rules specified by that veda.
The next most important work of Hindu mythology are the eighteen volumes of documents known as the Puranas. Each purana describes the story of one or more of the gods (the list of gods is described later).
The Bhaagavatham (also referred to as Srimad Bhaagavatham or Bhaagavatha Puraanam) is probably the most read and popular of the puranas. It chronicles the story of the god Vishnu and his incarnations (avataars) on earth.
The two great Hindu Epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata tell the story of two specific incarnations of Vishnu (the Rama-avataar and Krishna-avataar, respectively). These two works are known as Ithihaasa. The epics Mahabharata and Ramayana are very much religious scriptures. Their stories are deeply embedded in Hindu philosophy and serve as parables and sources of devotion for Hindus.
[edit] Cosmology
Hinduism presents a number of accounts pertaining to cosmology, and several explanations have been given as regards the origin of the universe. The most popular belief is that the universe emerged from Hiranyagarbha, meaning the golden womb. Hiranyagarbha floated around in water in the emptiness and the darkness of non-existence. Ultimately, this golden egg split and the cosmos was created. Swarga emerged from the golden upper part of the Hiranyagarbha, whereas Prithvi came out from the silver coloured lower half part.
[edit] The wars
Main article: Wars of Hindu Mythology
[edit] The weapons
There are several weapons which were believed to be used by the Gods of the Hindu mythology, some of which are Agneyastra, Brahmastra, Chakram, Garudastra, Kaumodaki, Narayanastra, Pashupata, Shiva Dhanush, Sudarshan, Trishul, Vaishnavastra, Vajra, Varunastra, and Vayavastra. A particular weapon was generally associated with a particular God.
[edit] The Deluge
The story of a great flood is mentioned in ancient Hindu texts, particularly the Satapatha Brahmana. It is compared to the accounts of the Deluge found in several religions and cultures. Manu was informed of the impending flood and was protected by the Matsya Avatara of Lord Vishnu, who had manifested himself in this form to rid the world of morally depraved human beings and protect the pious, as also all animals and plants.
After the flood the Lord inspires the Manusmriti, largely based upon the Vedas, which details the moral code of conduct, of living and the division of society according to the caste system.
[edit] The Peoples of the Epics
Hindu mythology is not only about Gods and men, but classifies a host of different kinds of celestial, ethereal and earthly beings.
[edit] Sapta Rishis
Lord Brahma, out of his thought, creates seven sages, or Sapta Rishis, to help him in his act of creation. Sapta Rishis (sapta means seven and rishis means sages in Sanskrit). They are Bhrigu, Angira, Atri, Gautama, Kashyapa, Vashishta, and Agastya. The other meaning of Saptarishis is constellation of Great Bear (Ursa Major).
[edit] Pitrs
The Pitrs, or fathers, were the first humans.
[edit] The Worlds
Hindu mythology defines fourteen worlds (not to be confused with planets) - seven higher worlds (heavens) and seven lower ones (hells). (The earth is considered the lowest of the seven higher worlds.) All the worlds except the earth are used as temporary places of stay as follows: upon one's death on earth, Yama, the god of death (officially called 'Yama Dharma Raajaa' - Yama, the lord of justice) tallies the person's good/bad deeds while on earth and decides if the soul goes to heaven and/or hell, for how long, and in what capacity. Some versions of the mythology state that good and bad deeds neutralize each other and the soul therefore spends time in either a heaven or a hell, but not both, whereas according to another school of thought, the good and bad deeds don't cancel out each other. In either case, the soul acquires a body as appropriate to the worlds it is entering. At the end of the soul's time in those worlds, it returns to the earth (is reborn as a life form on the earh). It is considered that only from the earth, and only after a human life, can the soul reach supreme salvation Moksha, the state free from the cycle of birth and death and the place beyond the fourteen worlds where the eternal god lives.
[edit] The Higher Worlds
Swarga is the third among the seven higher worlds. In common usage, Swarga is used to refer to the 'higher worlds' or heavens in general.
The higher worlds (except the earth) are populated with a variety of beings called Suras, consisting of several sub-divisions: Deva, Dhanava, Gandharva, Yaksha, Kinnara, and so on. In general, beings of a higher heavenly world can freely visit a lower one.
All the posts (kings, etc.) in the heavenly worlds are awarded based on the good deeds one performs while on earth.
[edit] The Lower Worlds
The term Naraka indicates the various lower worlds. The lower worlds are filled with Asuras.
[edit] Gods and Goddesses
There are many layers of gods in Hinduism. At the top are the trinity: Shiva (the destroyer), Vishnu (the protector), and Brahma (the creator), and their wives (goddesses in their own right): Shakti (also known as Paarvathi, Ambicaa) the goddess of courage and power, Lakshmi the goddess of all forms of wealth, and Saraswathi the goddess of learning. The children of the gods are also gods in their own right, such as Ganesha and Skanda.
Interestingly, Brahma is also considered the ruler of the highest of the heavens (the world called Sathya), so in one sense, Brahma is not beyond the fourteen worlds as Shiva and Vishnu are.
Some gods are associated with specific elements or functions: Indra (the god of thunder and lightning; he also rules the world of Swarga), Varuna (the god of the oceans), Agni (the god of fire), Kubera (the treasurer of the gods), Surya (the sun god), Vaayu (the god of wind), and Soma (the moon god).
Below these are semidivine being and demigods who have supernatural powers but otherwise are not considered gods.
Swarga also has a set of famous heavenly dancers: Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, and Tilottama (all female), whose job is to entertain the heavenly court, and upon orders from the heavenly kings, to distract people on the earth from accumulating too much good deeds so as to become a threat to the heavenly kings.
Other notable inhabitants of the heavens include the celestial sages, and Naaradha the messenger of the gods.
Yama (the god of death and justice) is said to live in Kailash along with his master Shiva. He rules the lower world of Naraka with a band of emissaries called the Yama duta (messengers of Yama), who bring the souls of dead persons to Yama for evaluation. Chitragupta is one of those lower level celestial beings who functions as the karmic accountant of all the actions of the human beings on earth.
[edit] Incarnations
Several gods are believed to have had incarnations (avatars). As the protector of life, one of the duties of Vishu is to appear on the earth whenever a firm hand is required to set things right. The epic Bhagavatham is the chronology of Vishnu's ten major incarnations (there are totally twenty six incarnations): Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Varaaha (boar), Narasimha (lion-faced human), Vaamana (an ascetic in the form of a midget), Parasuraama (a militant Brahmin), Rama, Balaraama (a shepherd and also the half-brother of Krishnaa), Krishnaa, Kalki (a warrior on a white horse) whose appearance also signals the beginning of the end of the epoch.
[edit] House of Ikshvaku
Ikshvaku was the son of Manu,the first mortal man, and founder of the Sun Dynasty.
[edit] Bharatavarsha
The first king to conquer all of the world was Bharata, son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. All of this world, Vishwa, is named Bharatavarsha, or The Land of Bharata, or The Cherished Land.
King Bharata's conquests are described to have stretched over all of modern India, and Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, as well as the ancient Gandhara region of Afghanistan. No account has been known to exceed these geographical boundaries.
[edit] See also
- Aryan mythology
- Ayyavazhi mythology
- List of Hinduism-related articles
- History of India
- Hindu eschatology
- Hindu scriptures
- List of Hindu deities
- Hindu deities
- Hindu Epics
- Navagraha
- Vedic mythology
- Hindu mythology stubs
[edit] Further reading
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna L. Dallapiccola
- Ganesha: Ancient Tales for Modern times (ISBN 81-88234-15-X) for Children. Check the book out at http://www.a1books.com/cgi-bin/mktSearch?act=showDesc&ITEM_CODE=818823415X&WVSESSION_ID=386223192
- Benjamin Walker Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism, (Two Volumes), Allen & Unwin, London, 1968; Praeger, New York, 1968; Munshiram Manohar Lal, New Delhi, 1983; Harper Collins, New Delhi, 1985; Rupa, New Delhi, 2005, ISBN 81-291-0670-1.
[edit] External links
- Clay Sanskrit Library publishes classical Indian literature, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with facing-page text and translation. Also offers searchable corpus and downloadable materials.
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda | |
