Indian Mythology: Tales, Symbols, and Rituals from the Heart of the Subcontinent

258 Pages·2003·10.42 MB·English

by  Devdutt Pattanaik

Indian Mythology
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Indian
Mythology
Tales, Symbols, and Rituals
from the Heart
of the Subcontinent
Devdutt Pattanaik
Inner Traditions
Rochester, Vermont
Inner Traditions International
One Park Street
Rochester, Vermont 05767
www.InnerTraditions.com
Copyright ©2003 by Devdutt Pattanaik
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pattanaik, Devdutt.
Indian mythology : tales, symbols, and rituals from the heart of the
Subcontinent / Devdutt Pattanaik.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ebook ISBN 978-1-59477-558-1
print ISBN 978-0-89281-870-9
1. Mythology, Hindu. I. Title.
BL2001.3.P37 2003
294.5'13—dc21
2003000048
Printed and bound in the United States at Lake Book Manufacturing Inc.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Text design and layout by Rachel Goldenberg
This book was typeset in Veljovic and Avenir
Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 * Mythology: Studying Myth 7
Vishnu and the Earth Cow (Bhagavata Purana)
MYTH AND MYTHOLOGY 9
EXPRESSIONS OF MYTH 14
Renuka’s Umbrella (Mahabharata)• Renuka’s Infidelity
(Mahabharata) • Renuka’s Head (Yellamma Mahatmya) •
Arjuna and the Navagunjara (Orissan folklore based on the
Mahabharata) • The Half-Woman God (Tamil Temple Lore) •
A Golden Effigy of Sita (Uttara Ramayana) • Lakshmi’s
Symbols (Orissan folklore)
THE FUNCTION OF MYTH 34
Rama’s Ring (Folklore based on the Ramayana) • A Palace for
Indra (Brahmavaivarta Purana) • Shambuka Beheaded (Uttara
Ramayana) • The Beheading of Brahma (Shiva Purana)
COPING THROUGH MYTHMAKING 56
CONCLUSION 62
Chapter 2 * Mythosphere: Comparing Myths 64
THE IDEA OF GOD 70
Harishchandra (Bhagavata Purana) • The Past Life of Yashoda
and Nanda (Padma Purana) • The Doorkeepers of Vishnu
(Bhagavata Purana)
DEVILS AND DEMONS 86
Why Rama Went into Exile (Ramayana) • The Curse of
Gandhari (Mahabharata) • The Offering of Bel Leaves (Linga
Purana) • Indra Seduces Ahalya (Ramayana) • Churning the
Ocean to Find Shri (Bhagavata Purana)
CREATION WITH A DIFFERENCE 96
The Birth of the Three Gods (Folklore) • Brahma Opens His
Eyes (Vishnu Purana) • Brahma’s Mind-Born Sons
(Brahmavaivarta Purana) • Brahma Splits Himself (Shiva
Purana) • The Creation of Death (Mahabharata) •
Transformations of the Daughter (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)
HEAVEN OR HELL 104
The Birth of Urvashi (Bhagavata Purana) • Mahabhisha
(Mahabharata) • Agastya’s Ancestors (Mahabharata) •
Heaven for Markandeya (Linga Purana) • The Death of Yama
(Rig Veda) • Vishnu Cursed (Padma Purana) • Fish to the
Rescue (Matsya Purana)
CONCLUSION 113
Chapter 3 * Mythopoesis: Transforming Myth 115
MARCH OF THE VEDIC HYMNS 116
The Beheading of Vishwarupa (Mahabharata) • Durvasa’s
Curse (Padma Purana) • Mount Vindhya Bows (Uttara
Ramayana) • The Birth of River Kaveri (Kaveri Mahatmya) •
Repelling Taraka (Ramayana) • Rama Befriends the Monkeys
(Ramayana) • The Burning of Khandavaprastha
(Mahabharata) • The Marriage of Marisha (Bhagavata
Purana) • The Body of Society (Rig Veda) • Vishwamitra
Becomes a Rishi (Bhagavata Purana) • Ekalavya
(Mahabharata) • Atoning for Killing Ravana (Rishikesh Sthala
Purana) • Ammaveru’s Husband (South Indian folklore) • The
Birth of Krishna (Harivamsa)
THE ASCETIC IDEAL 127
Parashurama Destroys the Warrior Race (Vishnu Purana) •
The Golden Mongoose (Mahabharata) • Yagnavalkya Rebels
(Brahmanda Purana) • Nachiketa Questions Yama (Katha
Upanishad) • Vidura’s Past Life (Mahabharata) • Shiva
Enlightens Matsyendra-nath (Nav-Nath-Charitra) • The
Destruction of Daksha’s Yagna (Skanda Purana) • Kapila’s
Fiery Glance (Ramayana) • Trishanku (Vishnu Purana) •
Kumbhakarna’s Asceticism (Ramayana) • Dadhichi’s Head
(Jaiminya Brahmana) • Dadhichi’s Bones (Mahabharata) •
Vishwamitra and Menaka (Bhagavata Purana) • The
Seduction of Rishyashringa (Mahabharata) • The Birth of
Skanda (Skanda Purana) • Shilavati’s Chastity (Brahmanda
Purana)
THE BIRTH OF GOD 139
Krishna Humbles Indra (Bhagavata Purana) • Kali’s Tongue
(Kalika Purana) • Vishnu Enlightens Brahma (Vishnu Purana) •
Shiva the Dancer (Skanda Purana) • The Return of Vyasa’s
Son (Devi Bhagavata Purana) • The Death of Parikshit
(Bhagavata Purana) • The Power of Rama’s Name
(Ramayana) • The Idol in the Termite Hill (Temple lore) • The
Marriage of Valli (Skanda Purana) • The Descent of Ganga
(Shiva Purana) • The Pillar of Fire (Shiva Purana) • Mohini to
the Rescue (Vishnu Purana) • The Birth of Ayyappa
(Sabarimalai Sthala Purana) • God Turns for Kanaka Dasa
(Udipi Sthala Purana) •The Hunter’s Eye (Periyar Purana)
INVASIONS AND IMMIGRATIONS 153
The Death of the Pandavas (Mahabharata) • Manikantha and
Vavar (Sabarimalai Sthala Purana) • Ranganatha’s Muslim
Bride (Shrirangam Sthala Purana)
CONCLUSION 157
Chapter 4 * Mythography: Interpreting Myth 160
HISTORY AND PREHISTORY 161
The Sons of Kadru and Vinata (Mahabharata) • Yudhishtira’s
Horse Sacrifice (Mahabharata) • Krishna’s Early Life
(Harivamsa) • Krishna’s Later Life (Mahabharata) • The
Sacrifice of Sunahshepas (Mahabharata) • The Children of
Vichitravirya (Mahabharata) • Oghavati’s Obedience
(Mahabharata) • Gandhari’s Children (Mahabharata) •
Krishna Curses Ashwathama (Mahabharata) • Shiva Destroys
Tripura (Linga Purana)
STRATEGIC CHARTERS 174
The Churning of Vena’s Corpse (Bhagavata Purana) •
Shvetaketu’s Law (Mahabharata) • The Marriage of Draupadi
(Mahabharata) • Shiva Blesses Draupadi (Mahabharata) •
Vrinda’s Chastity (Shiva Purana) • Sita’s Chastity (Uttara
Ramayana) • Three Boons for Kaikeyi (Ramayana) • How
Mountains Came into Being (Bhagavata Purana) • Dhruva
(Folklore based on the Bhagavata Purana) • Donations for
Venkateshwara (Tirumalai Sthala Purana) • Jayadeva’s Verse
(Folklore)
THIS IN TERMS OF THAT 183
Chandra and the Nakshatras (Somnath Sthala Purana) •
Rudra and Prajapati (Shatapatha Brahmana) • Sapta Rishis
and Their Wives (Mahabharata) • Krishna’s Rasa Leela (Gita
Govinda) • The Rescue of the Elephant King (Bhagavata
Purana) • Shiva’s Erect Manhood (Shiva Purana)
METAPHORS OF THE MIND 189
Kunti’s Magic Formula (Mahabharata) • The Sons of Yayati
(Mahabharata) • Devavrata’s Vow of Celibacy (Mahabharata)
• Arjuna’s Exile (Mahabharata)
CONCLUSION 200
Glossary 202
Bibliography 208
Index 211
(cid:2) (cid:3)
Introduction
Constructing Hindu Myth
C
onsider this: A religion believes in one god, who is the all-
powerful God, and in one life and one way of living one’s life—by
obeying the will of that god, as expressed through a prophet—in
order to gain everlasting joy in heaven after death. The alterna-
tive is to face eternal suffering in hell.
Now consider this: Another religion believes there are several
gods, even Gods and Goddesses, several lifetimes, and several
ways of living one’s life. This religion has no need for the concept
of evil because every event is a reaction to past events. This reli-
gion maintains that there are several “heavens” and several
“hells,” where gods can be punished and demons worshipped.
This religion holds that the cosmos is multilayered and populated
by a variety of beings, and believes that time is cyclical, with
events repeating themselves again and again and again.
It would be foolish to try to understand one religion in terms
of the other. Hence, to understand Hindu mythology—its sacred
narratives, art, and ritual—a paradigm shift is required. One
must move away from Western concepts of right/wrong,
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