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Introduction to Hindu Mythology
The
Hindus have created a rich, complex mythology, which is still very much
alive. Hundreds of millions of people continue to believe in the
multitudes of gods, which inhabit the Hindu pantheon. This tapestry of
religion is the result of millennia of integration. The Indian
sub-continent has been a crossroad for several cultures, and the Indian
people have incorporated numerous ideas from different faiths. Still,
one cosmic Truth holds in Hindu thought, and that is that all things are
simply a part of a greater, whole One. In early Hindu belief, which still
holds true, for nothing in Hinduism is ever discarded; this Universal
whole was called Brahman. All beings and things, from the gods and demons,
through humans, on to the lowliest pebble on the beach, were and are part
of this One. In later times, the neuter Brahman became equated with the
masculine Brahma, but the original idea is still very much a part
of Hindu thought.
The
history of Hindu mythology can be broken up into several different ages,
all of which have contributed to the faith as a whole. The first is the
pre-Vedic age, which goes back to the time of the early Indus valley
civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, which were established around
2400 BCE. These cities were destroyed by 1700. Some think that the Aryan
invaders who came to dominate the sub-continent destroyed those cities,
but current archeological evidence suggest they may have disappeared
before the Aryans arrived.
In
any event, the Indo-European invaders known as the Indo-Aryans came and
conquered both much of India and Persia by about 1500 BCE. They brought
with them new gods and hymns dedicated to them. These hymns came to be
called collectively the Vedas. The Vedic age is when Hinduism
proper begins. The Indo-Aryans became the lords of India, and their gods
became the most important in the pantheon, but earlier gods were still
revered; they were just given different roles. The Aryans also brought
with them a distinct class structure, which included a priestly class, a
warrior or ruling class, and the trade or merchant class. The native
peoples who were subject to Aryan rule were incorporated into a fourth
class. This is the basis for the caste system. By the end of the Vedic
period, these castes were called, respectively: Brahmins, Kshatriyas,
Vaisyas, and Sudras. Indra, the archetypical thunder god, led
the Vedic gods and they got their strength from the drink Soma, a
form of ambrosia.
From
around 900 BCE to 500 BCE, as Aryan culture spread further into the
sub-continent, Hinduism underwent some major changes. This period has been
referred to as the Brahmanic Age, for it was during this time that the
Brahmans and the Kshatriyas fought for supremacy over Indian life. New
thought had been adopted, with the idea of the soul or atman
becoming a major part of Hinduism and the transmigration of that soul
becoming a foundation of the religion. It was during this time that the
Brahman caste asserted that the gods need human priests to keep their
power, and some of the rishis, or sages, became more powerful than the
gods. Sacrifice became the chief form of worship. The major Vedic deities
began to fall from their high positions and were slowly usurped by the
cults of the three gods who came to dominate Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva.
From
500 BCE to about 100 CE, the age of Buddhism and Jainism put Hinduism in
decline. The Buddha's doctrine took India by storm, and the older religion
almost was suppressed entirely. Hinduism still included its child into
itself, however, and was able to survive the storm with new ideas.
Sacrifice went out of favor, and influence by the ascetic worshipers of
Jainism and Buddhism led to the composition of the Upanishads. It was also
during this time that Vishnu and Shiva completed their eclipse of Indra
and the other Vedic gods.
The
next age was the Epic or Classical period, the time of the great Hindu
epics the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata. These great works were compiled
into their present form during thins time, but their origins go back at
least to Vedic times. The Puranas were also composed at this time.
Finally, around 1000 CE we come to modern Hinduism, when the religion once
again became the dominant faith on the sub-continent.
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