The Concept of Mythology in Hinduism

by Sri Ajit Halder

Introduction

Through the ages, Indian Mythology has been a major influence in determining the belief system of the Hindus and their way of life.  So it is important to deeply study the concept of mythology to understand the Hindu religious life.

 

Indian Mythology is a resource of stories concerning Gods and their divine deeds, heroes and their adventures, and of ritual practices of the ancient Indians. They were a part of the religion of days gone by, and are still part of the Hindu religion in modern India.

 

A large collection of narratives to be found in the Vedas, the epics namely the Ramayana and the Mahabharata,  the Puranas like the Vishnu Purana, the Bhaagavat Purana and a host of other Puranas are the texts  embedded in Indian mythology.  Extensive mythological stories may also be found in folklores like Manasa Mangal, and find expressions in Indian representational arts, stone carvings and paintings.  The rich literature of Indian Mythology has educated, entertained and spiritually uplifted the Hindus for many centuries.

 

The Myth in Mythology 

 

The term ‘myth’ appears at the front of the compound word ‘mythology’.  Therefore, myth being an integral part of the word mythology deserves a careful elucidation.

 

Conventionally myth means falsehood (mythya) and nobody likes to live in falsehood.  It is generally perceived that every body wishes to live in truth.  To a Hindu, myth is truth that is inherently cultural and grounded in faith. We will use myth as a sacred narrative where the main figures are personalities divine, human or even an animal.  Additionally, myth attempts to explain how the world and humankind came to be in their present form through legends  Followers of Hinduism believe that mythological stories are not only sacred and ‘true’ but also historically accurate.  To support this view, mention may be made of the Great War described in the Mahabharata.  Hindus visit the site known as Kurukshetra near Delhi believing that is the holy field where the Kuru-Pandava war took place.

 

The Puranas deal with stories that are old (Puratani)  and contain legends about the lives and adventures of a variety of Gods, ancient kings, incarnations of God (avatars), and legends about holy places.  The Bhagavat Purana, read by many, chronicles the legend of Lord Vishnu and his incarnations on earth.

 

Ancient Hindus developed myths to recount the deeds of Gods and Goddesses, heroes, and strangely enough even those of animals (e.g. the animal-demon Mahishasur).  These myths were also developed to explain the workings of natural phenomena.  Myths offer the model of social and political institutions (e.g. Manusmriti), and serve as sources of imaginative ideas.  Poets and artists from ancient times to the present days have derived inspiration from myths.  The Ajanta cave paintings, the Ellora statues, the stone reliefs of the temples Borobudur in Indonesia – all showcase the admirable creations of artists inspired by myths.  To some readers myths may appear as fictional - however a Hindu faithful views these myths as true accounts, largely responsible for having shaped the Hindu faith.  From myths came beliefs, and from mythology came customs and social behavior.  Myth and mythology together have profoundly influenced the creation of the rich, Indian culture.

 

Vedic Mythology

 

It is undeniable that Indian Mythology had its beginning in the Vedic period, and in the Rig Veda, we come across various Vedic gods.   Vedic mythology is clearly dominated by the personality of Indra as the war God, and in his many encounters with demons who threatened the peace in Gods’ abode.

 

The Vedic Aryan was deeply struck by the vastness and brilliance of Mother Nature.  He noticed that various natural phenomena are not chaotic and are strictly regulated by the great asura, Lord Varuna.  One also finds mention of the fire God Agni and the sun God Mitra in Vedic literature.  Vedic mythology introduced Vishnu as the God of common people, one who is worshipped even today by a large number of followers.  The name of Rudra as the God of death deserves a mention in this context.  We close this fascinating discussion on Vedic mythology by naming mythical sages like Manu, Angirasa and Vrigu with the hope that the interested reader will consult the Vedas for the names and information pertaining to more Gods and God-like characters.

 

Functions of Mythology

 

1.  Religious and Spiritual Functions

 

From the discussions presented so far, we should have gained a fair idea about what ‘myth’ stands for.   It will now be appropriate to discuss the several functions of mythology.

 

Mythology serves various ennobling functions in shaping the religious life of a Hindu. The stories of mythology help people experience the powerful feeling of the divine in their lives and contribute to their spiritual awareness.  A keen reader of the Bhagavad Gita feels that he/she listens to the words of advice uttered by Lord Krishna and that the Lord appears before his/her very eyes.  Chapter eleven of the Gita -  Viswarupa Darsana Yoga - awakens within the reader’s mind a sense of awe, wonder, humility and respect for the majesty and grandeur of the creator of the Universe and in recognition of the fact that humans are part of the entire scheme.  This also leads to the revelation of the unity of one’s self, Jivatma with the Universal Self, Paramatma.  This sense of oneness with the Absolute draws our attention to the famous sayings of Sri Sri Babathakur.  We quote here a selection of His sayings which are: “The Identity Of Every Individual Is That Of The Self – The I-Reality”,  “ All Divine For All Times – As It Is”,  “My Only Mission Is To Spread Out The Science Of Oneness”. These are indeed the cardinal messages for spiritual uplift of all humanity.

 

2.  Cosmology – the Creation of the Universe

 

The second function of a mythology is to provide an explanation of how the world and its creatures came to be.   The act of creation was thought of in more than one manner.  The Rigveda describes that being came into existence as a cosmic egg – Hiranyagarbha, the golden egg.   The Satapatha Brahmana tells us that in the beginning, Prajapati, the first father of all, was alone in the world.  He differentiated himself into two beings, male and female taking the role of husband and wife.  From their union, the various species of animal life were born.  Another account tells us of Brahma the creator who was joined in a divine triad with Vishnu and Mahadeva (Shiva).  The universe was created by Brahma, preserved and maintained by Vishnu and destroyed to be re-created by Shiva.

 

The story of the ten Avataras, i.e. the ten incarnations of Vishnu - is fascinating one, since it describes the evolution of life on earth that is broadly in tune with the Darwinian theory of evolution which present day scientists accept as plausible.

 

In the beginning, the entire surface of the earth was covered in water.  Slowly life appeared in the form of an aquatic animal i.e. fish.  Matsya Avatar is the starter avatar in the Dasavatar story.  Gradually water receded and land appeared on earth supporting amphibious animal life.  Correspondingly within the Dasavatar story we find the next avatar to be Kurma, i.e. tortoise.    Then evolving through land-based animal Baraha (i.e. the boar) and ascending to humanlike character, i.e. Nrisingha (half animal, half human) and Bamana (dwarf human), we get to the full-fledged avatara (purnaavatara), i.e. God-man Ramachandra and finally to Kalki, in  completely developed human form.  Thus we see that the elements of the creation theory as given in Hindu mythology are closely aligned to modern scientific thinking.

 

3.  The Sociological Function Of Mythology

 

This important role of mythology is very much evident in the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  Both the epics portray ideal family life and wisdom-rich models of social order. The Ramayana illustrates the ideal behavior and sense of duty expected of a son towards his parents and family.  The Mahabharata presents the noble character of Yudhisthira, and through him, shows what a human ought to do to uphold truth and justice. The stories also emphasize on which behavior is unacceptable as exemplified through the actions of Duryodhana.

 

4.  Mythology – The Guide For Religious Living

 

This aspect of mythology offers guidance to an individual on how to live righteously.  Upon the Ramayana, we become familiar with the nobility of Bharat’s character.  When Sri Rama was banished to the forest, Bharat was asked to ascend the royal throne to rule Ayodhya.  Bharat however refused to sit on the throne, and placed Rama’s slippers on it.  This act symbolized the rightful authority of Sri Rama over the kingdom of Ayodhya, with Bharat carrying out his duties as Rama’s substitute.

 

Just for once try to visualize in your mind’s eye the picture of Hanuman sitting at the feet of Sri Rama with folded arms; this is indeed the perfect example of loyalty and devotion shown to one’s master. These and many other stories from mythology serve as guidance to lead a righteous life in the modern world.  It suffices to say that Indian Mythology with all its colorful stories has played a significant part in the molding of the Hindu life over time.

 

Conclusion

 

The origin of Mythology lies hidden in the mist of history, yet it is believed that our ancestors created it in the remote past.  Mythology has evolved over thousands of years, with new stories and legends being consistently added along the way of its development.  It may justly be said that the ancient Hindus assigned supra-human features to their Gods and placed them in mythology.  Thus it is easy for a Hindu to emulate the attributes of a humanoid Godly figure in his/her own life.

 

Mythology successfully provides a cultural bond that brings communities together during an act of worship.  This community bond is much experienced in festivities like Durga Puja, celebrated in autumn.  Devi Durga is mentioned in mythology, and during the puja, the age-old mythology comes alive in today’s Hindu world. The author hopes that this article helps readers appreciate the critical role that the knowledge of Indian Mythology plays in developing an understanding of the contents of Hinduism.