Development of Hinduism

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF HINDUISM PROF. M.M.NINAN CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 THE VEDIC RELIGION THE PROBLEM OF THE DATE OF RIG VEDA TIME LINE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SANSKRIT POST CHRISTIAN HINDU GODS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MONOTHEISM AND THE DOCTRINES OF KARMA AND REINCARNATION PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES THE AGE OF REASON: THE DECLINE OF VEDISM AND THE THE RISE OF RATIONALISM THE COMING OF THOMAS THE COMING OF THE GNOSTIC ARYANS – MANICHEAN TRIMURTHY VAISHNAVISM THE CONCEPT OF AGES THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS GITA AS IT WAS KALKI AVATAR SAIVISM SAKTISM KALABHRA INTER-REGNUM ISAVASYA UPANISHAD CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX II SRI PURUSHA SUKTHAM Preface In my last book, I have traced the emergence of Hinduism from Christianity. While entry of Christianity into India was one of the major transforming event, were there other forces? In this book, I am trying to trace other cultural factors that formed Hinduism. No religion evolves independent of the culture of the society in which it is growing. New concepts and ideas enter the society from outside, but they are transformed by the dynamics of the various forces within, which flows from time immemorial to the present, into it. What I have tried in this book is to trace these forces. It deals with the various facets of the concepts that contributed to the change. Definitely powerful personalities played a great role in forming these changes. Myths and legends developed around them, and finally, they were deified and worshipped. Over and above this syncretism of religious conglomeration, groups and personalities that has vested interest did control the society. In order to achieve their supremacy they distorted learning, disfigured concepts, rewrote history and even erased whole periods of history that runs over to centuries. “The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e., the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.” “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people” Marx. By altering the contents of the opium, people are kept under chains. This has been continuously done everywhere in the world as it was in India. I can hardly call this my book because in my effort to preserve the objectivity of the history of Hinduism, I have presented quotes from scholars and scientists around the world, which actually forms the entire book. My contribution is limited to linking them together into a coherent meaningful explanation. My obeisance to all scholars of India and Indology. M. M. Ninan February 2008 1. VEDIC RELIGION CHAPTER 1 THE VEDIC RELIGION In general Vedic religion today referrs to a bewildering variety of religious spectrum. • • • • • the historical Vedic religion (practices dating to the Vedic period) Shrauta, surviving conservative traditions within Hinduism Vedanta (Upanishadic) Hinduism with worship of any god Any religion except those of semitic origin Vedic Religion as Proto-Indo-Iranian religion “Hittite is the oldest recorded Indo-European language, but it had remained completely unknown during the period in which Indo-European linguistics developed because its records are on clay tablets that were excavated only at the end of the 19th century. Even then, it was not identified as Indo-European until 1915, when Bedrich Hrozný made the 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION discovery through his reading of tablets that had been brought to Vienna from the Istanbul Museum.” http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/hitol-0-R.html Hittite On Line, Series Introduction, Winfred P Lehman and Jonathan Slocum. Vedic Religion or Vedism is the religion of the ancient Indo-European-speaking peoples who entered India about 1500 BC from the region o present-day Iran; it takes its name from the collections of sacred texts known as the Vedas. Vedism is the oldest stratum of religious activity in India Encyclopedia Britannica The Indo-Iranians, i.e. speakers of Indo-Iranian languages, includes four different subgroups: • • • speakers of the Indo-Aryan languages (that is, the Indic branch); speakers of the Iranian-Aryan languages (both east and west – Iranian branch); speakers of the Dardic languages (Dard people, various ethnic groups living in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan.) Dard, Pisaca, or Pisacha Languages, group of closely related Indo-Iranian 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION languages spoken in Pakistan, Kashmir, and Afghanistan. They are often divided into three subgroups: Kafiri, or Western; Khowari, or Central (spoken in the Chitral district of northwestern Pakistan); and the Eastern group, which includes Shina and Kashmiri. and • those of the Nuristani languages. (of the people of Nurestan Province of Afghanistan.) These groups developed independently to some extent sharing a commonality which we can assume to be the proto- vedic form. The analysis leads to the following basic common concepts: *rta (Vedic rta, Avestan asha), *sauma (Vedic Soma, Avestan Haoma), *mitra (Vedic Mitra, Avestan Mithra). Other Cognate terms and concepts between Rig Veda and Avestan The following is a list of cognate terms and concepts that may be gleaned from comparative linguistic analysis of the RigVeda and Avesta. Both collections are from the period after the proposed date of separation (ca. 2nd millennium BCE) of the Proto-Indo-Iranians into their respective Indic and Iranian branches. Indo-Iranian Vedic term Apam Napat aryaman rta atharvan ahi deva manu Mitra asura Sarasvati soma surya VrtraYama yajña Avestan term Apam Napat airyaman asha athravan azhi daeva manu Mithra ahura Haraxuwati (Aredvi Sura) haoma hvar verethra (see Vahram) Yama/Yima => (Jamshid) yasna, rel: yazata Common meaning the "water's offspring" (see Ap (water), Aban) "friend", "companion" "truth", extending to "order" & "righteousness" "priest" "snake", "serpent" celestial deities, deified natural phenomena primeval man, homo sapiens; see also Mannaz "oath" deified social order a mythological river, a river goddess a plant and its extract, deified the Sun, also cognate to helios, sol "obstacle" the first man, mythical twin, see also Dioscurism "worship, sacrifice, oblation" *(a)rta *athar-van*azi *daiva *manu *mi-tra*nsura *saras-vnt-ih *sau-ma*suhr/svahrya*vr-tra*yama *yaj-na- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-Iranian_religion 3 1. VEDIC RELIGION “Vedic Elements in the Ancient Iranian Religion of Zarathushtra” by Subhash Kak gives a detailed comparison between the Iranian and Vedic religions at http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/zoro.pdf Vedic civilization Vedic civilization is the earliest civilization in Indian history of which we have written records that we understand. It is named after the Vedas, the early literature of the Hindu people. The Vedic Civilization flourished along the river Saraswati, in a region that now consists of the modern Indian states of Haryana and Punjab. The Vedic texts have astronomical dates, that some have claimed, go back to the 5th millennium BC. The use of Vedic Sanskrit continued up to the 6th century BC. Vedic is synonymous with Aryans and Hinduism, which is another name for religious and spiritual thought that has evolved from the Vedas. The early Aryans: Unfortunately, the origin of the Saraswati Valley civilization (Vedic culture) and its relation to the Indus Valley civilization remain hazy. The timeline of Vedic civilization is 4500 BC-1800 BC while that of Indus valley civilization is 3300 BC-1800 BC. The texts describe a geography that some believe to be north India. The greatest river of the Rig-Veda was Saraswati, now dry and identified with Ghaggar, a seasonal river. It is believed that this river ceased to reach the Arabian Sea by about 1900 BC. Now, a dry river bed, that seems to fit the description of the Saraswati River, has been detected by satellite imagery. It begins in the modern Indian state of Uttaranchal and passing through Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan, reaches the Arabian Sea in Gujarat. Our knowledge of the early Aryans comes from the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Vedas. http://www.haryana-online.com/History/vedic_culture.htm In fact Rig Veda mentions several, which is seen in the figure apart from Saraswati river. These are: Sindhu /Susoma (Indus), Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parusni (Airavati, Ravi), Shatadru (Sutlej), Vipas/Arjikiya (Beas). 4 1. VEDIC RELIGION 5 1. VEDIC RELIGION Sindhu is said to flow united with Tristama and then with Susartu, Rasa, and Sveti, later uniting with Krumu, Gomati, Kubha (Kabul) and Mahatru. Ganga and Yamuna are mentioned as the eastern boundaries of the Aryan settlement. “The religion of the Indo-European-speaking peoples who entered India c. 1500 BCE from the region of present-day Iran, it was a polytheistic system in which Indra was the highest-ranked god. It involved the worship of numerous male divinities connected with the sky and natural phenomena. Ceremonies centered on ritual sacrifice of animals and on the use of soma to achieve trancelike states. These ceremonies, simple in the beginning, grew to be so complex that only trained Brahmans could carry them out correctly.” Merriam Webster Encyclopedia of World Religions “Over time a body of dependent and scholastic material grew up around the poems, known loosely as 'the Veda'. Perhaps around 1000 BC (all dating in prehistoric India is only approximate), editors gathered the ancient poems together and arranged them, together with some more modern material, into ten books according to rules that were largely artificial (see section 4 below). They gave the collection the name by which it continues to be known, 'Rig-veda', or 'praise-knowledge'. Other collections came into being, based on this sacred material, and they were given parallel names. The editors of the 'Sāma-veda' arranged the poems differently, for the purpose of chanting, and introduced numerous alternative readings to the text. The sacrificial formulae used by the priests during their recitations, together with descriptions of their ritual practices, were incorporated into collections to which the general name 'Yajur-veda' was given. Later still, a body of popular spells was combined with passages from the Rigveda, again with variant readings, and was given the name 'Atharva-veda'. A continuously-growing mass of prose commentary, called the Brāhmaas, also came into being, devoted to the attempt to explain the meaning of the ancient poems. To the later Brāhmaas belongs the profusion of texts known as the Upanishads, which are of particular interest to Indologists, as Sanskrit scholars today often describe themselves, because of their important role in the development of early Indian religious thought.” http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/vedol-0-X.html, Ancient Sanskrit Online, Series Introduction, Karen Thomson and Jonathan Slocum The Chathur (Four) Vedas 6 1. VEDIC RELIGION Rig Veda Rig Veda is a collection of 1028 Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to Rigvedic deities. However the Mandalas I and X were written in Sanskrit and were written down after the second century with later modifications through the centuries. The main deity was Indra. To give an idea of what it is, a part of the Rig Veda is given below. Indra Mathura, India 4th-5th c. A.D 7 1. VEDIC RELIGION 8 1. VEDIC RELIGION Surya, with Navagrahas From Tribenighat, Panauti, Nepal, 14th C AD http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/loststolen/Nepal/surya/N24133m.html Rig-Veda has 1017 hymns called SUKTAS and 10500 verses in 10 mandalas chapters. MANDALA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 COMPOSED BY 191 hymns composed by different poets belonging to different families Gritasmada and his family (descendents) Vishvamitra and his family Vamadeva and his family Atri and his family Bharadwaja and his family Vasista alone Kanva and his family (descendents) Hymns addressed to Soma Pavamana; composed by different poets belonging to different families 191 hymns composed by different poets belonging to different families 9 1. VEDIC RELIGION All the 10 mandalas were compiled by KRISHNA DVAIPAYANA VYASA who was hence called VEDA VYASA. Evidently Mandalas I and X are of later origins and might have been collected by the editor Veda Vyasa well into the Christian Era. • The Rig-Veda mentions several tribes and groups of people: Dasyus, who are identified with the Dravidians who are believed to be the descendents of the Indus Vallley Civilization which existed long before the Aryan Arrivals. They had matriarchal system as opposed to the Aryan patriarchal system. • Rakshasas who originally denoted strong and powerful men (Max Muller). Later the term Rakshasas was used to denote short, dark thick lipped, fierce in appearance, curly haired people who were hostile to the Aryans. Unlike the civilized Dravidians, the Rakshasas engaged in guerilla warfare, attacking the Aryans at night and carrying away their cattle. The Rakshasas were called anagnitras i.e. non-worshippers of fire. • Pishachas who were ruddy in appearance and uttered fearful yells. The fact that the Paishachi literature masterpiece, which was later translated into Sanskrit, namely the Brihat katha was written by them proves that they too were civilized people. The five main Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig-Veda are: • • • • • Yadu, Turvasu, Anu, Druhyu, Puru All the following three Vedas are written in Sanskrit and is dated well after the second century A.D. There is no doubt they are projections from the Rig Veda codifying other local arts and occultism. The Yajur-Veda The Yajur-Veda ("Veda of sacrificial formulas") consists of archaic prose mantras and also in part of verses borrowed from the Rig-Veda. Its purpose was practical, in that each mantra must accompany an action in sacrifice but, unlike the Sama-Veda, it was compiled to apply to all sacrificial rites, not merely the Soma offering. There are two major recensions of this Veda known as the "Black" and "White" Yajur-Veda. The origin and meaning of these designations are not clear. The White Yajur-Veda contains only the verses and sayings necessary for the sacrifice, while explanations exist in a separate 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION Brahmana work. It differs widely from the Black Yajurveda, which incorporates such explanations in the work itself, often immediately following the verses. Of the Black Yajurveda four major recensions survive, all showing by and large the same arrangement, but differing in many other respects, notably in the individual discussion of the rituals but also in matters of phonology and accent. Yajurveda consists of Yajus. (chants) for the entire sacrificial ceremony. The Yajurveda gave importance to the sacrifice itself. These were developed, as the rituals and Sacrifices became the center of the Vedic Religion, and proper form and ritual purity were emphasized. After all without that 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION Sacrificer can do the sacrifice and that even without a Brahmana Priest. It was emphasized that a slight error in the performance would bring in wrath of gods instead of blessings. divided into two parts: • • the Shukla Yajurveda (or the Vajasaneyi samhita), which consists only of mantras Krishna Yajurveda which has sacrificial rites, their discussions and mantras. This Samhita is By the time of Yajurveda, the Rig Vedic gods like Indra and Varuna lost their importance. And other new gods took greater prominence. Hence we can be sure that these were developed much later in time. The new gods of prominence were: Vishnu, Rudra, and Prajapati. The Sama-Veda The Sama-Veda (Sanskrit sāmaveda ) is the "Veda of chants" or "Knowledge of melodies". The name of this Veda is from the Sanskrit word sāman which means a metrical hymn or song of praise It consists of 1549 stanzas, taken entirely (except 78) from the Rig-Veda. Some of the Rig-Veda verses are repeated more than once. Including repetitions, there are a total of 1875 verses numbered in the Sama-Veda recension published by Griffith. Two major recensions remain today, the Kauthuma/Ranayaniya and the Jaiminiya. Its purpose was practical, to serve as a songbook for the "singer" priests who took part in the liturgy. A priest who sings hymns from the Sama-Veda during a ritual is called an udgātṛ, a word derived from the Sanskrit root ud-gai ("to sing" or "to chant"). A similar word in English might be "cantor". The styles of chanting are important to the liturgical use of the verses. The hymns were to be sung according to certain fixed melodies; hence the name of the collection. There is no clue to the date of the compilation of the Samaveda Hymns, nor has the compiler's name been handed down to us. 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION Most of the verses (except 75) are from the Rig-Veda. These verses are chanted at the ceremonies of the Soma sacrifice. The Sama Veda has two parts- the Archika (single stanza) and the Uttarchika (Three stanzas). The Sama Veda was meant to teach the Udgatri (priest) the method to sing the Saman melodies appropriate to the rituals being performed. http://www.musicalnirvana.com/introduction/origin.html Sama Veda Though, Vedas are considered the source of Indian Music, it should not be assumed that classical music in its present form was fully developed by then. In fact, concept of Raga, Tala, Shruti or even Nava Rasas come only later. All except Sama Veda were sung using only three notes, Anudaatta (low), Udaatta(middle) and Svarita(high). As used today the Anudaatta, Udaatta and Svarita svaras of Rig-Veda, can be equated with Ni, Sa, and Ri of the North Indian Kafi scale (Kharaharapriya of the Carnatic). In early manuscripts of Rig-Veda, the text was written along with accent notes. Anudaatta is marked with an underline and Svarita is marked with a small vertical line above the syllable. Udaatta is left unmarked. Sama Veda consists of about 1900 verses, called samans. Ninety-five percent of the verses of Sama Veda Samhita are in Rig Veda Samhita. One can see from the text of the Sama Veda mantra that the chanting notation in it is much more elaborate than that in the corresponding Rig Veda mantra. SamaVeda was chanted using all seven notes (prathama, dvitheeya, tritheeya, chathurtha, panchama, shashta and sapthama), in descending order, of the Vaidika scale (or of sama gana) which have been equated to (Ma,Ga,Ri,Sa,Dha,Ni,Pa) of the Laukika or Gandhara scale in later classical sanskrit texts like NaradiyaShiksha. Rig Vedic hymns are directed at Gods, to be chanted during sacrifices to please them. It is possible Gods were thought to be fond of music and that it would be easier to please them if the hymns were sung rather than just chanted. Thus, many of the Rig Vedic hymns were set to music and sung and were known as samans, rather than just hymns (Rik). The chanted SamaVeda hymns or Samans were believed to possess the supernatural qualities capable of petitioning and even supporting the deities that controlled the forces of the universe. Since Rig Vedic hymns are just metered they could not be sung using all the seven notes. Thus started a tradition of insertion of a number of seemingly `meaningless' words or syllables (stobha) for musical and lyrical effect, such as o, hau, hoyi, va, etc. 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION It was these stobha syllables which were extended vocally with long duration on various notes of the Sama-Veda scale by the priests who had the special function of summoning the gods to the celebration through the use of droning (monotone) on a number of these tones, believing them to hold magical properties. The wife of the chief sacrificer (i.e. chief priest, brahmana) would play the Vina, during sacrifices. Precise methods of singing the Samans were established and preserved in three different schools, the Kauthumas, Ranayaniyas, and the Jaiminiyas, the oldest. Each has maintained a distinct style with regard to vowel prolongation, interpolation and repetition of stobha, meter, phonetics, and the number of notes in scales. Accordingly, there has been a fervent regard for maintaining continuity in Sama-Veda singing to avoid misuse or modification over many years. Since written texts were not in use, in fact prohibited, the priests memorized the chants with the aid of accents and melodies, and passed this tradition down orally from one generation to the next for over three thousand years ( Hinduism and Music). The Atharva-Veda The Atarvaveda was originally called the Athrvaangirasa. Atharva and Angiras were fire priests. Apte defines an atharvan as a priest who worshipped fire and Soma The etymology of Atharvan is unclear, but according to Mayrhofer related to Avesta athravan (āθrauuan) and denies any connection with fire priests. In all cultures Priests were also medicine men. Sicknesses and problems were assoicated with evil spirits. spells. In India this part is played by the Atharvans. The Atharvan Veda is essentially magic It has over 700 hymns about one-sixth of the hymns are in common with the Rig-Veda. divided into 20 chapters. Since this Veda consists of ways to appease demons, curse enemies (abhichakarani) etc, it was not recognized as a Veda for a long time . The different contents of Atharvaveda are • • • Bhaishajyani: which are songs and spells for healing of diseases. Since this part has the various symptoms of diseases, it is important for the study of history of medicine. Ayushyani: these are hymns and prayers to achieve long life. These are used at the main ceremonies (samskaras) prescribed for any individual. Paustikani: there are benedictions to be used by common men like farmer and merchant to succeed in their work. 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION • Prayaschittani: ceremonies of expiation. Prayaschitta or expiation for any wrong deed done, knowingly or unknowingly is a characteristic feature of the Indian psychology and the Atharvaveda contains hymns and ceremonies for the same. • Strikarmani: are rites for women and are two types. The peaceful ones which refer to marriage and begetting children and the exorcisms and curses to make other men/women barren and cause harm. • • Rajakarmani: are rites pertinent to a king Philosophical hymns: are of metaphysical nature. The Atharvana-Veda is preserved in two recensions, the Paippalāda and Śaunaka. According to Apte it has nine schools (shakhas). The Paippalada version is longer than the Saunaka one; it is only partially printed and remains untranslated. The second part of the text contains speculative and philosophical hymns. R. C. Zaehner notes that: "The latest of the four Vedas, the Atharva-Veda, is, as we have seen, largely composed of magical texts and charms, but here and there we find cosmological hymns which anticipate the Upanishads, -hymns to Skambha, the 'Support', who is seen as the first principle which is both the material and efficient cause of the universe, to Prāna, the 'Breath of Life', to Vāc, the 'Word', and so on. In its third section, the Atharvaveda contains Mantras used in marriage and death rituals, as well as those for kingship, female rivals and the Vratya (in Brahmana style prose) .” Gavin Flood discusses the relatively late acceptance of the Atharva-Veda as follows: "There were originally only three priests associated with the first three Saṃhitās, for the Brahman as overseer of the rites does not appear in the Ṛg Veda and is only incorporated later, thereby showing the acceptance of the Atharva Veda, which had been somewhat distinct from the other Saṃhitās and identified with the lower social strata, as being of equal standing with the other texts." 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION Sacrifices in Vedas The mode of Vedic worship was essentially sacrifices and chanting of hymns. Prayers were essentially for material gains, wealth, health and progeny. Specific rituals and sacrifices of the Vedic religion include: • • The Soma cult described in the Rigveda, descended from a common Indo-Iranian practice. Fire rituals, also a common Indo-Iranian practice, cf. Zoroastrianism: • • • • • • The Agnihotra or oblation to Agni The Agnicayana, the sophisticated ritual of piling the fire altar. The Agnistoma or fire sacrifice The Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice The Purushamedha, or sacrifice of the cosmic Purusha, cf. Purusha Sukta The rituals described in the Atharvaveda concerned with demonology and magic. The Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice), in India continued until the 4th century AD. Like all cattle breeding tribes in the world, killing cows for food was seldom done except as a sacrifice. Sacrifice was but a regular practice.” 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION Ancient Sanskrit Online http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/vedol-0-X.html Karen Thomson and Jonathan Slocum “… ….The circumstances of the original composition of these poems remain unknown. Believed to be of divine origin, this large body of material, in an archaic and unfamiliar language, was handed down orally, from generation to generation, by priests in ancient India. The highly metrical form of the poems, together with their incomprehensibility, made them ideally suited to ritual recitation by a religious elite. Faithfully preserved through the centuries as a sacred mystery, the text has come down to us in a state of considerable accuracy. 2. 'The Veda'. Over time a body of dependent and scholastic material grew up around the poems, known loosely as 'the Veda'. Perhaps around 1000 BC (all dating in prehistoric India is only approximate), editors gathered the ancient poems together and arranged them, together with some more modern material, into ten books according to rules that were largely artificial (see section 4 below). They gave the collection the name by which it continues to be known, 'Rig-veda', or 'praise-knowledge'. Other collections came into being, based on this sacred material, and they were given parallel names. The editors of the 'Sāma-veda' arranged the poems differently, for the purpose of chanting, and introduced numerous alternative readings to the text. The sacrificial formulae used by the priests during their recitations, together with descriptions of their ritual practices, were incorporated into collections to which the general name 'Yajur-veda' was given. Later still, a body of popular spells was combined with passages from the Rigveda, again with variant readings, and was given the name 'Atharva-veda'. A continuouslygrowing mass of prose commentary, called the Brahmanas, also came into being, devoted to the attempt to explain the meaning of the ancient poems. To the later Brahmanas belongs the profusion of texts known as the Upanishads, …. 1 1. VEDIC RELIGION 2.1. The continuing influence of 'the Veda' ….. With major pieces of the jigsaw firmly in the wrong place, the rest, inevitably, refuses to fit, and the comparison of passages in the attempt to establish word meanings appears to be a fruitless exercise. Indology has concluded that the Rigveda is not only uninteresting, "describing fussy and technical ritual procedures" (Stephanie Jamison On translating the Rig Veda: Three Questions, 1999, p. 3), but that it is also intentionally indecipherable. "One feels that the hymns themselves are mischievous translations into a 'foreign' language" (Wendy O'Flaherty The Rig Veda. An Anthology, Penguin, 1981, p. 16). GODS OF VEDIC RELIGION A study of the Rig Veda will reveal the nature of the gods of the Vedic Religion which we now undertake Vedic Pantheon The Vedic pantheon, similar to its Greek or Germanic counterparts, comprises clans of anthropomorphic deities as well as deified natural phenomena, and like the Germanic Vanir and Aesir it knows two classes of gods, Devas and Asuras. The Brihadaranyak Upanishad says that there are mainly thirty-three gods which are classified into three groups: 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION Thus, there are eight Vasus, twelve Âdityas, eleven Rudras, and two Ashvins. Indra and Prajâpati . There are also the Maruts. These gods belong to the three regions of the earth (prithvi), the heavens (Dyaus) and the intermediate space (Antariksha). The eight Vasus are: agni (god of fire), prithivi (goddess of the earth), vayu (god of the wind), antarikch (god of the space), aditya (sun god), dyo (god of the luminous sky), chandrama (moon god) and nakchatra (god of the nakchatras, asterism. Nakchatras are 27, called Magha, Rohini etc.) The following is a list of Deities by prominence as they appear in Rig Veda: (List of Rigvedic deities by number of dedicated hymns, after Griffith. Some dedications are to twindeities, such as Indra-Agni, Mitra-Varuna, Soma-Rudra, here counted doubly.) • Indra 289 is the chief deity of the Rigveda, and the god of weather and war, and Lord of Svargaloka (Heaven) .He rides a white elephant called Airavata and wields the dazzling weapon of lightening called Vajrayudh. Prone to drinking soma, loses control over himself, prone to anger, mighty and sensuous, and always concerned about his survival and status as the leader. “Their god was of principal war and of capable divinity was INDRA, the thunder, whose power destroying the walls of down in order to conquer cities, of burning them 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION and pillage them… For a long time the behavior of the gods would reflect that of wicked men with the mentality of Aryan conquerors, materialistic and pitiless!” http://members.tripod.com/historel/orient/10inde.htm • Agni 218 Agni is the demi-god ruling fire, riding on a Ram. Latin ignis (the root of English ignite). The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods. He is ever-young, because the fire is re-lit every day; but also he is immortal. Agni is represented as red and two-faced (sometimes covered with butter), suggesting both his destructive and beneficent qualities, and with black eyes and hair, three legs and seven arms. He rides a ram, or a chariot pulled by goats or, more rarely, parrots. Seven rays of light emanate from his body. One of his names is "Sapta jihva", 'seven tongues'. He is worshipped under a threefold form: fire on earth and lightning and the sun. • Soma 123 (most of them in the Soma Mandala) Haoma (in Avestan), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures. . In the Avesta, Haoma has an entire Yasht dedicated to it. 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION It is described as prepared by pressing juice from the stalks of a certain mountain plant, which has been variously hypothesized to be a psychedelic mushroom, cannabis, peganum harmala, or ephedra. In both Vedic and Zoroastrian tradition, the drink is identified with the plant, and also personified as a divinity, the three forming a religious or mythological unity. Soma represents the god of the Moon. He rides through the sky in a chariot drawn by white horses. Soma was also the name of the elixir of immortality that only the gods can drink. The Moon was thought to be the storehouse of the elixir. • • Vishvadevas 70 are the various Vedic gods taken together as a whole. the Asvins 56 are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya, a goddess of the dawn and wife of either Surya or Vivasvat. They are Vedic gods symbolising the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot, bringing treasures to men and averting misfortune and sickness. They can be compared with the Dioscuri (the twins Castor and Pollux) of Greco-Roman mythology. The Twins or Twains who are the equivalent of the Geminis, the Dioskouris. They are the doctors of gods and are devas of Ayurvedic medicine. They are called Nasatya (dual nāsatyau "kind, helpful" in the Rigveda; later, Nasatya is the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra. By popular etymology, the name nāsatya was analysed as na+asatya "not untrue"="true". • Varuna 46 is a god of the sky, of rain and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. He is the most prominent Asura in the Rigveda, and chief of the Adityas law. 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION • the Maruts 38 storm deities and sons of Rudra and Diti and attendants of Indra. The number of Maruts varies from two to sixty (three times sixty in RV 8.96.8. They are very violent and aggressive, described as armed with golden weapons i.e. lightnings and thunderbolts, as having iron teeth and roaring like lions, as residing in the north, as riding in golden chariots drawn by ruddy horses. • Mitra 28 :Mitra, Mithra, Mithras Mitra is a Vedic god who stood for the sun, and was, with his brother Varuna, the guardian of the cosmic order. He was the god of friendships and contracts,. He was an important divinity of Indic culture, descended, together with the Zoroastrian yazata Mithra, from a common Proto-IndoIranian deity *Mitra, a god of . guardian of oaths and agreements. Mithra may also have been 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION worshipped by the Mani. Some branches of Manichaeism identified Mithra as the ruler of the second or third emanation (an occultist would say "ray," "aeon," or "sepheroth"). • Ushas 21 "dawn", is a Vedic deity. She is the chief goddess (sometimes imagined as several goddesses, Dawns) exalted in the Rig Veda. She is portrayed as a beautifully adorned, sexually attractive young woman riding in a chariot. • Vayu (Wind) 12 he is the Vedic god entrusted with the rejuvenation of nature. • Savitar 11 is a solar deity (see Deva) and one of the Adityas. His name is in Vedic Sanskrit meanings "impeller, rouser, vivifier". Savitr is described in the Vedas as having golden arms, 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION hands, hair, etc. He is sometimes identified with, and at other times distinguished from, the chief Sun deity Surya. A number of beautiful Vedic hymns are invoked in his praise. He is the god of the Sun at Sunrise and Sunset, and was most often invoked in the latter role in Vedic hymns. • Rbhus 11 meaning "clever, skilful", cognate to Latin labor, said of Indra, Agni and the Adityas in the Rigveda) are three semi-divine beings of the Rigveda and the Atharvaveda, Rbhu, Vaja and Vibhvan, called collectively by the name of their leader. • • • • Pushan 10 God of meeting. Puchan was responsible for marriages, journeys, roads, and the feeding of cattle . Apris 9 means "conciliation, propitiation" and refers to special invocations spoken previous to the offering of oblations. Brhaspati 8 (also known as Brahmanaspati) is the guru of the Devas and of the Danavas Surya (Sun) 8 is the chief solar deity.. His chariot is pulled by seven horses, which represent the seven chakras. 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION • Dyaus and Prithivi (Heaven and Earth) 6, plus 5.84 dedicated to Earth alone Dyaus Pita is the Sky Father, husband of Prithvi and father of Agni and Indra (RV 4.17.4). His origins can be traced to the Proto-Indo-European sky god *Dyeus, who is also reflected as Greek Zeus(accusative Día, genitive Díos; theos pater), Jupiter (from Latin Iovius pater, "father-god"; deus pater) in Roman mythology, Div in Slavic mythology and Tyr in Norse mythology in Albanian (Zoti). • • • • Apas (Waters) 6 Ap (áp-) is the Vedic Sanskrit term for "water", Adityas 6 'Ādityas' are a group of solar deities, sons of Aditi and Kashyapa. They are emblems of the sun for each month of the year, and are themselves called suns. Vishnu 6 Viṣṇu involves the root viś, meaning "to settle, to enter", or also (in the Rigveda) "to pervade", and a suffix nu, translating to approximately "the All-Pervading One". Brahmanaspati 6 Brahmanaspati is the lord of prayer, the father of all sacred prayers, lord of the Satya Mantra, the god of the Word who obliterates enemies of the gods with words of magic. He helped create the universe through his chanting words. • Rudra 5("Howler") is a Rigvedic god of the storm, the hunt, death, Nature and the Wind. Later identified sometimes with Siva. • • Dadhikras 4 the Sarasvati River / Sarasvati 3 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION • Yama is a Lokapāla and an Aditya. Yama, "Lord of Death" and "King of the Law of decay" Yaama means evening. He is depicted with green or red skin, red clothes, and riding a water buffalo. He holds a loop of rope in his left hand with which he pulls the soul from the corpse. He is the son of Surya (Sun) and twin brother of Yami, or Yamuna, traditionally the first human pair in the Vedas • • • • Parjanya (Rain) 3 is the Vedic Sanskrit for "rain" or "raincloud". Vac (Speech) 2 (mentioned 130 times, deified e.g. in 10.125) Vastospati 2 Vishvakarman 2 is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION • Manyu 2 Manyu is also known as mainyu in the Zorastrian religion. In ancient Persian mythology, Spenta Mainyu ("holy spirit") is the god of life and the personification of the good and the light. He is the twin brother of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), the god of darkness, with whom he fights an eternal battle. • Kapinjal a (the Heathcock, a form of Indra) 2 Minor deities (one single or no dedicated hymn) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Manas (Thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58 Dakshina (Reward), prominent concept, deified in 10.107 Jnanam (Knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71 Purusha ("Cosmic Man" of the Purusha sukta 10.90) Aditi Bhaga Vasukra Atri Apam Napat Ksetrapati Ghrta Nirrti Asamati Urvasi Pururavas Vena Aranyani Mayabheda Tarksya Tvastar Saranyu 2 1. VEDIC RELIGION Only documents written in Vedic language predates the second century AD mark. This include only the Rig Veda except mandalas I and X. It is in the Mandala X we have the latest additions in the deities as given in the Vedic Pantheon list. These are: • • • • Manas (Thought), prominent concept, deified in 10.58 Dakshina (Reward), prominent concept, deified in 10.107 Jnanam (Knowledge), prominent concept, deified in 10.71 Purusha ("Cosmic Man" of the Purusha sukta 10.90) These are therefore not really Vedic gods. 3 1. VEDIC RELIGION Sri Aurobindo Akroyd Ghosh (1872- 1950) “There can be no doubt that in the beginning there was a worship of the Powers of the physical world, the Sun, Moon, Heaven and Earth, Wind, Rain and Storm etc., the Sacred Rivers and a number of Gods who presided over the workings of Nature. That was the general aspect of the ancient worship in Greece, Rome, India and among other ancient peoples. But in all these countries these gods began to assume a higher, a psychological function; Pallas Athene who may have been originally a Dawn-Goddess springing in flames from the head of Zeus, the Sky-God, Dyaus of the Veda, has in classical Greece a higher function and was identified by the Romans with their Minerva, the Goddess of learning and wisdom; similarly, Saraswati, a River Goddess, becomes in India the goddess of wisdom, learning and the arts and crafts: all the Greek deities have undergone a change in this direction -- Apollo, the Sun-God, has become a god of poetry and prophecy, Hephaestus the Fire-God a divine smith, god of labor. In India the process was arrested half-way, and the Vedic Gods developed their psychological functions but retained more fixedly their external character and for higher purposes gave place to a new pantheon. They had to give precedence to Puranic deities who developed out of the early company but assumed larger cosmic functions, Vishnu, Rudra, Brahma, -- developing from the Vedic Brihaspati, or Brahmanaspati, -- Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga.” Hymns to the Mystic Fire – Sri Aurobindo 3 1. VEDIC RELIGION HIS HOLINESS SRI SWAMI KRISHNANANDA SARASWATI MAHARAJ A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India , Swami Krishnananda,The Divine Life Society , Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India “It is true that the main gods of the Vedas are Indra, Varuna, Agni, Surya (Aditya or Savitr), Soma, Yama, Vayu, Asvins, Brihaspati and Brahmanaspati; and a correct chanting of the Mantras, summoning the power of the divinities could produce supernatural results, and even the actual materialisation of them here. In the Purusha Sukta or the hymn of the Cosmic Person, we have the most magnificent description of the spiritual unity of the cosmos. Here is given, perhaps, the earliest complete presentation of the nature of Reality as both immanent and transcendent. [Purusha suktha occur in RV X written after the common era.] “The hymn has the power to protect (trayate) the one who contemplates (mananat) on it, and hence the name mantra. The mantras of the Vedas are intended to invoke the deities to whom they are addressed, and to summon the power of the deities for executing an ideal. They are the means of connection with the denizens of the celestial world and the divinities that immanently guard and perform different functions in the various planes of existence.” 3 1. VEDIC RELIGION The Theology of Vedism is summarised in the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1908-1931 v. 1, p. 406 as follows: “Theology, as we find it in the Veda, begins with the worship of the things of heaven, and ends with the worship of things of earth. We have, first, the worship of the sky gods; then of those that rule the atmosphere; lastly, of those that rule on earth. Under the first class comes the worship of the sun in various forms, as Surya, 'the glowing one'; Savitar, 'the enlightener'; Bhaga, 'the giver of blessings'; and Vishnu, who, except in the kindliness of his nature, has little in common with his later form as one of the Hindu triad. In another form as Pishan, god of agriculture, roads, and cattle, who is also known as Kapardin, 'he of the braided hair,' he forms a link between the Vedic gods and Siva. Dyaus, the shining sky, the Zeus of the Greeks, receives less special worship than might have been expected. In Varuna as the sky god a higher plane is reached. He sits enthroned in the vault of heaven; the sun and stars are the eyes with which he sees all that passes on earth. He, more than any of his brother gods, realizes the conception of personal holiness as an ideal for mankind. Among the mid-air gods, Indra gained his ascendancy on Indian soil, where the increasing dependence of an agricultural people on the periodical rains popularized his worship. As a war god he fought in heaven against the demon that dispersed the rain clouds, and was thus adopted by the Kshattriyas to lead them on earth in their campaigns against the aborigines. Great as are these gods of sky and air, greater still are the earth-born gods: Agni, the fire god, as manifested in the sacrifice, and Soma, the moon-plant (Sarcostemma viminale, or Asclepias acida of botanists), the worship of which is based on its intoxicating qualities. The latter came to be identified with the moon, a theory still farther developed in the post- Vedic mythology. With Yama we reach a stage of distinct anthropomorphism. He might have lived for ever, but he chose to die, and was the first to point out to his descendants the way to the other world. To his heaven, guarded by two monstrous dogs, the souls of the departed are conveyed, and are adored on earth as the Pitri, or sainted dead. To retain their place in the abodes of the blessed, the souls need constantly to be refreshed by the pious food offerings of their descendants. Hence arose the Sraddha, or periodical feast of the dead, which has had far reaching effects in the development of the theory of sacrifice” The general study will indicate no deep theology in the Vedas unless it is imposed from outside. Thus: “Generally speaking, the Indian perception of the Rig-Veda has moved away from the original tribalistic, ritualistic content to a more symbolic or mystical interpretation. For example, instances of animal sacrifice are not seen as literal slaughtering but as transcendental processes. The Rig Vedic view is seen to consider the universe to be infinite in size, dividing knowledge into two categories: lower (related to objects, beset with paradoxes) and higher (related to the perceiving subject, free of paradoxes). Swami Dayanand, who started the Arya Samaj and Sri Aurobindo have emphasized a spiritual (adhyatimic) interpretation of the book. Subhash Kak has claimed that there is 3 1. VEDIC RELIGION an astronomical code in the organization of the hymns. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, based on alleged astronomical alignments in the Rig-Veda, even went as far as to claim that the Aryans originated on the North Pole.” http://www.haryana-online.com/History/rig_veda.htm “The idea of sacrifice, of a kind of bargain with the deities, was the characteristic idea of the early Vedic cults. "Man needs things which the god possesses, such as rain, light, warmth, and health, while the god is hungry and seeks offerings from man : There is giving and receiving on both sides in the later Vedic Period, the doctrine “ Barth "The Religions of India," (London, 1882) p. 36. 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS CHAPTER 2 THE PROBLEM OF THE DATES OF RIG VEDA The religion of the Vedic period can be called Vedism to distinguish it from the modern Hiduism since they differ considerably Texts dating to the Vedic period, composed in “Vedic Sanskrit”. It is closely related to Avestan (the Language of Avesta the zoroastrian scripture) , the oldest preserved Iranian language The only book that can be confidently placed in this period ( pre- Christian Period) is, only the Rig Veda excluding Mandalal I and X. Other Samhitas and Brahmanas and Upanishads came later in the post- Christian period and are written in Sanskrit. Sanskrit came into existence only during the second century AD. Rig Veda itself came to be written down only by the 2 nd century BC. To the rishis, the hymns of the Rigveda and other Vedic hymns were divinely revealed, and they were considered "hearers" (shruti means "what is heard"), rather than "authors". Hence any attempt on the part of 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS the scientific community is thwarted by the Hindu religious men. Belief in self manifestation of Vedas history. Thus http://www.encyclopediaofauthentichinduism.org/articles/58_age_of.htm quotes the Bhagwatam, which says, “Brahma produced the eternal scriptures, Rigved, Yajurved, Samved, Atharvaved and also the Puranas which are like the fifth Ved.” They then go on thus “He produced them at the very beginning of the creation of the world which was 155.52 trillion years ago. So, now we know that the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Puranas are all eternal Divine knowledges which were given by God to Brahma and then Brahma produced them 155.52 trillion years ago to the Sages of this brahmand who then produced them for the people of this earth planet.” Is there anything, which was not in the mind of God? Then we cannot really date anything. In that sense I am eternal. Was I not in the mind of God before the creation? When was the computers discovered? Does God know computer language? In so doing the Hindu sages try to avert the question because the answer is so devastating. According to strict orthodox Hindu interpretation the Vedas are praise for Agni and Vayu and Indra were all done by God? ("not human compositions”). Rig Veda is essentially hymns to nature gods. Are we to assume that God himself wrote those? So those Only some one who has never seen or read the Veda will believe that. They evidently are human reaction to forces of nature. It does not make sense to say that the Psalms of David were written by Yhvh. Incidentally God also wrote this book before the creation of the world. This is also apaurusheya. Yet that is exactly what the import of Rigveda being apaurusheya. They are the human reaction of the early Aryans to the forces of nature as they understood it. In Hinduism, Apaurusheyatva is also argued as "being unauthored". This implies that the Vedas are not authored by any agency, be it human or divine. Apaurusheya shabda ("unauthored word") is 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS an extension of apaurusheya which refers to the Vedas. Apaurusheyatva is a central concept in the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of Hindu philosophy. These schools accept the Vedas as svatah pramana ("self-evident means of knowledge"). These schools accept that the Vedas were "heard" by the Rishis. The Mimamsa school asserts that since the Vedas are composed of words (shabda) and the words are composed of phonemes, the phonemes being eternal, the Vedas are also eternal. To this, if asked whether all words and sentences are eternal, the Mimamsa philosophers reply that the rules behind combination of phonemes are fixed and pre-determined for the Vedas, unlike other words and sentences. The Vedanta school also accepts this line of argument. The question is “Are they?”. Evidently it is a way of throwing sand in they eye. Is there no human author of the Vedas? Are they really Apaurusheya? “The best evidence on the subject is the evidence of the Anukramanis— a special class of literature, which forms part of the ancient Sanskrit literature. What are called Anukramanis are nothing but systematic indices to various portions of the ancient Vedic literature. Every Veda has an Anukramani, sometimes have more than one Anukramani. Seven Anukramanis for the Rig-Veda are known to be in existence, five by Shaunaka, one by Katyayana and one by an unknown author. For the Yajur-Veda there exist three Anukramanis, one for each of the three Shakhas, Atreyi, Charayaniyas and Madhyandina. For the Sama-Veda there are two Anukramanis, one is called Arsheya-Brahmana and the other is known by the name Parishistas. As to the Atharva-Veda one Anukramani is known to exist. It is known as Brihat-Sarvanukramani. 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS The perfect Anukramani according to Prof. Max Muller is Katyayana's Sarvanukramani to the RigVeda. Its importance lies in the tact that it gives (1) the first words of each hymn, (2) the number of verses. (3) The name and the family of the Rishi who composed it, (4) the names of the deities and (5) the meters of every verse. What emerges from a reference to the Sarvanukramani is that the Rishis are the authors of the hymns which make up the Rig-Veda. The Rig-Veda therefore on the evidence of the Anukramani cannot but be regarded as a man-made work. The same must be the conclusion regarding the other Vedas. That the Anukramanis are realistic is proved by many passages in the Rig-Veda in which the Rishis describe themselves as the composers of the hymns. Below are given a few of such passages: "The Kanvas make a prayer to you, hear well their invocation'. Thus, O, Indra, yoker of steeds, have the Gotamas made hymns for these efficaciously" "This hymn has efficaciously been made to you, 0 opulent Asvins, by the Manas" "These magnifying prayers, (this) hymn, 0 Asvins, the Gritsamadas have made for you " "Aspiring to heaven, the sage Kusikas have made a hymn with praises to thee, O Indra. " "Nodhas, descendant of Gotama, fashioned this new hymn for (thee). Indra, who are of old, and who yokest thy steeds" "Thus 0, hero, have the Gritsamadas, desiring succour, fashioned for thee a hymn as men make works. " "The sages generated an efficacious production and a prayer for Indra." "These hymns, Agni, generated for thee, celebrate thy bounty in cows and horses. " "Our father hath discovered (or invented) this great, sevenheaded hymn, born of sacred truth; Ayasya, friend of all men celebrating Indra, has generated the fourth song of praise." "We, the Raghuanas, have uttered to Agni honied speech; we incessantly laud him with eulogies. " "Thus, all ye Adityas, Aditi, and ye ruling powers, has the wise son of Plati magnified you. The celestial race has been lauded by the immortal Gaya. " " He it is whom they call a rishi, a priest, a pious sacrificer, a chanter of prayers, a reciter of hymns, he it is who knows the three bodies of the brilliant (Agni), the man who is most prominent in bestowing gifts. " Apart from the evidence of the Anukramanis there is another sort of evidence which militates against the theory of the Vedas being Apaurusheya. The Rishis themselves have treated the Vedas as a human and as a historical product. The hymns of Rig-Veda distinguish between ancient and modern Rishis. Here are a few of them: "Agni, who is worthy to be celebrated by former as well as modern rishis, will bring the gods hither. " "The former rishis who invoked thee for succour. " "Hear the hymn of me this modern sage, of this modern (sage). " " Indra, as thou hast been like a joy to former worshippers who praised thee, like waters to the thirsty, I invoke thee again and again with this hymn. " "The ancient rishis, resplendent and sage, have placed in front of them (Brihaspati) with gladdening tongue." "Neither the ancients nor later men, nor any modern man, has attained to (conceived) thy prowess, O, Madhavan." "As (Indra's) former worshippers were, (may we be) blameless, irreproachable, and unharmed." "For, now, 0 energetic god, men are thy worshippers as the ancients born of old and the men of the middle and later ages have been thy friends. And 0, much-invoked think of the most recent of all. "To Him (Indra) our ancient fathers, the seven Navagava sages desiring food, (resorted) with their hymns. " "Glorified by our newest hymn, do thou bring to us wealth and food with progeny." A closer study of the Rig-Veda will show that the Rig-Veda itself makes a distinction between old hymns and new hymns. Some of them are given below: "Glorified by our newest hymn, do thou bring to us wealth and food and progeny." "Agni thou hast announced (or do thou announcest) among the gods this our offering, our 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS newest hymn." "Through our new hymns, do thou, vigorous in action, destroyer of cities, sustain us with invigorating blessings". " I bring to Agni, the son of strength, a new and energetic hymn, a production of, thought uttered by the voice (vachah)." " I present to the mighty protector a mental production, a new utterance (now) springing up" "May the new prayer impel thee, the heroic well-accourted, the loud-thundering to succour us." " I seek like the ancients, to stimulate thee, the ancient, with a new hymn. " "May the new hymns made to praise you, may these prayers gratify you." " Sing O, Sobhari, with a new hymn to these youthful, vigorous, and brilliant (gods) "Indra, slayer of Vritra, thunderer, invoked of many, we (thy) numerous (worshippers) bring to thee, as thy hire, hymns which never before existed." " I will address to this ancient (deity) my new praises which he desires: May he listen to us" " Desiring horses, cattle, and wealth we invoke thee to approach us. " Given this abundance of evidence to prove the human origin of the Vedas it is a riddle to find that the Brahmins should so strenuously propagate this extravagant view that the Vedas are not man made. …. It is in the Purva Mimansa— a book of Brahmanic philosophy—(Jaimini is the author of the Purva Mimamsa ) - that this doctrine of the Vedas being Apaurusheya is propounded. … The bases on which his thesis rests are simple. Firstly God has no body and no palate and therefore he could not utter the Vedas. Secondly, Assuming God had a body, God could not perceive things which are beyond the reach of the senses while the Vedas contain things beyond the reach of human senses. Thirdly, The connection between a word and its meaning is eternal. Fourthly, Sound is eternal. Fifthly, Because sound is eternal words which are made up of sounds are also eternal. Sixthly Because words are eternal therefore the Vedas are eternal and because the Vedas are eternal they are not made by man nor by God. What can one say of these premises? Can there be anything more absurd? Who can accept that the Vedas contain something not comprehensible by human senses? Who can accept that there is an eternal connection between a word and its meaning? Who can accept that sound is not created nor manifested but is eternal?” - Ambedkar: Riddle In Hinduism It is not only the illiterate masses, who believe in this but also the most educated and the learned. Such is the mentality that has been purposefully created by the few elites of this land. It not only remains a harmful superstition on personal level, but is also used by these clever people to obscure any inquiry or any kind of intelligent interchange of ideas. It goes much further in some cases as in the following: Mythologies of the world. 3 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS “One more thing you should know that certain stories of the Puranas and the Bhagawatam which traveled through the trade routes to the West in the earlier days were adopted into the religious mythological imaginations of those countries. Thus the religious myths of the Greeks, Romans, Europeans and Assyrians etc. were all based on the broken stories of the Hindu scriptures that reached those countries by mouth. One thing must be clearly understood that the concept of god/God in the western religions is based either on the imaginations of certain spirit gods of nature (like: god of fire, god of thunder etc.) or one single spirit god (God) of the entire nature. Thus, in both ways. It is only the mylogical level and it is purely mayic. It never relates to the Divinity of the omnipresent supreme God. Thus in no way could there be any comparison of the western religions (whch are based on mythologies) with the Hindu Vedic religion which is eternal, universal and directly revealed by the supreme God.“ The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism By Swami Prakashanand Saraswati It is understandable if a devotee believes in this but for a student of history it is of no use. Unfortunately, the scholars dealing with the subject have taken refuge under this theory of self manifestation to explain away the historical facts, Scientists use several methods to determine the period of Vedas. The first method is based on the texts itself and their references to the events and culture. There are several mentions of astronomical conjunctions. Assuming that they are not just conjectured relations and the authors were good in their astronomy Indologists can say that the Vedas were written after that event. Vedas portrays a life culture and they indicate a period when the writers were nomads with little metallic implements. Their major vehicle was indeed horses. Another method is linguistics. Here we have to consider not only the language but also the script. Scientists studied the change that occurs in phonemes in a language. long did it survive without writing as an oral tradition? The Rigveda is by far the most archaic of the Vedic texts preserved, and it retains many common Indo-Iranian elements, both in language and in content, that are not present in any other Vedic texts. Its creation must have taken place over several centuries, and apart from that of the youngest books (Mandalas 1 and 10), would have been complete—according to mainstream scholarship— not earlier than 1500 BCE. There are strong linguistic and cultural similarities between the Rigveda and the early Iranian Avesta, deriving from the Proto-Indo-Iranian times, often associated with the early Andronovo culture of ca. The writing of the Vedas is another indication. Evidently Rig Veda was not written down earlier than the third century BC. How 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS 2000 BC, when the earliest horse-drawn chariots have been found (at Sintashta, near the Ural mountains). Here is the safest possible assumption. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm The Vedas There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They also had a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it was finally comitted to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C. “Based on internal evidence (philological and linguistic), the Rigveda was composed roughly between 1700–1100 BCE (the early Vedic period) in the Punjab (Sapta Sindhu) region of the Indian subcontinent.” Notice that it is talking about supposed composition based on internal references. How long after the event is not really possible to say. It is supposed to be Evidently if something is referred to in the content to have happened, it must have happened before the composition. transmitted orally without any change from 1700 to 200 BC over a period of 1500 years, orally, by word of mouth! At the same time we have traditions which says that most of the other parts of Vedas has disappeared. Yet we are told that what survived survived without distortion or error!! It certainly belies “self evident means of knowledge.” Yet it has been written down. The reason? http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/veda.htm ”It is believed that the Vedas were orally revealed by Brahma to certain sages, who heard them and passed them down in an oral tradition. They were not written down; in fact this was prohibited. The Mahabharata denounces it and Kumarila Bhatta held that by reading the Vedas, their spiritual significance was nullified. As a result of this, of the 100,000 verses that is believed to have existed in the Dvapara Yuga, most were either lost or altered by the beginning of the Kali Yuga. “ So it did undergo alteration and loss. If writing down was the solution to avoid that why was it not done earlier? If Kumarila Bhatta was right, did it nullify the spiritual significance of the Vedas now? The reason for writing down has to be obtained for reasons other than what the sages are ready to give. The nomadic people whose oral tradition was this veda did not have any knowledge of writing. Even today we have large number of dialects which do not have any scripts. http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/ABOUTSANSKRIT1.htm 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS Although twenty one recensions of Rig-Veda have been mentioned yet only five are more popular – Shakala, Vashkala, Ashvalayana, Sankhyayana and Mandukayana. Out of these five also, only Shakala is available. Strangley enough some zealots do quote the Rig Veda to show the existence of writing. But all those that refer writing are from Mandala I and X which were written in Sanskrit and dated in the postChrsitian period. Here is an example for it http://www.crystalinks.com/indiawriting.html gives the following arguments to show it was indeed written down: “It is definitely older than the Ramayan (at least 5500 B.C) and some internal evidence takes it as far as 23,000 B.C. There are a number of references in the Rig Veda which allude to the art of writing. That the seers 'inscribed, engraved' words (on some material) itself points that they knew how to write. “One more verse (Rig Veda 1-164-39) states, " In the letters (akshara) of the verses of the Veda...". “There are a number of compositional chandas (metres), lines in a metre and specific number of words in a line available from the Rig Vedic text. “It will take a tremendous amount of mental effort to compose and to commit to memory the vast amount of lines with all the intricacies involved. “Unless these are reduced to writing and given a specific concrete shape, it would not facilitate oral transmission. “Yet another verse (RgV 10-62-7) mentions cows being "marked" by an "8-eight" which again shows that the ancients possessed the art of writing. “Also, RgVed 10-71-4 refers to a language which can be "seen"; that is a script. “If there was no script, preferably the verb "to pronounce" rather than "to inscribe/write" would have been utilized. “However, such a distinction has been made obviously because a written form of language existed during that time. “How could a text with a monumental 100,000 verses could be composed, preserved and transmitted through memory alone?” http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/ABOUTSANSKRIT1.htm ‘Vedas’ are the most ancient literary compositions in the world literature. They are the treasurehouse of Indian civilization, culture and philosophy.” 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS http://www.4to40.com/discoverindia/index.asp?article=discoverindia_allaboutbooks2 Many scholars believe that they were written about 2500 B.C. But there are others like H. Jacobi of Bonn and Lakamanya Tilak who believe that they were written about 6000 years ago. Tilak's conclusion is based on a study of the position of the planets as described in the Vedas. But another scholar, Madame Blavatsky, says that the planetary positions described in the Vedas were not written 60,000 years ago? She personally was of the opinion that they were written in an extremely remote past. Yet http://www.newcenteryoga.com/ states: The first recorded written mention of Yoga appears in a collection of Indian scriptures called the Vedas , which date back to about 1500 BC. http://www.crystalinks.com/vedas.html The Vedas are perhaps the oldest written (meaning actually composed) text on our planet today. http://brahminworld.com/bw2.htm The earliest reference to Brahmins, a derivative of the word Brahmana, in the classical language of Sanskrit, occurs in the Vedas written about 6000 B.C (Classical Sanskrit in 6000 BC!) Most people do not know that Rig Veda was first written down only by the 3rd century BC. Those who know do not want to remove the golden cover. We should not confuse written with composed. People do take advantage of this confusion to their advantage. The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of .. By Swami Prakashanand Saraswati Here was a challenge by one Silverbackman on the date of Vedas in the hindunet. The weak attempts to reply was obviously taxing to our super mind to understand 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS http://www.hindunet.com/forum/ What about the Vedas written so late? #57087 - 07/24/05 11:50 PM Silverbackman The Vedas was supposedly brought by the Aryans and in the Vedas says there was war between the Aryans and the natives of India, explain that. That is however not the main point of the thread. The Vedas was written a lot later but if the Vedas are oral tradition how can that be? India is one of the first countries to have a written language so how is it that the Vedas was written many thousands of years after it was passed on and such? That doesn't make sense. It seems logical the reason why the Vedas was not written down is because the Aryans (who have no written system) passed it down orally and finally when they finally found that the Dravidian's written language can be used to write it down. That makes the most sense. Please explain. The wonder is how could, those aryan rishis have transferred the vedas word of mouth, generation to generation. It is almost a super-human memory that they possesed. Most Indologists agree that an oral tradition existed long before they were written down by the second century BC in a variation of Persian Avestan Language which is called Vedic Sanskrit by Indian Hindus. The oldest surviving manuscripts of Rig Veda however are dated in the 11th century AD. 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS Here are some such attempts to extrapolate back into remote antiquity The dates Frawley gives for Vedic civilization are: Period 1. 6500-3100 BC, Pre-Harappan, early Rig Vedic Period 2. 3100-1900 BC, Mature Harappan 3100-1900, period of the Four Vedas Period 3. 1900-1000 BC, Late Harappan, late Vedic and Brahmana period Professor Dinesh Agrawal of Penn State University reviewed the evidence from a variety of sources and estimated the dates as follows: • Rig Vedic Age - 7000-4000 BC • End of Rig Vedic Age - 3750 BC • End of Ramayana-Mahabharat Period - 3000 BC • Development of Saraswati-Indus Civilization - 3000-2200 BC • Decline of Indus and Saraswati Civilization - 2200-1900 BC • Period of chaos and migration - 2000-1500 BC • Period of evolution of syncretic Hindu culture - 1400-250 BC The Indus Valley Civilization flourished, according to the most reliable current scientific estimates, between 2,600 and 1,900 BC—but there are cities, such as Mehrgarh, that date back to 6,500-7,000 BC. These dates are based on archeological fieldwork using standard methods that are commonly recognized in the scientific community today. “The question of chronology has usually been considered a difficult one. Many students of Hinduism after proclaiming the impossibility of ascribing dates to early Brahmanical works, then not only proceed to do so, but give them very ancient ones with little or no justification. This is true not only of Hindu traditionalists, but also of many Western orientalists, who in the words of Nirud C. Chauduri "have succumbed to Hindu chronological fantasies" [Hinduism (1979), p.33]. It may be mentioned that the antiquity claimed for the Hindu texts contrasts strongly with the lateness of all extant epigraphcial, iconographical and archelogical evidence.” http://www.uq.net.au/slsoc/bsq/hinduism.htm HINDUISM IN BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE V.A.Gunasekar 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS “ We are in danger of moving in a vicious circle: of assigning ideas to an epoch because they occur in a certain book, while at the same time we fix the date of the book in virtue of the ideas which it contains.” HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM - AN HISTORICAL SKETCH BY SIR CHARLES ELIOT 1921 ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL LTD Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane, London, E.C.4. Thus the general tendency of Linguists and Indologists is to date the Vedas much more recently. Kanchi Kama Koti thus states that: The Age of Vedas http://www.kamakoti.org Some of them say that it was done about 1,500 BC; other suggest that it may have about 3,000 years. Tilak fixes the date as 6,000 BC But modern Orientalists are inclined to bring the date nearer “It is difficult to date the various Samhitas and Brahmanas of the Veda very precisely because of the following reasons – • • First, they are primarily liturgical, ritualistic and spiritual texts. Hence, any information on the material aspects of the culture that they belonged to, would be incidental. Second, they were composed and transmitted by very elitist classes of Brahmin priests and therefore are not representative of the culture and civilizations of the periods to which they belong. This makes it difficult to correlate them with archaeological data. Third, they appeared to have been written and compiled predominantly in modern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and therefore, any corroborating information from other parts of India would be of limited utility. Fourth, the texts, as available today, are quite heterogeneous and layered and it is often difficult to separate the layers chronologically. Fifth, we are still in the dark about the precise chronological and cultural relationship between the archaeologically dated Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) and the culture pre-supposed by the Vedic texts. Sixth, we do not know precisely the extent of transformation (in terms of content and language) that these texts underwent before they were finally frozen into their present forms. Thus, while the present forms of these texts might be dated on the basis of principles of Historical Linguistics, we would still not know when the Ur-texts were composed. Seven, the extant Vedic texts are a fraction of the original literature and it is known that at least some of the lost texts showed different linguistic features. • • • • • 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS Therefore, any conclusions drawn on the basis of linguistic studies could only be provisional. “ http://www.dharmicscriptures.org/Vedic_SB_Intro.doc A very well balanced and very well written introduction to the Aryan Origins and the Age of Veda is found in the following site. I quote (since very often these external links go off line) only the relevant portions. http://www.musicalnirvana.com/introduction/origin.html “Age Of The Veda - Aryan Migration Theory The old Iranian language of Avesta, is very close to Vedic language. Avesta, the old scripture of Zoroastrism (modern day Parsis) is very much like the RigVeda. The Avesthan people and Vedic people called themselves, Aryans (Iranian - airya). Infact, Persian kings, proud of their Aryan origin, named their country Iran, in the aftermath of the Aryan race theory. The first systematic theory of the relationships between human languages began when Sir William Jones, the Chief Magistrate of Calcutta and the founder of the Asiatic Society, proposed in 1786 that Greek and Latin, the classical languages of Europe, and Sanskrit, the classical language of India, had all descended from a common source (The Third Anniversary Discourse On The Hindus,1786 ). The evidence for this came from both the structure of the languages - Sanskrit grammar has similarities to Greek - and the vocabulary of the languages. Thus, father in English compares to Vater in German, pater in Latin, patêr in Greek, pitr. in Sanskrit, pedar in Persian, etc. On the other hand, father in Arabic is ab, which hardly seems like any of the others. This became the theory of IndoEuropean languages, and today the hypothetical language that would be the common source for all Indo-European languages (Language Family Tree - Indo-European) is now called Proto-IndoEuropean. 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS First it was thought that India was the possible origin of all civilization (Enlightenment scholars like Voltaire). The famous German philosopher Kant placed the origin of mankind in Tibet. Eighteenth century German scholar, Friedrich Schlegel (1772-1829), supposed that a new people had formed itself in northern India, swarmed towards the West, populating Europe. Later it was postulated that the original home of Indo-Europeans was Central Asia, (because of common word roots for winter and snow, but not for rice or ocean, also presence of horse - so the original home must hav been a cold place away from the oceans) and various groups of people migrated south to occupy India and Iran, West to occupy Europe. French writer Arthur de Gobineau (1816-1882) proposed that Eurpean aristocracy was Aryan, peasants were not Aryan and Anti-Semitic ideas against the Jews was born. German scholar Max Muller (1823-1900), who picked up this prevelent theory, explained that Indo Aryans came to India from north west and conquered the Dravidian people who lived there, pushing them to the south, sometime around 1500 to 1000 B.C. He thought the high castes were Aryan people, while the lower castes non-Aryan (just like it was argued in Erupoe). After the excavations and discovery of Indus valley civilization (Harappa, Mohanjodaro - 1920 AD), Sir Mortimer Wheeler a British archeologist, in 1946 theorized that Aryans invaded the cities of Indus Valley bringing that non-aryan civilization to an end. Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) became the accepted theory. In recent times there is little support for the theory of an invading army of Aryans coming down from Eurasia and destroying the cities of settlers on the Indus valley or elsewhere. There is no archaeological evidence for destruction of IVC civilization by invading armies in Indus Valley civilization sites or elsewhere. AIT has been replaced by a migration theory, which talks about movement of people from Steppe of Central Asia to Europe and south and east Asia, spreading IndoEuropean languages (The Spread of Indo-European and Turkish Peoples off the Steppe). Indian civilization is thought to be the product of these migrating people and those who already existed here ( Romila Thapar - The Aryan Question Revisited, http://members.tripod.com/ascjnu/aryan.html). Now it is thought that Indus Valley Civilization was abandoned because of shift in river courses rather than because of an invading army of Aryans. Tributeries of Saraswathi diverted to join Jamuna around 1700 BC, leading to drying up of Saraswathi, probably causing the abandonment of settlements and eventual decline of IVC. Some writers, aligned with the ideology of Hindutva, dismiss Aryan Invasion Theory as colonial propaganda. 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS The writers include Shrikant G. Talageri (The RigVeda - A Historical Analysis , http://www.bharatvani.org/books/rig/), David Frawley ( The myth of Aryan Invation Of India), Dr. Dinesh Agrawal (Demise of Aryan Racial/Invasion Theory, http://www.hindunet.org/ srh_home/1995_11/msg00056.html), Dr Subhash Kak ( The Aryans and Ancient Indian History, http://www.indiastar.com/kakaryans.html ), N.S. Rajaram (Aryan Invasion), Dr. S. Kalyanaraman ( Sarasvati-Sindhu Civilization, http://link.lanic.utexas.edu/asnic/subject/ saraswatisindhucivization.html), Koenraad Elst ( The Vedic Harappans in writing) and Dr. S.R. Rao (The Lost City of Dvaraka, https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no14243.htm). They have proposed that Aryans are original to India and spread through out Asia and Europe. We can call this the Out Of India theory (OIT). Max Muller's scholarship and integrity have been questioned (Max Muller - A Missionary Bigot, http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1997_2/0088.html) , and he has been daemonized, by the backers of OIT. OIT proponents argue that Muller and other 19th century Eurpoean scholars believed in divine origin of life as given in the Bible. Archbishop of Ireland had decreed in 1664 that creation took place at 9 a.m. on 23-10-4004 BC and one who will say anything else about it will be considered a heretic. Since, life on earth only started around 4000 B.C., according to their beliefs, they had to make everything else fit into that time frame. Also, several new sites along rivers other than Indus have been excavated in Pakistan, Rajastan and Gujarat in the last two decades. Many of the sites are on the banks of a dried up river, which the OIT backers assert is the river Sarasvti mentioned extensively in the RigVeda. Thus, the Indus Valley Civilization has been renamed as Sindhu - Sarasvati Valley Civilization by the backers of OIT ( Sarasvati Sindhu (Vedic / Indus) Civilization, Language and Script, http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/ ieindex.htm). They assign the Age of Vedas between 6000BC to 4000BC (chronology of sarasvati river). Many modern vedic scholars do not agree with this OIT (Autochthonous Aryans? The Evidence from Old Indian and Iranian Texts, http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/ EJVS-7-3.htm ). They point to lack of positive evidence and political inclination of the proponents of OIT. Of course, OIT tremendously benefits the Hindutva proponents of the Sangh Parivar. 4 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS Some writers like Rajaram, went to the extent of manufacturing evidence to support their theory ( Horseplay in Harappa, http://www.flonnet.com/fl1720/ 17200040.htm). Infact OIT proponents seem to be guilty of exactly the same thing they accuse Muller and other scholars of - writing history to suit their ideology. * Prof. Michael Witzel (Age of the Veda) gives the date of RigVeda between 1700 BC and 1200 BC based on the following. RigVeda is a pre-iron age (copper/bronze) age text of the Greater Panjab (incl. parts of Afghanistan). SamaVeda, which is slightly later than RigVeda, mentions iron. This sets a late date of c. 1200 for RigVeda, the earliest iron in India. * The date of the demise of the Indus civilization is c. 1900 BC. RigVeda is post Indus Civilization. Chariots of Indo Aryan type first occur around 2000 BC west and east of the Ural mountains * Horses are indeed not found in South Asia before 1700 BC http://www.friesian.com/notes/note-n.htm Philosophy of History Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D. Strange Claims about the Greeks, and about India The most easily disposed fallacy of the thesis about the Indo-Europeans in India, however, is in the linguistic evidence. The oldest Indo-European language of India, Vedic Sanskrit, is not related to the Dravidian languages of India in any conventionally ascertainable way. Vedic Sanskrit, however, is nearly identical to Avestan, the oldest attested form of Persian. There are new theories that Indo-European and Dravidian (and Semitic, etc.) languages may be ultimately related, but this connection would be much more remote than the theory of common origin in India would allow. What is clear, however, is that Vedic Sanskrit has already borrowed some Dravidian vocabulary and some Dravidian phonology. The languages of India become a sprachbund, which means a group of unrelated languages that borrow features from each other because of geographical proximity (as in the Balkans). All the languages in India have a characteristic set of "retroflex" or "lingual" consonsants, t., t.h, d., d.h, n., and s., corresponding to the ordinary "dentals," t, th, d, dh, n, and s. These do not occur in other Indo-European languages, which is hardly possible if Indo-European languages had originated with those sounds in India. Ockham's Razor requires the simpler theory that, if no Indo-European languages but in India have retroflexes, then Proto-Indo-European did not have retroflexes. By the same token, the contrast between the Indo-European vowels a, e, and o has been lost in all IndoAryan languages (which means Iranian as well as Indian languages), which only have a. Linguistically, it is easy enough for the three vowels to simplify to one, but unheard of for one to differentiate into three without being the effect of some phonetic or morphological environment. No theory of such an environment, as far as I know, has been suggested as part of the Indian-origin theory. Instead, e, and o actually did reemerge in Sanskrit from the diphthongs ai, and au, respectively. Much the same process can be seen in modern Arabic, where bêt, "house," develops from Classical Arabic bayt. 5 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS A claim that has recently come to my attention is that the writing of the Indus Valley, whose texts are probably too few (3700 inscribed objects, 60% of which are seals, with much duplication), and with no bilingual examples, to ever be deciphered, has now been identified (by S.R. Rao and others) as consisting of alphabetic characters which are recognizably the source of both the later Brahmi script of India and of the alphabet systems -- Phoenican, Canaanite, Hebrew, etc. -- of the Middle East. A very good recent examination of all the work and claims in this area can be found in Lost Languages, The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts, by Andrew Robinson [McGraw Hill, 2002, "At the Sign of the Unicorn, the Indus Script," pp. 264-295]. According to Robinson, the good basic recent work in the Indus Valley script has been done by Asko Parpola and Iravatham Mahadevan. I see three problems with the thesis of the derivation of later alphabet from the Indus script: (1) When every other known writing system in the world begins with pictographic characters and only later evolves phonetic elements, it is improbable to incredible that an alphabetic or syllabic system should leap into maturity in India, without anything like a similar evolution, let alone all the preliterate stages now known for Sumerian (and, recently, perhaps even Egyptian). (2) The chronological gap between Indus Valley literacy and the later attested writing, i.e. from c.1500 to 800 or 700 BC, is so large as to render unlikely to impossible the survival of the earlier system. And (3) the Middle Eastern alphabets appear in the wrong place to be derived from India, i.e. in Syria and Palestine, which is a place strongly linked in trade and culture to Egypt (whose writing the alphabets resemble), but not to someplace on the other side of the India Ocean. To be sure, related alphabetic writing appears in Yemen, where Indian trade could be postulated, but the derivation of South Arabian writing from Levantine seems uncontroversial to Semiticists. A very recent (Vol.197, No.6, June 2000) National Geographic story on the Indus Valley civilization ("Indus Civilization, Clues to an Ancient Puzzle," pp.108-129) mentions some key information, for instance that 400 symbols have been identified in the Indus script (p.122). The longest Indus text is only 26 symbols, while "the average is just five -- not much for a decipherer to work with." Indeed. Robinson says there are 425 +/-25 attested characters (p.281), with the uncertainty due to the possiblity of ligatures (combinations) and allomorphs (alternate forms). This is too many to be either an alphabetic or even a syllabic system, but is a bit deficient to be the whole of an ideographic system -- about 1000 characters are known from the similarly fragmentary texts of the Shang Dynasty. Nevertheless, Robinson mentions that only about 500 characters are attested from Hittite hieroglyphics, 600+ from Sumerian, and about 800 (or as few as 500) in Mayan glyphs. So we seem to be a little short, but in the right order of magnitude. Thus, after almost endless confusion, we must return to the conventional wisdom that the Romans are not Greeks and that the Indo-Aryans invaded India. http://thenagain.info/webchron/India/RigVeda.html 5 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS “These Vedas were passed on orally for many generations. When they were written down, they were first written in Vedic, an early form of Sanskrit. Then around 300 B.C. the Vedas were written down in the form we have them today.” We are essentially talking about Rig Veda when we try to date the earliest Vedic composition dates. Even within the Rig Veda mandala I and X are accepted as of much later period. One of the reasons for this as given by Indologists is that the river Indus predominates in these hymns unlike the others where Saraswati is the important river. At any rate Mandala X might have been written as late as 3rd C AD and was the last hymn admitted into the Canon. Rig Veda is a layered collection whose period therefore falls from 1500 BC to 300 AD. The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree on various hymns from it. The Yajurveda is derived from yajus "sacrifice" and veda "knowledge" The Yajurveda Samhita contains the liturgy needed by the priests called adhvaryu, to perform the rituals and sacrifices of the religion of the Vedic period. The Sama-Veda or the wisdom of chants is a collection of samans or chants, derived from the eighth and ninth books of the 'original Veda', the Rig-Veda. As time went along rituals and ceremonies of worship became increasingly intricate and this Veda is a compilation of all the rituals and their chants in a book. Atharvan Veda is a collection of Magic Spells and medicaments. These were finally written down well into the Third century AD “The Vedas have not come down to the present time without considerable dispute as to the text. As might have been expected, when this teaching was given orally, discrepancies arose. One account mentions no less than twenty-one schools (Sakhas) of the Rig-Veda: another gives five of the RigVeda, forty-two of the Yajur-Veda ; mentions twelve out of a thousand of the Saman-Veda, and twelve of the Atharva-Veda. And as each school believed that it possessed the true Veda, it anathematized those who taught and followed any other version. The Rig-Veda Sanhita that has come down to the present age is that of one school only, the Sakala; the Yajur-Veda is that of three schools ; the Sama-Veda is that of perhaps two, and the Atharva- Veda of one only. " The history of the Yajur-Veda differs in so far from that of the other Vedas, as it is marked by a dissension between its own schools far more important than the differences which separated the school of each [of the] other Vedas. It is known by the distinction between a Yajur-Veda called the Black—and another called the White—Yajur-Veda. Tradition, especially that of the Puranas, records a legend to account for it. Vaisampayana, it says, the disciple of Vyasa, who had received from him the Yajur-Veda, once having committed an offence, desired his disciples to assist him in the performance of some expiatory act. One of these, however, Yajnavalkya, proposed that he should alone perform the whole rite; upon which Vaisampayana, enraged at what he considered to be the arrogance of Yajnavalkya, uttered a curse on him, the effect of which was that Yajnavalkya disgorged all the Yajus texts he had learned from Vaisampayana. The other disciples, having been meanwhile transformed into partridges (tittiri], picked up these tainted texts and retained them. Hence these texts are called Taittiriyas. But Yajnavalkya, desirous of obtaining Yajus texts, devoutly prayed to the Sun, and had granted to him his wish,—' to possess such texts as were not known to his 5 2. DATE OF THE VEDAS teacher.'" And thus there are two Yajur-Vedas to this day; the Black being considered the older of the two. As to the date of the Vedas, there is nothing certainly known. There is no doubt that they are amongst the oldest literary productions in the world; but as to when they were composed all is conjecture. Colebrooke seems to show from a Vaidick Calendar, that they must have been written before the I4th century B.C. Some assign to them a more recent, some a more ancient date. Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Purānic By William Joseph Wilkins 1882. 5 3. TIME LINE CHAPTER 3 TIME LINE EARLY CIVILIZATIONS, RELIGIOUS DOCUMENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING SYSTEMS AND CULTURE To put it in perspective, here is the general time line of the “Vedic Period” where the oral tradition is said to have prevailed. Elsewhere in the civilization of humanity had developed writing and had their religious writings in place whereas in India Vedism had only the “oral traditions” with all its pitfalls and misuse right in place and extravagant unrealistic claims of antiquity. though we try to impose untruthful symbolic meanings into it now. It was only by the second century BC Rig Veda was written down. The theology of Rig Veda was simply that of nature worship, 5 3. TIME LINE THE FOUR CENTERS OF CULTURE WERE BASED ON LARGE RIVERS: Nile River– Egyptian Civilization – Hieroglyphics Euphrates-Tigris Rivers - Sumerian Civilization - Cuneiform Indus River– Indus Civilization – Indus Script Huang He River - Chinese Civilization – Chinese Characters http://www.friesian.com/ 5 3. TIME LINE TILL 2200 BC 3000 BC MESOPOTAMIA Iku-Shamagan, king of Mari 3000 BCE Cultic stela from Mari ca. 3000 BCE Royal Tombs of Ur 2600 Eannatum 2454-2425 5 3. TIME LINE Eannatum's victory over Umma, Ur, Uruk, and Kish Lugalzagesi, Ensi of Umma 2360-2335 Ishqi-Mari, king of Mari 5 3. TIME LINE 2,550 BC Construction of the Great Pyramids This period includes the 3rd to the 6th dynasty of Egypt. The first pharaoh, or king, of the Old Kingdom, was Zoser. The Step Pyramid was the first pyramid built in Egypt and the burial grounds for Pharaoh Zoser. Khunfu's Pyramid in Giza 5 3. TIME LINE 2,500 BC Ancient Libraries The first library was probably located in a temple at the city of Nippur, Babylonia. A number of rooms were used to store clay tablets. Ancient Egypt and China also had libraries 2700 -2200 BC EBLA (TELL MARDIKH) TABLETS an ancient city that flourished between 2700 and 2200 B.C. in what is now northern Syria. Nearly 15,000 tablets and fragments were found, but when joined together they will consitute about 2,500 tablets. Written in the cuneiform characters originated by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, adapted to the language of Ebla's Semitic inhabitants. 5 3. TIME LINE Monotheism was not unknown even from the beginning of mankind. It was the norm. This tablet reads: "Lord of heaven and earth: the earth was not, you created it, the light of day was not, you created it, the morning light you had not [yet] made exist” 2,300 BC Invention of 'Paper' In Ancient Egypt, 'paper' was made from the papyrus plant. The paper making remained a fine art. Regular medium still remained stones and clay for a long time Egyptian paintings done on papyrus 'paper'. 6 3. TIME LINE 2200 – 1000 BC Vedic Period in India? – No written scriptures existed till second century BC The following time line indicates how various cultures communicated their spiritual and religious thoughts through expressive documentations thus defining them. Egyptian Hieroglyphics The letters in a Semitic language, carved in stone cliffs west of the Nile, were found by Yale University Egyptologist, Dr John Darnell. He says they are nearly 4,000 years old, dating from around 1800 to 1900 BC. THE HIEROGLYPHICS, AND THE LANGUAGE AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT. = HIEROGLYPHS symbols on Gerzean pottery resemble hieroglyphic writing. 4000 BC Narmer Palette 3200 BC Earliest known hieroglyphic inscription was the Narmer Palette, at Hierakonpolis dated 3200 BC. 6 3. TIME LINE Amduat ("That Which Is In the Afterworld") 2494-2345 BC This lintel once stood above the door to the tomb chapel of a high official of the Kings of the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 BC). Its beautifully carved hieroglyphs tell us that his name was Ka’Aper Ancient Egyptian Wisdom Literature and was probably written in the 6th Dynasty (2300 to 2150 BCE). It only comes down to us from much later copies. Papyrus Prisse is dated to the Middle Kingdom (2040 to 1650 BCE). Early Dynastic Period of Egypt 3100-2890 seven rulers 2890-2686 nine rulers 6 3. TIME LINE Famine Stela--Djoser grants to temple of Khnum a share of revenue. Netjerirykhet (Djoser) 2628-2609 6 3. TIME LINE The Precepts of Ptah-Hotep, 2200 BC The lines 3 to 5 of the above translated gives: Oh Sovereign, my Lord! Old age has occurred, and Age has arrived Feebleness has come and weakness is renewed 6 3. TIME LINE 2,050 B.C. Middle Kingdom in Egypt The Middle Kingdom lasted from 2050 to 1800 B.C. It was ruled by the 11th and 12th dynasties with its capital at Thebes. During this time, the Nile river was also greatly used for trading. They also used irrigation systems to aid in farming. The Temple of Amen at El Karnak, the largest known temple that was ever built even up till today Pyramid Texts 6 3. TIME LINE The oldest religious texts are Egyptian. "The Pyramid Texts were a collection of Egyptian mortuary prayers, hymns, and spells intended to protect a dead king or queen and ensurelife and sustenance in the hereafter. The texts, inscribed on the walls of the inner chambers of the pyramids [from c. 2686-c. 2160 BC]., are found at Saqqarah in several 5th- and 6th-dynasty pyramids, of which that of Unas, last king of the 5th dynasty, is the earliest known. The texts constitute the oldest surviving body of Egyptian religious and funerary writings available to modern scholars." -Encyclopedia Britannica BABYLON Babylonian Creational Myths - Enuma Elish 6 3. TIME LINE Law Code of Hammurabi 1792-1750 BC Stele of Hammurabi bearing the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. The code inscribed on it recognized social classes and sought to regulate private life. At the top, Hammurabi approaches the seated sun god, Shamash, who was also the god of justice Gilgamesh XI The Flood story The main Canaanite languages are Phoenician, Punic, Moabite, Edomite, Hebrew and Ammonite. Initially all these were written in Phoenician script. 6 3. TIME LINE A Boundry Stone (kudurru) 12th century land grant by a father to his son. In the top register are the divinities of Sin (moon), Ishtar (planet Venus), Shamash (sun), and horned crowns representing Anu and Enlil and the goatfish of Ea. In the third register are the dragon and spade of Marduk. Kassite Dynasty of Bablylon (c. 1720-1157 B.C.) http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/index.html “Probably the most important of the Middle Eastern religions was that which was developed by the peoples of Mesopotamia (i.e., the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians). These peoples, besides spreading their influence, absorbed contributions of the Hittites, the Phrygians, the Ugarites, and the Phoenicians. It was in Mesopotamia that the Sumerians implanted reverence for the sky and for high places. Later, when they came into contact with the Semites, new gods were absorbed into the pantheon. The result was a blend of religious thought, Sumerian and Semitic, in which everything (a tree, a stone, a fish, a bird, a person, or even an abstract idea) had a particular significance in the universe. The highest authority was the triad of gods: the sky god Anu, the storm god Enlil, and the water god Ea, or Enki. Later a second triad arose: the moon god Sin, the sun god Shamash, and the goddess Ishtar (sometimes replaced by the weather god Hadad). As Babylon rose to supremacy in the 2d millennium B.C., the local god Marduk became important; a thousand years later Ashur of Assyria took his place. Thus many deities were determined by political conquest as well as by interchange. 6 3. TIME LINE There was a gradual development among the Middle Eastern cultures toward belief in a supreme god. One of the most widespread cults was that of the mother goddess (Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Cybele; see Great Mother Goddess). She was considered as more kindly disposed toward humans than the other deities but was also capable of cruelty and vengefulness. It was the Hittite kingdom in Anatolia (Asia Minor) who brought to an end the first dynasty of Babylon. Mursilis I, king of the Hittites, invaded Babylonia by surprise and sacked Babylon.” Hittites are Aryans. We can see very close parallel between the Vedic gods and the Babylonian gods. HEBREW 2000 BC == “A magic spell to keep snakes away from the tombs of Egyptian kings, adopted from the Canaanites almost 5,000 years ago, could be the oldest Semitic text yet discovered.” Associated Press Thursday, January 25, 2007 The first pure alphabet emerged around 2000 BC to represent the language of Semitic workers in Egypt (see Middle Bronze Age alphabets), and was derived from the alphabetic principles of the Egyptian hieroglyphs. PROTO-SINAITIC HEBREW 1900 BC [The Invention of the Alphabet] A specimen of Proto-Sinaitic script, one of the earliest (if not the very first) phonemic scripts. Possibly translate as “death to/for Ba'alt” (feminine form of Ba'al) 1500 BC 6 3. TIME LINE Wadi el-Hol inscriptions Luxor in upper Egypt, Egyptologists have found limestone inscriptions that they say are the earliest known examples of alphabetic writing, in a Semitic script with Egyptian influences, has been dated between 1900 and 1800 B.C. The first experiments with alphabet thus appeared to be the work of Semitic people living deep in Egypt HEBREW 1000 BC Hebrew flourished as a spoken language in Israel from the 10th century BC. Afterward Hebrew continued as a literary language until the Modern Era. when it was revived as a spoken language in the 19th century. This picture shows many carved texts sitting on shelves. This is in a museum in Turkey. But some texts were found in libraries of clay tablets, where they found a shelf full of intact texts, with the catalog list at the front of the shelf. The index list told archaeologists what tablets were missing from the shelf. Obviously the archeologists were amazed to dig up complete libraries of carved clay. 7 3. TIME LINE http://www.harappa.com/script/ This script was used in the Indus valley of India between about 3,500 and 2,000 BC. Neither the script nor the language it was used to write are known, however Asko Parpola of the University of Helsinki in Finland claims to have partially deciphered the script and believes it probably respresents a Dravidian language. Dr. Parpola's work, Deciphering the Indus Script was published by Cambridge University Press in 1994. ”The Sanskrit hypothesis, however, is difficult to reconcile chronologically with the date of the Indus civilisation (about the second half of the third millennium B.C.) and antecedent Early Harappan neolithic cultures which were responsible for its creation. Comparison of the Vedic texts with the Avesta and with the West Asian documents relating to the Aryan kings of Mitanni suggests that the Vedic Aryans entered the Indian subcontinent from Northeast Iran and Central Asia in the second millennium B.C. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that the early Aryans were nomads and that the horse played a dominent role in their culture, as it did in the culture of their Proto-Indo-European-speaking ancestors. The horse is conspicuously absent from the many realistic representations of animals in the art of the Indus civilisation. Comprehensive recent bone analyses have yielded the conclusion that the horse was introduced to the subcontinent around the beginning of the second millennium B.C. Horse-drawn chariots made the Aryan-speaking nomads a superior military force which gradually subdued all of North India. Numerically the early Aryans can have been only a fraction of the Indus population, which is estimated to have been about five million. Obviously these millions of people were not all killed; they were made to acknowledge the Aryan overlordship and to pay taxes. In the course of time and through gradually increasing bilingualism, the earlier population eventually became linguistically assimilated. It is most unlikely that this process of linguistic Aryanization happened without leaving clear marks of the earlier substratum language upon Indo-Aryan. There are several structural and lexical Dravidisms even in the Rgveda, the earliest preserved text collection, pointing to the presence of Dravidian speakers in Northwest India in the second millennium B.C. The 25 Dravidian languages spoken at present form the second largest linguistic family of South Asia. Until recently, about one quarter of the entire population has spoken Dravidian, while the speakers of Austro-Asiatic, the third largest linguistic family of long standing in South Asia, numbered just a few per cent. The Indus language is likely to have belonged to the North Dravidian sub-branch represented today by the Brahui, spoken in the mountain valleys and plateaus of Afghanistan and Baluchistan, the core area of the Early Harappan neolithic cultures, and by the Kurukh spoken in North India from Nepal and Madhya Pradesh to Orissa, Bengal and Assam.” 7 3. TIME LINE "I still very strongly believe that the Indus civilization language was in all probability an early form of Dravidian. Having said this, let me also sound a word of caution. This is still a theory." "We haven't had final proof, we haven't been able to crack the code primarily because we do not have a bilingual [inscription in two languages] and also because the available inscriptional materials are all in the form of repetitive tablets and seals which are extremely small, not more than an average of five symbols strung in a row." Iravatham Mahadevan The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables. The longest Indus document 7 3. TIME LINE While there is a continuity of development of scripts and a growth of literature in all other early cultures, the Indus Valley civilization has no continuity nor literature to claim. Something happened to this ancient culture with elaborate cities and structures that is culture was cut off with nothing to replace. CHINA Shang Dynasty 1752 - 1111 Oracle bone script 7 3. TIME LINE writing was invented in China during the latter half of the 2nd millenium BC and that there is no evidence to suggest the transmission of writing from elsewhere. The earliest recognisable examples of written Chinese date from 1500-950 BC (Shang dynasty) and were inscribed on ox scapulae and turtle shells - "oracle bones". Bronze Inscription Eastern Zhou dynasty (ca. 1150-771 BC) and late Shang period. the total number of these symbols in the Chinese writing system is staggering. Even to be able to read a novel, it is absolutely necessary to learn at least 3,000 symbols. People with college degrees are judged to have mastered about 6-7,000 of them, but some large dictionaries can contain as many as 60,000 characters. 7 3. TIME LINE A page from a medieval Chinese manuscript. Bamboo strips (ca. 300 BCE The Bamboo inscription reads: ...form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form, emptiness is nothing but form, form is nothing but emptiness... http://www.logoi.com/notes/symbols_alphabet.html China was an isolated civilization and trade did not affect its literature. In spite of its difficult scripts they developed a large literature and religion of their own. 1500 – 1200 BC 1500-700: Vedic period of India.: "Rig-Veda” is said to have been remembered in oral form as handed down by Brahma the creator and handed down through generations. HITTITE 7 3. TIME LINE 1500-1200: Akkadian Cuneiform became common language of Near East The principal known member of the Indo-European Language (Aryan) family is Hittite. The oldest surviving written records of Hittite, dated at about the 15th or 14th cent. B.C., are among the earliest extant remains of any Indo-European language. From c.1500 to 1200 B.C., Hittite was written both in cuneiform (a system of writing taken over from Mesopotamia) and in hieroglyphics (a form of picture writing unrelated to the hieroglyphics of Egypt). After the fall of the Hittite Empire (c.1200 B.C.) the use of cuneiform ceased, but writing in hieroglyphics continued until the 7th cent. B.C. Cuneiform and Hieroglyphic Hittite are separate but closely related languages. Hieroglyphic Hittite (1500-700 BC) Cuneiform Hittite (1500-1200 BC) A bilingual Hieroglyphic and Cuneiform Hittite Plate GREEK 1450 BC The first known Greek writings date back to 1450 BC. Greek has been spoken in the Balkan Peninsula since the 2nd millennium BC. The earliest evidence of this is found in the Linear B tablets in the 'Room of the Chariot Tablets', a LMII-context (c. 1500 BC) region of Knossos, in Crete 7 3. TIME LINE 1447: HEBREW EXODUS LEAD BY MOSES: Hebrews wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years JUDAISM Moses was trained in the Royal Art of writing He wrote the five books. Books of the Law: Torah. Writing was in existence in Egypt and Sumer This date can be almost accurately determined as 7 3. TIME LINE As one brought up at the court of the Pharaoh, and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, he must have had some knowledge of hieroglyphics. Moses was of Semitic Origin (Jew). So he must have been familiar with Babylonian Cuneiform as well RAS SHAMRA TABLETS :PHOENICIAN OR HEBREW ALPHABET 1400 – 1000 BC Among the Ras Shamra tablets, belonging to the Tell el Amarna period some tablets are written entirely in a Canaanite language, and in the cuneiform script. In this case, however, it is surprising to learn that the cuneiform is no longer syllabic, but (apparently under Phoenician influence) has been simplified for use as an alphabet. 'The decipherment of this script, which represents the Phoenician or Hebrew alphabet of actually 1400 BC, century.' [C. Marston, The New Knowledge and the Old Testament (1933) Amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls were found the oldest known Hebrew/Aramaic manuscripts of parts of the Old Testament. Some extensive, some only small fragments, nevertheless, every book is represented except Esther. They are all dated earlier than BC 100. These and also the "Septuagint" Greek translation of BC 285-246, to a remarkable degree, verify the accuracy of the Masoretic Hebrew Text of circa AD 900. THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD 1427-1392 BC The Papyrus of Ani: Funeral inscriptions is one of the most interesting achievements of the present This hieroglyphics explains what happens after death when the heart is weighed to determine the level of rewards. If it is found wanting the heart is eaten by the wolf 7 3. TIME LINE Period of Judges in Israel West BC Cushan-Rishathaim and Othniel (1) ~1350-1300 Shamgar, Jabin and Deborah (3) ~1275-1220 Midian and Gideon (4) ~1220-1170 Abimelech ~1170 Tola ~1170-1150 Philistines and Samson (6) ~1150-1100 Dan takes Laish (7) ~1150 Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon ~1125-1100 East Eglon and Ehud (2) Midian and Gideon (4) Jair (5) Ammonites (6) Jephthah (8) BC ~1325-1225 ~1220-1170 ~1170-1150 ~1150-1130 ~1130-1125 7 3. TIME LINE 1200 – 1100 Book of Caverns – Egypt It was written on the inside of the tomb for reference by the deceased. It describes the journey of the sun god Ra through the six caverns of the underworld, focusing on the rewards and punishments in afterlife. Limestone ostracon with a drawing of a cat bringing a boy before a mouse magistrate, New Kingdom Egypt, 20th dynasty (1200–1085 BC); in the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. The Hell 8 3. TIME LINE 1,100 B.C. The Age of Greece (1100 BC - 323 BC) The beginnings of Greece was in the form of the Minoan culture, named after the legendary King Minos, on the island of Crete. From here, this great civilization spread to the rest of Europe, resulting in what we term the Greek civilization today. Greek gods and goddesses corresponds to later Indian mythical panthenon. 1000 – 800 BC Vedism as a religion was formalized with the Brahmans as priests. But all rituals are handed down orally only - there were no written scriptures for Vedism This corresponds to the period of Solomon. Jerusalem at that time David – King of Israel wrote a number of Hymns the beginning of Kingship in Israel – Period of Saul, David and We have the songs of David (Psalms) written down and elaborate temple rituals in 8 3. TIME LINE 1000-586: 1st period (Classical) of Hebrew literature in Old Hebrew alphabet: Song of Deborah [Jdg 5], Song of Miriam [Exo 15:1-18], Song of Songs 961-922: Solomon: King of Israel, Solomon’s Temple 8 3. TIME LINE Moabite Stone :West Semitic Language I am Mesha, son of Kemosh-yat, the Dibonite Seal of Jezebel the Queen of Israel : 873-852 BC Ashur-nasir-pal II was king of Assyria from 884 BC-859 BC. 800 – 700 BC 776 B.C. The Olympic Games It was supposedly started at Olympia, named after Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. The first Olympic games were initially dedicated to Zeus, the king of all gods. 8 3. TIME LINE Rome founded 753 BC Rome was founded by Romulus, son of Mars, brother of Remus, raised by she-wolf on April 21, 753 BC by twin descendants of the Trojan prince Aeneas, Romulus and Remus Homer 8th c BC Homer's Iliad. Book XIV, ll. 227-253, 256-263, Oxyrhynchus, II A.D. (Manuscripts Division and Princeton Papyrus Home Page) The oldest copy of "Iliad" is dated 300 BC 700 – 600 BC 721 The first Exodus of Jews: settled in countries to the East to escape slavery by the Assyrians. Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon 8 3. TIME LINE The Prophecy of Daniel Nebuchadnezzar Inscription This clay tablet reads, "In the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of Babylon, he went to Egypt [Misr] to make war. Amasis, king of Egypt, collected, and marched and spread abroad." 600 –500 BC Zarthustra (630-553 ?) 8 3. TIME LINE Yasna 28.1, Ahunavaiti Gatha (Bodleian MS J2) 604 - 571 Lao-tzu- Chinese philosopher, "Tao Te Ching" 8 3. TIME LINE "The Way gave birth to unity, Unity gave birth to duality, Duality gave birth to trinity, Trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures." (Tao Te Ching Capter 42 tr. Mair 1990:9). “Requite injuries with good deeds" (chap. 63, tr. Waley) The Valley Spirit never dies It is named the Mysterious Female. And the doorway of the Mysterious Female Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang. It is there within us all the while; Draw upon it as you will, it never runs dry. (chap. 6, tr. Waley Earliest available copy of Tao Te Ching is dated 270 AD Solon 594 BC The founding of Greek democracy in ancient Athens is credited to a lawgiver named Solon, who lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century BC. He put an end to the wealthy aristocrats' complete control of the government and advocated that control of the government be shared among the 8 3. TIME LINE people. He divided society into four classes and instituted economic and political reforms. He also cancelled debts and freed people imprisoned for debt. Solon, founder of democracy in Greece Confucius(551-478) (Kung Izu) Confucius had a simple moral and political teaching: to love others; to honor one's parents; to do what is right instead of what is of advantage; to practice "reciprocity," i.e. "don't do to others what you would not want yourself"; to rule by moral example instead of by force and violence; and so forth. 8 3. TIME LINE Hellinistic Philosophers Pythagorus (581-497) Pythagorus (581-497) was famous (1) as an expert on the fate of the soul after death, who thought that the soul was immortal and went through a series of reincarnations; (2) as an expert on religious ritual; (3) as a wonder-worker who had a thigh of gold and who could be two places at the same time; (4) as the founder of a strict way of life that emphasized dietary restrictions, religious ritual and rigorous self discipline. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pythagoras/ Thales of Miletus (Greece)(----547 BC) Rely on rational explanations for physical phenomena and avoid bringing gods into it. 8 3. TIME LINE Thales of Miletus was the first known Greek philosopher, scientist and mathematician. He is credited with five theorems of elementary geometry. Parmenides (515 - ) Parmenides stated that the senses deceive us and, hence, our perception of the world does not reflect the world as it really is. Instead, the real world is something above our apprehension and can only be apprehended through logic. His chief doctrine is that the only true being is "the One" which is indivisible and infinite in time and space. 575 B.C. Creation of the caste system (India) The caste system was a social division system in India and contained 4 classes. a)the priest (brahmans) - white colour b)the warrior (kshatriyas) - red colour c)the peasant (vaishya) - brown colour; included traders and merchants where trade was not considered an impure activity d)serf (shudra) - black colour; included dasas and the artisans. They were despised because of their contact with the elements and were not allowed to hear or study the Vedas. The serfs included many of the native people, the dasas, who were very skilled artisans and those Aryans who had intermarried. A person is born into a caste and according to Hinduism, the only way to 9 3. TIME LINE move up in the caste system in the next lifetime is to do good in the present one. Professions are heriditary in the caste system and reflect a division of labour. The caste system also has taboos on commensality (eating together) as well as marriage limits; one can only marry within one's own caste. PERSIAN KINGDOM Darius I (522 to 486 BC). A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Darius king, one king of many, one lord of many. 9 3. TIME LINE I am Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries containing all kinds of men, king in this great earth far and wide, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, having Aryan lineage. King Darius says: By the favor of Ahuramazda these are the countries which I seized outside of Persia; I ruled over them; they bore tribute to me; they did what was said to them by me; they held my law firmly; Media, Elam, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Drangiana, Arachosia, Sattagydia, Gandara, India, the haoma-drinking Scythians, the Scythians with pointed caps, Babylonia, Assyria, Arabia, Egypt, Armenia, Cappadocia, Lydia, the Greeks, the Scythians across the sea, Thrace, the sun hat-wearing Greeks, the Libyans, the Nubians, the men of Maka and the Carians. . Cyrus II (550 – 530 BC) 546BC conquered Asia Minor and defeated king Cresus of Lydia 539BC Cyrus II took Babylon, liberating the Jews, and allowing 40,000 Jewish people to return home and reconstruct their temple 530BC Cyrus II died and Cambyses II became king of Persia (530 to 522 BC). 9 3. TIME LINE The Cyrus Cylinder speaks of Cyrus the Persian and his conquest of Babylon in 539 BC 528BC MAHAVIRA (THE GREAT HERO), THE FOUNDER OF JAINISM IN INDIA Vardhamana Mahavira or 'The Great Hero' founded Jainism during 540-468 B.C. Jainism, Shraman Dharma, Nirgranth Dharma Jains believe all souls are equal because they all possess the potential of being liberated and attaining Moksha. Tirthankars and Siddhas are role models only because they have attained Moksha. Jains 9 3. TIME LINE believe that every human is responsible for his/her actions and all living beings have an eternal soul, jīva. Jains view God as the unchanging traits of the pure soul of each living being, chiefly described as Infinite Knowledge, Perception, Consciousness, and Happiness (Ananta Jnana, Ananta Darshana, Ananta Caritra, and Ananta Sukha). Jains do not believe in an omnipotent supreme being, creator or manager (karta), but rather in an eternal universe governed by natural laws and the interplay of its attributes (gunas) and matter (dravya). The universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. But there is going to be an infinite repetition of the Kalchakra Fall of Israel and Judah Second Temple Period Like the first temple built by King Solomon they were both built out of white limestone, which is a fossil rich rock. Cambyses II (530–522 BC )led a campaign into Egypt and crowned himself king (or pharaoh), thus founding the XXVIIth dynasty. His brother Bardiya (who had usurped the throne of Darius 1st), had him assassinated 9 3. TIME LINE 500 – 400 BC BUDDHA (563 to 483 BC) The Bodhi Tree where Buddha had the realization 9 3. TIME LINE The Dhamekh Stupa. It is believed that Buddha first preached his sermon here Catvāry Āryasatyāni (Pali: Cattāri Ariyasaccāni), or the "Four Noble Truths". 1. Suffering: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. 2. The cause of suffering: The craving which leads to renewed existence (rebirth) (the cycle of samsara) Reincarnation of Buddha was different from the modern Hindu understanding of reincarnation. 3. The cessation of suffering: The cessation of craving. 4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Noble Eightfold Path; Noble Eightfold Path: 1. Right Speech 2. Right Actions 3. Right Livelihood 4. Right Effort/Exercise 5. Right Mindfulness/Awareness 6. Right Concentration/Meditation 7. Right Understanding 8. Right Thoughts The oldest reference to writing is in a tract called the Silas, embodied in each of the thirteen Dialogues which form the first chapter of the first division of the Suttantas, or conversational discourses of the Buddha. This tract must therefore have been already in existence as a separate work before those Dialogues were put together by the early disciples within the first century after the Buddha's death. The tract on the Silas may be dated, therefore, approximately about 450 B.C. 9 3. TIME LINE 9 3. TIME LINE 9 3. TIME LINE The Sanskrit hypothesis, however, is difficult to reconcile chronologically with the date of the Indus civilisation (about the second half of the third millennium B.C.) and antecedent Early Harappan neolithic cultures which were responsible for its creation. Comparison of the Vedic texts with the Avesta and with the West Asian documents relating to the Aryan kings of Mitanni suggests that the Vedic Aryans entered the Indian subcontinent from Northeast Iran and Central Asia in the second millennium B.C. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that the early Aryans were nomads and that the horse played a dominent role in their culture, as it did in the culture of their Proto-Indo-European-speaking ancestors. The horse is conspicuously absent from the many realistic representations of animals in the art of the Indus civilisation. Comprehensive recent bone analyses have yielded the conclusion that the horse was introduced to the subcontinent around the beginning of the second millennium B.C. Horse-drawn chariots made the Aryan-speaking nomads a superior military force which gradually subdued all of North India. Numerically the early Aryans can have been only a fraction of the Indus population, which is estimated to have been about five million. Obviously these millions of people were not all killed; they were made to acknowledge the Aryan overlordship and to pay taxes. In the course of time and through gradually increasing bilingualism, the earlier population eventually became linguistically assimilated. It is most unlikely that this process of linguistic Aryanization happened without leaving clear marks of the earlier substratum language upon Indo-Aryan. There are several structural and lexical Dravidisms even in the Rgveda, the earliest preserved text collection, pointing to the presence of Dravidian speakers in Northwest India in the second millennium B.C. The 25 Dravidian languages spoken at present form the second largest linguistic family of South Asia. Until recently, about one quarter of the entire population has spoken Dravidian, while the speakers of Austro-Asiatic, the third largest linguistic family of long standing in South Asia, numbered just a few per cent. The Indus language is likely to have belonged to the North Dravidian sub-branch represented today by the Brahui, spoken in the mountain valleys and plateaus of Afghanistan and Baluchistan, the core area of the Early Harappan neolithic cultures, and by the Kurukh spoken in North India from Nepal and Madhya Pradesh to Orissa, Bengal and Assam. 9 3. TIME LINE THE AXIAL AGE http://www.friesian.com/ This figure identifies the religions that evolved in the civilizations that were based on languages. Vedism was not the major religion of India. They never were because they did not have the knowledge of writing nor the philosophical content until the coming of St.Thomas. Vedism remained a minor religion of a few. 400 – 300 BC Hellinistic Philosophers Zeno 333 – 262 BC Zeno-Stoic (333-262BC) God is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. ... All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature 1 3. TIME LINE Epicurus 341 – 270 BC Plato 428 - 349 BC Plato is the first person who proposed reincarnation in history. Plato held that there were no eternal rewards or punishments -- except for an evil few who were not allowed out of Hades. All the others had to face the prospect of their next life, and they were given the opportunity to choose the character of their next life from a variety of alternatives. Suffering amnesia upon being born into a new body, the soul cannot easily recollect its divine origin, but instead becomes fascinated with sensory and sensual phenomena in a way that attaches the soul ever more to the body. Plato suggested that philosophy involved the process of recollecting what the soul knew before birth ALEXANDER THE GREAT Alexander (356 – 323BC) the Great invaded India 1 3. TIME LINE Yavana (Greek) Culture comes to India it brought with it the concept of incarnation. 300 – 200 BC ASOKA 273 -232 BC PILLAR 6 Beloved-of-the-Gods speaks thus: Twelve years after my coronation I started to have Dhamma edicts written for the welfare and happiness of the people, and so that not transgressing them they might grow in the Dhamma. Thinking: "How can the welfare and happiness of the people be secured?" I give attention to my relatives, to those dwelling near and those dwelling far, so I can lead them to happiness and then I act accordingly. I do the same for all groups. I have honored all religions with various honors. But I consider it best to meet with people personally. This Dhamma edict was written twenty-six years after my coronation. 1 3. TIME LINE Asoka’s Edicts Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, has caused this Dhamma edict to be written http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=1601&rendTypeId=4 Sarnath pillar edict of King Asoka http://essenes.net/aoskapillars.html 1 3. TIME LINE PRAKRIT AND PALI 1000 BC – 500 BC Brajbuli dates to 1000 BC Pali is Magadhi, Magadhanirutti, Magadhikabhasa, that is to say, the language of the region in which Buddhism had arisen. The earliest recorded Prakrit is in Asoka's Inscriptions 500 BC Greek and Aramaic translation of an edict by Asoka. Khandahar THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA 1 3. TIME LINE Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC, the most famous being the one built between 220 and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang . 200 – 1 BC , the oldest of the four Vedas (except Mandalas I and X) is supposed to be composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it was finally committed to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C The language is the same as the Old Avestan or Gathic Avestan now called “Vedic Sanskrit” Old Avestan or Gathis Avestan: This form of the language was used to compose the Gathas and other more ancient portions of the Yasna. Gathic Avestan is an archaic language with a complicated grammar which consists of eight case forms and a highly inflected noun system. It is still quite close to the Vedic Sanskrit. 1 3. TIME LINE “The Vedās were written on palm-leaves and birch-barks. # The earliest manuscripts are dated very roughly around 800 CE and the first person to do so was Vishukra as quoted in Al-hind of Al-Baruni (born in 973 CE) [translation of Al-hind by Edward Sachau entitled 'Alberuni's India', Pub. in 1888 CE; reprinted in 2002]. # The earliest printed text of the Rig-Veda mantra Samhita with the Bhāshya of Sāyaņa was brought out during (1848-1874) by Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900). # Dr. A Weber published the text of Vājasaneyi Samhitā of Shukla YajurVeda in 1852 and the Taittirīya Samhitā of Krişhņa Yajur Veda in 1871. # Dr. L. Von Schroeder published the text of Maitrāyaņi Samhitā in (1881-86) and Kaţhaka Samhitā in (1900-11). # Professor Stevenson published the text of the Rāņāyanīya Sāmaveda Samhitā with English translation in 1842. # Eugene Burnouf (1801-52) produced the German translation of "Kauthumīya Sāmaveda Samhitā in 1848. # Roth and Whitney (1827-94) published the Atharva Veda Samhitā.” http://www.vedah.com/org2/literature/veda_books/printed_texts.html from the booklet "An Introduction to the Vedās" by K.S. Srinivasacharya published by the Alliance Company The whole purpose of looking through the time line was to indicate that while all the other religions of the world insisted on the scriptures to be written down and crystalized so that it may not be perverted or interpolated, Vedic religion alone do not have any such heritage. We only have oral traditions for Vedism. We do not have any way of determining its integrity and we have aboslutely no means of dating the vedas since they were never really in any “hard copy” and we have only the hearsay evidences of their antiquity. While oral traditions especially in songs and music are a powerful means of reaching the population, it has no built in safeguard against interpolation and omissions. Thus by the time it was written down, there were several parallel versions and most of the orally transmitted portions of Vedic hymns were totally lost. Only 1% survived according to Vedic scholars. 1 3. TIME LINE “Out of the more than a thousand 'shakhas' (recensions) of the four Vedas in our country, unfortunately only 11 shakhas survive today in the oral tradition” http://www.arshavidya-nagpur.org/veda.htm 1 – 100 AD Yehoshua (Isaa) The earliest available manuscript of the New Testament is the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, a business card sized fragment of the Gospel of John dated to the first half of the 2nd century. The Chester Beatty Papyri P45, which contains most of the Pauline epistles, the Magdalen papyrus P54/67 and the Bodmer Papyri P56 are other noted early manusript, dated c. 200, a century after the New Testament books were most likely composed. P52 Gospel of John 1 3. TIME LINE Thomas landed in India around AD 52. He had a 20 year ministry all over India from Taxila of Gondaphores to Kerala in the Southern tip. He was martyred in Mylapore, Madras India in Ad 72 Coin of King Gondaphores of Taxila Greek kingdoms of Gandara and the Punjab came into existence. The Parthian King of Taxila, Gondophares. according to tradition, was baptized by the Apostle Thomas. 1 3. TIME LINE 100 -300 AD VEDIC DEITIES DISAPPEARED. NEW GODS APPEAR Sanskrit evolved First Sanskrit Inscription : 150 AD The earliest inscription in Sanskrit is by the Saka The oldest coin which bears an inscription in Sanskrit is a unique coin of Satyadaman, belonging to the western Kshatrapa dynasty, whose approximate date is 200 A.D. in the J. R. A. S. 1899. p. 379. ) ( Rapson All coins previous to this one bear legends either in Pali or in the vernacular 1 3. TIME LINE Early Temples Mani (215-276) Page from an illustrated Manichaean hymn manuscript, found in Central Asia and probably dating to the eleventh century is shown below Arrival of Gnosticism from Persia 11 3. TIME LINE WITH ITS NEW DEITIES AND UPANISHADS APPEAR SLOWLY. PURANAS DEVELOPED. Thus we come to the startling discovery that almost all of the Hindu Scriptures are of very recent handiwork of Brahmins after the third century AD. If we take the best and most probable date claimed for the Vedas we would be about 1500 BC. If Moses wrote the first book of the Bible (Genesis), the date of his writing would be about the same as the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, about 1490BC. In this case we are comparing a rather uncertain date (of the Vedas) with a rather certain date (of the Exodus) and we are merely 10 years in separation. Ask the Pundit, (Wyatt Robertson) http://www.karma2grace.org/webcomponents/faq/index.asp?det=64 The development of writing in the major civilizations led to established religions essentially because the words of the revelations and intuition and religious thoughts were concretized and passed on to generations. It is not that religions were not in existence in other places, but means of communications were limited to oral transmissions which are faulty and unreliable. They were prone to corruption and intentional misuse by the privileged and priestly classes for vested interest. Writing was known to the world long before Vedas were orally created by the Aryans. All other cultures did document their religious ideas. However Vedas were never written down till the second 11 3. TIME LINE century BC. Either it was a tribal nomadic song collection of a people who did not know writing or cared about it or they were intentionally not put in concrete form. This gives us the clue to the secrecy of Vedas. It was necessary for the Brahmins to keep Vedas from general reading so that religion will remain the prerogative of the Purohits. It was a means of keeping the Social Status. The story of how Brahmins came from the mouth of the Purusha and the dictum “Sun will not rise if the the Purohits do not do the sacrifice” were all woven into the Vedas for that purpose. As a result, even though writing was in existence since 2200 BC Vedas were never written down, lest the Brahmins lost their special status. The Vedas themselves do not claim any divine revelation. It was based on fear of natural forces and were an attempt to appease these forces by giving them their due just as we avoid the wrath of the petty chiefs and landlords. Sources Dr. Frank M. Cross, professor of Near Eastern languages and culture (Emeritus, Harvard University) http://www.geocities.com/ctesibos/alphabet/gpt2pnc.html http://www.ancientscripts.com/protosinaitic.html http://halfsmile.org/buddhadust/www.buddhadust.org/backmatter/appendixes/rd_bud_ind_viii.htm http://www.unarvukal.com/forum/index.php http://www.proudblackbuddhist.org/Sanskrit_Artif/Page_2x.html www.sanskrit.unarvukal.com http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebsut059.htm http://www.friesian.com Home of Pali 11 4. SANSKRIT CHAPTER 4 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SANSKRIT In a way the name Sanskrit had given way to large misuse by the religion. Sanskrit is used for both the Vedic and the Puranic languages though they differ considerably. It bears the relation as between Latin and English. “By Ancient Sanskrit we mean the oldest known form of Sanskrit. The simple name 'Sanskrit' generally refers to Classical Sanskrit, which is a later, fixed form that follows rules laid down by a grammarian around 400 BC. Like Latin in the Middle Ages, Classical Sanskrit was a scholarly lingua franca which had to be studied and mastered. Ancient Sanskrit was very different. It was a natural, vernacular language, and has come down to us in a remarkable and extensive body of poetry.” http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/vedol-0-X.html the Ancient Sanskrit is referred to here is now called Vedic which is a direct recognition under pressure to recognize it as different from Sanskrit language by the Hindus. close to it. In sharp contrast Sanskrit is of recent origin. This is same as the Persian Indo- European language of the Zorostrians which is the language used in Zend Avesta or very Archealogical and Linguistic studies indicates that the language of Sanskrit came into existence only by the second century AD. Ujjayini (Ujjain) became a center of Sanskrit learning and was taken as meridian by Indian astronomers. 113 4. SANSKRIT Ahunavaiti Gatha from Avesta in Old Sanskrit (The Avestan language should not be confused with the Avestan alphabet) The word Sanskrit means completed, refined, perfected. Sam (together) + krtam (created). The Vedic form of Sanskrit is a close descendant of Proto-Indo-European, the reconstructed root of all later Indo-European languages. Vedic Sanskrit is the oldest attested language of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family. It is very closely related to Avestan, the language of Zoroastrianism. The genetic relationship of Sanskrit to modern European languages and classical Greek and Latin can be seen in cognates like mother and matr or father and pitr. Other interesting links are to be found between Sanskritic roots and Persian, present in such a striking example as the generic term for 'land' which in Sanskrit is sthaan and in Persian staan. Sanskrit of Upanishads and Puranas European scholarship in Sanskrit, initiated by Heinrich Roth and Johann Ernest Hanxleden, led to the proposal of the Indo-European language family by Sir William Jones, and thus played an important 114 4. SANSKRIT role in the development of Western linguistics. Indeed, linguistics (along with phonology, etc.) first arose among Indian grammarians who were attempting to catalog and codify Sanskrit's rules. Modern linguistics owes a great deal to these grammarians, and to this day, key terms for compound analysis are taken from Sanskrit. The oldest surviving Sanskrit grammar is Pānini's c. 500 BC Ạṣtādhyāyī ("8 Chapter Grammar"). http://www.haryana-online.com/History/sanskrit.htm The Indian Scripts are originated from two early sources – one from the Semitic Languages and the other from the Aryan (Indo-European) Languages. The early scripts of Brahmi originated from the Semitic Languages from the seventh centaury BC while the Kharosti originated from the IndoEuropean Languages about the same time. It is interesting to note the Sanskrit Script as used today was actually an offshoot of the Semitic influence rather than Aryan. Certainly, there must have been mutual influence and interaction during the development. This interaction between the two major ethnic languages can be traced back to the Persian invasion of Israel. Ahasaures, also known as Artexerxes was probably the husband of Queen Esther. we see in the script and languages. From then on, the relation between the Aryan and the Semitic people were very cordial. This led to the mutual influence that Sites of Asokan Rock and pillar edicts cover most of the North and Central India and were written in the regional languages. 115 4. SANSKRIT Development of Indian Script from Proto Semitic 116 4. SANSKRIT Bilingual edict (Greek and Aramaic) by king Ashoka, from Kandahar - Afghan National Museum. 117 4. SANSKRIT Vedas were originally written using the Grantha and Nagiri Scripts. Grantha Scripts are found only around 5 anytime earlier. th Since the earliest evidence of This is a conjecture. However, they are not c AD, the Vedas in Sanskrit could not have been written It may be argued that Vedas could have been in oral form. People certainly have been philosophical even without a written document. crystallized until they are written down. The first epigraphic evidence of Sanskrit is seen in 150 AD and this inscription is in the Brahmi script. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1982). From the fifth century A.D., classical Sanskrit is seen to be the dominant language in the inscriptions. The use of Sanskrit as a language was first observed in the 30/17-18). RAMAYANA (Sundarakanda, Shyam Rao makes the following clear statements in regards to Sanskrit in his Anti-Sanskrit Scripture' by Shyam Rao, published by Sudrastan Books, Jabalpur, 1999 (free from any Copyright). It was thence reprinted in Dalitstan Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2 (Oct. 1999) Vedas - The word `Sanskrit' does not occur anywhere in the Vedas. Not a single verse mentions this word as denoting a language. Chandasa - The Vedic language was referred to as Chandasa even by Panini himself [`IndoAryan and Hindi', S. K. Chatterji, Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay, Calcutta-12, p. 63 ], and not as `Sanskrit'. Buddha - The Buddha was advised to translate his teachings into the learned man's tongue the `Chandasa' standard [ Chatterji., p. 64 ], there is no mention of any `Sanskrit'. The Buddha refused, preferring the Prakrits. There is not even a single reference in any contemporary Buddhist texts to the word `Sanskrit'. This shows that Sanskrit did not even exist at the time of the Buddha and that the people at that period, even the Brahmins themselves, were not aware of themselves as speaking `Sanskrit'; they referred to their language as `Chandasa'. Ramayana - The word `Sanskrit' occurs for the first time as referring to a language in the Ramayana : "In the latter [Ramayana] the term `samskrta' "formal, polished", is encountered, probably for the first time with reference to the language" [ Encyclopaedia Brittanica 22 `Langs', p. 616 ] It is to be noted that extant versions of the Ramayana date only to the centuries AD. Asokan Script - The first inscriptions in Indian history are in Prakrit and not in Sanskrit. These are by the Mauryan King Ashoka (c. 273 BC - 232 BC ), and number over 30. They date to the 4th century BC. The script utilised is not `sacred' Devanagari, and the language is not 118 4. SANSKRIT `Mother' Sanskrit. They are mostly in the Brahmi script, while 2 inscriptions are in Kharoshtri. They are in various Prakrits and some in Afghanistan are in Greek and Aramaic [`Inscriptions: Their Literary Value I', R. Basak, `Cultural Heritage of India' vol. 5, p. 390-406,. p. 390-1 ]. In fact all inscriptions in India were in Prakrit till the early centuries AD : "The earlier inscriptions up to the 1st century AD, were all in Prakrit" -- [`Prakrit Language and Literature', Cultural Heritage of India vol. 5, 164-183, A. N. Upadhye., p. 164 ] Satavahana Inscriptions - The Satavahanas, the first historical dynasty of the Deccan, also used a Prakrit language. There is no usage of Sanskrit. The Nagarjunikonda insrciptions are by the Satvahana king Vijaya Satakarni in the early 3rd cetnruy AD & end with the Ikshvaku Rudrapurusadatta who ruled for 11 years in the second quarter of the 4th century. Most of the large number of inscriptions are in Prakrit and only a few belonging to Ehuvulu Santamula are in Sanskrit (he ruled during the last 24 years of the 3rd to the early 4th century AD ) but even most of his inscriptions are in Prakrit and those which are in Sasnkrit are heavily influenced by Prakrit [ Bhatt., p. 408 ftn. 46 ]. The Nanaghat cave inscriptions in Poona distt. are in Prakrit and are the work of the Satavahana Satakarni I. They have been dated to the first half of the 1st century BC. The contemporary relgiion of this region was Vedic. Indra and Vasudev are mentioned as the Vedic gods then worshipped [ Basak, p. 395 ]. The later cave inscriptions of Nasik in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD are in the local Prakrit [ Basak, p. 395 ]. Thus, although the Vedic religion was followed in the Satavahana regions, Sanksrit was not in use. Gandhari - Even Gandhari existed prior to Sanskrit. The Pali Dhammapada in Gandhari was discovered at Khotan in Kharoshtri script. It dates to the 1st or 2nd century AD. A Gandhari insrcription was discovered on a copper casket containing relics of the Lord Sakyamuni [Basak, p. 393 ]. Kharavela's Kalinga Inscription - Kharavela's Kalingan inscription of the 1st century BC were in a Prakrit of the east indian type. Interseting is the first mention of the word Bharatavarsha in an inscription. Kharavela is described as invading Bharatavarsha, which then evidently denoted only North India [ Basak, p. 393 ]. First Sanskrit Inscription : 150 AD - The earliest inscription in Sanskrit is by the Saka Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman at Junagarh in Gujarat dated to AD 150. However, even here several of the words are wrong according to Sanskrit grammatical rules, some words show Prakrit influence and a few are un-Paninian [ Basak 397-8 ]. This inscription is several centuries later than the earliest Prakrit inscriptions, and are the creation of Sakas, not Arya kings. In fact all inscriptions in India were in Prakrit (vernacular languages) till the early centuries of AD . It is evident that Chandasa was renamed as Sanskrit inorder to claim predating Sanskrit writings. 119 4. SANSKRIT Alexander Harris explains it as follows: http://www.appiusforum.com/sanskrit.html “The stone pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta (AD 330 to 380) written in Sanskrit and a late Brahmi script called the Gupta script is an undated inscription incised on an Asokan pillar at Allahabad. Composed by Harisena, a commander-in-chief of the king it describes elaborately the moral, intellectual and military achievements of this king. This inscription possibly dates 350 AD. “A key evidence often presented in the dating of Sanskrit is Patanjali’s Vyakarana - Mahabhasya (Great Commentary). The Mahabhasya is both a defense of the grammarian Panini against his chief critic and detractor Katyayana and a refutation of some of Panini’s aphorisms. Patanjali is dated anywhere from 2nd c BC to 5th c AD. On Patanjali’s date, the composition of the Mahabhasya and its early tradition, Joshi and Roodbergen write, It is nearly unanimously agreed that Patanjali has lived around 140 BC. But as stated by Winternitz, we are not in a position to confirm that this is the correct date. The question largely depends on the other question, namely, whether Patanjali was the author of the examples he quotes. According to Tarn, there is nothing conclusive in Patanajli’s assumed date, precisely because his grammatical examples are, or in any particular case may be, not necessarily his own composition but traditional examples. Nor are the dates assigned to Panini and Katyayana in the fourth and third century BC more than a working hypothesis, that is, ornate guesswork. “The spread of Sanskrit South is first evidenced by the Talagunda stone pillar inscription of Kadamba Kakusthavarman13 in the Shimoga District, Karnataka dated between 455 and 470 AD. It is written in late southern Brahmi inscribed in the reign of Santivarman (450 to 470 AD). It is a postthumous record of Kakusthavarman. “Sanskrit then spreads in the South evidenced by the inscriptions in Early Grantha, dating from the 5th to 6th c. AD on copper plates and stone monuments from the kingdom of the Pallavas near Chennai (Madras). The Grantha alphabet, which belongs to the writing system of southern India, was developed in the 5th c. AD to mainly write Sanskrit. From the fifth century A.D. classical Sanskrit is seen to be the dominant language in the inscriptions which indicates that Sanskrit was replacing the dialects. “Further more research on the development of writing scripts in India certainly puts a rather late date on these Sanskrit writings.” “Earlier documents used Pali and Prakrit. Asoka who took every care to make his messages intelligible to the common man used all existing scripts and languages. These 3rd Centaury inscriptions do not include Sanskrit. It included Prakrit, Greek and Aramaic. But no Sanskrit is found because it was not in existence at that time. Asoka’s Edict in Prakrit “Sanskrit was developed out of Prakrit and other existing languages during the interval of 100 AD to 150 AD “The first evidence of classical Sanskrit is found as an inscription dating around A.D.150 in the Brahmi script. It records the repair of a dam originally built by Chandragupta Maurya, and also contains a panegyric in verse, which can be regarded as the first literary composition in classical Sanskrit. It is at Girnar in Kathiawar and was inscribed by Rudradamana, the Saka Satrap of Ujjayini, on the same rock on which the Fourteen Rock Edicts of Asoka were also found. “It is significant that Rudradamana employed classical Sanskrit in a region where about four hundred years before him Asoka had used only Prakrit. This definitely proves that in the second century AD Sanskrit was replacing the dialects. Even so the language did not replace Prakrit everywhere, but it 12 4. SANSKRIT continued to be used in inscriptions for something like one hundred years or even more after this date. However, from the fifth century A.D. classical Sanskrit is seen to be the dominant language in the inscriptions. ( Hinduism, by Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press, USA, 1979.) “The earliest epigraphic evidence on languages employed in India comes from the inscriptions of Asoka inscribed in third century B.C. Asoka took care that his messages were intelligible to all and he used a particular kind of Prakrit. Even more remarkable is the fact, which has been recently discovered, that for those people who at the time lived in Afghanistan, his message was given in Greek as well as Aramaic. One of the Greek inscriptions is a translation of the Kalinga Edict, and the Greek of the inscriptions is not inferior in style to the classical Greek of Greek literature. In such circumstances neglect of Sanskrit by Asoka, if the language was in use, would be contrary to all his practice. So, the absence of Sanskrit in his inscriptions indicates that it did not exist at that time, as otherwise he would have certainly used it.” Dr. Alexander Harris: Significance of Sanskrit. Thus apart from portions of the Veda which were not written in Sanskrit, all other Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmanas and Puranas etc were written down later than 100 AD at liberal estimate. They must have been written down much later in actual fact. A more realistic estimate will be around 6th Centaury AD. “The pious view is that the Vedas are eternal and uncreated and exist essentially as sound. More conventional, but still pious, scholarship may still exaggerate the antiquity of the Vedas, sometimes claiming they go back to 10,000 BC or earlier. Now, however, it looks like even the oldest parts of the Rig Veda do not antedate the arrival of the Arya in India, although the gods and elements of the stories are older, since they are attested with Iranian peoples and the Mitanni, with parallels in Greek and Latin mythology.” (Kelly Ross) Panini Panini's Astadhyayi is the main Sanskrit grammar book. The name Panini came to stand for the unknown author who started the grammar writing process. Bhasyakara (the commentator) Patanjali. Therefore, In a later period, Astadhyayi became the complete Astadhyayi is called even more authoritative through the contributions of Vartikakara Vararuchi (or Katyayana) and Trimunivyakarana (contribution of three grammarians). The rules, which have been compiled in Astadhyai, are considered essential for Sanskrit language and literature. Besides Astadhyai there are many other famous grammars in Sanskrit. Panini was born in Shalatula, a town near to Attock on the Indus River in present day Pakistan. The dates given for Panini are pure guesses. Experts give various dates in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th 12 4. SANSKRIT century BC and there is also no agreement among historians about his date or to the extent of the work with which he is honored. Panini was a grammarian trying to refine existing languages (to make a “Sanskrit” language), who gave a comprehensive and scientific theory of phonetics, phonology, and morphology. Sanskrit was the classical literary language of the Indian Hindus and Panini is considered the founder of the language and literature. The word "Sanskrit" means “refined” – it is refined from some raw material language. A treatise called Astadhyayi (or Astaka ) is Panini's major work. It consists of eight chapters, each subdivided into quarter chapters. In this work, Panini distinguishes between the language of sacred texts and the usual language of communication. Panini gives formal production rules and definitions to describe Sanskrit grammar. Starting with about 1700 basic elements like nouns, verbs, vowels, consonants he put them into classes. The construction of sentences, compound nouns etc. is explained as ordered rules operating on underlying structures in a manner similar to modern theory. In many ways, Panini's constructions are similar to the way that a mathematical function is defined today. There is no means of knowing the date of Panini. The references to existing authors (there are ten of them) does not give any indication since we do not know about those authors. that Panini per definition lived at the end of the Vedic period: he notes a few special rules, marked chandasi ("in the hymns") to account for forms in the Vedic scriptures that had fallen out of use in the spoken language of his time, indicating that Vedic Sanskrit was already archaic, but still a comprehensible dialect. An important hint for the dating of Panini is the occurrence of the word yavanānī (in 4.1.49, either "Greek woman", or "Greek script") There would have been no first-hand knowledge of Greeks in Gandhara before the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 330s BC. Aside from the more abstract considerations of long-distance artistic or philosophical influence, the concrete evidence we have for direct contact between Greeks and Indians is largely limited to the period between the third century BCE and first century CE.", ('Hellenistic India' by Rachel R. Mairs, University of Cambridge) mentions documents which he has referred as Greek (Yavanani). He These would place him after the invasion of Alexander the great when India came in direct contact with the Greek. He certainly lived after Buddha because of his reference to Dharma. How long after that is still a problem. In general, the any attempt to date Panini is just pure conjecture. He could have lived well after the first century AD. Panini’s dating and the complete grammatical structure is important in the Sanskrit history since Classical Sanskrit is normally dated from Panini. It is not certain whether Panini used writing for the composition of his work, though it is generally agreed that he did use a form of writing, based on references to words such as "script" and "scribe" in his Ashtadhyayi. No one with any clear understanding of the complexity of his system could conceive that he worked without written notes using human notepads. That is exactly what we are asked to do 12 4. SANSKRIT by those who want to date back Panini. (It is proposed that composed it with the help of a group of students whose memories served him as 'notepads'. Writing first reappears in India (since the Indus script) in the form of the Brāhmī script from ca. the 6th century BC, though these early instances of the Brāhmī script are from Tamil Nadu in southern India, quite distant from Gandhara in northwestern India. Since Gandhara was under Persian rule in the 6th century BC, it would also be possible that he used the Aramaic alphabet (from a variant of which the Brāhmī script is likely a descendant). Along with the understanding that the first sanskrit documentation is only from the second century AD we are forced to date panini in the first or second century AD rather than at the time of Buddha nor Alexander. One of the Aryan deity was still Vasudeva as Panini refers and so it was long before the appearance of the name Krishna which appears only after the third century AD. their Indian name from Vasudeva until third century AD. Based on the Archeological, linguistics and geographical reasons, the most probable date of Panini is soon after the first century. The Classical Sanskrit starts from there. At any rate we do not have any Sanskrit documents of work of earlier dates in existence. Kushan kings took While Panini’s date is unknown, we have other Grammarians whose dates are well established. Katantravyakarana by Sharvavarman (c200 AD), Chandravyakarana by Chandragomin (c 700 AD), Vakyapadiya by Bhartrhari (700 AD), Katantrasutravrtti by Durgasingha (900 AD), Siddhahemachandranushasana by Hemachandra (1050-1100 AD), Mugdhavodhavyakarana by Vopadeva (1200-1250 AD), Jaumaravyakarana by Kramadishvara (1200-1250), Saupadmavyakarana by Padmanabha Datta (1300-1350), Harinamamrta by Rupagosvami, (c 1470-1559), and Siddhantakaumudi by Bhattojidiksita (1700 AD) 12 4. SANSKRIT Thus in among the known authors the dates starts from 100 AD. Thus, we can guess that Panini must have lived sometime in the later half of the first century, which was the time when Sanskrit began to appear as a language archeologically. In a similar manner, we can look at the Time Line of Sanskrit Literature, which will again give some clue to the beginning of the Sanskrit as a language. We leave aside the legendary authors like Valmiki and Vedavyasa whose dates are really not fixed by any scientific method. Classical Sanskrit Literature: Poems 1. Asvaghosha (2nd C AD): Buddha charita 2. Kalidasa (C. 400 A.d.): Raghuvamsa, Kumara Sambhava 3. Vishnusharma (c.300-500?): Panchatantra Stories 4. Pravarasena (550-600 A.D.): Ravanavaho or Setubandha 5. Bhatti : (500-650 A.D.) : Ravanavadha 6. Vishakadatta (6th century AD): Mudrarakshasa( The Demon and the Signet Ring). Devichandragupta and Abhisarikavancitaka 7. Kumaradasa : (c: 800 A.D.) : Janakiharana 8. Abhinanda (9th cent.) Ramacarita 9. Ksemendra (11th cent.)Ramayanamanjari, Dasavatara-carita 10. Soacakalyamalla (12th cent.) : Udararaghava 11. Cakra Kavi (17th cent.) : Janakiparinaya 12. Advaita kavi (17th cent.) Ramalingamrta 13. Mohana svami : (1608 A.d. Roac(a,)marahasya or Roac(a,)ma Carita (India Office MS. of 1970 A.D.) Drama (1) Bhasa, (2nd cent. A.D.) (a) Pratima (b) Abhiseka (2) Bhavabhuti (8th cent.) (a) mahaviracarita (b) Uttararamacarita (3) Dinnaga (9th cent.) Kundamala (4) Murari (900 A.D.) Anargharaghava (5) Rajesekhara : (10th cent.) Balaramayana (6) Hanuman: Hanumannataka or Mahanataka (7) Saktibhadra (9th cent.) Ascaryacudamani 12 4. SANSKRIT (8) Yasovarman (8th cent.) : Ramabhudaya (9) Mayuraja : Udattaraghava (10) Anonymous : (a) Chalit RM (b) Krtya RM (c) Mayapuspaka (d) Svapnadarsana (11) Ksirasvami : Abhinavaraghava (12) Ramachandra (12 cent AD) (a) Raghuvilasa (b) Raghavabhyudaya (13)Jayadeva : Prasanna-Raghava (12 cent.) (14) Hastimalla : Maithikalyana (1290 A.D.) (15) Subhata : Dutangada (13 cent.) (16) Bhaskara Bhatta : Unmattaraghava (14 cent.) (17) Tryasamisradeva : Ramabhyudaya (15 cent.) (18) Mahadeva : Adbhutaramayana (17 cent.) (19) Ramabhadra Diksita : Janakiparinaya Miscellaneous Poems (i) Slesakavyas (1) Dharnanjaya : Raghavapandaviya (12 cent.) (2) Madhava Bhatta : Raghavapandaviya (3) haradatta Suri : Radhava-Naisadhiya (4) Cidambara : Radhavapandaviya-Yadaviya (1600 A.D.) (5) Gangadhara Mahadevakavi : (18 cent.) Sankatanasanastotra (6) Tulsidas. (17th century AD) : Sri Ramacharita Manasa (Poetry) (ii) Vilomakavyas: (1) Suryadevi : Ramakrshna-viloma-Kavya (1540 A.D.) (iii) Citrakavyas: (1) Krsna Mohana: Ramalilamrta (2) Venkatesa : Citrabandha RM (iv) Amorous Khandakavyas: (1) Venkatadesika : Hamsasandesa or Hamsaduta (2) Rudra Vacaspati : Bhramaraaduta (3) Vasudeva : Bhramara-sandesa (4) Anonymous : Kapiduta (5) Venkatacarya : Kokilasandesa (6) Jayadeva Ramagita-Govinda 12 4. SANSKRIT (7) Krsnacandra : Candraduta (8) Harisankara : Gitaraghava (9) Prabhakara : Gitaraghava (10) Haryacarya : Janakigita (11) Harinatha : Ramavilasa (12) Visvanathasimha Sangita Raghunandana (13) Visvanatha : Raghavavilasa (14) Somesvara : Ramasataka Prose Romance and Campus (1) Banabhatta. (7th century AD)Kadambari and Harsha Charita (Ornate prose) (2) Ksemendra : Brhatkathamanjari (3) Somadeva : Kathasaritasagara (4) Bhoja : Campu RM (Many other campus such as Uttararamayana Campu, etc. based on Uttarakhanda of RM) (5) Vasudeva : Ramakatha Others Dandin. (7th century AD): Kavyadarsa Somadeva Bhatta. (12th century AD) :Katha Sarit Sagara (collection of stories) Again well established writers of Sanskrit all fall after the first century AD which fits the archealogical time frame. Yet we have the Hindu scholars fooling the public with such statements as the one that follows: www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Scriptures.htm Sanskrit, the language of Hindu scriptures, is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. It originated several thousand years ago, yet is still used in India. Here is some other extraordinary claims: http://www.encyclopediaofauthentichinduism.org/articles/13_the_origin_of.htm Swami Prakashanand Saraswati 12 4. SANSKRIT If you look to the history of the languages of the world you will find that they went through a number of stages of their development. But the Sanskrit language was absolutely perfect by all means from the very beginning. Is it not enough evidence to understand that it is not man-made and it is a Divine gift? Because. Its root system of forming a word and its detailed grammar have no comparison with any of the languages of the world, and because it is the original language, so it is very likely that some of its daily spoken words could have been adopted by the other languages which itself is the evidence that Sanskrit is the mother language of the world. http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Articles/vyasa.html Vedavyasa Reveals the Vedic Chronology of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita Showing great compassion for all living entities Lord Krishna’s lila avatar and literary incarnation Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa composed the authentic historical treatise known throughout creation as the Mahabharata. The eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita are found in the Bhismaparva, chapters 25 to 42 of the Mahabharata and they are the exact words that Lord Krishna spoke in Sanskrit on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, India over five thousand years ago in 3137 B.C. The proof that the Mahabharata is definitely an authentic historical treatise and not allegorical or mythological is verified in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, chapter 4, verse 25 Bhagvata Purana was written in 6/7th C. AD Bhagavat gita is written in Sanskrit which came into existence only by 150 AD. So if Krishna lived in 3137 BC he could not have delivered it in Sanskrit. http://www.thevedicfoundation.org/valuable_resources/SanskritThe_Mother_of_All_Languages_partIII.htm The perfection of the pronunciation (of the consonants and the vowels) and the uniqueness of the grammar that stays the same in all the ages from the very beginning of human civilization and up till today are such features which prove that Sanskrit is not manmade; it is a Divine gift to the people of this world This will bring us to the subject of the date of the Upanishads. All Hindu Scriptures other than the Rig Veda are written in Sanskrit. Essentially therefore they were written down after the second century AD. The backdating of Sanskrit Upanishads is a common form of deceit and is taken by many historians without asking questions and is repeated as though it is a truth. Here are some examples: http://www.usao.edu/~usao-ids3313/ids/html/hinduism.html “The Upanishads (basic scriptures of Hinduism proper)--records of teachings and discussions of forest hermits, holy men who accomplished the task of transforming Vedism into Hinduism during and after the 6th century B.C.E. The earliest Upanishads date from 900 to 600 B.C.E., and represent the first development of philosophical reflections in Sanskrit literature. According to a widespread tradition the oldest Upanishads are the Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, Kaushitaki, and Maitri Upanishads.” 12 4. SANSKRIT http://www.enotes.com/classical-medieval-criticism/upanishads “Upanishads Vedic texts, circa seventh-fifth century B.C. INTRODUCTION The Upanishads are ancient texts written in Sanskrit, representing the religious and philosophical tradition of Hinduism and India. Together with the Aranyakas the Upanishads are found at the end of the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of Hinduism, and thus called Vedantas.” http://www.answers.com/topic/upanishads Upanishads, speculative and mystical scriptures of Hinduism, regarded as the wellspring of Hindu religious and speculative thought. The Upanishads, which form the last section of the literature of the Veda, were composed beginning c.900 B.C. Of the 112 extant Upanishads, about 13 date from the Vedic period and the remainder are later, sectarian works. http://www.dlshq.org/religions/upanishads.htm “Some Western scholars have fixed the age of the Upanishads as B.C. 600, or so. They regard that all of them belong to the pre-Buddhist period. This is a sad mistake indeed. The Upanishads are the knowledge portion, or Jnana-Kanda, of the Vedas. They are eternal. They came out of the mouth of Hiranyagarbha, or Brahman. How can one fix the date of the Upanishads? They existed even before the creation of this world.” Sri Swami Sivananda http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/ABOUTSANSKRIT1.htm “As per the Indian tradition Sanskrit Language has no beginning and no ending. It is eternal. Selfborn God has created it. It is divine. It is everlasting. It was first used in Vedas and thereafter it has been the means of expression in other fields.” The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of ... By Swami Prakashanand Saraswati 12 4. SANSKRIT Thus, every literature that we have in Sanskrit must invariably fall after the first century. We cannot refute the claims that the literature was in the air long before that time. However, no body can substantiate any such claim. This is therefore definitely applicable to all Upanishads wherein we have the new concept of Brahman, Atman and Iswara None of the Upanishads could have been written in Sanskrit any time before the first century AD is certain. The concepts themselves are embedded in the vocabulary of Sanskrit. 12 5. HINDU GODS CHAPTER 5 POST CHRISTIAN HINDU GODS A recent study (http://hinduism.about.com/od/godsgoddesses/tp/deities.htm) indicates the top ten Hindu gods as follows: The Top Ten Hindu Gods. Ganapathi Siva Krishna 13 5. HINDU GODS Rama Hanuman Vishnu Lakshmi Durga Kaali Saraswathi 13 5. HINDU GODS None of these gods are found in the Rig Veda except Vishnu. Vishnu appears as a minor subordinate god there. All other gods grew out of myths and legends during the period after the second century AD through myths as given in Puranas. In the Rigveda, Vishnu is mentioned 93 times. He is frequently invoked alongside other deities, especially Indra, whom he assists in killing Vritra, and with whom he drinks Soma, the hallicinating drink of the gods. Indra is called Indrānuja and "Upendra", both referring to Vishnu as being the brother of Indra. Vishnu is often identified with the Sun in the three steps that he takes over the world. Rig Veda I and X references: The 'Vishnu Sukta' of the Rig Veda (1.154) says that the first and second of Vishnu's strides (those encompassing the earth and air) are visible to men and the third is in the heights of heaven (sky). This last place is described as Vishnu's supreme abode in RV 1.22.20 deity in Rig Veda. Visvakarma Sukta of Rig Veda (10.82) refers to Vishnu indirectly as the Supreme God. But Sun is not a high-ranking The Rig Veda (1.22.20) states: "All the suras (i.e., the devas) look always toward the feet of Lord Vishnu. wikipedia There is no reference to Siva in the Vedas, except as a quality. There are some hymns addressed to Rudra, a fierce storm god, the father of Maruts, who heals with his thousand medicines. It is said that the practice of worshipping Siva was a non Aryan and actually a Dravidian practice which was slowly incorporated into Vedic religion as an ongoing process of reconciliation with the non Aryan tribes. Another specialty of the gods of Hinduism as represented in the modern Hinduism is that they are all personal gods and not connected with the forces of nature. There is a radical difference between the Vedic gods and Hindu gods. Something happened between the second century BC when Vedas were written down and the third century AD that it transformed the gods of Hindu religion from Pantheism to Polytheism and then to Henotheism. 13 5. HINDU GODS Fear of Nature has given way to Bhakthi (Faith) or personal relationship with an anthropological godhead. God as a person was a totally new idea. During the Vedic period god was something to be feared and propitiated. Instead now we have a god who is compassionate and human with empathy. It is certainly not an outgrowth of the Vedic gods. Historically an external interference of a personal god entered India between third century BC and first century AD. http://www.aasianst.org/EAA/welbon.pdf What does Hinduism owe to “Vedism?” “The legacy of the Vedic religion in Hinduism is generally overestimated,” responds Axel Michaels in an excellent new study, Hinduism: Past and Present: 13 5. HINDU GODS In other words, Hinduism has practically nothing to do with Vedism. Vedas does not really contribute anything to the modern Hinduism. In fact they were totally in contradiction with each other as the above quote shows. Hence we need to look into the historical development of Hinduism during the transition period starting from Buddhist Jain Period (500 BC) to the Upanishad Period (500 AD) 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION CHAPTER 6 THE DEVELOPMENT OF MONOTHEISM AND THE DOCTRINES OF KARMA AND REINCARNATION IN HINDUISM As is evident, Vedism was only a nature worshipping religion. It never had the slightest notion about a monotheistic Supreme God. In the Vedic days, there were no temples. The Vedic people would pray in the open sitting around a "vedi (altar)” on which fire was lit and this sacrificial ritual was known as jagna. The Rig-Veda has several verses praising Indra, the god of rain and thunder and the king of all gods. Nevertheless, in the Rig-Veda, we never come across words like Bhagwan or Ishwara. Hindu scholars argue continuously trying to establish monotheistic concept in the Vedas by quoting the concepts of Prajapati, Dharr and Tatr. The hymns often cited are Purusha-Sukta (X-90), Nasadiya Sukta (X-129) and a few others. These are post- Christian writings. interpolations or were developed late in the Christian era. Monistic tendencies within the Indo-European religion came out of its contact with Jewish religion during the period of Nebuchadnezer. St.Thomas. In India it came through the ministy of Monotheistic concepts either are 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Here is the quote on the monotheism in Vedic religion: ”Already the Rigveda, in its youngest books (books 1 and 10) contains evidence for emerging monistic thought. Often quoted are pada 1.164.46c, ékam sád víprā́ bahudhā́ vadanti "To what is One, sages give many a title" (trans. Griffith) and hymns 10.129 and 10.130, dealing with a creator deity, especially verse 10.129.7: iyám vísṛṣṭiḥ yátaḥ ābabhûva / yádi vā dadhé yádi vā ná / yáḥ asya ádhyakṣaḥ paramé vyóman / sáḥ aṅgá veda yádi vā ná véda "He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, / Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not." (trans. Griffith) Ékam sát in 1.164.46c means "One Being" or "One Truth". Such concepts received greater emphasis in classical Hinduism, from the time of Adi Shankara at the latest.” 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION All these references are from the youngest of the book which were written duirng the Post Christian period. These Vedic gods have brought about a question that you may find pertinent. In the tenth book of Rig Veda, hymn 121, you may read, "What God shall we adore . . .?" It is repeated eight times. The answer concludes the poem: "The Creator of Heaven and Earth", also called "Lord of creatures". Evidently, this later addition of Rig Veda must have been taken from the early Christian writings. Other interpolations include the ideas of Purusha (the cosmic man), sat (existence), asat (nonexistence), kama (desire) as the first seed of mind. These were essentially the concepts expressed in Sankhya philosophy. Rig Veda does not mention even in passing the Supreme God concept such as, Isvar, Isan, Paramatma, Parmeshwar, Prabhu, Maheshwar, and Bhagavan anywhere. From these, it is evident that the concept of one supreme God did not exist prior to the advent of St.Thomas. It came as a new concept and was adopted by the Indian priestly class to revive their almost lost religious authority. When and why did monotheism come in India? [The following detailed study is based on the paper, Monotheism in Sanatan Dharma Hinduism - By Indrajit Ganguli. Refer also to “The Gita as It Was: Rediscovering the Original Bhagavadgita” by Phulgenda Sinha)] There are six recognized schools of thought in ancient India. Four of them Sankhya Darshan (Kapila 700 BC), Yoga (Patanjali 400 BC), Nyaya (Buddha 300 BC), Vaisesika, were rational philosophies. Mimamsa and Vedanta were introduced in Upanishads. Next is Charvaka's Lokayatta (Materialism) and his period is dated around 550 B.C. During the period in question, from 5th century B.C. up to 8th century A.D., there was decline in Brahmanism and the new religions of Buddhism and Jainism were well established. Christianity came in with St.Thomas in AD 52 and Islamic invasion took place around 6th c AD. Vedism coexisted with all these other religions, which became powerful and Brahmins lost their position and power. 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Hinduism as we know today came with Shankara of Kerala. Shankara was born in Kerala in 788 A.D. Where did Shankara get this idea? Shankara was born on the Malabar Coast, where the Christians missionaries and the Jewish community had been active for centuries. Further, the agents of Islam, the Arabs had also penetrated the Malabar coastal area decades before the religious training of Shankara had begun. Thus, by the time Shankara was mastering the religious philosophy, concepts and practices of Hinduism from his Guru Gobinda, three versions of monotheism - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - were quite familiar to the intellectuals and religious men of this area. According to historian R.C. Majumdar, "Sankara's monism was based upon Islamic creed which he had learnt from the forefathers of the Moplas, Navayats and Labbes of South India. It was during this period that the original Gita was interpolated and monotheistic concept inserted into what is known as Bhagavad-Gita today. This was done to establish the historical legitimacy of the monotheistic concept. It was for this purpose that the redactors added chapters I and X to the RigVeda, reconstructed the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata by identifying Rama and Krishna with The Supreme Being, added several verses to Sankhya Karika to change the original concept, and the concept of Purusha and Prakriti, and added more than 100 verses to the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali to introduce the concept of Isvara (God) and to interpret Yoga as union with God. The original Gita had only 84 verses and the basic concept was based on Shamkya philosophy. The Bhagavad-Gita has 700 verses and that will mean that 616 verses were interpolated. The interpolated Bhagavad-Gita and other scriptures were corrupted between 800 and 1000 A.D. Research work concerning the interpolation of Gita was done by German scholars such as Richard Garbe, Rudolf Otto, JW Hauer, and others and their findings were later confirmed when copies of the original Gita was discovered in Bali, Indonesia and another one in Farukkabad. Both these versions had 84 verses only. Phulgenda Sinha argues in his book "The Gita as it was" that only the first three chapters of Gita are authenic, and the rest are interpolated around the year 800 in Common Era. He says that the Gita was written by Vyasa, under the influence of Kapilas samkya philosophy and Patanjalis yoga sutras. After Vyasas first three chapters the Gita seems to have been interpolated by two entirely different authors, one of them monist and the other theist. 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Is Hinduism Polytheistic? http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/beliefs/theism.htm Evidently, monotheism in Hinduism is a recent development. Even today the Hindu communities around the world is struggling to make sense out the mess of pantheism, henotheism and idolatry while the big wig in America and Europe are trying to call it monotheism by integrating everything together. Hinduism is a decidedly theistic religion; the difficulty lies in determining whether it is a polytheistic, pantheistic, or monotheistic. In later Hinduism, the One is simultaneously many and vice versa. This is a reflection of the Christian Triune God and Hindu avatars retain these characteristics of the early Christian theology. Monotheism is the worship of One God. Polytheism is the worship many Gods. given many philosophical shades. th Monotheism can be In doing so what the Hindu Pandits of the 20 century has done is to equate Polytheism with Monotheism. Monotheism = Polytheism. (see Hinduism : Monotheism and Polytheism Reconciled By Sri Swami Chidananda) This is how it is done with a twist in logic. The basic assumption is the immanence of God in the universe. God is present in the Sun. Therefore, Sun is a God. God is present in the trees. Therefore, trees are Gods. In this process of logic, everything is God and if you worship the Sun, moon, the stars, rocks, and the idols, you are still worshipping the One true God. Here is the confusion between part and the whole. God is both immanent and Transcendent. So part cannot be equated with the whole. It will be similar to confusing my shirt with me. There is also the confusion between symbol and reality. The idol, the icon, the pictures and words are all symbols. However, if we assume that identity of the symbol with the reality what we get is idol worship. While symbols are powerful means of communication, idols can become means of veiling the truth. “So is Hinduism polytheistic, pantheistic, or monotheistic? Contributing to the difficulty of answering this question is the fact that Hindus are not nearly as concerned as are western thinkers with such labels and categories. After all, it is a favorite Hindu saying that "The Truth is One, but different sages call it by different names." (A Quote taken from Rig Veda I, which was written after the first century A.D and this will be important to see how this idea came about.) terms of monotheism and pantheism: Nevertheless, when Hindus do define their religion in these terms, usually for the benefit of curious westerners, they tend to do so in 13 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION "Hinduism worships multiple forms of the one God." (OM, an American Hindu organization) "According to the tenets of Hinduism, God is one as well as many." (HinduWebsite.com) "Hindus believe in monotheistic polytheism, rather than polytheism." (The Hindu Universe) "Even though Hinduism is mistakenly regarded by many as a religion having many gods namely, polytheism, yet truly speaking Hinduism is a monotheistic religion." (Sri Swami Chidanda) From 2nd century A.D, onwards several powerful movements emerged which emphasized various sectarian deities, which gave birth to devotionalism, or bhaktism as it is known, whereby the worshipper enters into relationship with a personal God (Bhagavan) or personal goddess (Bhagavati). Only a Smartha, or follower of the Advaita philosophy, would have no problem worshiping every imaginable deity with equal veneration; he views these different deities as being manifestations of the same God. You don’t need to call it God, because that is the only reality. Everything else is an illusion or dream of that conscious being. In the twentieth century Hindu religion in the west is identified with the Smartha. Other Hindu sects, such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism conform more closely to a Western understanding of what a monotheistic faith is. Vaishnavites considers Vishnu as being the one and only true God. But there is a blurring of the oneness with the concept of avatars – the incarnations. According to Vaishnava doctrine, there are two types of avatars – Svarupavatars (Purna avatars of Full Form of Vishnu) and Amsa Rupa avatars (avatars of partial form). In the full avatars, the godhead himself incarnates while in the partial avatars only certain powers are manifested through certain creatures and persons. The problem is that there are large number of Full incarnations and an infinite number of partial incarnations of Vishnu Traditionally we are told about the ten incarnations of Vishnu in which the only complete incarnations are Narasimha (Lion-Man), Rama and Krishna. All the others are partial forms. Certain power can be manifested through creatures and persons and this number in millions. They are sometimes called Sakty Amsa Avatar (Power Part Incarnation) or Sakty Avesha Avatar. Here again the masters differ in their opinion who is what. At any rate, the general teaching rallies round the idea that all incarnations are equally to be worshipped. Major branches of Vaishnavism include Srivaishnavism, (Ramanuja School) who advocated Vishishtadvaita (Modified Monism), Dvaita (of Shri Madhvacharya – Dual Nature School) and Gaudiya Vaishnavism (of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu -ISKCON). According to the Puranas countless numbers of avatars descend into our universe. 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION avatara hy asankhyeya hareh sattva-nidher dvijah yathavidasinah kulyah sarasah syuh sahasrasah O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water. Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.26 Dasavatara as given in Garuda Purana 1. Matsya, the fish 2. Kurma, the tortoise 3. Varaha, the boar 4. Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion 5. Vamana, the dwarf 6. Parashurama, Rama with the axe 7. Rama. 8. Krishna 9. Buddha some versions of the list contain no reference to Buddha instead we have Balarama according to the Bhagavata Purana He is also counted as an avatar of Vishnu by the majority of Vaishnava movements and is included as the ninth Dasavatara. 10. Kalki to come yet. Theologically within Vaishnavism the many avatars have been categorised into a number of different types depending on their specific personality and role as described in scripture. Not all are recognised as 'full' or 'direct' incarnations of Vishnu. Some avatars are believed to be souls blessed with certain abilities of 'divine origin', although being a jiva themselves. Bhagavata purana lists over 22 such avatars. . It is still considered monotheistic since if you worship the partial incarnation you are worshipping the Fullness. After all, you can worship a part and still be worshipping the full. A more realistic monotheism very similar to Christianity is found in Saivism. Siva has no incarnation. Originally there were the trinity in the godhead – Appan, Amma and Makan – Father, Mother and Son. 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Saivites believe God transcends form, and devotees often worship Siva in the form of a lingam (Formless Form), symbolizing all universe. Later other progenies of Siva were added which includes Mani and Ayyappa. Because of these exclusivism, Saivites and Vaishanavites were constantly at war with each other. Great number of temples in south India were built during the thousand years between 600 and 1600 A.D. Buddhism had great influence in the down south, especially part of the present Tamil Nad and Kerala. Saivism (Shiva Siddhanta) was more popular in the Dravidian South while Vaishnavism was more popular in the Aryan North. There are historical evidence for intense rivalry between the Saivites and the Vaishnavites. It is probable that the dramatization of Sabarimala Ayyappa is a compromise between Buddha, Siva and Vishnu worshippers. The name, Dharma Shastha and the prayer song "Swamiye Saranam" are strong indications of the influence of Buddhism. The Vratham, Pilgrimage and associated rituals points to influence of Advaita and Dwaita sects. As we can see soon after the Christian Era, monotheistic tendencies crept into the Indian religious scenario. Why did it emerge all of a sudden? Who brought this new idea? 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Five Models of Existence 1. Semitic model (Judaism & Islam): God is One Person and there is no other beside Him. God is the creator of both good and evil. Every creation is outside of God and is controlled by Him. 2. Greek model : God is not the name of A Person but a common noun. Thus Plato speaks of "the gods (hoi theoi), or "the god (ho theos)", in some cases of "god", but then in the same way we would talk of "man", using the word as a generic name. He also speaks of "the divine (to theion)". Aristotle concluded that "being" primarily refers to the Unmoved Movers, and assigned one of these to each movement in the heavens 3. Vedic Model In popular Indo-European (Greek and Vedic) religions the deities are anthropomorphic. This is Polytheism, where there is no God who is absolutely supreme or above all others. These beings are in constant interactions and creates their own hierarchy by virtue of the powers they have and powers they acquire and create. This includes Nature gods, spirits and beings that depend on matter and non-matter. These nature gods can be controlled by sacrifices and presents. They do not define good or evil. 4. Buddhist Jain Model: There are very many beings in the cosmos in different levels of existence and energies. There are both beings and non beings – Purusha and Prakriti. They are in constant flux driven by the laws of existence which are immutable 5. Christian model : Christians believe that the one God is Triune (the Holy Trinity). However, this is not a denial of monotheism but an affirmation of the complexity of the Divine Being. In human terms God is a Community which thinks and act in unison by nature. This community of God is an Organism. This is a recognition that God cannot be thought of in terms of the human dimensions. There are dimensions beyond our comprehension which are to be taken into consideration. The Eastern Christian Churches proposes the unity of God in that even the creation itself is within the dimension of divine, so that all creations are part of the divine. But part is not whole in that the creation in itself is not God. Thus God is both immanent and Transcendant in creation. 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION The various sects of the Hindus has similar theology which are monistic as well as henotheistic. Saivism and Vaishanvism are examples of this. Vashnavism later expanded an open definition which removed the parameters of definition as to what is incarnation thus moved towards polytheism. The Smarta model removed all the boundaries: Self, The All, is One sheer Being present in every part of creation in terms of a manifold of impersonal & personal Divine Selfmanifestations. Hence every part of the cosmos is divine in its fullness. It was Shankaracharya in AD 800 who brought this interpretation to justify worship of all different gods. He said that any of the different Hindu gods could be worshipped, since all are different manifestations of Brahman. In fact one can worship anything since they are all aspects of god. Theo-cosmogenic models 1. Immanentism without Tanscendism : God and creation are the same. There is no Divine essence outside creation, for Divine essence equals Divine existence. 2. Transcendentism without Immanentism: God and creation radically differ. There are two realities Prakriti (Creation) and Purusha (Creator) 3. God Immanent and Transcendant : God is immanent in creation, but God is more than the creation. God existed before the creation. There is a distinction between essence and existence. Creation is a manifestation of God's Power. “Monotheistic religions are exclusive. They deny existence of gods of all other religions, unlike polytheists who believe that there can be more gods than what they themselves worship, The only time that Monotheists have been seen as tolerant of other religions is when they are beginning to move from monotheism to polytheisms and see other gods as reincarnations of their god to help explain away their ultimate God. “ (source :http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t0w03monopolytheism.htm) From Monotheism to Polytheism: Early History of Mankind While religions have changed over the ages Polytheism has de-evolved from Monotheism as mankind lost contact with the divine. “Where there is no vision people perish.” 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION Egypt Pharaoh Akhenaten and montheistic religion of Atenism The first mention of monotheism in history is found in Atenism a religion founded by Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), with Sun as Aten the source of all life. This monotheistic religion did not survive Akhenaten, and the old Polytheistic religion was restored by his son Tutankhamun. Even the memory of Akhenaten was wilfully erased from the Pharohnic history because it was regarded as heresy. It is suggested that early human history was based on monotheism and it fell into polytheism in time untill the first Sinaitic revelation when God himself appeared unto Israel. This was given the final seal with the incarnation of Jesus into history and his resurrection establishing his deitihood. Moses learned the basics of monotheism from Atenism even though Israel was polytheistic during the slavery period Polytheism following the Egyptian gods. So Joshua says “Choose this day whom you will serve” eventually swallowed Israel and Judah under the pressence of Indo-European cultures of Canaan. Monotheism and Polytheism “The earliest people that we know of were all polytheistic: they all worshipped many gods. From 3000 BC to 539 BC, the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Assyrians and the Babylonians all worshipped pretty much the same set of gods, despite their cultural differences. The most important of these gods was Ea. Ishtar was the most important goddess. Like the Greek Aphrodite and Demeter, or the Roman Venus and Ceres, or the German Freya, Ishtar was a fertility goddess. 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION The Phoenicians and Canaanites, further west along the Mediterranean coast, were also polytheistic, but they had different gods. Their most important god was Baal, and some reports say that the Phoenicians and Canaanites sacrificed their children to him. Their most important goddess was Astarte, another fertility figure. The Hittites arrived later, around 2500 BC, and had different gods because they were Indo-Europeans, but they were polytheistic too. The first signs of monotheism in West Asia come from the Bible, where by around 1000 BC the Jews seem to have already thought that they should worship only their own one God. They clearly believed that there were many gods, but they should only worship theirs, and in exchange, he would take care of them against all the other gods. They may have gotten this idea from the Egyptians. The next move toward monotheism comes from Zoroastrianism, also around 1000 BC. In Zoroastrianism the main god was Ahura Mazda, and his twin sons represented the Truth and the Lie; all the minor gods were on either the side of Truth or the side of the Lie. The most important of these minor gods was Mithra, who was the god of treaties and contracts, and of civilization When the Persian king Cyrus converted to Zoroastrianism and then conquered a huge empire, many of his subjects also became Zoroastrians, and the old Sumerian polytheism more or less died out.” http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/religion/monotheism.htm Dr. Karen Carr, Associate Professor of History, Portland State University In spite of all these obvious historical realities, we find that the Vaishnavites at least are teaching just the opposite in the name of Truth. Here is a quote from a Dasi in America. You can judge what it means regarding what the ISKON is still teaching. “The Vedas happened to be the first written documents in the world introducing the concept of a monotheistic religion, describing an absolute transcendental God, and the existence of individual spirit souls incarnating in human bodies, celestial bodies, in demigods, animals, plants and minerals. This is the reason why to human beings the injunction has been given to abstain from eating meat. Seen from the spiritual perspective, meat eating is a form of primitive cannibalism 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION The Vedic brahminical civilization attained its peak between 2,500-1,700 BC. The decline set in, when the masses became affected by their lower instincts and bad habits. They started to eat meat, which propelled Lord Buddha to descend on the earth in order to teach "ahimsa", non-violence, in all respects. Animal slaughter and meat eating result in forgetfulness of the soul's eternal relationship with the Lord. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Buddha is an incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, who is an expansion of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Gradually, the common man fell into disgrace, forgetting his relationship with the Lord Supreme, Sri Krishna. He continued to eat meat and started to worship a variety of relative demigods, such as Durga, Siva, Sakti, Kali, Hanuman, Ganesa, etcetera, etcetera. His purpose was no longer to attain the Lord, but to collect material boons, such as a nice house, a beautiful wife, an obedient son, and cash. In this way, materialistic polytheism became the mainstream practice in India, called Hinduism. Pure devotees (bhaktas) of Bhagavan and Vedic scriptures, on the contrary, worship Sri Krishna exclusively and pay their respects to the demigods as His servants. These are the basic differences between recent Hinduism and ancient Vaishnavism (worship of Vishnu, or Krishna).” The History of Hinduism by Indira Dasi http://www.helium.com/tm/123437/hindu-derived-river-sindu Development of Theory of Karma and Reincarnation In the oldest written form of scriptures of Egypt found in the Book of the Dead, and we see no trace of reincarnation in it. Instead, we have the concept of a life after death, which is determined entirely by what is done in this life. Egyptians embalmed the dead in order that the body might be preserved to follow the soul into the next world. This suggests their belief in resurrection, judgment, rewards, and punishment rather than in reincarnation. The Book of the Dead was used by the ancient Egyptians as a set of instructions for the afterlife. The Book of the Dead followed a tradition of Egyptian funerary literature that dated back as far as the 26th century BC. In these teachings, the deceased soul must recite the "declaration of innocence" which is addressed to Osiris and consists of the denial of a series of wrong-doings in order to assure Osiris that he has lived a decent life. The deceased must then address the 42 judges by name and deny a further 42 transgressions (one per judge). The content of some of the statements of denial or the 'negative confession' closely resemble the Ten Commandment of Moses – “I have done no falsehood, I have not robbed, I have not killed men”. If the deceased is found worthy he will be taken before Osiris who will 14 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION lead him to the realm of the blessed. Each part of his body changes until the dead is tranformed as a god. Failing the scale the unworthy are eaten by the demoness Ammut (Great of Death, Eater of Hearts, The Devourer) which is the second death. For those who are unrighteous the life ceases to exist. Rig Veda the oldest of the Vedas does not contain the concept of reincarnation as taught by Hinduism today. “The soul of the dead is carried up by the fire-god, Agni, who consumes the material body at cremation, to the heavenly worlds where it disports itself with the gods in perfect, carefree bliss. There will be eating and drinking of heavenly food and drink, reunion with father, mother, wife and sons.” Apparently, the earliest concept of reincarnation in its materialistic form was that of Buddhism. Here life continues – not as an identity - but as a cosmic element. “Men have, O young man, deeds as their very own, they are inheritors of deeds, deeds are their matrix, deeds are their kith and kin, and deeds are their support. It is deeds that classify men into high or low status” (Majjhima Nikaya 135,4). In Buddhism, “only karma is passing from one life to another, using the illustration of the light of a candle, which is derived from another candle without having a substance of its own. In the same manner, there is rebirth without the transfer of a self from one body to another. The only link from one life to the next is of a causal nature. In the Garland Sutra (10) we read: 15 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION According to what deeds are done Do their resulting consequences come to be; Yet the doer has no existence:” This is the Buddha’s teaching. “Classical Buddhist doctrine postulates the existence of skandhas, which are unrelated psychic "causes" that are dissolved upon death and reactivated at birth. However, this is different from the Hindu concept of an individual soul reincarnating; it is more impersonal. Each individual is born with characteristics from a variety of past lives and other karmic sources, just as an automobile might be assembled from miscellaneous parts in a junkyard.” http://www.ccel.us/reincarnation.chap3.html If the cars in the junkyard are all of poor quality, the resultant rebuild also will be poor. If they are good, in general we will get another good car even from the junkyard. Jainism is probably the earliest form continuity of ego as is understood by reincarnation today. ”According to Jainism, in addition to matter and energy, space and time, there are three more entities in the universe: innumerable individual souls, principle of motion and principle of rest. A soul is a distinct entity, different from other entities such as matter, energy, space and time. Further, life of an individual involves interactions between his/her soul and the environment - animate as well as inanimate. As long as a worldly being remains alive, the soul resides in the body and all life-processes go on. Further, a worldly soul continuously obtains and sheds very fine particles of matter (karma) on account of its interaction with its environment. When the living being dies, the soul leaves the body along with the associated karma particles. All entities of the universe are eternal. So the soul does not perish upon the death of a living being. The soul assumes another birth on account of the karmas in its possession. Thus reincarnation is a natural consequence of the concept of eternal nature of all entities of the universe.” (Reincarnation In Other Religions, Jain Study Circular: Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah) It is probable that some form of reincarnation ideas were in existence even before Buddha and Mahavira since they assumed those ideas as taught by earlier Buddhas and Jain Saints. Evidently, they were proposed as a rational explanation for inequalities and various forms of life. Transmigration was known to early Greek philosophers of 4th c BC like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. They were the rationalist of the period. “The soul, then, as being immortal, and having been born again many times, and having seen all things that exist, whether in this world or in the world below, has knowledge of them all; and it is no wonder that she should be able to call to remembrance all that she ever knew about virtue, and about everything; for as all nature is akin, and the soul has learned all things, there is no difficulty in her eliciting or 15 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION as men say learning, out of a single recollection all the rest, if a man is strenuous and does not faint; for all inquiry and all learning is but recollection. -- Plato, Meno” Only when we come to post Christian Hindu literature can we see the clear elucidation of reincarnation as is taught today. ”We can therefore witness a fundamental shift in the meaning of afterlife from the Vedic perspective. The Upanishads abandoned the goal of having communion with the gods (Agni, Indra, etc.), attained as a result of bringing good sacrifices, and came to consider man’s final destiny to be the impersonal fusion atman-Brahman, attained exclusively by esoteric knowledge. In this new context, karma and reincarnation are key elements that will define all particular developments in Hinduism.” http://www.ccel.us/reincarnation.chap3.html The periodical manifestation and dissolution of the world The Puranas, the major writings of Vaishnava Hinduism, state that the god Vishnu causes a cyclic manifestation and dissolution of the world. Each cosmic cycle (mahayuga) has four ages: Krita Yuga 1,728,000 years, Treta Yuga - 1,296,000 years, Dvapara Yuga - 864,000 years and Kali Yuga 432,000 years. Then follows the dissolution (pralaya) of the physical world. This cycle is repeated 994 times, forming a period called kalpa, and then a dissolution (pralaya) of both the physical and subtle world follows. 36,000 kalpas and pralayas make the lifespan of Brahma, the creator god, which is followed by a total dissolution (mahapralaya) of the physical, subtle and causal world. Then all worlds, time and space return into Brahman, and the whole cycle starts again in an endless process of manifestation and dissolution. 15 6. MONOTHEISM & REINCARNATION According to Christianity, on the other hand, the world was created only once, and not as a necessity, but out of God's superabundant love. Although the world became corrupted by sin, this situation does not belong to a normally repeated scenario as in Hinduism but is the result of a wrong human response to God's love. Despite the fact that our world is different from what God has originally intended, it will not follow a repeated cycle of manifestation and dissolution. The "new heaven and new earth" presented at the end of the Revelation (21,1) is not a new creation similar to the one presented in Genesis. Otherwise, it would indeed confirm a cyclic manifestation of the world according to the Hindu pattern. The Bible does not confirm such a mechanism. The "new heaven and new earth" is rather an everlasting world where sin is eradicated and there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21, 4). It will belong to those who accepted the saving work of Christ and will never have a pralaya to end it. 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES CHAPTER 7 PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Purana means ancient tales. All the major puranas are written in Sanskrit and are therefore necessarily written after the second century AD. According to tradition, the Puranas were composed by Vyasa at the end of Dvapara Yuga. The bulk of the material contained in the Puranas was established during the reign of the Guptas (320-500 CE). Puranas are constantly evolving that new additions to the old tales are being constantly added. Traditionally it is said that there are 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Upapuranas. Each Mahapurana lists eighteen canonical puranas, but the contents of each list vary reflecting differences in time and place. “vaisnavam naradiyanca tathabhagavatam subham garudanca tathapadmam varaham subhadarsane sattvikanipuranani vijneyani subhani vai brahmandam brahmavaivartam markandeyam tathaiva ca bhavisyam vamanam brahmam rajasani nibodhame matsyam kaurmam tathalaingam 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES saivam skandam tathaiva ca agneyam ca sadetani tamasani nibodhame” Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21) Some of the listed Puranas and their possible dates are as follows: 1. Vishnu Purana (4th C.) 2. Brahmanda Purana (4th C.) 3. Vayu Purana (5th C.) 4. Bhagvata Purana (6/7th C.) 5. Kurma Purana (7th C.) 6. Agni Purana (8th C.) 7. Narada Purana (10th C.) ) 8. Brahma Purana (10th C) 9. Garuda Purana (10th C.) 10. Skanda Purana (11/12th C.) 11. Padma Purana (12/15th C.) 12. Vishnu Dharmottara Purana 13. Narasimha Purana 14. Vahni Purana 14. Shiva Mahapurana 16. Devi Bhagvata Mahapurana 17. Brihaddharmapurana http://www.hvk.org/specialrepo/rjm/ch2.html 18. Narayana Purana 19. Markandeya Purana 20. Bhavishya Purana 21. Brahma Vaivarta Purana 22. Linga Purana 23. Varaha Purana 24. Vamana Purana 25. Matsya Purana (http://www.lebensplan.com/puranas/ http://www.hvk.org/specialrepo/rjm/ch2.html) 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES This list is not complete as there are many others of recent origin. Those marked without an approximate earliest possible date are of later origin. 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Classification The Mahapuranas are also classified by the three aspects of Trimurti, and of the Kashmiri Nagas. • • • • Brahma Puranas: Brahma Purana, Brahmānda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Mārkandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vāmana Purana Vishnu Puranas: Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Nāradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana Shiva Puranas: Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Kūrma Purana, Matsya Purana, Vāyu Purana Naga Purana: Nilamata Purana (Kashmir) Authorship, name and chronology Traditionally, the Puranas are said to have been composed by the sage Veda Vyasa. Vyasa in Sanskrit means 'Divider,' and some scholars therefore take this simply as a term meaning 'Editor'. These texts, were probably produced by ordinary people all over India which were collected, collated and composed In Siva Purana, Lord Siva is highly eulogised and an inferior position is given to Lord Vishnu. Sometimes Vishnu is belittled. In Vishnu Purana, Lord Hari is highly eulogised and an inferior status is given to Lord Siva. Sometimes Lord Siva is belittled. Thus the Puranas often contradicts each other. This has developed as each opposing sects invented their derogatory tales to belittle the others. There were periods in Indian history when they persecuted other groups. “Apart from these 18 Puranas, there are also 18 Upapuranas or subsidiary Puranas, which were composed after the major ones. ….The Puranas are a valuable source from which to trace the development of Hinduism. They mark the next stage in beliefs after the Vedas. Hinduism, as practiced today, is largely inspired by the Puranas.” http://www.lebensplan.com/puranas/ Dates The oldest Purana is believed to date back to 300 AD, and the most recent ones to 1300 - 1600 AD. Although they have been composed at different times, all the Puranas seem to have been revised at a later date. This is apparent because all of them state that the total number is 18. The Puranas vary greatly in length: the Skanda Purana is the longest with 81,000 couplets, while the Brahma Purana and Vamana Purana are the shortest with 10,000 couplets each. The total number of couplets in the Puranas collectively is 400,000. (http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/purana.htm) 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Scholars regard the Puranas in general as having been compiled by many hands between the 4th and the 16th centuries AD. [http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/ganesh/puranas.htm] The oldest of the Puranas, Vayu Purana, may date back to about the sixth century. and some of the others may be as recent as the thirteenth century. [http://scholars.nus.edu.sg/post/india/religion/hindu/hindu1.html: University Scholars Program] Some references are given below: Ganesh Purana Thapan reviews different views on dating and states her own judgement that it appears likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana come into existence around the 12th and 13th centuries, being subject to interpolations during the succeeding ages. Thapan notes that these puranas, like other puranas, developed over a period of time as multi-layered works. Lawrence W. Preston and Hazra considers that the period AD 1100-1400 is the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana because that period agrees with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by it. [ Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Gaṇapati: Insights into the dynamics of a cult. Manohar Publishers, 304. ISBN 81-7304-195-4. Preston, Lawrence W., p. 103. "Subregional Religious Centers in the History of Maharashtra: The Sites Sacred to Gaṇeśa", in: N. K. Wagle, ed., Images of Maharashtra: A Regional Profile of India.] R. C. Hazra, "The Gaṇeśa Purāṇa", Journal of the Ganganatha Jha Research Institute, Vol. 9, 1951, pp. 79-99. For dating see p. 97. Farquhar dates it between AD 900-1350 [Farquhar, J. N., An Outline of the Religious Literature of India, pp. 226 and 270. ] http://www.mysteriesofthekingdom.com/krishna.htm as retrieved on Apr 13, 2007 16:41:54 GMT. Vishnu Purana: This work contains the geneology of the Gupta kings, and therefore could not have been finalized before 320 AD. Hazra is positive the date of this Purana is between 275 – 325 AD, while Winternitz agrees it is not later than the 400’s. (Jaiswal, 17) Others agree it was probably written between 300 – 400 AD. (sdmart.com) Raychaudhuri agrees that it was probably written between 320 – 355 AD, and goes further by saying that the puranas that relate the Krishna story cannot be placed much before the Gupta kings, since the geneology of those kings is included. (Raychaudhuri, 91, 42) 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Bhagavata Purana: Hazra points out that the Vishnu Puran is a source for the Bhagavata Purana and believes its date to be between 500 – 550 AD, despite many who believe the date should be even later. It embellishes the Vishnu Purana and is the most complete biography of Krishna. Another generally accepted date for it is 800 – 1000 AD. (sdmart.org) It includes myths about all ten of Vishnu’s avatars. The Bhagawata Purana has been placed at several dates by scholars, ranging from 3000BCE (Traditional), to 700BCE, 400BCE, 500AD, 800AD and even as late as 1000AD. “Thus for instance the vast amalgamation of Puranic tradition known as the Skandapurana, as far as we can speak of it as a single work at all, cannot be older than the 16th century, as has been shown in the Groningen Skandapurana project (see Adriaensen et al 1994). Many scientific manuals and commentaries were composed during the 17th and 18th centuries, and a 19th century compilation, the Sukraniti, passed for a long time as a genuine ancient work. And of course Indian scholars of traditional learning are all the time producing new Sanskrit literature” Klaus Karttunen http://folklore.ee/folklore/vol8/veda.htm Harivamsa: The work was revised and changed numerous times and adopted its current form sometime around 400 AD. (Jaiswal, 16) It was added to the Mahabharata between 300-400 AD. It tells the story of Krishna as a youth. (sdmart.com) Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita: The Mahabharata was an evolving work that probably started sometime in the 200’s BC and ended in the 400’s AD. The work was constantly being added to, and it was corrupted so badly that we cannot be sure that words were not interpolated hundreds of years later. The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata and is thought by many to be written sometime around 200 - 300 BC. The familiarity with the Greeks as “famous fighters” places the Mahabharata after Alexander, and its alarm at the Buddhist edukas replacing Hindu temples makes a date around the time of Asoka likely. The Romans are mentioned only in passing in a list of possible peoples, thus placing the epic probably before the time of Rome’s greatness. (Raychaudhuri, 41, 42, 32) Nevertheless, many still consider a post-Christian date for the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita. Pisani puts forward a strong argument that the Mahabharata was written between 100 - 300 AD, because it mentions Sakas (Scythians) who invaded around then, Parthians (Pahlavas) who had gained their independence from the Greeks, Huns (Hunas), and Romans (Romakas) who they had not established contact with before the time of Augustus. 15 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES “The great epic called the Mahabaharatha (between 300 BC and AD 300) is by far the most important representative of the purana. Of somewhat similar free style are the 18 Puranas of a much later date. The beginnings of the artistic style are seen in the Ramayana (begun 3rd century BC). The finished epic kavya form, however, was not evolved until the time of Kalidasa, about the 5th century AD. This poet and dramatist is the author of the two best-known Sanskrit artistic epics, the Kumarasambhava and the Raghuvamsa.” http://www.connect.net/ron/sanskritliterature.html If the horoscope given to us is correct Krishna was born in the month of Sravana on the 23rd day on the night of full moon in Lagnam Edavam at midnight and if Guru (Mars), Kujan (Mercury), Ravi (Sun) and Sukran (Venus) were at their own home, Budan, Chandran (moon) and Sani (Saturn) were in their highest time, then Krishna was born in AD 600 “ Mahabaharatha as given to us could not have been written before A.D fourth Century. Panini, who is the famous grammarian, has mentioned several important personalities of the epics of that period. While the reprints published later have made several errors, variations and exaggerations, the main characters and the imports of the stories remain in tact. There is no doubt that Gita came into existence only during the period of Gupta Empire.” K.M.Panicker ( A Survey of Indian History p.67) All Hindu myths are developed over a long period of times, where each myth was built over some older historical fact or person. This is often due to confusion of names and times. Most of them were local stories, which got incorporated, in the bigger picture. So when a purana was presented in a codified form it was normally done in a third person method where this person sees the act being carried out in some distant places at distant time. This was indeed the normal style of story telling of the period. In the present day Katha Kala Shepam and Thullal this is clearly visible. It is the same old “Once upon a time there lived…….”, bedtime story. That does not mean it has no historical basis. But the puranas themselves cannot be taken on face value as presented. It may be a good symbolic presentation or an allegory, but not history or scripture truth. The sheer comparison of the Modern Hinduism with the Vedism simply shows that it could not have been connected directly in any way. One thing is evident, modern religion Hinduism is not based on Vedas. It is a totally different religion which took place sometime before the third century AD. Somehow some vested interest conveniently twisted history so that everything was cleverly hidden and some strange explanations to avoid even directl enquiry into origins and dates and who and why were arrogantly obliterated. “But religion has to extend beyond realisation and cater to the emotional needs of the lesser category of humanity. No historian of philosophy, to our knowledge, has been able to get over the prejudice that all religious thought subsequent to the Vedas and Upanishads, and apart from the later systematic Vedanta of the Darsana school, is a kind of trash, or, at best, a concession to the weakness of the popular mind.” 16 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES A Short History of Religious and Philosophic Thought in India by Swami Krishnananda But the question still remains, What made the step from the old Indian religions to the modern Hinduism. From early monotheism how did it degenerate into polytheism and the elaborate system of Puranas? For this we need to look into the religious events that transpired between the 3rd C BC and 3rd C AD. I leave this quote without comments. Check the dates that are indicated. http://www.geocities.com/rigvedsamhita/bhagwat.htm As we can see from the above verses, Krishna-bhakti is older than the Vaishanacharyas, and dates back to the Rig Veda itself. We should also note of Shankaracharya (500BCE), and his 'BhajaGovindam', as well as Gita and Mahabharata, which note of Krishna-bhakti before the advent of the Guptas (c.300BCE). It was Shankara's influence that, under the Guptas (300BCE), the Greeks such as Heliodorus, become devotees of Krishna, through Bhajagovindam etc. and Bhagawata. # The Bhagawata Purana has been placed at several dates by scholars, ranging from 3000BCE (Traditional), to 700BCE, 400BCE, 500AD, 800AD and even as late as 1000AD. # Krishna's traditional date is around 3180BCE, and his death (3102BCE) marks the end of the Vedic Era, when the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas were re-written for Kali-Yuga minds and the Tantra-Shastra or 'Agama' literature began, according to these dates, from older Vidyas or Shastras (Upavedas, Vidyas and Sutras etc.) from Vedic eras. Now, this seems about correct, as the Indus Cities were all rebuilt around 3000BCE-2500BCE, because of calamities around 3000BCE, and again in 1900BCE, which marks the end of the Vedic period. # To this, we can also include NS Rajaram, who deciphered the Indus script, and in his 'Search for the Historical Krishna', shows much evidence of Krishna at 3000BCE date is correct, and he correlates evidences from Mahabharata-era names in the Shastras and also on Indus seals. 16 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES DATE OF HINDU TEMPLES Table showing the date of building the temple As far as we know there not one single temple which are dedicated to the worship of Brahma, Vishnu or Siva that predates the Christian Era. We can find a lot of Buddhist and Jain temples, art and architecture during the BC period. Lepakshi Temple Anantapur Andhra Pradesh 16c AD Sas Bahu Temple - Udaipur Rajasthan Vishnu 10C AD Thousand Pillar Temple Warangal Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh 12C AD Galta Temple - Jaipur Rajasthan Siva 600 AD Tirupati Temple - Tirupati 12C AD Nathdwara Temple Udaipur Rajasthan Krishna 17C AD Dwarkadhish Temple Dwarka Gujarat 15C AD (Reconstruct) Ekambareswarar Temple Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu Siva 600 AD Somnath Temple - Patan Gujarat 480 -767 AD 16C AD Jain Temple - Chennai Tamil Nadu 1500 AD 11-13c AD Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple - Kurukshetra Haryana Perur Patteeswaraswamy Temple - Coimbatore Tamil Nadu siva Chamunda Devi - Kangra Himachal Pradesh Kali 13C AD Gangaikondas Cholapuram - Chidambaram Tamil Nadu 1020 AD Siva 1020 AD Amarnath Temple Pahalgam Jammu & Kashmir Siva ice Lingam Islamic connection “Buta Malik” Yatra started in 1850 AD Kailasanathar Temple Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu siva 685-705 AD Pallavas Raghunath Temple Jammu Jammu & Kashmir 1835-1860 by Maharaja Gulab Singh Ulahalanda Perumal Temple - Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu visnu 6-7C AD Pallavas 8C AD Vaishno Devi Temple Jammu 1537 AD Parthasarathy Temple Chennai 16 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Jammu & Kashmir Tamil Nadu Visnu 578 AD Bull Temple - Bangalore Karnataka Varadaraja Temple Chennai Tamil Nadu Visnu 1053 AD Cave Temples - Badami Karnataka 16C AD Ananthapura Lake Temple - Kasaragod Kerala visnu 800 AD Guruvayoor Temple Trichur Kerala Krishna 10-12 C AD Kaviyoor Rock Cut Temple - Tiruvalla Kerala Siva 900 AD Sabarimala Temple Pathanamthitta Kerala 18 C AD Mata Tripureswari Temple - Agartala Tripura 1501 AD Tiruvalla Temple Alappuzha Kerala Vishnu ? Bhoramdeo temple Raipur Chhattisgarh 1100 AD Omkareshwar Temple Omkareshwara Madhya Pradesh 11 C AD? Pemayangtse Monastery Gangtok Sikkim 1700 AD Orcha Temples - Orchha Madhya Pradesh16c 16 C AD Ranchhodraiji Dakor Ahmedabad Gujarat Visnu 1772 AD Kailash Temple Aurangabad Maharashtra 757 – 775 AD Hayagriva Temple Guwahati Assam visnu 1550 AD Mahalakshami Temple Kolhapur Maharashtra 600-700 AD Bhojeshwar Temple Bhopal Madhya Pradesh siva 1010-1053 AD Jagannath Temple - Puri Orissa 12C AD Baldeva Dauji Temple Mathura Uttar Pradesh 1535 AD 1535 AD Lingaraja Temple Bhubaneshwar Orissa 617 657 AD Adi Sankara Shrine Chikmagalur Karnataka 9c 9C AD Mukteswara Temple Bhubaneshwar Orissa 950 AD 950 AD Hoysaleswara - Hassan Karnataka 12c Siva 12C AD Sun Temple - Konark Orissa 13C AD Keerthinarayana Temple Mysore Karnataka 1117 AD Visnu 1117 AD Rajasthan Eklingji Temple - Udaipur 15C AD 5C AD Keshava Temple - Mysore Karnataka 1268 AD 1268 AD 1367 AD Chidambaram Temple Chidambaram Tamil Nadu Gulbarga Fort Mosque Bijapur Karnataka 16 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Kanchipuram Temples Chennai Tamil Nadu 6 C AD Brihadeeshwara Temple Thanjavur Tamil Nadu 985-1013 AD 985-1013 AD 1600 AD Mahabalipuram Temples Mahabalipuram Tamil Nadu 830-1100 AD Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple Thiruvananthapuram Kerala 1600 Visnu Meenakshi Temple Madurai Tamil Nadu 16-18 C AD Srikalahasti Temple Chittoor Andhra Pradesh 16c Siva 16C AD Rameshwaram Temples Rameshwaram Tamil Nadu 17C AD Kiliroor Kunninmel Temple - Kottayam Kerala 1200 AD Parvati 1200 AD Thanjavur Temples Thanjavur Tamil Nadu Raja Raja Cholan built 1003-1010 AD Suryanarayana Temple, Arasavalli - Sri Kakulam Andhra Pradesh 7c 7C AD Vishwanath Temple Varanasi Uttar Pradesh 1627/ rebuilt 1776 Thrikovu Shiva Temple, Cochin - Kochi Kerala 15c Siva 15 C AD Badrinath Temple Badrinath Uttaranchal Sankara built this 9C AD Sirkazhi Sattanathar Temple - Nagappattinam Tamil Nadu 10c siva 10 C AD Kedranath Temple Kedarnath Uttaranchal 8C AD Sree Subrahmanya Swami Temple - Mavelikkara Kerala 1014 AD Murugan 1014 AD Srisailam Temple Kurnool Andhra Pradesh 1404 AD Augharnath Mandir Meerut Uttar Pradesh 1000 AD Freedom fighters 1000 AD Sri Bhagavati Temple Parshem Goa 1600 AD Sree Yandra Saneeswarar Temple - Tiruvannamalai Tamil Nadu 1535 AD Sri Mahalakshmi Temple Panaji Goa 1413 AD Sri Mahalasa Temple Mangueshi Goa 17c 17c AD Sun Temple - Modhera Gujarat 1026-1027 AD 19C AD Mahadev Temple - Panaji Goa 12c 12 C AD 1556-1686 AD 1204 AD Chintpurni Temple - Una Himachal Pradesh Devi Shankeshwar Temple Modhera Gujarat 1656-1686 AD Mansa Devi Temple Panchkula Haryana 1811 – 1815 AD Baij Nath Temple Kausani Uttaranchal 1204 AD Siva Gundala Mallikarjuna Swami Temple - 10C AD Ettumanoor Temple Kottayam 16 16C AD 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh Kerala 16c 1553 AD Hadimba Devi Temple Manali Himachal Pradesh Lokanarkavu Temple Kozhikode Kerala 5c AD durga 5C AD Balasundari Temple Nahan Himachal Pradesh 1573 AD Parasurameswara Temple Bhubaneshwar Orissa Siva 4C AD? Jammu & Kashmir Sudh Mahadev - Patnitop 855- 883 AD Leaning Temple Sambalpur Orissa Siva 1670 AD Avantipur Temple Avantipur 855 – 883 AD Jammu & Kashmir Avantivarman built Bramheswara Temple Bhubaneshwar Orissa Siva 11C AD Chamundeswari Temple Mysore Karnataka Chamundi Devi 12C AD Khirachora Gopinath Temple - Balasore Orissa Krishna 650 AD Channakeshava Temple Belur Karnataka 1117 AD Govind Devji Temple Jaipur Rajasthan Krishna 1670 AD Krishna Temple - Hampi Karnataka 1513 AD Govind Devji Temple Jaipur Rajasthan Krishna 1050 AD Hazara Temple - Hampi Karnataka 15C AD Rudranath Temple Gaurikund Uttaranchal 8c 8C AD Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple - Bangalore Karnataka siva 16C AD Ananta Vasudeva Temple Bhubaneshwar Orissa 1278 AD Visnu 1278 AD Deogarh Temple - Gwalior Madhya Pradesh 8-17 C AD The Oldest Temple that we have today do not go beyond the 6th Century AD. In many cases there is no dating possible and history will be replaced with myths which makes it impossible to date the construction of the temple. These are therefore omitted. I suppose these samples are enough to give an insight. World's First Granite Temple The Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu is the first temple in the world to be built with granite. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient 16 7. PURANAS, TEMPLES AND THEIR DATES temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola Oldest known Indian Temple Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Newspaper reports suggested that Mundeshwari Temple was built in 108 A D. (Hindu Blog) 100 feet Statue of Siva of Mundeshwari Temple 16 8. AGE OF REASON CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF REASON: THE DECLINE OF VEDISM AND THE RISE OF RATIONALISM Radical changes in Indian religion and thought occurred during the Later Vedic Age. This development is clearly seen in the Brahmanas. Here we see the emergence of the Brahmin priests to a position of supreme power and privilege in society. There is a marked difference in the approach to deity before and after the Brahmana period. During the Early Vedic Age, sacrifice had been only a means of appeasing the gods of nature and getting favors based on the mercy and mood of the gods themselves. Now the tables are turned. The Brahmanas has the power to compel gods to act. Gods will have to act under compulsion if proper rituals are performed. Now it became the means of compelling the gods to act, provided the correct ritual was employed in ritual purity. In effect, gods became the servants of the Brahmin priests. "Devadhinam jagat sarvarm Mantradhinam ta devata Tam Mantram Brahmandhinam Brahmana nam devata" "The Universe is under the power of gods, The gods are under the power of the mantras, 16 8. AGE OF REASON The mantras are under the power of the Brahmins, Therefore, the Brahmins are our gods. " Abbe J.A. Dubois's "Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies" Oxford, Third Edition 1906, Page 139. ” This supremacy of the priestly class had its origin in the Purohita (praepositus, = he that is placed in front'), the family priest, who, as ritual developed, took the place of the house-father, by whom the earlier and simpler worship had been conducted. The priests of the Rig-Veda were not yet organized into a profession, nor did they claim their office by hereditary right. However, the period of the Brahmanas shows a rapid development of their pretensions. We are told that there are two kinds of gods, the Devas and the Brahmanas, the latter regarded as deities among men. With this new theology was combined the dogma of the supremacy of sacrifice. 'The sun would not rise,' says the Satapatha Brahmana, 'if the priest did not make sacrifice.' When we meet it first in the Indian ritual, sacrifice is merely a thank-offering ; then it comes to be regarded as a means of nourishing the Pitri, or the gods; finally, a means of wresting favours from them. This naturally resulted in the exaltation of sacrificial ritual. Every religious act must be accompanied by its special Mantra, or formula, each word of which is momentous, each tone fraught with mystery. “ Dr. Hopkins (Religions of India) 1894 This was a direct result of the nature of the Vedic gods. If these gods are powers of nature, by Simple knowing the laws of nature, we will be able to control those forces. It is simple science. The power lay in the mantras and the perfectness and technical accuracy of the ritual performance. deviations and errors will make the machine go wrong and will result in curses and destruction. These expertise and Vedic knowledge were family secrets. In so doing, Brahmins became the superior class even greater than the gods. Brahmins strengthened their position over the nobles and rulers of the Kshatriya class. This eventually produced its reaction in the growth of several rationalistic movement of which the major two were Buddhism and Jainism. What these rationalists were asserting was that the Vedic rituals were just superstitions imposed by the Brahmins to assert their superiority. The real control of the cosmic powers can be achieved by scientific methods. The other more materialistic rational movements eventually died out. We know about them only from the writing of those who denied their atheism. Jain documents clearly mentions four groups” There are four (heretical) creeds, which the disputants severally uphold: 1. the Kriyâvâda, 2. the Akriyâvâda, 3. the Vinayavâda, and 4. the Agñânavâda. Gaina Sutras, Part II TWELFTH LECTURE, CALLED THE CREED . 16 8. AGE OF REASON According to one tradition there were 5 heretical sects. From the point of view of Vedism, there are eight. They are: 1. Akriyavadins of Purana Kassapa, 2. Anuvadins of Pakuda Kattayana, 3. Ajivakas of Makkhali Gosala, 4. The materialists of Ajita Kesa Kambalin, and 5. The sceptics of Sanjaya Belattiputta. 6. The materialistic Lokayata of Carvaka 7. Buddhism 8. Jainism 1. Akriyavadins of Purana Kassapa Purana Kassapa taught a no-action theory called akriyavada. “Purana Kassapa said to King Ajatasattu - To him who acts, O King, or causes another- to act, to him who mutilates or causes another to mutilate, to him who punishes or causes another to punish, to him 16 8. AGE OF REASON who causes grief or torment, to him who trembles or causes others to tremble, to him who kills a living creature, who takes what is not given, who breaks into houses, who commits dacoity or robbery or highway robbery, or adultery, or who speaks lies, to him thus acting there is no guilt. If with a discus with an edge sharp as a razor he should make all the living creatures on the earth one heap, one mass, of flesh, there would be no guilt thence resulting, no increase of guilt would ensue. Were he to go along the south bank of the Ganges striking and slaying, mutilating and having men mutilated, oppressing and having men oppressed, there would be no guilt thence resulting, no increase of guilt would ensue. Were he to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving alms, and ordering gifts to be given, offering sacrifices or causing them to be offered, there would be no merit thence resulting, no increase of merit. In generosity, in self-mastery, in control of the senses, in speaking truth there is neither merit, nor increase of merit.” (Maha Bodhi Journal, Vol. 36, Jan. 1928) 2. Anuvadins of Pakuda Kattayana, Pakuda Katyayana taught that the soul was superior to good and evil, thus unchanged or untouched by it. He classified everything into seven categories, i.e. earth, water, fire, air, pleasure, pain and soul, which were eternal. Hence, Mahavira and Buddha called his doctrine Eternalism. Both Kassapa and Katyayana believed that the soul existed independently of the body and thus unaffected by karma. “Pakuda Katyayana said to the king: The following seven things are neither made nor commanded to be made, neither created nor caused to be created, they are barren, steadfast as a mountain peak, as a pillar firmly fixed. They move not, neither do they vary, they trench not oneupon another nor avail aught as to case or pain or both. And what are the seven? The four elements - earth, water, fire, and air - and ease and pain, and the soul as a seventh. So there is neither slayer nor causer of slaying, hearer or speaker, knower or explainer. When one with a sharp sword cleaves a head in twain no one thereby deprives any one of life, a sword has only penetrated into the interval between seven elementary substances” (Maha Bodhi Journal, Vol. 36, Jan. 1928) 3. Ajivakas of Makkhali Goshala Maskariputra 'Followers of the way of Life,' Ajivikas were founded by Goshala Maskariputra (c 484 BC?) a disciple, and later a rival contemporary of Mahavira Jain, forming a group of wandering ascetics. Ajivikas were deterministic philosophers. Since everything is based on cause effect relationship, and the entire world follows mechanistically, based on physical laws of action and reaction the transmigration of the human soul was determined by a precise and non-personal cosmic principle called Niyati (destiny or fate). They did not believe in the Free Will of man. Destiny was predetermined and could not be changed by any Karma, and it is impossible to influence the cycle of birth and rebirth as Jains and Buddhists imagined. Nirvana was only reached after going through all the predetermined lives, the last being as an Ajivika monk. They were more like the ultra Calvinist of this era. Accordingly knowing the entire natural forces one can foretell the future precisely. Purana Kassapa claimed to know all about the past, the present and the future. 17 8. AGE OF REASON ” All animals, all creatures, all beings, all souls, are without force and power and energy of their own. They are bent this way and that by their fate, by the necessary conditions of the class to which they belong, by their individual nature : and it is according to their position in one or other of the six classes that they experience ease or pain.” Three Tamil texts, the Manimakalai of the Buddhists, the Nilakesi of the Jains, and the Sivajnanasiddhiyar of the Saivites, all contain outlines of Ajivika doctrine. The Ajivika teacher Puranan in the Nilakesi says, "Though we may speak of moments, there is really no time at all." This was the theory of avicalita-nityatvam, unmoving permanence. In addition, to the Ajivikas the soul was also atomic and could not be divided. In its natural state outside the body, it is immense in size, five hundred leagues (yogana) in extent. Emperor Bidusara the father of Emperor Asoka was an Ajivika. The movement died out eventually but lived until 14c AD. There were probably large numbers of ascetic groups into Mauryan times who lived as far as Karnataka. (Basham, A.L. (2002). History and Doctrines of the Ājīvikas. Delhi, India: Moltilal Banarsidass Publications. ISBN 81-208-1204-2. ) 4. The materialists of Ajita Kesa Kambalin Ajita Kesa Kambalin, another contemporary of Buddha went further and taught complete materialism. He did not believe in the afterlife and considered death as the final phase of all souls, fools as well as the wise. “Ajita Kesakambali, who wore the garment of human hair, said: "There is no such thing, 0 King, as alms or sacrifice or offering. There is neither fruit nor result of good or evil deeds. There is neither father nor mother, nor beings springing into life without them. There are in the world no recluses or Brahmans who have reached the highest point, who walk perfectly, and who having understood and realized, by themselves alone, both this world and the next, make their wisdom known to others. A human being is built up of the four elements, and when he dies the earthly in him, returns and relapses to the earth, the fluid to the water, the heat to the fire, the windy to the air, and his faculties pass into space. The four, bearers of the bier take his dead body away to the burning ground. The talk of offerings, this talk of gifts is a doctrine of fools. It is in empty lie, mere idle talk. Fools and wise alike on the dissolution of the body, are cut off, annihilated, and after death they are not. " (Maha Bodhi Journal, Vol. 36, Jan. 1928) 5. The skeptics of Sanjaya Belattiputta – the Agnostics Sanjaya Belattiputta said : 17 8. AGE OF REASON If you ask me whether there is another world - well, if 1 thought there were, I would say so. But I don't say so. And I don't think it is thus or thus. And I don't think it is otherwise. And I don't deny it. And 1 don't say there neither is, nor is not, another world. And if you ask me about the beings produced by chance or whether there is any fruit, any result, of good or bad actions or whether a man who has won the truth continues, or not, after death-to each or any of these questions do 1 give the same reply. “Many Christians, as well as many Hindus, make the erroneous statement that Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. A cursory glance at the history of what is today called Hinduism would show the statement to be false. The dominant popular religion of the area where Siddhartha Gautama began his teachings was one of animal sacrifice, prayer, magical incantations, and ritual purity. ……. A special class of people known as the Brahmans were the priests and arbiters of this religion. They were responsible for the ritual purity, the sacrifices, and for all other aspects of the religion. Many of the foundations of Hinduism came from this religion, which is Vedism. However, what we think of as Hinduism today was largely developed centuries after the spread of Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama was from a background in which he learned well this religion. He maintained a very skeptical attitude towards it; pointing out that the Brahmans could use the religion and the special status afforded their caste to secure wealth and dominance over the populace at large” Buddhism Offshoot of Hinduism? http://www.geocities.com/tribhis/buddhismforxtians.html 6. The materialistic Nastik Lokayata (Atheistic Worldly Ones) of Carvaka The school of materialism called the Charvaka (also called Lokayat) did not believe in the cycle of rebirth and transmigration. The frugal virtues of Buddhism and Jainism were rejected and followers were encouraged to reject all religious observances and make the most of life’s pleasures! The original writings of the Charvaka are lost to us, though Brhaspati is said to be its author. We know of the existence of such a system more from comments its opponents, who were Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical scholars. The Charvakas totally disregarded Vedas as false and even referred to the authors of the three Vedas as demons. According to them, all scriptures like Vedas consist of three major flaws - fallacy, self-contradiction and tautology. They were of the belief that the sacrificial rituals benefited only the priestly class. Charvakas denied accepting the existence of after-life, rebirth, heaven, hell, soul or gods or goddess, as those are not amenable to sense perception. Charvakas believed that the material Universe did exist. However, of God as a creator, it is only an assumption. The matter consisted of four elements: earth, water, energy and air. The creation of life is a specific process of nature and it evolved out of the composite composition of four elements. With death, all ends. That life originated from inanimate substance: "Joro shobhab bhuto-chotustoy hotey praaner utpotti. 17 8. AGE OF REASON Ramayana mentions their philosophy as follows:. “Regard only that which is an object of perception, and cast behind your back whatever is beyond the reach of your senses “(2.108) "Among the books that have been lost is the entire literature of materialism ...much of the literature of materialism in India was destroyed by the priests an other believers in the orthodox religion during subsequent periods." Nehru, The Discovery of India Madhava Acharya wrote an extensive review of the Charvaka system in the 14th century A.D. in the Sarvadarshanasamghraha in an attempt to refute it. We get most of our information about Carvaka from his work. “...but how can we attribute to the Divine Being the giving of supreme felicity, when such a notion has been utterly abolished by Charvaka, the crest-gem of the atheistic school, the follower of the doctrine of Brihaspati? The efforts of Charvaka are indeed hard to be eradicated, for the majority of living beings hold by the current refrain: While life is yours, live joyously; None can escape Death's searching eye: When once this frame of ours they burn, How shall it e'er again return?” “The Agnihotra, the three Vedas, the ascetic's three staves, and smearing oneself with ashes — Brihaspati says, these are but means of livelihood for those who have no manliness nor sense. “In this school there are four elements, earth, water, fire and air; and from these four elements alone is intelligence produced — just like the intoxicating power from kinwa &c, mixed together; since in "I am fat", "I am lean", these attributes abide in the same subject, and since fatness, &c, reside only in the body, it alone is the soul and no other, and such phrases as "my body" are only significant metaphorically. “If a beast slain in the Jyothishtoma rite will itself go to heaven, why then does not the sacrificer forthwith offer his own father? “If the Sraddha produces gratification to beings who are dead, 17 8. AGE OF REASON then why not give food down below to those who are standing on the house-top? “If he who departs from the body goes to another world, how is it that he come not back again, restless for love of his kindred? “Hence it is only as a means of livelihood that Brahmans have established here all these ceremonies for the dead, — there is no other fruit anywhere. The three authors of the Vedas were buffoons, knaves, and demons. All the well-known formulae of the pandits, jarphari, turphari, etc. and all the obscene rites for the queen commanded in Aswamedha, these were invented by buffoons, and so all the various kinds of presents to the priests, while the eating of flesh was similarly commanded by nightprowling demons.” The Sarva-darsana-sangraha, Madhavacharya 7. Buddhism The Vedas themselves does not tell us about Buddhism. However, Buddhist literature addresses the existing Brahminical religion clearly. Even though they were written down after several decades, we do have the basic criticism of Buddha on the Vedic religion. The Brhmaadhammika Sutta is an unambiguous exposition of the Buddha's attitude to both Brahmans and their ritual; he traces a gradual degeneration of the Brahmans from selfless seekers after truth to money-grabbing sacrificers who kill cattle and persuade kings to perform sacrifices, saying, and “Much indeed is your wealth. Increase it by the performance of sacrifice." The Buddha states that even Indra and other deities discard these Brahmans... Similar, and even more severe, attacks on the ancient Brahminic institution of sacrifice are found in abundance in the Buddhist Canon. (see http://urbandharma.org/udharma7/indianthought.html) Instead of these mumbojumbo rituals, Buddha proposed rational scientific reasoning and find out how we can change our societies and ourselves. This must be based on the science of cause- effect relationship, which is the law of Kamma or Karma 17 8. AGE OF REASON Buddha (circa 563 to 483 BC) The Samyutta Nikaya states: "According to the seed that’s sown, So is the fruit you reap there from, Doer of good will gather good, Doer of evil, evil reaps, Down is the seed and thou shalt taste The fruit thereof." Karma is a law in itself, which operates in its own field without the intervention of any external, independent ruling agency. The bad seed is the wrong mental attitude and thinking. Out of it comes bad actions and evil for self and for society. "Listen, Tapassi. Of these three types of kamma (thought, word and deed) so distinguished by me, I say that mental kamma has the heaviest consequences for the committing of evil deeds and the existence of evil deeds, not bodily or verbal kamma." The other basic theory for Buddhism was the law of reincarnation. Every birth is conditioned by a past good or bad karma, which predominated at the moment of death. Karma that conditions the future birth is called Reproductive Karma. The death of a person is merely ‘a temporary end of a temporary phenomenon’. Though the present form perishes, another form, which is neither the same nor the totally different takes its place, according to the potential thoughtvibration generated at the death moment, because the Karmic force which propels the life-flux still survives. It is this last thought, which is technically called Reproductive (janaka) Karma, that determines the state of a person in his subsequent birth. This may be either a good or a bad Karma. 17 8. AGE OF REASON Unlike the modern understanding of reincarnation, it is not the same person who continues to be born again. The energy or will to live causes continuation of motion. There is no such thing as soul in Buddhism and so there is no continuation of Soul in reincarnation. Cycle of Reincarnation according to Buddhism 17 8. AGE OF REASON 17 8. AGE OF REASON BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF BRAHMA As Buddhism entered the Christian era it got mixed with Gnosticism also and developed myths and legends parallel to that of Hinduism. They reacted with the myths and legends of Hinduism which emerged by that time in strange ways. sorcery. Later Mahayanist took over many of the Hindu magic and It is this fall from the heights of science into magic and myths that finally destroyed Buddhism. It started by laughing at the myths as the following stories and Jatakas illustrate. Kevaddha sutta Dig. Nik. XI tells of else. Finally he arrived at Brahmâ himself along with all the host of the other gods. After hearing the question, which was ‘Where do the elements cease and leave no trace behind?” Brahmâ replied, "I am the Great Brahmâ, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-seeing, the Ruler, the Lord of all, the Controller, the Creator, the Chief of all, appointing to each his place, the Ancient of days, the Father of all that are and are to be." "But," said the monk, "I did not ask you, friend, whether you were indeed all you now say, but I ask you where the four elements cease and leave no trace." Then the Great Brahmâ took him by the arm and led him aside and said, "These gods think I know and understand everything. Therefore I gave no answer in their presence. But I do not know the answer to your question and you had better go and ask the Buddha." Kevaddha Sutta has a strange account of how Brahma himself came to be eternal. Dig. Nik. I. chap. 2, 1-6. [The radiant gods are the Abhassara, of Dhammap 200]. ‘There comes a time when this world system passes away and then certain beings are reborn in the World of Radiance and remain there a long time. Sooner or later, the world system begins to evolve again and the palace of Brahmâ appears, but it is empty. Then some being whose time is up falls from the World of Radiance and comes to life in the palace and remains there alone. At last he wishes for company, and it so happens that other beings whose time is up fall from the World of Radiance and join him. And the first being thinks that he is Great Brahmâ, the Creator, because when he felt lonely and wished for companions other beings appeared. And the other beings accept this view. And at last one of Brahmâ's retinue falls from that state and is born in the human world and, if he can remember his previous birth, he reflects that he is transitory but that Brahmâ still remains and from this he draws the erroneous conclusion that Brahmâ is eternal.” Still there was a great body of Buddhist and Jain legend in ancient India which handled the same stories as Brahmanic legend—e.g. the tale of Krishna—but in a slightly different manner. The characteristic form of Buddhist legend is the Jâtaka, or birth story. Folk-lore and sagas, ancient jokes how a monk who wanted to know about the dissolution and formation of cosmos went about asking of it to various gods who always pointed him to somebody 17 8. AGE OF REASON and tragedies, the whole stock in trade of rhapsodists and minstrels are made an edifying and interesting branch of scripture by simply identifying the principal characters with the Buddha, his friends and his enemies in their previous births In Maj. Nik. 49 Buddha tells his disciples how he once ascertained that Brahmâ Baka was under the delusion that his heaven was eternal and cured him of it ( See Hinduism and Buddhism – Charles Eliot 1902) 17 8. AGE OF REASON 8. Jainism Jainism was also another religion based on very similar rationalism. Mahavira Vardhamana (599 – 527 BC, though possibly 549 – 477 BC) was the founder of Jainism. “The Jains from the beginning have held that there is no Brahman-Atman, such as the Brahmins describe. No unity of substance or being holds the universe together. There is no Supreme Ruler of the world, such as the devout look to. There are numerous higher beings, who might be called "gods," and who exist on the various levels of the celestial regions; but they are finite beings, subject like men to rebirth. No help, Mahavira taught, could be expected from such beings, themselves in need of redemption. Therefore human souls caught in the predicament of existence in the physical world, needing to find a way of escape from karma through moksha or release, must realize that salvation is self-attained. Praying to the gods is of no avail. A monk or nun should not say, "The god of the sky! The god of the thunderstorm! The god of lightning! The god who begins to rain! ... May rain fall, or may it not fall! May the crops grow! May the sun rise!" They should not use such speech. But, knowing the nature of things, he should say, "The air; a cloud has gathered, or come down; the cloud has rained." Jainism casted its concepts on rigid scientific terms and classifications and laws. It is a science in its own right. It is probably the most scientific religion ever evolved. According to Jain beliefs, the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. They even consider “Karma” as fine infinitely small cosmic particles in order to give it the scientific 18 8. AGE OF REASON basis similar to the early ether concept in physics. Karmic particles are considered very similar to neurons that cause emotional reactions, imbalance in body and mind causing actions. “Karmas are the derivatives of the karman particles. The Karman particles are made up of the nonliving matter (pudgals). They are scattered and floating all over the universe (Lok). They are very very fine particles and we are neither able to see them with our eyes or with the regular microscope. A cluster of such innumerable karman particles is called a karman vargana. The karman varganas is one of the eight kinds of pudgal varganas. The karman vargana has the most subtle particles. When the soul acts with a passion like aversion or attachment; or anger, greed, ego, or deceitfulness, it attracts these karman varganas to itself. When these karman varganas get attached to the soul, they are called karmas. Karmas are classified into eight categories depending upon their nature. The karmas can be good (punya) or bad (Pap). The good karmas are the result of good or pious activities while the bad karmas are the result of bad or sinful activities.” www.jainworld.com/education/juniors/junles18.htm Jains believe that every thing has life and this also includes stones, sand, trees and every other living creatures including animals and man and even devas. Thus, there are infinite levels of life existence. Every soul continues to reincarnate depending on the karmic effect. The Jains believe in the eternity of the soul, and there are thought to be multitudes of souls or life/monads, which are all independent and eternal. Thus, both Buddhism and Jainism were based on the basic assumption that the whole cosmos is based on rational laws to which everything is subject to. The first principle of both was the law of Karma, the Cause - Effect relationship. Like all scientific endeavors, the assumption of a supreme god or existence of gods was negated. Instead, gods themselves were under the law of karma just as every other being. Since the world really exists, and things change it naturally included the law of conservation of matter and spirits, which led to the principle of reincarnation – matter and energy change forms and takes up new relationships. This was a concept brought in by the Greeks into India. Both Jainism and Buddhism refused to acknowledge a being beyond the scientific realm. 18 8. AGE OF REASON 18 8. AGE OF REASON 18 8. AGE OF REASON Thus, Buddhism was not an offshoot of Hinduism nor was Jainism. They were a reaction to the Vedic ritualism and Brahminic domination. necessarily atheistic. They were the scientific rationalist of the period and so It was the scientific theory of the time and was not to be thought of as a religion at all. These were the uprising of rationalism, which existed at all times in history. Buddhism and Jainism emerged in India during a period of great cultural, intellectual and spiritual development, with the influences of foreign cultures of Greece and Syria. Some of the previously accepted truths of the religion were beginning to be questioned and the religious leaders were being asked to defend their views and teachings. Furthermore, the old tribal structure of society was diminishing. Common people stood against the caste system introduced by the Brahmins. Instead of the gods who controlled the universe, scientific understanding of the laws of universe and beings were emphasized. The result was an increasing number of breakaway sects, of which Buddhism and Jainism were probably the most successful. They could trace their origins from the beginning of mankind. Soon after the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in India, Vedic religion began to loose its grip in India. In Indian history Buddhism and Jainism practically eradicated Vedism. The whole of south India comprising the Deccan, Karnataka, Andhra and Tamilnadu was a great stronghold of Jains, especially Digambara Jains. By the time of Asoka Vedism practically disappeared from India. Both North and Vedics remained as a small minority among the people who South India were Buddhist and Jain. claimed Aryan origin. “The Satavahanas (28 BC - 250 AD), also known as the Andhras, emerged as an independent power in the Deccan in the first century BC. It was founded by Simuka (65 BC - 25 BC). His son, Satakarni (25 BC - 20 AD), succeeded him. Under the Satavahanas, many Buddhist worshipping halls (Chaityas) and monasteries (Viharas) were cut out from rocks. Some famous examples are Amravati and Nagarjuna Konda. Buddhist cave temples were also cut at the now-famous sites of Ajanta and Ellora.” http://nabataea.net/sindia.html 18 8. AGE OF REASON Buddhist proselytism at the time of king Ashoka (260-218 BC), according to his Edicts Thus, the atheistic rationalistic religions Buddhism, Jainism and others effectively wiped out the Vedic religion by the end of the era just before the coming of Christianity into India. This can be interpreted as the wiping out of superstitious fear of nature by the rationalistic thinkers of the period. During the period immediately before and after the Christian Era, Vedism was practically wiped out from India. They remained a minority religious group claiming Aryan origin. The case of Kerala, the southern most area of India stands as a supreme example of what happened. In Kerala for example the temples shows the history as follows: “EARLIEST SHRINES (Before 300 BC) (these stand for local religions) EARLY JAIN TEMPLES (c.300 BC to 500 AD) EARLY BUDDHIST TEMPLES (c.200 BC to 800 AD) HINDUISM & THE 'NEW' BRAHMINICAL TEMPLES (c.800 AD onwards)” http://www.thrikodithanam.org/intro.htm 18 8. AGE OF REASON K.R. Vaidyanathan observes: "Like Jainism, Buddhism also held sway in ancient Kerala during the reign of Asoka in the 3rd century B.C. Coming by sea, Buddhism was popular in coastal districts, Karumati, Mavelikkara, Bharanikkavu, Pallikkal, Karunagappalli, Idappalli, Dharmapattabnam, Matayi and Pallikkunny being its chief centers... Many prominent Hindu Temples of today like the Vadakkunnathan temple, Trichur and the Kurumga Bhagwati Temple, Kondugallur, and even the famous Ayyappa shrine atop Sabarimala are believed to have been at one time Buddhist shrines. ... While Jainism did hardly leave any impress on Kerala society, Buddhism was absorbed in Hinduism in respect of some of its ceremonies and forms of worship. The images, processions and utsavam, etc. associated with popular worship in present day Hindu temples in Kerala are said to be a legacy of Buddhism. Even the chakiyar kuttu conducted in temples is said to be an adaptation of the Buddhist monk's religious expositions." [Vaidyanathan: 1982] There is no trace of Vedism or Hinduism before 800 AD certainly in Kerala. It was totally wiped out by the beginning of Christian Era. If they existed, it was as a weak minority group. Even the present day Brahmins cannot trace their lineage before 8c AD. and was revamped as modern Hinduism. It is also to be noted that today there is no trace of Buddhism or Jainism in Kerala. absorbed them. Hinduism took over the Jain and Buddhist temples. The Trichur were all originally Buddhist temples. Thus, the period was a period of enlightenment, which advocated reason as the primary authority as opposed to the Vedas. A close parallel with the 18th century Age of Reason is easily discerned. This was a liberation movement of the time. Gradually India began to turn away from the gory ritualistic Hinduism Instead, another religion grew out of Christianity, which came to be known as Hinduism. This eventually was taken over by the Brahmins Vadakkunnathan Temple of Trichur, the Kurumba Bhagavathi Temple of Cannanore, and the Durga Temple at Paruvasseri near 18 8. AGE OF REASON sacrifice of animals and humans and of the Vedic gods. exploitation of masses in the name of religion This Age of Reason swept away Vedism and Brahminic superiority. By the beginning of Christian Era Vedism was practically dead. A few Vedic Brahmins remained scattered all over India, but without Power. Bhavishya Purana explicitly admits this in the following statement: “At this time, reminded of the Kali Age, the god Vishnu became born as Gautama, the Shakyamuni, and taught the Buddhist dharma for ten years. Then Shuddodana ruled for twenty years, and Shakyasimha for twenty. At the first stage of the Kali Age, the path of the Vedas was destroyed and all men became Buddhists. Those who sought refuge with Vishnu were deluded” Buddha and Mahavir Jina (the founder of Jainism) were eventually considered incarnations of Vishnu, and hence Vaishnavas now consider Buddhism and Jainism as subsects of the Vaishnava religion! They opposed the caste system and 18 9. COMING OF THOMAS CHAPTER 9 THE COMING OF THOMAS What we have seen is that there is a total discontinuity in the basic concept of God in the history of Indian religions. Suddenly, in the first few centuries of the Christian era there arose a religion, which was very distinct from Vedism along with large number of written scriptures, which explained those principles. These cannot be explained except by recognizing the coming of St.Thomas the Apostle of Jesus into the Indian scene. Thomas came to India in AD 52 and India was never been the same after him. 18 9. COMING OF THOMAS There a few specific items that cannot be explained in any other way. Yet these are the core essence of Hinduism as is claimed today. These are: Monotheism – A persons God who is above all gods who is involved in the matters of man. The concept of Isvara. The very name Isa to mean God came in only after the arrival of St. Thomas. Trinity – God appeared in three distinct personal forms of Father, Sakti and Son. We have traced the development of Trimurti earlier. It was a very new concept and was eventually degenerated with the essential unity and oneness of Godhead was lost through Gnostic duality and conflict. . Gods themselves were in constant fight in Vedism as it is also true within modern Hinduism. discuss what happened in a later chapter. Incarnation – God incarnates into this world out of his intense of love for humankind to provide redemption and salvation through faith in Him. This also includes the idea of Logos, the Word, which was translated as AUM and has now become the central symbol of Hinduism. AUM is found in the front of all early Christian churches in Kerala predating any mention of AUM in the Upanishads. It represents the oneness of the Trinitarian God who is the revealed to humankind through Sages. We will 18 9. COMING OF THOMAS Another symbol, which is closely connected with Christianity, is Lingam, the Form of the formless God, which is worshipped by the Saivites. It was initially the symbol of word becoming flesh. The Formless took Form. ”The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” ”By His stripes we have been healed” 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS All these were very new to the Indian religions. unacceptable hermeneutics. I see no way of explaining these away as something, which was hidden in the Vedas, because that will require twisting of the truth and The usual method employed to accomplish this is to use allegorical interpretation. Anyone who had used allegory knows that any body can establish anything using allegory because there the interpreter imposes his own meaning and symbolism without justification on the text. Bhakthi or faith itself took up a new meaning with the coming of Christianity. Puja and sacrifices were indeed in existence even in the Vedic religion. However, the intent of those was to give gods something in exchange for something the yajamana of the yajna can get from them. Gods liked Whisky (Soma drink) so we give it to them. In return, the Yajamana gets prosperity, children etc. That is barter, not Bhakthi. Bhakthi towards a loving God is in response to who God is, whom we know in our daily life through his faithfulness, provision and love. Man cannot bribe God. This is what Christianity presented. God drank the poison vicariously to save mankind. In response, he demands total surrender. This was the basis of the later Bhakthi movement of South India. Bhakthi movement was a resurgence of the lost concept of Bhakthi as brought in by Thomas. It somehow got lost. We will discuss the mechanism and the agent of such heresy in another chapter. Evidently, something happened during the period soon after the advent of Christian Era in the history of Indian Religions. Vedism disappeared totally which was reeling under the pressure of rationalistic atheistic religious movements of Buddhism and Jainism. There were only three choices for common man – rigorously ascetic religions of Jainism and Buddhism or primitive village gods and goddesses. Brahmins were at the verge of extinction and were scattered throughout India as minority groups trying to clasp at the final straw. The straw came in the form of a foreigner who brought in a totally new religion, which no one has ever heard of before. This was good news – that there is indeed a Supreme God 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS of all creation who cared enough for mankind that he incarnated himself on this earth to redeem those who are heavy laden. Brahmins all over India took this message seriously. After all they had very little to survive. In Kerala alone seventy five families of Brahmins – all who were in that part of India – took shelter under the new religion. The cases elsewhere were no different. However, in Kerala we know that there were no Brahmins until the seventh century showing thereby that it was a people’s movement. The whole Brahmin community surrendered to Christ. powerful medium of folk songs and arts. These include: 1 The Song of the Deacon – the Chapter on Thomas known to us as “Rambaan Pattu – Thoma Parvam” 2. The Morality Plays of the Christians. - The Drama of the Way known in Malayalam as “Margam Kali” 3. The Songs of the Sons of the Great Kings : known in Malayalam as Maapilla Paattu. 4. Songs on Stringed Instrument - Veeradian Pattu – Villadichan Pattu 5. Chavittu Nadakam : Tap Drama Kerala Christians still claim descend from those seventy-five. The story of these conversions is handed down orally through the The Malabar (Kerala) and Indian traditions are referred to by the early Church Fathers through the history of the church. Among them are the following references: Clement of Alexandria 3rd C AD ( 235) Doctrine of the Apostles 3rd C AD Syria Oriegen 3rd (185-254 AD) quoted in Eusebius Alexandria Eusebius (early 4th cent.) Caesarea St. Jerome (342-420 A.D.) about the mission of Pantaenus, to India St. Ephrem (306-373 A.D.), St. Gregory of Nazianze (324-390 A.D.), St. Ambrose (333-397 A.D.), St. Jerome, St. Gregory of Tours (6th cent.) Isidore of Seville (7th cent.) . all 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS St.Thomas the Apostle Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus who had been with him for over three years as a witness to his teachings and actions. He himself was a hard-core scientist who would not believe in anything true just because some one told him and would trust them only after verification. Thus, he insisted that he touch the wound of the resurrected Jesus to confirm that it was Jesus himself and not any apparition. Having confirmed he became the most powerful Apostle. No wonder Jesus wanted him to go to India into the midst of the Rationalistic Atheistic Buddhists, Jains and to other groups who were materialists. He was himself all that and he could bear witness in their midst. Thomas himself was no Gnostic, as some would like to him to be represented. Later Syrian (Aryan origin) Gnostic would write up and make Puranas (as is the character of all Gnostic religions) which we have as Gnostic Gospels, written as late as third century, soon after the appearance of modern Hinduism. Christian sacred text would not include any document written after the death of the last of the Apostles, John, to ensure the accuracy of the testimony. 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS Apocryphal records do bear some witness and are valuable historical documents once its purposes are understood. In a world where a continued attempt is made to destroy and distort truth about Jesus, it is at least something to go about. We have at least the historic presence of the persons and places given to us in these books. Acts of Thomas is one such important document. It was not written as history but as a fiction using the style of the period. However, in it and through it we have the names and the places and events in history regarding the ministry of Thomas in India. One thing is certain. His ministry covered the entire India from Taxila in the North to Malabar Coast in the South. However, something happened to the records in India that we have a blank period of history indicating an intentional destruction of historical documents for this period and the growth of the church in India. This period is known as Kalabhra Inter-regnum – the dark ages. fathers to their children. Information on Acts of Thomas http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/actsthomas.html Harold W. Attridge describes the Acts of Thomas as follows: (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, v. 6, p. 531): Pseudepigraphic text which relates the adventures of the apostle Judas Thomas as he preaches an ascetical or encratite form of Christianity on the way to and from India. Like other apocryphal acts combining popular legend and religious propaganda, the work attempts to entertain and instruct. In addition to narratives of Thomas' adventures, its poetic and liturgical elements provide important evidence for early Syrian Christian traditions. Attridge writes about the attestation to the Acts of Thomas (op. cit., p. 531): The major Syriac witnesses (B.M. add. 14.645) dates to 936 C.E. the earliest Syriac witnesses to the text, a fragmentary palimpset (Sinai 30), dates from the 5th or 6th century. The major Greek witnesses (Paris. gr. 1510 and Vallicel. B 35) date to the 11th century, although there are partial Greek witnesses dating from the 10th. Some form of the work was clearly in circulation by the end of the 4th century when testimonies begin. Epiphanius (Anac. 47.1 and 60.1.5) records its use by Encratites. Augustine (de serm. dom. in monte 1.20.65; c. Adiamantium 17; c. Faustum 14 and 22.79) attests its use by Manicheans, and allusions are found in the Manichean Psalms. Attestations continue sporadically until the 9th-century Byzantine patriarch Photius (Cod. 114) and the 11th-century archbishop, Nicetas of Thessalonica, who paraphrased the work. The original composition is probably to be dated in the first half of the 3d century, slightly later than the Acts of Peter, John, and Paul, which are attested in the 2d century. Some sections, particularly the originally independent Hymn of the Pearl, presuppose conditions in the Parthian period, which ended with the establishment of the Sassanian Empire in 226 C.E. It is likely that Acts Thom. underwent redactional development, including adaptation by Manicheans, in the late 3d or 4th centuries. We have only scattered information essentially handed down in the form of folk art and songs – tribal memory and faithful transference of faith from 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS The author of Acts of Thomas is considered to be Bardesanes (Bardesan) Bardesanes was born in 154 CE, became a Christian c. 180 CE, and died in 222/223 CE. Bar-Daisan (Catholic Encyclopedia) At the age of twenty-five he happened to hear the homilies of Hystaspes, the Bishop of Edessa; he received instruction, was baptized, and even admitted to the dioconate or the priesthood. …..when Abgar IX, the friend of his youth, ascended the throne (179) he took his place at court. His acceptance of Christianity was perfectly sincere; nor do later stories, that he left the Catholic Church and joined the Valentinian Gnostics out of disappointed ambition, deserve much credit. His royal friend became the first Christian king; and both king and philosopher labored to create the first Christian State. Bardesanes showed great literary activity against Marcion and Valentinus, the Gnostics of the day. But unfortunately, with the zeal of a convert anxious to use his previous acquirements in the service of the newly found truth, Bardesanes mixed his Babylonian pseudoastronomy with Christian dogma and thus originated a Christian sect, which was vigorously combated by St. Ephrem. World map according to Roman geographer Pomponius Mela (ca. 40 A.D.) and probable route of Thomas from Israel to Malabar along the pepper route. 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS The Commercial Routes of First Century Traditional site where St. Thomas landed - Cranganore (Kodungallur) in Malabar Coast -in 52 AD. Here he preached to a Jewish community who accepted mesia and their synagogue became a Christian church. 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS The Church in Cranganuur – near Muziris There were settlements of Jews in southwest India from at least the first century of the Christian era. Their main centre was the seaport of Cranganore. From the fifth to the fifteenth centuries, the Jews in this area had virtually an independent principality ruled over by a prince of their own tradition and choice. The Jewish community was enriched by the arrival of Jews from Spain and other European countries. In 1524, however, Jewish homes and synagogues were destroyed by Moors, and survivors fled to Cochin (Kochi). 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS The Tabula Peutingeriana is the only known surviving copy of the Roman cursus publicus; it was made by a monk in Colmar in the thirteenth century. It shows Muziris as a major port. There is also a Temple of the Great God (Augusts) marked nearby. It is unlikely that it refers to Augustus Ceasar as some seem to suggest. The marking is Augusts not Augustus. The Apostle Thomas is said to have arrived in India, at Cranganore on the Malabar Coast, in 52CE. According to tradition, he was welcomed by a Jewish flute girl. He stayed in the Jewish quarter, and baptized some of the Jews there. He finally settled at Mylapore, near Madras (Chennai) on the south east coast, where he lived in a cave. He was martyred in 72CE and buried beneath what is now the Basilica of St Thomas built in 1898. A bone from his hand remains in the crypt. http://www.sln.org.uk/re/southindiaimages.htm 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS Probable land route of Thomas during his 20-year ministry within India (52 – 72 AD) Vestiges of North Indian Christian Churches “Bardaisan in his Book of Fate (AD 196) speaks of Parthian Christians living among pagans, which might be a result of the destruction of the Indian Parthian empire by Kushan invaders about AD 50. There are also said to be Christian tribes still living in north India, but holding their faith a secret from all others. For example, at Tatta in Sind (the ancient port of Pattiala at the mouth of Indus), there is a fakir community which calls itself by an Aramaic name, something like ‘Bartolmai’, and claims to have been descended from St. Thomas’s converts and to have books and relics to prove it.” T.V.Phillip In general, we have no reason not to believe the story as given by the traditions. We cannot exactly trace the cris-crossing intertwined routes of Thomas over the 20 years. We are however certain that Thomas visited Kerala twice and he might have visited China at least once. It evidently covered the entire Indian continent - North and South, East and West. Below is a map showing the possible areas of the ministry of Thomas based on the trade routes of the period and taking into consideration the placement of early Christian churches for which we have definite evidence... 19 9. COMING OF THOMAS The extent of the ministry of Thomas In the recent years four coins said to have been given by Thomas to a family in Kerala has come up. Thondachan and the Four Silver Coins http://nasrani.net/2007/05/22/hindu-traditions-of-st-thomas%e2%80%93thondacchan-and-the-four-silver-coins/ The worship of Thondachan, a Hindu family deity, by a particular lineage of Nairs (native martial clan) of Malabar, Kerala and especially the manner and ritual of this worship is noteworthy. Though a family deity, Thondachan is never worshipped within the Nair household. Nor has this deity been ever given a berth among the pantheon of Hindu gods at any of the Hindu temples presided over by the Brahman priests (called Namboodiris). Thondachan has a special altar built outside the Nair family compound, where non-Brahmin priests perform rituals. While Chaamundi, Vishnumoorthy, Pottan, Rakteshwari and Bhagavathi became the non-Aryan, non-Brahmin deities for the village folk of Kolathunaad (an ancient province of North Kerala) along with other primitive spirits and folk-heroes, Thondachan has an even smaller following among a select Nair clan. It is believed, that up to the present day, altars for Thondachan’s worship exists in the Cherukunnu area in Kannur (Cannanore) district, especially in the lands surrounding old tharavad (family) houses - ancestral mansions - of the Nairs. When Thomachan (the Apostle St. Thomas - Achan signifying father) came ashore, landing at Maliankara near Moothakunnam village in Paravoor Thaluk in AD 52 (this village is located five kilometers from Kodungallur), some of his followers as well as other sailors and merchants were suffering from a severe form of scurvy. Thomachan himself suffered from a sore throat which he chose to ignore, and which grew steadily worse, until no voice emanated from his lips for many days. A local Jew named Matan took the weary travelers to a local Nair Tharavad (locally known as Kambiam 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS Vallapil), in the province of Kolathunaad, a territory comprising the present Cannanore District and Badagara Taluk of Kerala. It is said that at the time of Thomachan's arrival at the tharavad, the Nair Karnavar (landlord or head of the family) lay injured from a grievous wound that had been inflicted upon him in a feudal duel. Upon seeing this, Thomachan sat beside the injured man and meditated, laying his hands on the man’s head, his throat, his chest and his groin. Immediately the karnavar felt relieved from pain and his healing was hastened. Within a day he was up and about, his wounds having nearly healed. In return, the Nair household offered shelter to the strangers and called upon their family physician to cure the scurvy that the travelers suffered from, as well as Thomachan's severely infected throat. Nellikaya (Emblic Myrobalan or Indian Gooseberry) based potions prepared by the tharavad was used to cure the sea-worn voyagers. In an act of gratitude, Thomachan is said to have blessed them and gave them four silver coins saying, "May these coins bestow my guru’s blessings upon you and your household, for take heed when I tell you that the money I pay you today is anointed with the blood of my guru." This holy man, Thomachan, is believed to have related a curious story to the members of the tharavad, which has been passed down the ages. The story states that before Thomachan set sail from a seaport in the region called 'Sanai' somewhere in the western seas, he had witnessed the persecution of his guru, who was tortured and nailed to a wooden cross and left to die. He spoke of how his guru returned from his ordeal three days later, fully cured. His guru handed him the silver coins saying, "My body was sold with these, and now they have been returned to me, all thirty pieces. Put them to good use, as I have. Though you shall choose to travel by sea, I shall meet you again in the mountains of the land where you will finally arrive." The Nair Tharavad later migrated further north to the Cherukunnu area of present day Kannur. They referred to the four silver pieces as 'Rakta Velli' (Blood Silver) or 'Parindhu Velli' (parindhu for eagle, as one face of all these four ancient coins bear the figure of an eagle). They also decided never to utilize the silver as it was the custom then not to part with the gift of a guest. Over time, and with the advent of Christianity, the significance of the four silver coins received by the Nair Tharavad was understood, but family history is still obscure as to whether Thomachan possessed, or what he did with the remaining twenty-six pieces of silver his guru gave him. This Nair family never converted to the Christian faith as many others did in that region. Subsequent migrations of Nair clans continued throughout history, but the story of the four rakta velli pieces was passed down the generations, as did their veneration for the holy sanyasi Thomachan (later called Thondachan, a nickname perhaps coined from the story of his sore throat - thonda for throat). Another story goes that the name Thondachan was adopted in the early 16th century to avoid persecution by the Portuguese. Thus by a curious turn of events, the apostle St. Thomas was transformed into a Hindu deity for an ancient Nair clan of Kerala. A present day member of this family is still in possession of the four pieces of silver. The four pieces of silver have identified as the Shekels of Tyre, a common coinage of Judea of the time of Christ. A present day member of this family is still in possession of the four pieces of silver and they have been identified as the Shekels of Tyre, a common coinage of Judea of the time of Christ. 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS The back and front of the four coins gifted down by Thondachen Thomas was commissioned by King Gondaphores of Taxila from where his ministry extended all over India. In fact the success of Thomas in India was much vaster and deeper than the success St.Paul had in Rome and Greece. The Indo-Parthian kingdom with its capital at Kabul barely lasted one century. It started to fragment under Gondophares' successor Abdagases I. The eastern part was conquered by the Kushans around 75 CE. Coin of Gondophares (20-50 CE), king of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom. Obverse: Bust of Gondophares and Greek legend: BACIΛEΩC CΩTHPOC VNΔOΦEPPOV "King Gondophares, the Saviour". Reverse: Winged Nike holding a diadem, with a Kharoshti legend: MAHARAJASA GUDAPHANISA TRATARASA King Gondophores 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS Takthi-Bahi Stone, which says: Maharaja-raja-raja-samahatha –dramia- devawratha Gundaphorasa This stone writing was found in the nearby Buddhist Vihar in a place called Takthi Bahi. Into this spiritual vacuum without a God, Thomas brought in the concept of Parameswara –the Most High God - and his incarnation as Man in the person of Nazarene and he transformed India totally. Parameshwara. [Iswara is God. Param means Most High.] There never was a concept of Most High God in India until the coming of Thomas. Much more strange will be the fact Issa came to mean 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS Supreme God and gave rise to Iswara, Maheswara, Parameswara. Without doubt, Isa is the name, which derived from the name of Jesus. The prescript Param can be replaced with Maha meaning “The Great” to give Maheshwara – The Great God. These words Parameswara and Maheswara occur in Indian religious scenario only after the first century. This was very new to the Indian continent. It transformed all the religions of India – Vedism, The idea that there is a Personal God who is Buddhism, and even Jainism to some extent. Omnipotent and loving changed the whole theology of Indian continent as the later religious scenario shows. The extent of this impact indicates that Thomas established churches with Jesus as center of worship as the Parameshwara throughout India. Gold coin of Vasudeva I. Obv: Vasudeva in tall helmet, holding a scepter, and making an offering over an altar. Legend in Kushan language and Greek script "Shaonanoshao Bazodeo Koshano" which means: "King of kings, Vasudeva the Kushan". Rev: Indian god “Oesho” (Easow) holding a trisula (Trinity) scepter, with the bull. Is this Jesus? Monogram ("tamgha") to the left. Vasudeva I (Kushan: "Bazodeo", Chinese:"Bodiao") was a Kushan emperor around 195-225 AD. He was the last great Kushan emperor, and the end of his rule coincides with the invasion of the Sassanians as far as northwestern India, and the establishment of the Indo-Sassanians or Kushanshahs from around 240 AD. Vaseduva may have been the Indian king who returned the relics of the Apostle St. Thomas from India. It was probably during this time the poetic work of “Acts of Thomas” was written. The relics were transfered triumphally to the town of Edessa, Mesopotamia. The 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS Indian king is named as "Mazdai" in Syriac sources, "Misdeos" and "Misdeus" in Greek and Latin sources, has been connected to the "Bazdeo" on the Kushan coinage of Vasudeva The martyrologist Rabba Sliba dedicated a special day to both the Indian king, his familly, and St Thomas: "Coronatio Thomae apostoli et Misdeus rex Indiae, Johannes eus filius huisque mater Tertia" ("Coronation of Thomas the Apostole, and Misdeus king of India, together with his son Johannes (thought to be a Latinization of Vizan) and his mother Tertia") Rabban Sliba. (Mario Bussagli, "L'Art du Gandhara", p255) Kushan Emperor Vasudeva I and the Christian Connection The Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries) was a state that at its cultural zenith, circa 105–250 CE, extended from what is now Tajikistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan (in the general area where the initial labors of St.Thomas was concentrated ) and down into the Ganges river valley in northern India. The empire was created by the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi confederation, an Indo-European people from the eastern Tarim Basin, China. Thomas’s mission extended to China in the very same regions. They had diplomatic contacts with Rome, Persia and China. Christianity was a powerful presence in all these countries.. As late as the 3rd century CE, decorated coins of Huvishka indicates that they were strong proponents of Buddhism. The greatest ruler of the dynasty, Kanishka, had adopted Buddhism and it By the beginning of third century 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS was during his period that both Buddhist religion and Greek art reached their zenith which is known under the nomenclature of Gandhara Civilization. It was again during his regime and because of his efforts that Buddhism spread in Central Asia and China. This period is regarded as the most important in the history of Buddhism However the coins of Vasudeva I presents Siva in his coins. Historically it is known that it was Vasudeva I who carried the bones of St. Thomas from Mylapore to Edessa and the Acts of Thomas was written to commemorate this even. This at least indirectly suggests the Saivism as a Christian Sect associated with the Thomas Churches. Main Kushan rulers o Kujula Kadphises (30–80) Kujula Kadphises established the Kushan dynasty in 78 AD by taking advantage of disunion in existing dynasty of Pahalava (Parthian) and Scytho-Parthians, and gradually wrested control of southern prosperous region, which is the northwest part of ancient India, traditionally known as Gandhara (now Pakistan). Most Kushan Emperors were Buddhists o 5.2 Vima Taktu (80–105) o 5.3 Vima Kadphises (105–127) o 5.4 Kanishka I (127–147) o 5.5 Vāsishka o 5.6 Huvishka (140–183) o 5.7 Vasudeva I (191–225) The Kushan religious pantheon is extremely varied, as revealed by their coins and their seals, on which more than 30 different gods appear, belonging to the Hellenistic, the Iranian, and to a lesser extent the Indian world essentially Saivite. 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS Representation of entities from Greek mythology and Hellenistic syncretism are: Helios, Hephaistos, Selene, Anemos, Further, Heracles (whom Vaishnavites tries to make Krishna), and Sarapis. The Indian religion: Buddha, bodhisattava, Mahasena, Skanda Kumara, Ganesha. The Iranic gods: Ashi Vanghuhi , Asha Vahishta, Atar, Khwarenah, Drvaspa Vohu Manah, Mah, etc Mithra, Ahura Mazda Thomas’ journey covered the whole of India for two whole decades, very similar to the travels of Paul. Paul transformed the Greco-Roman world into Christian faith. Did Thomas achieve the same? There are indications even today to show that he did just that. Scattered groups of Christian sects can be found all along the route of Thomas, claiming their root from Thomas. From Malabar Coast (In South India) Thomas traveled along the West coast to Kalyan, (Bombay) and then onto Sind (Pakistan) and Tibet returning along the East cost through Kaveri area to Mylapore (“The city of Peacock”, Madras, South India.) They are there even today. Some of them remain as secret communities in the face of later persecution. Sufficient records are there to show that: * There existed a thriving Christian community in Kerala at that time. There are palm leaf records, which show that: 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS * Among the Dravidians in Central India (Kaveri Area) there was a Church Poopatanam of Puhur as early as 293 AD. These documents show that, Seventy-Two families of Christians of Vellala origin from Kavery District on the River Kaveri arrived in Kollam (Quilon) in Kerala as refugees fleeing from the persecution in AD 293. Historically well-documented Christian Kingdom of Villarvattom Pana Dynasty (near the present-day Cochin) lasted nearly a millennium from 510 to 1439 AD, until the coming of the Portuguese. There are documents indicating powerful Christian Kingdoms in Kerala, particularly in Ayr (referred to in Greek documents- Ayroor) and Ranni and Vel (Velnad). There must have been other major churches all over India other than in Kerala. However, the problem is “Where are they?” It is this question we are trying to answer. The basic reason why we do not see them is that we may be looking for the wrong clues and so we do not recognize them for want of familiarity. What are we really looking for? • • • Church buildings similar to the Greek and Roman churches. Worship forms like the liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Churches Out stretched arms of Praise and Worship We are simply assuming that these are the norms of the Christian Churches. It is these basic expectations that put us off track In time various denominations began to evolve with emphasis on specific aspects of god and gospel with syncretization with local religions. Two such denominations were Vaishnavism and Saivism. In Kerala Christians were called Saivism emphasized the love of god and the Sacrifice of God for the redemption of Mankind, while Vaishnavism emphasized the glorious almighty God of the Skies. Isa) Nasranees (One who follow the Nazarene) and Isanees (or Isanuvadikal – one who are followers of 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS 20 9. COMING OF THOMAS These denominations evolved out of specific emphasis on aspects of God. They all started as Christian Churches but became heretic through syncretization and Gnostic influence from Babylon. We will now look into the forces that transformed Indian Catholic Church to modern Hinduism as it is today. “Saivism and Vaishnavism are the offshoot of Early Indian Christianity. Early Indian Christianity observed the elements of Dravidian worships that prevailed in the pre - Christian era, and developed as Saivism and Vaishnavism. Saivism and Vaishnavism developed as a Bhakti movement around 6th, 7th c. A.D. in South India and spread to the North. Since it is now totally camouflaged by the Brahman concept under the name of Hinduism, it is generally thought that the Vedas are the basis for the development of this Bhakti Movement. Generally Saivite Siva is identified with Vedic Rudra and Vaishnavite Vishnu is identified with Vedic Vishnu. An in-depth study of the Vedas will unveil the hidden truths. Saivism and Vaishnavism have nothing to do with the Vedic Rudra or Vishnu.” Thus Dr. M. Deivanayagam and Dr. D. Devakala in The Revival Movement of Dravidian Religion lists the follwing factors which emerged independent of Vedic influence. 1. 2. 3. 4. Emergence of the basic doctrines of Saivism and Vaishnavism depending not on Aryanism or the Vedas. Development of these doctrines which are not seen in the Vedas Emergence of new Agamas, totally contrary to the Vedas Emergence of temple worship, contrary to the Vedas. 5. Emergence of Nayanmars and Alwars who did not belong to the Vedicreligion. 6. The doctrinal explanation of Sankara, Ramanuja and Mathva which arecontrary to the Vedas. 7. Emergence of the names of Gods viz. Siva, Vishnu, Brahma, Sakthi ....who are contrary to the Vedic deities. 8. Emergence of the worship of God in Triune form instead of worshipping the Vedic deities'.17 They conclude thus: When Christianity came to India, the New testament was not compiled at that time. Naturally this would lead to the lack of historicity. The need of presenting Christianity at the grass root level in the later period led to the development of myths. Since the doctrine of trinity, doctrine of avatar, and the 21 9. COMING OF THOMAS doctrine of fulfillment of sacrifice have to be explained in the mythical aspect at the grass root level, mythical Christ is seen in the Indian religions in different languages in different terms. Though the terms are different and seem to be different Gods and Goddesses, they all refer to one God. An unbiased examination of myths would unveil the hidden Christ. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/1412/origin.html Biblical Christianity, Judaism and Shaivite Hinduism Share the Same Names for God. http://www.viewzone.com/matlock.html (See the Chapter on Saivism) Similar sacred symbolism and iconography are associated with both the Hebrew Yah-Veh and the Kashmiri Shaiva: The Holy Trinity; the flame; the cherub; the guardian angel; the snake; the bull; blowing of bull's horn, etc. Hebrew and Kashmiri Cabalistic Terminology Is About the Same. (See the Chapter on Saivism) The basic creed of the saiva sidhantha correspond closely with the Nicean Creed. (See the chapter on Saivism) What is expressed in both the creeds are identitical and we know that this was the faith that existed until the third and fourth centuries in India when the idol worship became prevalent and the inner core of faith was lost to the general public. “Taproot of the Hindu religion: • • • • Doctrine of Avatar - God becoming a man in order to redeem human beings. (Unborn Prime God was born in order to give us eternal pleasure) Trinity or Triune doctrine - God in triune stage - Appan, Ammai, Makan (Saivism); Siva, Vishnu, Brahma (Vaishnavism) Doctrine of fulfillment of sacrifice - The offering of sacrifice has ceased even though there is sacrificial altar in the temple. People do not offer sacrifice while they worship God. Doctrine of forgiveness of sin - There is forgiveness for the sins of human beings by the grace of God and this doctrine is totally controversial to the saying that ‘the actions of one person would definitely yield its fruits’. • Doctrine of bhakthi - Appreciating the bhakthi which is in ones heart irrespective of one’s appearance, color, culture etc. (Kannappa Nayanar) “ 211 9. COMING OF THOMAS The Revival Movement of Dravidian Religion Dr. M. Deivanayagam, Dr. D. Devakala These are some of the basic teachings that are still embedded in the Hindu Scriptures even after severe Brahminical tampering. 21 11. TRIMURTHY CHAPTER 10 COMING OF GNOSTIC ARYANS: MANICHEAN Pallavas as Persian Aryans Pallavas played a vital role in the development of Hinduism. Who are these Pallavas? In the detailed study on this problem India's Parthian Colony “On the origin of the Pallava Empire of Dravidia” By: Dr. Samar Abbas, May 14, 2003, (http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/ india_parthian _colony1.php) gives the following description along with detailed evidence in V.D.Mahajan) Archaeology, Administration, Language, Toponyms and Personal Names, Anthropology, Architecture, and Legendary Descent. (See also: Ancient India “Pallavas of Dravidia as Pahlavis The Pallavas are first attested in the northern part of Tamil Nadu, precisely the geographical region expected for an invading group. This, together with the evident phonetic similarity between the words "Pallava" and "Pahlava", has long led researchers to advocate a Parthian origin of the Pallavas: "Theory of Parthian origin: The exponents of this theory supported the Parthian origin of the Pallavas. According to this school, the Pallavas were a northern tribe of Parthian origin constituting a clan of the nomads having come to India from Persia. Unable to settle down in northern India they continued their movements southward until they reached Kanchipuram.” The late Venkayya supported this view and even attempted to determine the date of their migration to the South. They must have migrated some time in the second century BC into the North. However in time they were mixed with the local people. Hence we have :Dr V. A. Smith say: 21 11. TRIMURTHY "It is possible that the Pallavas were not one distinct tribe or class but a mixed population composed partly of foreigners and partly of the Indian population but different in race from Tamils and taking their name from the title of an intruding foreign dynasty (Pahlava) which obtained control over them and welded them into an aggressive political power" (Early History of India, 1924, Dr V. A. Smith). The Kiskindha Kanda of Ramayana associates the Pahlavas with the Yavanas (Greek), Shakas, Kambojas, Paradas (Varadas), Rishikas and the Uttarakurus etc and locates them all in the transHimalayan territories i.e. in the Sakadvipa The Markendeya Purana and Brhat Samhita mentions Pahlava and Kamboja settlements. The earliest known coinage in lead issued by the then Pallavs could be dated between 3rd and 4th century AD. They must have come as merchants around 2 nd C BC just as the later colonisers. They became powerful and became Kings only by the third century AD. The kings of Pahlava were also present at the Rajasuya sacrifice of king Yudhishtra. And associates them with barbaric tribes of Uttarapatha. Manusmriti states that the Pahlavas and several other tribes like the Sakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Paradas, Daradas, Khasas, Dravidas etc were originally noble Kshatriyas, but later, due to their non-observance of sacred Brahmanical codes and neglect of the priestly class, they had gradually sunken to the status of Mlechchas. It is therefore quite possible they were Christians as the word Mlecha was usualually used for christians by the strict Brahminical traditions. In Bhavishya Purana Jesus is quoted as the prophet of the Mlechas. Basham point out: "It is to be noted that to Taxila, which was ruled by Gondophares, a Pahlava, the apostle St. Thomas is said to have brought India's first knowledge of Christianity ."(A.L.Basham, The Wonder that was India, P.61). Mani the Persian Gnostic (A.D. 215-276 ) Mani's father was at first apparently an idolater, for; as he worshipped in a temple to his gods, he is supposed to have heard a voice urging him to abstain from meat, wine, and women. In obedience to this voice he emigrated to the south and joined the Mughtasilah, or Mandaean Baptists, taking the boy Mani, with him, but possibly leaving Mani's mother behind. Here, at the age of twelve Mani is supposed to have received his first revelation. The angel Eltaum (God of the Covenant; Tamiel of Jewish Rabbinical lore?), appeared to him, bade him leave the Mandaeans, and live chastely, but to wait still some twelve years before proclaiming himself to the people. It is not unlikely that the boy was trained up to the profession of painter, as he is often thus designated in Oriental (though late) sources. 21 11. TRIMURTHY Babylon was still a center of the pagan priesthood; here Mani became thoroughly imbued with their ancient speculations. On Sunday, 20 March, A.D. 242, Mani first proclaimed his gospel in the royal residence, Gundesapor, on the coronation day of Sapor I, when vast crowds from all parts were gathered together. "As once Buddha came to India, Zoroaster to Persia, and Jesus to the lands of the West, so came in the present time, this prophecy through me, the Mani, to the land of Babylonia", sounded the proclamation of this "Apostle of the true God". He seems to have had but little immediate success and was compelled to leave the country. For many years he traveled abroad, founding Manichæan communities in Turkestan and India. When he finally returned to Persia he succeeded in converting to his doctrine Peroz, the brother of Sapor I, and dedicated to him one of his most important works, the "Shapurikan". Peroz obtained for Mani an audience with the king and Mani delivered his prophetical message in the royal presence. We soon find Mani again a fugitive from his native land; though here and there, as in Beth Garmia, his teaching seems to have taken early root. While traveling, Mani spread and strengthened his doctrine by epistles, or encyclical letters, of which some four score are known to us by title. It is said that Mani afterwards fell into the hands of Sapor I, was cast into prison, and only released at the king's death in 274. It seems certain that Sapor's successor, Ormuzd I, was favorable to the new prophet; perhaps he even personally released him from his dungeon, unless, indeed, Mani had already effected his escape by bribing a warder and fleeing across the Roman frontier. Ormuzd's favor, however, was of little avail, as he occupied the Persian throne only a single year, and Bahram I, his successor, soon after his accession, caused Mani to be crucified, had the corpse flayed, the skin stuffed and hung up at the city gate, as a terrifying spectacle to his followers, whom he persecuted with relentless severity. The date of his death is fixed at 276-277. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09591a.htm In his new religion, he consciously sought to reconcile the great religions of redemption, Christianity (Gnostic), Zoroastrianism (Zurvanite) and Buddhism (Mahâyâna), in a new Syncretism which also incorporated elements of Greek philosophy and Indian Jainism; while refuting patriarchal Judaism He was regarded by his Christian adherents as the Paraclete, by his Persian followers as the Zoroastrian redeemer Saoshyant, and by his Buddhist disciples as the Avatar Maitreya. http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/religion.htm Gnostic Chronology of the Order of Nazorean Essenes clip from Timeline Compiled by Abba Yesai Nasrai, O:N:E: 21 11. TRIMURTHY http://essenes.net/chronnaz.html 216 A.D. Mar Mani, the promised Parclete and Maitreya, was born on 8 Nissan, 216 A.D. in Mardinu, a little village in Iraq and grows up in an Elchasite monastery after age 4. c222 Bardesanes died by about 222, an important esoteric figure and credited with the Nazorean like Hymn of the Pearl found in the Acts of Thomas. 228 The angel At-Taum appears unto Mani in a vegetarian Elchasite monastery. 240 Mani separated from the Elkasite community in his 24th year, at the end of King Ardashir's reign. In early April of 240, or 241 AD, the angel At-Taum again appeared unto Mani and commanded him, saying: "Now the time has come for you to go out and proclaim your authority. Peace be on you, Mani, from myself and from the Lord who sent me to you and who has chosen you for His Message. He has now bidden you to invite to your truth, and to proclaim the good news of the Truth from before Him, and to persevere in that with all your zeal." 240-241 Mar Mani sailed to India, specifically to the Indus valley which is today's Beluchistan, where he converted a Buddhist King, the Turan Shah of India. 242 On the second Sunday after Easter, 20 March, A.D. (or perhaps April 9, 243) Mani first proclaimed his gospel in the city of the King, Gundesapor, on the coronation day of Sapor I, when vast crowds from all parts were gathered together. A significant day in the resurgence of Nazorean Gnosticism. 245 Mani traveled to Shapur's court. It is said that the King saw two torches of light over Mani's shoulders at their first meeting which influenced him to accept the prophetic calling of Mani. 255 Zarathustrian magi led by Kartir persuaded Shapur to break with Mani and promote their religion in the empire, causing Mani to go into exile. . 276 Mani was arrested at Gundev Shapur in 276A.D., was kept in chains until he died 26 days later. Mani died in prison on February 26 in 277A.D. His death was told by two of his disciples - Amu and Ozei, in Mir. 291 Terrible persecution arose once again in the Persian empire in 291. Vahram II killed Sisin himself, and many Manichaeans were slaughtered. Bahram I is said to have buried 200 Manichaeans with their heads downward in pits and their feet tied to stakes." (Manichaens fled to other countries which included India) c300-400 Yoga (Yogocara), the second major Mahayana school, is founded by brothers Vasubandhu and Asanga. According to their teaching absolute reality is mind or consciousness therefore thought creates objects out of itself. Buddhist tantras emerge in India, mingling Hindu Tantras with Buddhist thought. 300 By this date, a village in India was known as Mani-grama, or Mani's Town. 21 11. TRIMURTHY Evidently, one of Mani’s major evangelical fields was India. The reason for that is not difficult to find. He was a Persian and an Aryan. Aryan Pallavas were in India as prominent people scattered all over India from North to South. Beginning with an ancient Persian from of Zarathustrianism, which penetrated the Tibetan region in the 5th Century BC, and followed by a heretical Pudgalavadin form of Buddhism in the 3rd century BC, paved the way for the influx of the teachings of Mani in the late 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th centuries AD. This Manichaean faith became totally dominant in northern Tibet when the Uighur King converted to Manichaeanism in 762 AD. In A.D. 1000 the Great Persian historian Al-Beruni wrote: "The majority of the Eastern Turks, the inhabitants of China and Tibet, and a number in India belong to the religion of Mani, the Buddha of Light” However, what happened in the rest of India was very radical. Thomas Christianity was supplanted by Gnostic Christianity and grew up with tremendous amount of myths and Puranas that it came to be known as Sanadhana Dharma without the mention of Isa (Jesus), though Jesus was taken as a great sage but not a soter. What did Mani teach? It is not necessary to explain what is gnosticism and what Mani taught while in India because Gnosticism in modern form is Hinduism. They believed in the god of creation and also in an on going war between good and evil. They believed in the law of Karma and also in reincarnation. It is through gnosis or knowledge one attains moksha (salvation) which is variously described as union with God or becoming a god or escape from the cycle of birth and death. To the Buddhists Mani became Buddha and to the Christians Mani became the Apostle of Jesus and the Paraclete whom Jesus Promised. communities in Turkestan and India. For many years Mani traveled abroad, founding Manichean Then he returned to Syria and did send his father and his 21 11. TRIMURTHY disciples (one of the names of Mani's disciple was Thomas) into India to continue his ministry. His ministry was centered in Kanchi area Thus in India he efficiently converted isolated Christian denominations of Vaishnava and Saiva denominations into its present day form. Mani’s work was concentrated in and around Kanchipuran which was also the headquarters of Thomas. In due course he was elevated to the status of another Son of Siva along with Ganapathi (the Lord of Hosts who has the face of an elephant) as the Bala Subra Manian. (Bala means young or child, Subra refers to the emanation of light of the dazzling white). Remember Manichaenism was called "The Teaching of Light" The Malabar literature refers to him as Magician Manicka Vachagar. Even in the New Testament Gnostics were referred to as Magicians. (Simon Magnus and Elymas were called Magicians). SubraManyam is represented with a Peacock since the magicians are said to have the ability to fly like a peacock. (Simon Magnus is said to have died in one of those flights) 21 11. TRIMURTHY It was Mani’s teachings that brought in Vegetarianism into India among the Brahmins. Manicheans were vegetarians by principle. We know that Vedics were non-vegetarians and sacrificed animals to propitiate gods and ate them. This was the normal religious form of all pastoral tribes in the world. How did the idea of Vegetarianism came into Hinduism? into Vedic followers of Hinduism? We can trace it to Mani. “One of the main principles of the Manichaean’s was a vegetarian diet of mainly green and yellow foods. Supposedly, light was concentrated in these foods and their bodies served as filters for the particles of light contained in the plants”. (Litvinsky: 1992...Pg 414) It certainly was not Vedic. Jains were Vegetarians as a protest against sacrificial killing. How did vegetarianism and Ahimsa comcept enter The mythical parallel with the teachings of Mani can be seen from the following Manichean doctrine of creation “In the doctrine of Manichaeism, "The Teaching of Light" as it was called; the Universe was originally divided between two eternal, uncreated, and utterly irreconcilable principles: Light and Darkness. The Realm of Light was located in the North, tended upwards, and extended infinitely to the North, East and West. It was ruled by the Father of Greatness (identified with Zurvan in Persia), and was manifested as five "worlds": Nous (Mind), Ennoia (Thought), Phronêsis (Prudence), Enthymêsis (Reflection), and 21 11. TRIMURTHY Logismos (Reason); which are surrounded by a great number of Aions. Twelve of these Aions, the "first-born," surround the Father, three to each quarter of the Heavens.” One of basic teaching of Manicheanism is the idea of process of emanation whereby the Supreme Person transforms and pervades the lower realms. This idea is seen in Vaishnavism as it is found in Mani. The Supreme Being (paramatman) procedes in the following forms of emanations: 1. Para, the transcendental Supreme Being beyond all. 2. Vyuhas, the emanations of God who reside in the higher planes. 3. Vibhavas, the incarnations of God who appear upon earth from time to time. 4. Antaryami, the immanent being who resides in all beings as a partner of the soul. 5. Arcavatara, the consecrated image of God made out of earthly material, which is worshipped by His devotees as God Himself. The Vaishnava doctrine of avatar is evidently derived from Mani’s Evocation principle “The Father of Greatness saw that it was necessary to meet the challenge of the forces of Darkness. But his Aeons were meant for peace, and they could not be sent to do battle with the demons; so the Father resolved to go to battle himself. To do this, He called forth three Evocations from Himself. In the First Evocation, the Father called forth the "Great Spirit" or "Wisdom" (Sophia). The Great Spirit projected the "Mother of the Living," and the Mother of the Living projected the "First Man" (identified with Ohrmazd in Persia). The First Man, with his five sons, fire, wind, water, light and ether who composed his Soul and were also the "five garments of Light" which made up his armor, descended into the Realm of Darkness to do battle with the invading demons.” The single most important event during this period in Indian history was the migration of new groups of Aryans from Syria and the continuation of infiltration of their Gnostic theology. Large number of Syrians were displaced from Persia when the religious persecution took place against the Christians and the Gnostics by Zoroastrians. There were two such recorded migrations of Christians found in the Kerala Christian lore. Some of them were rich merchants. They were received with dignity by the Indian people. Among them was the Thomas of Canaa who came to Malabar Coast. His descendants form the Kananaya Christian Community. South India became the center of communication between Syria and India. Some of the villages where these people lived in Kerala were called Mani-gramakar 22 11. TRIMURTHY (meaning “The Village of Mani people”. Mani literally means Pearl. So some interprets that they were Pearl dealers.) Near Kanchipuram, we still have a village called after Mani, which dates back from the third century AD; the period when Syrian immigration was at its peak and the time when Gnosticism took root in India. Gnostic Christians – the first enemy of Apostolic Christian Churches came along with the trade to India after the 2nd century. As they became dominant, the influence of Persian Gnosticism became widespread that it swallowed almost all other religions then in existence in India and changed it to what we today call as Hinduism. (the name came very recently). Since the Thomas Churches of Inner India (i.e. except Malabar/Kerala Churches) did not have the contact with other churches outside of India, they succumbed to the heresy and became the Gnostic Universal Religion (gnostic Sanadhana Dharma) the beginning of the Hinduism. The Christians who disagreed and who put up a vigorous fight against the heresy were finally forced to flee to Kerala where there was a safe refuge until eighth century. Those of the Northern India fled to the Middle East where the Eastern Churches welcomed them. Some of these came back to India during the Persian Immigration under Bishop David in AD 340. Pallavas were followers of Sanatana Dharma. In line with the prevalent customs, some of the rulers performed the Aswamedha and other Vedic sacrifices. They had made gifts of lands to gods and Brahmins. Mahendravarman I (600 - 630 CE) was a patron of the Jain faith. Mahendravarman later converted to Hinduism under the influence of the Saiva saint Appar, with the revival of Hinduism during the Bhakti movement in South India. (The four Saivite preceptors (Appar, Sampantar, Sundarar and Manicka Vacagar) who were the root cause for the development of Saivism, belonged to Tamilnadu, and the 63 Saivite Nayanmars, belonged to Tamilnadu). 22 11. TRIMURTHY GNOSTICISM It will not be possible even to touch the hem of Gnosticism because it is vast and varied. Here I attempt to give some limited explanation that may be relevant to Hinduism as a Gnostic religion. If we define Gnosticism as a mystical religion then it is "as old as humanity itself." It is in this sense Hinduism can claim its ancient heritage from millions of years. Modern Christian Gnostics date their origin from Simon Magus. Gnosticism is an attempt to syncretize all religions and we can find them in all religions. There were two major groups of Gnosticism: the Syrian Cult and the Alexandrian Cult. The Syrian Cult was led by Simon Magus, who combined Christianity with Egyptian, Chaldean and Persian religions. The Alexandrian group was led by Basilides. But the greatest force in Gnosticism as far as India was concerned was Manichean the Aryan (216-277) who is said to have founded his alternative Christian Church. "Mani traveled into what is now western China and as far south as India to spread his gospel. Although he had been held in high regard at the Persian court, by the time he returned home around AD 270, the royal milieu had changed. The priestly caste of the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism resented Mani's presence and succeeded in exerting considerable political pressure on the new king, Bharam I, to get rid of him. Mani was imprisoned, and in AD 276, he was crucified and his corpse flayed." - Ancient Wisdom and Secret Sects 22 11. TRIMURTHY Page from an illustrated Manichaean hymn manuscript, found in Central Asia and probably dating to the eleventh century. 22 11. TRIMURTHY No one can fail to see the basic Hinduism in Mani. Online edition of India's National Newspaper Friday, Jan 05, 2007 Capital of the Pallavas A. SRIVATHSAN Kanchi or Kanchipuram was an important city that had trade connections with China as early as second century B.C. Sangam poems describe the city as lotus- shaped, and Manimekalai the great Tamil epic was set in this city. Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism co-existed, and Huien Tsang, the Chinese traveller, records the presence of Buddhist structures in Kanchi. The Jain temple at Tiruparthikundram is still in use. The city expanded significantly when the Pallavas made Kanchipuram their capital. Kanchi had outgrown its lotus shape and, as a 12th century Tamil text describes, attained the shape of a peacock. The head of this peacock was the Varadharaja temple and the plumage was the area around Ekambaranatha temple. Of all the temples, Kalisanatha and Vaikuntaperumal are best known for their architectural merits. The Vaikuntaperumal temple is a multi-storeyed temple built in the 8th century A.D and is known for the sculptures depicting the history of the Pallavas. 22 11. TRIMURTHY CHAPTER 11 TRIMURTI The idea of the Trimurti is not found anywhere in the Vedas, nor does the name Brahma or Brahman occur in it. The idea of the Trimurti appears only in the epic poems, which were all written well after the advent of St.Thomas. The very idea of Trinity or Trimurthy is of Christian origin and was later reformed and reinterpreted under Gnostic mysticism arising out of Gnostic Kabballah. they are related to each other. Today all Hindu theological statements of Trinity are shrouded in conflicting descriptions about who are the basic Trinity and how No Hindu philosopher has ever taken this trinity seriously and no 22 11. TRIMURTHY theologian has discussed it to resolve any conflict found therein. This is simply because there is no solution possible as long as each sect considers themselves as superior and others inferior. The active creator in the Vedas as it appears in the later portions (most of which were written after the Thomas ministry) of Rig Veda is known as Hiranyagarbha, or Prajapati. Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient India The Rig-Veda Hiranyagarbha "is said to have arisen in the beginning, the one lord of all beings, who upholds heaven and earth, who gives life and breath, whose command even the gods obey, who is the god over all gods, and the one animating principle of their being." According to Manu, Hiranyagarbha was Brahma, the first male, formed by the indiscernible eternal First Cause in a golden egg resplendent as the sun. "Having continued a year in the egg, Brahma divided it into two parts by his mere thought, and with these two shells he formed the heavens and the earth; and in the middle he placed the sky, the eight regions, and the eternal abode of the waters." In The Laws of Manu (Manava-Dharma-Sastra) it is said that the supreme soul, the self-existent lord created the waters and deposited in them a seed, which seed became a golden egg (Hiranyagarbha) in which he himself was born as Brahma, the progenitor of all the worlds. "Brahma, as 'the germ of unknown Darkness,' is the material from which all evolves and develops 'as the web from the spider, as foam from the water,' etc. . . . Brahma 'expands' and becomes the Universe woven out of his own substance." (Secret Doctrine, I, p. 83). Brahma (masculine), Brahmanda Brahma is the Self or Hierarch of a Solar System. The Solar System or imbodiment of Brahma is often spoken of as 'the Egg of Brahma' or Brahmanda (a compound of Brahma and anda -- egg). 'A Day of Brahma' consists of seven Rounds of the planetary chain, or what is called a Planetary Manvantara, a period of 4,320,000,000 terrestrial years. 'A Night of Brahma' is of equal duration. 'A Week of Brahma' or seven Planetary Manvantaras make one Solar Manvantara. 'One Year of Brahma' equals 360 Divine Days or Planetary Manvantaras. The 'Life of Brahma' consists of 100 Divine Years or Solar Manvantaras, a period of 311,040,000,000,000 terrestrial years. There are as many Brahmas as there are solar systems. Brahma, Vach, Viraj The ancient Hindu scriptures tell us in their poetic manner that the Universe was sung into being by the inspiration arising in the divine mind of Brahma, the Father of the Universe. This Divine Thought in Brahma's mind was carried by Vach, the Mother of the Universe, or the Divine Voice, or Mystic Sound, and gave rise to Viraj, the Son, or the Divine Word, or the manifested Universe of harmony. Later the epithet Purusha and Prajapati were bestowed on Brahma (meaning 'the Progenitor'). Rig Veda, X, contains the Purusha-sukta. Purusha is at once supreme being, the cosmos, and as such he is sacrificed primordially as the very act of creation. 22 11. TRIMURTHY brihadaranyaka 1:3, 27 Rigveda X:121:1 Ithareyopanishad 1:13 Rigveda X:90:2 Rigveda X:90:7 Yajurveda XXXI:18 Rigveda X:90:16 In short all these quotes mention about the first born son of God who is known as the Prajapathy. It mentions the nature of His birth, i.e through the Holy Spirit and not through a woman. Also that He was sacrificed being tied to a wooden post by the gods and kings along with the seers, refers to the people and kings of the earth. It mentions that the sacrifice is the only way of redemption and liberation of humankind. If there is any evidence that shows the direct borrowing from Christianity by Hinduism is the concept of Trinity and Monotheism. The basis of Trinity is the idea of three in one which is essentially of Hebrew origin. The Hebrew mysticism found in the Old Testament was finally codified in the late medeaval period by Kabballah writers. The essence of these are in the Old Testament revelation on the nature of God as revealed through ages – from Abraham to Moses and through later prophets. Jews were in India as early as the 800 BC The largest Jewish community of Indian Jews is that of the Bene Israel who lived in west Maharashtra in the Konkan coast. The Bene Israel believes that their ancestors arrived in India before the destruction of the second temple. The next biggest number of Jews are the Cochin Jews who claim their heritage from King Solomon’s period. It is to the Cochin Jews, St.Thomas came first. Apparently, they made little impact on Hinduism. Even the strong Monism of the Jews did not make any inroad into India. Now it is not difficult to show that the teachings of Trinity as Three Persons in One Godhead in Hinduism as it was originally perceived is identical with the Christian thought. To make it easy to grasp and present them graphically I will use the Kabalistic Tree of Life approach. In the beginning was God First there is Ain.(neti = not that) Ain is, Nothingness, The Existence, the Great Emptiness, The Absolute, The Originless Origin of all manifestation. It is not knowable, it is indescribable, everything we say about it, and it is not. It is denoted by Darkness. He resides in darkness. Underneath his feet 22 11. TRIMURTHY is darkness so that none can know Him. In every cosmogony, behind and higher than the creative Deity there is a superior Deity, a planner, an architect, of whom the Creator is but the executive agent. There is the UNKNOWABLE and the unknown, the Source and Cause of all these Emanations. This nothingness gave birth to Ain Soph. Ain means 'not' and soph means "end". Ain Soph is the the end of ‘Not”, The end of nothingness, Limitless, Infinite Space-time dimensions, Eternity. Ain Soph is the primal darkness of the absolute unity above anything else. Ain Soph is the one in which everything has its origin, its existence,and to which everything returns. Next we have the Ain Soph Aur. Aur means light. The Ain Soph Aur is the Limitless Light. Now the Ain Soph Aur retracts itself within itself to a light point. The Bindu. This is the beginning of things. Here we have substantiality out of nothing. This brings forth Kether (the Crown), the first Sephira at the top of Tree of Life. This is the Hiranya Grarpha – the Cosmic Womb. http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/ctg/br-bt.htm Brahma, the creator; the impersonal universe-pervading spirit personified lord or ruler over a Brahman, at the end of whose "life" that system is elements and reabsorbed by Parabrahmam. A word of which the root, brih, stands for the spiritual energy-consciousness side of our solar universe, i.e., the Egg of Brahma is that solar system. under this name; the resolved into its final means "expansion." It our solar system, and Whenever the Eternal awakes from its slumber and desires to manifest itself, the uncreated, self existent reality, Swayambhuva. This Swayambhu divides itself into male and female the universal Father and Mother, the Anu-Anata (male-female) of the Chaldeans, God the Father and the God the Holy Spirit. From the union of the two a third, the creative Principle -- the SON or the manifested Logos -- is generated as the product of the Divine Mind. In Chaldea the Son was Bel. In Christianity, it is Christ. These were fundamental to early Jewish Christians, which Thomas carried with him to India, and they formed the basis of Post Vedic Hinduism. There is similar correlation with the Tibetan’s teachings, which also developed around the same period. Theophilus, 2nd-century Bishop of Antioch—who, was first to use the term “trinity” —described the trinity in terms of Theos (θεοσ), Logos (λωγοσ), and Sophia (σωφια). feminine, as is its Hebrew equivalent Ruach To translate the Christian Trinity we give the Judeo-Christian Trinity and creation concept below. Sophia, or “Wisdom,” is 22 11. TRIMURTHY Taittiriya Upanishad, part of 3-10 I am the Hiranyagarbha, the origin in form of Knowledge out of which this world -- having gross and subtle objects -- seems to have been generated. I came to be before the "gods" -- entities which deal with knowledge. I am also the origin of immortality, i.e. I provide immortality to beings. One who gives me -- in form of Anna (various information inputs) to those who expect Anna (i.e. "gods"), he protects me, i.e. he gets protected himself in form by me. The Father who is both male and female then proceeds to separate into three. . 22 11. TRIMURTHY From this follows the whole cosmos in all dimensions of existence. The creative Logos – Father, Son and the Holy Spirit existed initially in the Divine Realm as One. All creation proceeded from them as a collaborative effort as oneness. One does not exist without the other – they cannot because they are One. Thus, we have three persons within one with relationships. This defines property and gives us the Saguna Brahman – God who can be known. Thus, we have three persons whose properties are different yet forming a unity of essence. This is the realm of the Divine so far. These three define the absolutes since there is none besides. These three define the morals - what is “good”, what is right, what is “truth” and what is beauty. This is the Christian stand. 23 11. TRIMURTHY This is what the early Hinduism stood for too since it was the direct teaching of the Thomas Christians of the period in India. Something happened in the third century that distorted the image. The later development of Hindu theology seems to violate all these defining of ultimate reality, as this Triune God began to quarrel causing uncertainty in these definition. Literally, this is the Fall in the Christian sense. come in as beyond this Trinity in the form of Devi Sakti (Female Creative Power). The Hindu There was Trinity fell from its pristine position. Each began to act selfishly. This provided a fourth principle to something that these gods wanted and were which was beyond within them. They did not form the end of the existence. There were laws and principles over which they had no control and wanted to have those – Self Egotism. The centrality of the concept of Trinity is Love or for better word Agape. When this self-giving love is missing, that produces the fall. The event that happened in the Garden of Eden. “I want to be like God”. Hinduism actually succumbed to this loosing the original concept of Trinity as God falling back into polytheism with a series of gods fighting each other Kether, Chokmah and Binah are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as they are drawn in the Tree of Life of the Hebraic Mysteries. I have used the Tree Symbolism only for convenience. revelations. This Chaldeo-Judean-Christian trinity translated exactly into the early Indian thought. In fact, the two are identical until war broke out within the Hindu Trinity. The first appearance was the Father of all creation, Brahma - the Ancient of Days, the Kether – the Crown. Majesty and Dominion belongs to him, He is the Pitahmahan the creator of all things. He is thus known as Hiranyagarbha (the cosmic womb), Prajapati (the Lord of Hosts), Pitamaha (the Father of Fathers), Vidhi (the Ordainer), Lokesa (Ruler of the World), Dhatr (Sustainer), and Visvakarma (Architect of the Universe). In fact, Brahman became Brahma. Binah and Chokmah were associated with him as the the Holy Spirit and Son. These systematic representations developed recently though the concepts are found deep in the Old Testament 23 11. TRIMURTHY The Creation of Cosmos by the Trimurthi as depicted by Kabalistic Tree; Between the divine world of Trinity and the rest of the creation is the great chasm (Dath - Knowledge) below which lies all the rest of the creations until we come to the Material Kingdom and all the life forms within them all. Because of creation cannot grasp the Divine, Daath remain as a barrier between creation and the Creator. This concept of creation and Trinity and the deep hidden understanding that the Trinity is One appeared all of a sudden soon after the advent of the Christian Era in the Indian soil. We cannot see any indication of a Trinity in any prior scripture, leave alone Vedas. The only possible explanation for its appearance lays certainty in the coming of St.Thomas and Christianity. 23 11. TRIMURTHY This figure is known as Sadasiva Murthy Three in One – Elephanta Cave Father- Son-Mother The earliest Hindu Trinity form was Brahma, Sakti and Siva. This is shown in most temples as Father, Mother and Son. Compare this with the Hindu Trinity as it appears in the iconography all over India in its early phase. The Old Man face on the left and the Woman’s face on the right with the Young Man in the Middle – Fathe, Son and Sophia. Vishnu is represented as a woman. It is not surprising that Vishnu is often represented as Mohini in the war between the Trinity in their fallen state. “The Lord God, though one without a second, assumes three forms respectively of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva for creation, preservation and dissolution of the world.” Vishnu Purana. (Swami Prahhavananda.) “Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, though three in form, are one entity. No difference between the three exists except with respect to attributes.: Padma Purana. (Swami Prahhavananda.) It was later followed by the Gnostics from Syria, which took deeper roots in India, which transformed the Trinity into a mess of confusing priority and primacy. 23 11. TRIMURTHY The Pallava Empire was the largest and most powerful South Asian state in its time, ranking as one of the glorious empires of world history. It encompassed all the present-day Dravidian nations, The including the Tamil, Telugu, Malayali and Kannada tracts within its far-flung borders. foundations of classical Dravidian architecture were established by these powerful rulers, who left behind fantastic sculptures and magnificent temples which survive to this very day. Initially, the similarity of the words "Pallava" and "Pahlava" had led 19th-century researchers to surmise an Iranic origin for the Pallavas. Since then, a mountain of historical, anthropological, and linguistic evidence has accumulated to conclusively establish that the Pallavas were of Parthian origin. Pahlavas were the greatest supporters of Vaishnavism and the victors who defeated the Kalabhra, thus ending the Kalabhra Inter-regnum. They were essentially Gnostic immigrants from Syria Unlike the Christian Trinity, which always acts in unison, in love and as a divine family, the epic period found the Indian interpretation of Trinity in constant competition and fight; each person in the trinity fighting for supremacy. We will see some of these examples. The coming of Gnostic heresy from Syria in the third century produced a dialectical development and relation within the Trinity. The creation, maintenance and recreation became an on going process with each person in trinity did their part to keep the cycle going. Evolution they said followed the Hegelian – Engelian process, thesis, antithesis, synthesis. The three persons in the Trinity found themselves separated and fighting between themselves for primacy. and that led to destructions of the system. .What one proposes the other contradicts 23 11. TRIMURTHY The root of decimation came with several sects giving their devotion and worship to one of the Triad which caused it to split into four major sects. • • Saivites who worshipped Siva. Brahama worship which eventually bowed out. All over India we have only a few temples in the world where Brahma is worshipped. “Lord Brahma has only 3 temples, all in India, one at Pushkar Lake in Ajmer, another in Khokhan - Kullu Valley and the other at Khedabrahma in 23 11. TRIMURTHY Kerala.” (http://www.boloji.com/hinduism/103.htm) Instead, his image stand in niches on the walls of temples built for other deities as an attendant deity. Original concept of Brahma as Father of all creation Brahma-Karmali idol • • In its place Vaishnavites came into existence who worshipped Vishnu as a male person who took active role as a female principle to dupe and to get primacy. Sakthism who worshipped the female principle Sakthi which means Power. 23 11. TRIMURTHY The Hindu Trimurti Brahma, Siva, Vishnu from Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebid Here the three appears as three distinct deities The Shivaite said, "These three are one, but mine is the greatest"; the Vishnuite replied, "These three are one, but mine is the greatest." Sakthites replied that Sakthi is the basic Cosmic Principle of Creation and all the Trinity came out of it ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF RELIGION CHAPTER XVIII THE HINDU TRINITY …..Harivansha : "These two highest gods are in their nature one" (10672 f.). …...The sects are still active in India; a rivalry between them still exists; their adherents are marked with different devices. ……In the Puranas each god is worshipped separately. ,,,,,Each sect still asserts that, though the equation Vishnu== Shiva= One, holds good, yet Shiva or Vishnu (as the case may be) is distinctly inferior to the other rival god. ….No Hindu philosopher has ever taken this trinity seriously and no theologian has discussed it. E. Washburn Hopkins, 1923 23 11. TRIMURTHY 23 11. TRIMURTHY The War within the Trinity – The Fall of God Brahma is the first appearance representation of the impersonal brahman Swayambhu Brahma – Pitamaha Religious stories usually place Brahma as an intermediate authority who cannot handle a problem and passes it on to either Vishnu or Shiva. Instead of Brahma as the first appearance Father Vaishnavites reduced him to the one born from the naval of Vishnu. This is the common representation. In this Vaishnavite representation, Brahma came out of the naval of Visnu who rests on Ananta (Infinite) Naga which is floating in the Primal waters. But when the Saivite wanted to correct the error they placed Siva above the Naga as the Kala (Cresent on top of Aum sign) of the eternal Word Aum 23 11. TRIMURTHY Saivite Interpretation Sakthites had a more valid argument. Sakthite Interpretation. Sakthi dances over Siva’s body. 24 11. TRIMURTHY There are over 108 Shakti Peethas of Goddess Durga all over India. The 'Marga', or path, that defined by Sakthism defines five ways to perform penance to attain liberation and happiness which are 'Matsya' (fish), 'Mamsa' (meat), 'Mudra' (parched grain), 'Madya' (liquor) and 'Maithuna' (sexual intercourse). Sakthism came to prominence by the fifth century AD. Female Creative Power behind all creation is Sakti the consort of Siva. Mixed with the potency of sex power Tantric form of Savism along with its amalgamation with all the magic and witchcraft techniques of mantra – tantra – yantra dominated the scene everywhere. The cult of Ellamma (Mother God) and the institution of Temple and Social prostitution became part of Hinduism surpassing the other three, This probably was the profound effect of the Syrian Gnostic influence of India. Female sex power or fertility worship is one of the oldest religions which Hinduism was able to tap effectively and detonated the Christian influence with the help of Gnosticism. In its final blast the trinity arose out of the ParaSakthi making the Devi as Brahman 24 11. TRIMURTHY RIDDLES IN HINDUISM Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar "Father of Indian Constitution" India’s first Law Minister Architect of the Constitution of India …..The second story may well be the issue of the first born. 24 11. TRIMURTHY It is related in the Skanda Purana. The story says that at one time Vishnu lay asleep on the bosom of Devi, a lotus arose from his navel, and its ascending flower soon reached the surface of the flood. Brahma sprang from flower, and looking round without any creature on the boundless expanse, imagined himself to be first born, and entitled to rank above all future beings; yet resolved to investigate deep and to ascertain whether any being existed in its universe who could controvert his preeminence, he glided down the stock of the lotus and finding Vishnu asleep, asked loudly who he was. 'I am the first born' answered Vishnu; and when Brahma denied his preprogeniture, they engaged in battle, till Mahadeo pressed between them in great wrath, saying ' It is I who am truly the first born '. But I will resign my place to either of you, who shall be able to reach and behind the summit of my head, or the soles of my foot. Brahma instantly ascended but having fatigued himself to no purpose in the regions of immensity yet loath to abandon his claim, returned to Mahadeo declaring that he had attained and seen the crown of his head, and called as his witness the first born cow. For this union of pride and falsehood, the angry God Shiva ordained that no sacred rites should be performed to Brahma and that the mouth of cow should be defiled. Trishund Ganesh Temple, Pune When Vishnu returned, he acknowledged that he had not been able to see the feet of Mahadeo who then told him that he was the first born among the Gods, and should be raised above all. It was after this Mahadeo cut off the fifth head of Brahma who thus suffered the loss of his pride, his power and his influence. 24 11. TRIMURTHY According to this story Brahma's claim to be the first born was false. He was punished by Shiva for making it. Vishnu gets the right to call himself the first born. But that is allowed to him by the grace of Shiva. The followers of Brahma had their revenge on Vishnu for stealing what rightfully belonged to him with the help of Shiva. So they manufactured another legend according to which Vishnu emanated from Brahma's nostrils in the shape of a pig and grew naturally into a boar—a very mean explanation of Vishnu's Avatar as a boar. After this Brahma tried to create enmity between Shiva and Vishnu evidently to better his own position. This story is told in the Ramayana. It says: "When King Dasaratha was returning to his capital, after taking leave of Janaka, the king of Mithila, whose daughter Sita had just been married to Rama, ……. The alarming event indicated was the arrival of Parasurama,,,,,,. Being received with honour, which he accepted, he proceeded to say to Rama, the son of Dasaratha that he had heard of his prowess in breaking the bow produced by Janaka and had brought another which he asked Rama to bend, and to fit an arrow on the string; …. latter again addresses Rama, and says that the bow he had broken was Siva's, but the one he himself had now brought was Vishnu's. Two celestial bows, he proceeds, were made by Visvakarma of which one was given by. the gods to Mahadeva Siva, the other to Vishnu". The narrative then proceeds: "The gods then all made a request to Brahma desiring to find out the strength and weakness of Siva and Vishnu. Brahma created enmity between the two. In this state of enmity a great and terrible fight ensued between Siva and Vishnu each of whom was eager to conquer the other. Siva's bow of dreadful power was then relaxed and the three-eyed Mahadeva was arrested by a muttering. ,,,. Seeing that the bow of Siva had been relaxed by the prowess of Vishnu, the gods and rishis esteemed Vishnu to be superior." Thus Brahma managed to avenge the wrong done to him by Mahadeo. Even this stratagem did not avail Brahma to maintain his position against Vishnu. Brahma lost his position so completely to Vishnu that Vishnu who at one time was at the command of Brahma became the creator of Brahma. In his contest with Shiva for supremacy Brahma suffered equal defeat. Here again, the position became completely inverted. Instead of being created by Brahma, Shiva became the creator of Brahma. Brahma lost the power of giving salvation. The god who could give salvation was Shiva and Brahma became no more than a common devotee worshipping Shiva and his Linga in the hope of getting salvation. [Mahabharata quoted in Muir IV p. 192.] 24 11. TRIMURTHY He was reduced to the position of a servant of Shiva doing the work of charioteer [ Mahabharata quoted in Muir IV p. 199.] of Shiva. Ultimately Brahma was knocked out of the field of worship on a charge of having committed adultery with his own daughter. The charge is set out in the Bhagwat Purana in the following terms: "We have heard, O Kshatriya, that Swayambhu (Brahma) had a passion for Vach, his slender and enchanting daughter, who had no passion for him. The Munis, his sons, headed by Marichi, seeing their father bent upon wickedness, admonished him with affection; 'This is such a thing as has not been done by those before you, nor will those after you do it,— that you, being the lord, should sexually approach your daughter, not restraining your passion. This, 0 preceptor of the world, is not a laudable deed even in glorious personages, through limitation of whose actions men attain felicity. Glory to that divine being (Vishnu) who by his own lustre revealed this (universe) which abides in himself, he must maintain ' righteousness '. Seeing his sons, the Prajapatis, thus speaking before him the lord of the Prajapatis (Bramha) was ashamed, and abandoned his body. This dreadful body the regions received and it is known as foggy darkness." The result of this degrading and defamatory attacks on Brahma was to damn him completely. No wonder that his cult disappeared from the face of India leaving him a nominal and theoretical member of the Trimurti. After Brahma was driven out of the field there remained in the field Shiva and Vishnu. The two however were never at peace. The rivalry and antagonism between the two is continuous. The Puranas are full of propaganda and counter-propaganda carried on by the Brahmins, protagonists of Shiva and Vishnu. How well matched the propaganda and counter-propaganda was, can be seen from the following few illustrations: Vishnu is connected with the Vedic God Sun. The worshippers of Shiva connect him with Agni. The motive was that if Vishnu has a Vedic origin Shiva must also have Vedic origin as well. One cannot be inferior to the other in the matter of nobility of origin. Shiva must be greater than Vishnu and Vishnu must not be less than Shiva. Vishnu has thousand [See Vishnu Sahasranama.] names. So Shiva must have thousand names and he has them.[ They are mentioned in the Padma Purana.] Vishnu has his emblems. They are four. So Shiva must have them and he has them. They are (1) flowing Ganges, (2) Chandra (moon), (3) Shesh (snake) and (4) Jata (walled hair). The only point on which Shiva did not compete with Vishnu was the matter of Avatars. In the performance of deeds of glory the propaganda in favour of Shiva is fully, matched by counterpropaganda in favour of Vishnu. 24 11. TRIMURTHY One illustration of this is the story regarding the origin of the holy river Ganges.[Moore's. Hindu Pantheon pp. 40-41.]The devotees of Shiva attribute its origin to Shiva. They take its origin from Shiva's hair. But the Vaishnavas will not allow it. They have manufactured another legend. According to the Vaishnavite legend the blessed and the blessing river flowed originally out of Vaikunth (the abode of Vishnu) from the foot of Vishnu, and descending upon Kailasa fell on the head of Shiva. There is a two-fold suggestion in the legend. In the first place Shiva is not the source of the Ganges. In the second place Shiva is lower than Vishnu and receives on his head water which flows from the foot of Vishnu. Another illustration is furnished by the story which relates to the churning of the oceans by the Devas and the Asuras. They used the Mandara mountain as the churning rod and mighty serpant Shesha as a rope to whirl the mountain. The earth began to shake and people became afraid that the world was coming to an end. Vishnu took the Avatar of Kurma (Tortoise) and held the earth on his back and prevented the earth from shaking while the churning was going on. 24 11. TRIMURTHY This story is told in glorification of Vishnu. To this the Shaivites add a supplement. According to this supplement the churning brought out fourteen articles from the depth of the ocean which are called fourteen jewels. Among these fourteen a deadly poison was one. This deadly poison would have destroyed the earth unless somebody was prepared to drink it. Shiva was the only person who came forward to drink it. The suggestion is that Vishnu's act was foolish in allowing the rivals— the Gods and Demons—to bring out this deadly poison. Glory to Shiva for he drank it and saved the world from the evil consequences of the folly of Vishnu. Third illustration is an attempt to show that Vishnu is a fool and that it is Shiva who with his greater wisdom and greater power saves Vishnu from his folly. It is the story of Akrurasura.[ This story is told in Vishnu Agama and is quoted in Moore's Hindu Pantheon pp. 19-20.] Akrur was a demon with the face of a bear, who, nevertheless, was continuously reading the Vedas and performing acts of devotion. Vishnu was greatly pleased and promised him any boon that he would care to ask. Akrurasura requested that no creature, then existing in three worlds, might have power to deprive him of life, and Vishnu complied with his request; but the demon became so insolent that the Devatas, whom he oppressed, were obliged to conceal themselves, and he assumed the dominion of the world. Vishnu was then sitting on a bank of the Kali, greatly disquieted by the malignant ingratitude of the demon; and his wrath being kindled, a shape, which never before had existed, sprang from his eyes. It was Mahadeva, in his destructive character, who dispelled in a moment the anxiety of the Vishnu. This is countered by the story of Bhasmasura intended to show that Shiva was a fool and Vishnu saved him from his folly. Bhasmasura having propitiated Shiva asked for a boon. The boon was to be the power to burn any one on whose head Bhasmasura laid his hands. Shiva granted the boon. Bhasmasura tried to use his boon power against Shiva himself. Shiva became terrified and ran to Vishnu for help. Vishnu promised to help him. Vishnu took the form of a beautiful woman and went to Bhasmasura who became completely enamoured of her. Vishnu asked Bhasmasura to agree to obey him in everything as a condition of surrender. Bhasmasura agreed. Vishnu then asked him to place his hands on his own head which Bhasmasura did with the result that Bhasmasura died and Vishnu got the credit of saving Shiva from the consequences of his folly. 24 11. TRIMURTHY "Is Isa (Mahadeva) the Cause of causes for any other reasons? We have not heard that the linga (male organ) of any other person is worshipped by the gods. Declare, if thou hast heard, what other being's linga except that of Mahesvara is now worshipped, or has formerly been worshipped, by the gods? He whose linga Brahma and Vishnu, and thou (Indra), with the deities, continually worship, is therefore then most eminent. Since children bear neither the mark of the lotus (Brahma's), nor of the discus (Vishnu's), nor of the thunderbolt (Indra's), but are marked with the male and the female organs,—therefore offspring is derived from Mahesvara. All women produced from the nature of Devi as their cause, are marked with the female organ, and all males are manifestly marked with the linga of Hara. He who asserts any other cause than lsvara (Mahadeva) or (affirms) that there is any (female) not marked by Devi in the three worlds, including all things movable or immovable, let that fool be thrust out. Know everything which is male to be Isvara. and all that is female to be Uma: for this whole world, movable and immovable, is pervaded by (these) two bodies." Vaishnavism generally does not accept the Trimurti concept. For example, the Dvaita school holds Vishnu alone to be the supreme God, with Shiva subordinate, and interprets the Puranas differently. Vijayindra Tîrtha, a Dvaita scholar interprets the 18 puranas differently. He interprets that the Vaishnavite puranas as satvic and Shaivite puranas as tamasic and that only satvic puranas are considered to be authoritative In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Shiva is considered the best of devotee of Vishnu (vaisnavanam yatha sambhu) and also an aspect of Vishnu but not the same as Vishnu. In this view, Shiva is also viewed as subservient to Lord Vishnu, although it is still understood that he is above the category of an ordinary jiva (living entity). In one interpretation, Brahma is considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavites to be the highest of the jivas. 24 11. TRIMURTHY Saivites, similarly hold a similar view with Shiva. Shiva performs four acts of creation, sustenance, reduction and blessing. This bikering between the various groups led to the reformation under Sankaracharya in the 9th C AD to form the Smarta Sampradaya. Smartism is a denomination of Hinduism that places emphasis on a group of five deities rather than just a single deity. The "worship of the five forms" (pañcāyatana pūjā) system invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devī, and Sūrya. This system was instituted by Śaṅkarācārya primarily to unite the principal deities of the five major sects on an equal status. The monistic philosophy preached by Śaṅkarācārya made it possible to choose one 24 11. TRIMURTHY of these as a preferred principal deity and at the same time worship the other four deities as different forms of the same all-pervading Brahman. The choice of Deity is left to the devotee. ”Hey it does not matter who or what you worship. It is actually all you yourself.” 25 12. VAISHNAVISM CHAPTER 12 VAISHNAVISM In Vaishnavism, Vishnu is considered as the supreme God. It arose as a result of the on going conflict with Saivism where Siva is considered as the God of destruction. Vishnu comes from a root meaning "to pervade," and he is known as the Pervader. Thus, Vishnu dwells in everything to defeat the power of destruction. It may be restated as the principle of Life and Death. Vishnu is the principle of Life, which tries to defeat the principle of Death, which is Shiva. eventually Siva wins and the cycle starts all over again. They are two opposing equal Gods, though the hope of the living lies in Vishnu according to Vaishnavism. This struggle is eternal in which 25 12. VAISHNAVISM In the technical terms, these refer to three gunas (properties) of nature viz. Satwa (pulling up), Rajas (fighting) and Tamas (darkness or death) in which Vishnu provides the Satwas aspect of the cosmos. This dialectical nature of cosmos came to India by the third century AD through the Gnostics of Persia; the greatest proponent of this was Manichean. In order to provide the presence in history Vishnu plays the five forms: • • • • • Avatars – the direct incarnation in a life form Cosmic force which is eternally fighting decay and death Consciousness of the living, which in nature consciously directs the fight. Every being is Vishnu in essence Vuyha, the direct emanation of the power of Vishnu. There are many such emanations of godhead such as Vasudeva-Krishna, Samkarsana, Pradymna, Aniruddha etc. Immanent God which is all pervading image of God pervading the cosmos as intelligence. None of these concepts is found in the Vedas. They suddenly appeared in the Indian scene during the first, second and third centuries. These can therefore be traced to two foreigners who came with a mission to evangelize. The first was St. Thomas mission and gospel was based on Christian Isa who incarnated into the earth and dwelt among us. The second was a Persian, the Gnostic Prince Mani. The duality of god and the on going fight between life and death, emanations and degrees of emanation in various levels and the corresponding variations in the avatar forms definitely belongs to Mani. 25 12. VAISHNAVISM The Bhagavat Gita is considered to be the main text of the Vaishnavites where Krishna gives advice to Arjuna how to survive in the face of immanent death. We will be discussing this scripture in detail in a later chapter. Essentially, it proposes to fight decay and death without regard to personal gain or loss in all possible ways. The counsel is “Get it done”. Six of the eighteen Puranas are traditionally considered as Vaishnava text. Of these the Vishnu Purana is one of the oldest (c. fifth century CE) and most important and the Bhagavata Purana (c. ninth century CE) is an authoritative scripture of Vaishnavism. Seventeen of the Upanishads are regarded as Vaishnava, and there are large numbers of prayers and hymns of great literary and religious appeal that are addressed to Vishnu in his different forms. http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/vaish.html gives an excellent summary of how Vaishnavism grew into the modern form though it misses out the important Christian presence, which gave the basic monotheistic and personal faith as ways of salvation. The presence of Christianity is usually forgotten because the name was never used in India. Dr. Devakala and Dr. Devanayagam suggest that indeed Saivism and Vaishnavism were simply two denominations of Indian Universal Way. It was soon swallowed up by Gnostic infiltration all over India except in the Malabar Coast. Then it was their constant contact with the rest of the world that saved them. What is important to note in the History as given in the Encyclopedia is that it is an outgrowth of various cults and hero worship forms in the Pre-Christian period. With the coming of Thomas into India, the emphasis This caused a spurge out of the shifted to Supreme Person of God and Bhakthi towards Him. led to the Six-fold religion known as Hinduism. Polytheistic Nature worship into the freedom of personal relation with a Supreme God. This eventually http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/vaish.html History “Vishnu is a solar deity in the Vedas, but the origin of Vaishnavism is not Vedic. It comes more from the pre-Vedic, non-Aryan Bhakthi, devotional cult. As Vedism declined, this cult emerged strongly, and was centered on Vasudeva, the deified Vrsni hero. There is evidence that worship of Vasudeva and not Vishnu came at the beginning of Vaishnavism. This earliest phase was established from the sixth to the fifth centuries BCE at the time of Panini, who in his Astadhyayi explained the word vasudevaka as a bhakta, devotee, of Vasudeva. 25 12. VAISHNAVISM Another cult, which flourished with the decline of Vedism, was centered on Krishna, the deified tribal hero and religious leader of the Yadavas. The Vrsnis and Yadavas came closer together, resulting in the merging of Vasudeva and Krishna. This was as early as the fourth century BCE according to evidence in Megasthenes and in the Arthasastra of Kautilya. Vasudeva-Krishna liberates the throne of Mathura from his evil kinsman Kamsa, travels to the city of Dvaraka on the Arabian Sea to establish a dynasty, and in the Mahabharata he counsels his cousins the Pandavas in their battle with the Kauravas. This then took sectarian form as the Pancaratra or Bhagavata religion. A tribe of ksatriyas, warriors, called the Satvata, were bhagavatas and were seen by the Greek writer Megasthenes at the end of the fourth century BCE. This sect then combined with the cult of Narayana, a demiurge god-creator who later became one of the names of Vishnu. Soon after the start of the Common Era, the Abhiras or cowherds of a foreign tribe, contributed Gopala Krishna, the young Krishna, who was adopted by the Abhiras, worked as a cowherd, and flirted with the cowherdesses. Only as a mature young man, did he return to Mathura and slay Kamsa. The Vasudeva, Krishna, and Gopala cults became integrated through new legends into Greater Krishnaism, the second and most outstanding phase of Vaishnavism. Being non-Vedic, Krishnaism then started to affiliate with Vedism so that the orthodox would find it acceptable. Vishnu of the Rg Veda was assimilated into Krishnaism and became the supreme God who incarnates whenever necessary to save the world. Krishna became one of the avataras of Vishnu. In the eighth century, CE the Bhakthi of Vaishnavism came into contact with Shankara's Advaita doctrine of spiritual monism and world-illusion. This philosophy was considered destructive of Bhakthi and important opposition in South India came from Ramanuja in the eleventh century and Madhva in the fifteenth century. Ramanuja stressed Vishnu as Narayana and built on the Bhakthi tradition of the Alvars, poet-saints of South India from the sixth to the ninth centuries (see Shri Vaishnavas). In North India, there were new Vaishnava movements: • Nimbarka in the fourteenth century with the cult of Radha, Krishna's favourite cowgirl (see Nimavats); • Ramananda and the cult of Rama in the same century (see Ramanandis); • Kabir in the fifteenth century, whose god is Rama (see Kabirpanthis); • Vallabha in the sixteenth century with the worship of the boy Krishna and Radha (see Vallabhas); and • Caitanya in the same century with his worship of the grown-up Krishna and Radha (see Gaudiya Vaishnavas). • In the Maratha country poet-saints such as Namdev and Tukaram from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries worshipped Vishnu in the form of Vithoba of Pandharpur (see Vitthalas) 25 12. VAISHNAVISM 25 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS CHAPTER 13 THE CONCEPT OF AGES Hindu Dispensational Ages (Yuga) and the Avatars According to the Hindu cosmology, the history of the cosmos like the reincarnation is a cycle of birth and death. Vishnu Purana Book I Chapter III gives a detailed analysis of the concept ages. The cosmos goes on repeating the cycle of creation and destruction with a pralya (deluge) in between. Within one cycle of one day of Brahma there are four dispensations which will work out a total of 4320,000,000 human years. The traditional unit is the length of one Kali Yuga which is sometimes called Charana which is 432,000 solar years. Charnas means chorus as in music which is repeated at the end of every verse. That should give us the idea of cycles. Here are the Four Ages (Yuga) and their corresponding lengths. The Four Yugas 4 charanas (1,728,000 solar years) 3 charanas (1,296,000 solar years) 2 charanas(864,000 solar years) 1 charanas(432,000 solar years) Satya Yuga Treta Yuga Dwapar Yuga Kali Yuga 25 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS Surya Siddhanta (490 – 1091 AD) Surya Siddhanta of Varaha as given in his Panca Siddhantika are almost the same as those of the Khandakhadyaka, it is clear that the old Surya Siddhanta was made up to date by Varaha by replacing the old constants in it by new ones from Aryabhata I's 'midnight' system. A subsequent redactor of the Surya Siddhanta changed the constant as introduced by Varaha by following Brahmagupta's teaching in his Brahmasphuta Siddhanta and the Uttara Khandakhadyaka. Thus it has undergone several redactions. From internal evidence alone Burgess came to the conclusion that the superior limit to its date is 490A.D. and that the lower limit is 1091 A.D. If the Avatars are related to the Surya Sidhanta Yugas the Avatar myths came into existence only after 490 AD at the earliest. This will be another indication of the date of the origin of Vaishanvism.” Surya-Siddhanta: A Text Book of Hindu Astronomy By Ebeneezer Burgess The Hindu cosmological time cycles as in Surya Siddhanta 1, 11–23 11). That which begins with respirations (prāna) is called real; that which begins with atoms(truti) is unreal. Six respirations make a vinādi, sixty of these a nādi. (12). And sixty nādis make a sidereal day and night. Of thirty of these sidereal days is composed a month; a civil (sāvana) month consists of as many sunrises. (13). A lunar month, of as many lunar days (tithi); a solar (sāura) month is determined by the entrance of the sun into a sign of the zodiac; twelve months make a year. This is called a day of the gods. (14). The day and night of the gods and of the demons are mutually opposed to one another. Six times sixty of them are a year of the gods, and likewise of the demons. (15). Twelve thousand of these divine years are denominated a Quadruple Age(caturyuga); of ten thousand times four hundred and thirty-two solar years (16) is composed that Quadruple Age(caturyuga), with its dawn and twilight. The difference of the Golden (krtayuga) and the other Ages (yugas), as measured by the difference in the number of the feet of Virtue in each, is as follows : (17). The tenth part of a (Quadruple) Age (caturyuga), multiplied successively by four, three, two, and one, gives the length of the Golden (krta) and the other yugas: the sixth part of each belongs to its dawn and twilight. (18). One and seventy caturyugas make a Patriarchate (manvantara or Patriarchal Age of one manu); at its end is a twilight which has the number of years of a Golden Age (krtayuga), and which is a deluge (pralaya). (19). In an Aeon (kalpa) are reckoned fourteen such Patriarchs (manus) with their respective twilights; at the commencement of the Aeon (kalpa) is a fifteenth dawn, having the length of a Golden Age (krtayuga). (20). The kalpa, thus composed of a thousand caturyugas, and which brings about the destruction of all that exist (bhoo), is a day of Brahma; his night is of the same length. (21). His extreme age is a hundred, according to this valuation of a day and a night. The half of his life is past; of the remainder, this is the first kalpa. (22). And of this kalpa, six Patriarchs (manus) are past, with their respective twilights; and of the Patriarch Manu son of Vivasvant, twenty-seven Ages (caturyugas) are past; (23). Of the present, the twenty-eighth, Age (caturyuga), this Golden Age (krtayuga) is past; from this point,reckoning up the time, one should compute together the whole number." “The cycle repeats itself so altogether there are 1000 cycles of mahayugas in one day of Brahma. However there is a difference. • One cycle of the above four yugas is one mahayuga (4.32 million solar years) 25 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS • • • • • as is confirmed by the Gita statement "sahasra-yuga paryantam ahar-yad brahmano viduH", meaning, a day of brahma is of 1000 mahayugas. Thus a day of Brahma, kalpa, is of duration: 4.32 billion solar years. Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma A manvantara consists of 71 mahayugas (306,720,000 solar years). Each Manvantara is ruled by a Manu. After each manvantara follows one Sandhi Kala of the same duration as a Krita Yuga (1,728,000 = 4 Charana). (It is said that during a Sandhi Kala, the entire earth is submerged in water.) A kalpa consists of a period of 1,728,000 solar years called Adi Sandhi, followed by 14 manvantaras and Sandhi Kalas. A day of Brahma equals (14 times 71 mahayugas) + (15 x 4 Charanas) = = = = 994 mahayugas + (60 Charanas) 994 mahayugas + (6 x 10) Charanas 994 mahayugas + 6 mahayugas 1000 mahayugas In each Mahakalpa, Brahma is born from a particular limb of the Lord. In each cycle it is a different limb. The "Mahabharata" states that Brahma was born on the first Mahakalpa from the mind of the Supreme. In the second Mahakalpa, he was born from the eye, in the third from the words, in the fourth from the ear, in the fifth from the nose, in the sixth from the scrotum and in the present seventh from the navel. And so it will change every Mahakalpa beginning. The reason is that the cycle is not a simple repetition. In a way it is a linear progression. At the end of his day, when Brahma goes to sleep, he is merged with the Supreme Person along with His whole Creation. But the mortal experience of the living is not lost when the merging happens. It is embedded in the Supreme Person. So when the new Mahakalpa starts, the experience gained by the jivas during all the previous Kalpas, the thoughts anxieties and worries which remains within the Supreme Person is brought back and wakes up as well. The Time is essentially a continuation from the last. Hence the cycle is always thought of as a day and night. In the night the cosmos goes to sleep only to wake upto another day. 25 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS Our current date We are currently in the 28th kaliyuga of the first day of the 1st year of the shvetavaraha kalpa of the second parardha of Brahma in the reign of the 7th Manu, Manu Vaivasvata. This is the 51st year of the present Brahma and so about 155 trillion years have elapsed since he took over as Brahma.” wikipedia The current Kali Yuga (Iron Age) began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC There are three types of Pralaya: "Dissolution, reabsorption; destruction; death." A synonym for samhara, one of the five functions of Siva. Also names the partial destruction or reabsorption of the cosmos at the end of each eon or kalpa. There are three kinds of periods of dissolution: 1) 2) 3) Laya, at the end of a mahayuga, when the physical world is destroyed; Pralaya, at the end of a kalpa, when both the physical and subtle worlds are destroyed; and Mahapralaya at the end of a mahakalpa, when all three worlds (physical, subtle and causal) are absorbed into Iswara. Maha kalpa – the Great Age "Truthfully, the quantities of years assigned to a Cosmic Day are symbolic. The Cosmic Night arrives when the ingathering of the perfect souls is complete, which means, when the Cosmic Day is absolutely perfected." - The Pistis Sophia Unveiled The Age of Cosmos and Reality Check Brahma has 2000 MahaYugas which includes a day and a night. There are 360 days in a year for Brahma and we are in the first day of 51st year. So far 360 x 50= 18000 days have passed for Brahma This is equivalent to 18000 x 2000 x 4320000 = 155,520,000,000,000 Human Years Add the current day of Brahma which is 1,972,944,456 Humans Years So as per the vedas, the current age of the universe is 155,521,972,944,456 Years which is about 156 Trillion years. Using the Hubble constant and information about the expansion of the Universe from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, America have been able to measure the age of the Universe to between 12 and 14 billion years old. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/origins/bigbang/spaceandtime.shtml) 25 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS Of course we can always fall back on parallel universe or multiple dimensions. Probably Indians of the 5th c AD knew better. Buddhist concept of Kalpa The concept of Yugas is not limited to Hinduism. It is also found in the later Buddhism when it got interacted with the Christians and Vaishnavites and Saivites and as several syncretic forms of Buddhism came into existence. Buddhist Concept of Yugas- Kalacakra Tantra The concept of Kalpa is the period of time expressed in Indian philosophy. Generally speaking, a Kalpa is the period of time between the creation and recreation of a world or universe. One Mahakalpa (Great Kalpa) is subdivided into four Asankhyeya-Kalpas (or simply called Kalpas): 1. Kalpa of formation (Vivarta) 2. Kalpa of existence (Vivatasiddha) 3. Kalpa of destruction (Samvarta) 4. Kalpa of emptiness (Samvartasiddha) Each of the four Kalpas is subdivided into twenty Antarakalpa (Inner Kalpa), so that a Mahakalpa consists of 80 Antarakalpa. Each Small Kalpa is divided into a period of increasing and decreasing. In the increasing period, the length of human life increases by one year every century to 84,000 years and the length of the human body to 8,400 ft. Then it comes to the decreasing period, during which the length of human life decreases gradually to the ten years and the human body to 1 foot in height. There are other distinctions of the Kalpas. A Small Kalpa is represented as 16,800,000 years, a Kalpa as 336,000,000 years and a Mahakalpha as 1,334,000,000 years Christian concept of Yugas - aeons We should remember that the Surya siddhanta and Vishnu Purana were all Post Christian constructions. It would be interesting to compare the corresponding concepts in Christianity as seen through the teachings of Jesus which were later expanded out by Paul. Unfortunately we have no written heritage from St.Thomas. So we cannot really comment on what Thomas brought into India. As the theology of dispensational ages and ‘ages to come’ developed in the rest of Christendom we 26 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS can certainly assume that some basic notions of it came in to India which contributed to the Yuga concept of Hinduism. Here are some quotes related to ages as presented by Jesus: (Mat 12:32) And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Mat 13:39) and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. (Mat 13:40) Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. (Mat 13:49) So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, (Mat 24:3) As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" (Mat 28:20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Mar 10:30) who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Luk 18:30) who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." (Luk 20:34-35) And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, (1Co 2:6) Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. (1Co 2:8) None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (Eph 1:21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; (Heb 6:5) and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, (Heb 9:9) (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, (Rom 16:25) Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages (1Co 2:7) But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. (1Co 10:11) Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. (Eph 2:7) that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 3:9) and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; (Col 1:26) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints. (1Ti 1:17) To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. (2Ti 1:9) who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, (Tit 1:2) in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago (Rev 21:5) And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." One cannot fail to see that Christ and the later Apostles definitely taught about this age (the current age in which we live and die) and also about ages to come. Jesus declares at the end of this age when the world has gone to the dogs, he will send his angels and make a separation and there will be another age opens up. But this is not a two age picture because Paul speaks about the ages to come and John in his revelation declares that Jesus will make ALL things new. Bible scholars have been able to talk about dispensational ages, which are usually taken as seven ages each with its own 26 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS messengers, and messages, which culminated in the ultimate incarnation of Jesus, which provides redemption for ALL mankind. But we can see only a few saved in this age. We know all about this age. We know much about the age to come. This Age and the Age to Come. The Old Testament predicts the future coming of God or the Messiah; most forms of post biblical Judaism (see esp. 2 Esdras) go further and differentiate this age from the age to come, which is also known as the kingdom of God. This two-age schema is echoed in Matthew 12:32 and Ephesians 1:21, but the New Testament transforms the traditional pattern: with the coming of Christ, the blessings of the future are manifested among God’s people in the present age (cf. Heb. 6:5). In terms of this age as a time of sin and darkness, aion is sometimes synonymous with kosmos or “the world” (cf. Mark 4:19; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 1:20). During this time, Satan appears as the “god” of this age (2 Cor. 4:4) and sin prevails (Gal. 1:4; 2 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:12). The citizens of this age are living in darkness and must rely on the devices of their own human wisdom (Luke 16:8; 1 Cor. 1:20; 2:6, 8; 3:18). But so long as Christians remain in the world, they are cheered by the spiritual presence of Jesus until the close of this age (Matt. 28:20). Cataclysmic signs will signal the close of the present era (synteleia [tou] aionos, Matt. 24:3). According to the New Testament, the end of the age will bring the return of Christ and the judgment of the wicked (Matt. 13:39–40, 49). When the age to come arrives, the dead will rise to inherit eternal life (Luke 20:34–35). Jewish and later Christian apocalypticists loved to speculate about the blessings of this future age, but the simple message of the Bible is that the coming age will bring a good inheritance (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30). Paul’s advice to Christians is to invest for the age to come by practicing generosity and good deeds in this present age (1 Tim. 6:17–19). ---Gary Steven Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Isa 64:4) For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (1Co 2:9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. At the end of this age only a few enters the new age where Jesus is King. But at the end of the AGES Jesus makes ALL THINGS NEW. This is the cycle of ages, deluges in between each age, seperation and judgment in between the ages and at the end of one kalpa everything returns to the original state of oneness in consonance with God. Will that state remain eternally. Yes. If man is made into a machine. If we still have free will – the Sons of God will still make wrong choices as Lucifer the Angel did. The Maha Kalpa may repeat itself. But that depends on those who are in that age and is not revealed to us. This is because we should not find an excuse for the salvificatory work required of man here and now. “Secret things belong to the Lord out God, but the things that are revealed belongs to us and to our chlldren for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” Deu 29:29 26 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS I have presented the Surya Siddhanta in Christian terms. also parallel to the way God talk to the world. The Theology of Avatara in Vaishnavism is Heb 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, There is a logic behind the concept based on the creative power of every man who is created in the image of God “There are active powers within us which are ever busy with the past and the future, and which no limits of time can confine. Memory repeats and, with the aid of imagination, reproduces the past. But the mind rests not at the confines of memory, but follows onward and downward through all the historic period, and into the shadowy ages of the unrecorded and the unknown. And hope and fear, incited by the desire of immortality, lead onward and upward into the ages of the eternal future. We feel that forces and influences operating through long succeeding periods of the past have made us 26 13. THE CONCEPT OF YUGAS what we are, and that the same forces, or others adapted to our nature, will continue to develop our character and shape our destiny, and make us what we shall be in the ages to come.” The Ages to Come: Or, The Future States, E. Adkins 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS CHAPTER 14 THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The Doctrine of Avatar yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself. paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I myself appear age after age. "Whenever the world declined in virtue and righteousness; and vice and injustice mount the throne, then cometh I, the Lord and revisit my world in visible form, and mingled as a man with men, and by my influence and teachings do I destroy the evil and injustice and 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS reestablish virtue and righteousness. Many times have I thus appeared, and many times hereafter shall I come again?" The purpose of the avatar is defined in Bhagavat Gita 4:7-8 Whenever there is • • • • • Vishnu incarnates • • • to protect the good, the law abiding and to destroy the evil, the delinquent, the unjust or inequitous and to establish dharama, justice decline of dharma, righteousness, justice, rule of law and there is increase in injustice, Yet as we go through the Avatars, we will see that this was never accomplished unless the Suras are the only people of god. It is certainly a history of the people who is represented as Suras who are the enemies of the people represented as Asuras. All the reference to dharma, righteousness, justice, rule of law are the justice of one group of people over another - unfortunately both these group of people are Bharathians – Indians. But as far as Vishnu is concerned only the interest of the Devas are counted. The avatar was at least initially connected to the Dispensational Ages. We shall now undertake a quick look at the concept of Yuga and their probable origin Aeons and Avatars The whole idea of ages and avatars were brought into India by St.Thomas but they were manipulated by the later Gnostics into a fight between good and evil, Suras and the Asuras and developed into myths because of the concept of duality in the world which in turn was introduced into India by the gnostics of Persia and Greece. “Aeons: The term appropriated by Gnostic heresiarchs to designate the series of spiritual powers evolved by progressive emanation from the eternal Being, and constituting the Pleroma or invisible spiritual world, as distinct from the Kenoma, or visible material world. The word aeon (aion) signifying "age", "the ever-existing", "eternity", came to be applied to the divine eternal power, and to the personified attributes of that power, whence it was extended to designate the successive emanations from the divinity which the Gnostics conceived as necessary intermediaries 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS between the spiritual and the material worlds. The Gnostic concept of the aeon may be traced to the influence of a philosophy which postulated a divinity incapable of any contact with the material world or with evil, and the desire to reconcile this philosophy with the Christian notion of a direct interference of God in the affairs of the material world, and particularly in the Creation and Redemption of man. Jewish angelology, which represented Jehovah ministered to by a court of celestial beings, and Hellenic religious systems, which imagined a number of intermediaries between the finite and the infinite, suggested the emanation from the divinity of a series of subordinate heavenly powers, each less perfect, the further removed it was from the supreme deity, until at length increasing imperfection would serve as the connecting link between the spiritual world and the material world of evil. In different Gnostic systems the hierarchy of Aeons was diversely elaborated. But in all are recognizable a mixture of Platonic, mythological, and Christian elements. There is always the primitive all-perfect Æon, the fountain-head of divinity, and a co-eternal companion Æon. From these emanate a second pair who, in turn, engenders others, generally in pairs, or in groups of pairs, in keeping with the Egyptian idea of divine couples. One of these inferior Æons, desiring to know the unknowable, to penetrate the secrets of the primal Æon, brings disorder into the Æon-world, is exiled, and brings forth a very imperfect Æon, who, being unworthy of a place in the Pleroma, brings the divine spark to the nether world. Then follows the creation of the material universe. Finally, there is evolved the Æon Christ, who is to restore harmony in the Æon-world, and heal the disorder in the material world consequent upon the catastrophe in the ideal order, by giving to man the knowledge which will rescue him from the dominion of matter and evil. The number of Æons varies with different systems, being determined in some by Pythagorean and Platonic ideas on the mystic efficacy of numbers; in others by epochs in, or the duration of, the life of Christ. The Æons were given names, each Gnostic system having its own catalogue, suggested by Christian terminology, and by Oriental, or philosophical and mythological nomenclature. There were nearly as many aeonic hierarchies as there were Gnostic systems, but the most elaborate of these, as far as is known, was that of Valentinus, whose fusion of Christianity and Platonism is so completely described in the refutation of this system by St. Irenæus and Tertullian. (See GNOSTICISM, VALENTINUS, BASILIDES, PTOLEMY.) “ Catholic Encyclopaedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01173c.htm This gnostic insertion changed the concept of avatar in terms of hierachies and levels of gods. This is what we see in the Avatar myths and the categorization of Avatars in Hinduism. Evidently some time in History gnostics took over the Christian concepts and remodeled it. The Greeks and the Syrians had their role in this transformation. As a result the material world is never redeemed but destroyed. In Christian theology of redemption, the cosmos with its material realm included is redeemed and the blessing of death and decay is removed as sin is removed and beings becomes like the Son of Man. This is the deification or theosis of christianity. All things are thus made new and the mahakalpa ends. It may repeat. But that is another story if and when it arises. 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Vaishnava Avatar in History This should then give us some idea of the dates of the period of the four yugas and consequently the time of the various avatars. Kali yuga started 3102 BC Dwapara Yuga Started 3102 +864,000 = 867,102 BC Treta Yuga Started 867,102 +1,296,000 =2,163,102 BC Satya Yuga Started 2,163,102 + 1,728,000 = 3,891,102 BC Hence the incarnations are supposed to be in the following period • • • • Between 3,891,102 and 2,163,102 BC (2 to 3 million years before) in Satya Yuga: Matsya (fish), Koorma (tortoise), Varaaha (boar), Narasimha (the man lion) Between 2,163,102 and 867,102 BC (1 to 2 million years ago) in the Treta Yuga: Vaamana (the dwarf), Parasurama (the angry man), Rama (the perfect human) Between 867,102 and 3,102 BC (3000 to 1 million years ago) in the Dwapara Yuga: Balarama and Krishna Now expected in some 427,000 years time- Kali Yuga: Kalki In the Krita (Satya Yuga) there is no adharma and dharma stands on all four legs (4), in the Treta Yuga it stands on three legs(3) – adharma is only little. In fact there was no adharma to be destroyed in the first three avatars if at all the other had any. In the Dwapara Yuga(2) it stands on two legs and in the Kali Yuga (1) it stands on one leg. If adharma was the reason for incarnation the number of incarnations in each age should have been the other way round. avatars at all since there is no evil in the first Satya Yuga. There is no reason for the first four 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The following table summarizes the meaning of Vishnu's past 9 avatars: http://www.comparativereligion.com/avatars.html Topic A demon performed austerities and gained too much power over the gods The avatar came to save the gods The avatar came to save humans The avatar kills a demon The avatar's form of embodiment Which avatar's case fits into this scenario 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 3, 4, 7, 8 Animal (1, 2, 3), half-beast, half-human (4), human (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) according to how the demon had to be deceived. 8 out of 9 avatars (no. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9) are involved in saving the world of gods from the power attained by the demons, while only 6 is concerned with saving humans alone. Whenever there 26 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS was a conflict of interest between the gods and the non-gods, incarnation of God sided with the gods and in fact outright cheated the non-gods. The general structure of the Hindu Avatar myth follows a strict progression as follows: 1. A demon (Asuras) gains great power through austerities and becomes invincible 2. The demon defeats gods (Suras, Devas) totally and takes over their lands 3. The Suras pettitions one of the great deities. 4. The deity takes a form suitable to trick the Asura. 5. Demon is defeated without violating any legal conditions within the law. 6. Suras praise the demon slayer. A casual look will verify that most of the incarnations do not fulfill the reason for avatar. Evidently it is a one sided story and certainly refers not to how the supreme God of all Creations deal with his creation, but how the King of a group of people deal with their enemies. It is this obvious character of the avatar that I treat as historical. The Reality Check with Time This would imply that except for the Balabhadra and Krishna avatars all avatars took place over a million years ago. Even those two fall within the vast time frame of 3000 to 867000 BC (nearly a million years). It would also imply that human civilization with highly sophisticated social system, kingship, chariots, war machines, flying vehicles etc were in existence in India for over three million years. The True History and the Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism.By Swami Prakashanand Saraswati 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS “Using the Hubble constant and information about the expansion of the Universe from the Hubble Space Telescope, we have been able to measure the age of the Universe to between 12 and 14 billion years old.” Dr. Wendy Freedman Dr. Wendy Freedman is one of the leaders of an international team of 27 astronomers at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, America. Poor scientists, What do these people really know? Compare this with the evolutionary history of man. A timeline of human evolution, history, technology, and the fates of human societies. Shane Ross https://ideotrope.org/index.pl?node_id=40287 This is History, history understood as a single, coherent, evolutionary process, when taking into account the experience of all peoples in all times. Time in BC 4 million | First bipedal human ancestor. Bipedalism appears suddenly in the fossil record. Could be Ardipithecus ramidus, a hominid that lived in the wooded grasslands of the Horn of Africa. 1.8 million-100,000 | Homo erectus in Africa, Asia, and Indonesia (and Europe?). First use of crude stone tools and may have harnessed naturally occuring fire (1.5 Myr, Swartkrans, South Africa). Genetic studies indicate modern humans are not descended from H. erectus, which appears as an evolutionary side-branch and dead end. 200,000-150,000 | Genetic Eve (or "mitochondrial Eve"), the most recent common female ancestor of all living humans (from mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA, dating). The mtDNA from Eve merely acts as a tracer that links all present-day humans to a single population of ancient humans, who lived in Africa. 150,000-30,000 | Archaic Homo sapiens, otherwise known as Neanderthals, appear in the fossil record, distinct from earlier protohumans. They occupied Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Differ from modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) in skeletal details and behavior. Recent genetic studies also indicate that modern humans are not descended from Neanderthals. They used crude stone tools and may have harnessed naturally occuring fire. They buried their dead and cared for their sick. Hands could not grip complicated tools, preventing them from engaging in fine motor skills, such as carving and painting. Cultural sharing between Neanderthals and modern humans or Homo erectus during time of overlap? 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 150,000-60,000 | Modern humans appear (sometimes called Homo sapiens sapiens), originally in Africa, probably east Africa. Same stone tools as Neanderthals. No art. Unimpressive hunting skills (killing easy-to-kill, not-at-all-dangerous animals.) No fishing. 140,000 | Diaspora of Neanderthals and modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)? First domestication of large mammal, the dog. 94,000-12,000 | Prehistoric 'Hobbit'. A little over 3 feet tall, a distinct humanoid species, Homo floresiensis people flourished on Flores from 94,000 to 12,000 years ago, when a volcano killed them off. They apparently hunted dwarf elephants with spears. 60,000-40,000 | Genetic Adam (or "Y-chromosomal Adam"), the most recent common male ancestor of all living humans (from Y-chromosome dating). 60,000-40,000 | Great Leap Forward (anthropological "big bang" of human expression) among Homo sapiens sapiens (modern humans). First standardized stone tools. First jewelry. First painting. Timing of innovation coincides with first appearance of modern humans, Homo sapiens sapiens; Cause of innovation unknown, could be due to increase in brain size, some say vocal box became well developed. Most likely first took place among one group of humans in Africa. 60,000 | Diaspora of humans reaches China via Southeast Asia. 50,000 | Human population: 1.2 million hunter-gatherers, H. sapiens sapiens. 50,000 | First human settlement in the Americas, according to evidence found at a South Carolina site. If true, beats the oldest accepted date by 35,000 years. Did they come by sea from Africa or Europe? 45,000 | Humans begin to enter southwestern Europe. Some 6 percent of Europeans are descended from the continent's first founders, who entered Europe from the Near East (these people are modern Basque and Scandinavians). Skeletons are fully modern. Tools of bone: fishhooks, engraving tools, needles. Multi-piece tools. Harpoons, spear-throwers, bows and arrows to catch large, difficult animals. Nets, lines, and snares for fishing. First art: cave paintings, statues, and musical instruments. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The fallacy of such a history as stated in the Hindu myths is obvious when we realize that even the most ancient Indus Valley Civilization extends only from 3,300 BC. Unless you are one of those who believes that there had been a highly civilized India two million years ago whose remnants even in archeology are destroyed with time, the history as given by the myths will be a fiction of imagination. Scholars like Vamadeva David Frawly and Sri Yukteswar Giri were quick to discern it and is now trying to down grade the traditional yuga to historic lengths “The shorter yuga theory offers better proof of the age of Rama and Krishna and other important historical Indian figures than other dating methods, which make some of these figures out to be millions of years old - too old for the accepted chronology of human history on Earth.” (The Astrology of the Seers, Frawley) "the astronomers and astrologers who calculate the almanacs have been guided by wrong annotations of certain Sanskrit scholars (such as Kullu Bhatta) of the dark age of Kali Yuga, and now maintain that the length of Kali Yuga is 432,000 years, of which 4994 have (in 1894 CE) elapsed, leaving 427,006 years still remaining. A dark prospect! And fortunately one not true." (The Holy Science, Yukteswar) Yet we should not forget that Sanskrit itself started only by the mid second century AD, and the Indian Time Metric System came into existence at the earliest by fifth century AD. What we have seen is that there is no mention even of names of avatars in any pre-christian documentation or archealogy. All these names appeared in due course of time after the Christian Era as is represented in the Purana Stories and in the icons that appeared in the temples. We wont be able to see any historic person in the form of avatar – not even Krishna and Rama. That is why the Vaishnavites want to make them long predated to a period when we don’t have any history and it will be impossible to provide any positive or negate evidence. The Avatar datings are these days done using intricate astronomic references that are found in the Puranas written as late as the fifteeth century AD. Other than that we don’t have any way of finding the historical person of the Avatar and it will remain only as a fiction. Most of these personalities were actually evolved by compiling characters and traits from heroes of our period and presenting it as a unified ideal personality. Evidently none of these persons lived prior to Christian Era – at least we don’t have any evidence whatsoever for that. In a country where incarnations are still walking from Kashmir to Puttaparthy these stories will be taken as true by very sincere believers. Once stories are established additional stories are added in time to elaborate the character and sometimes to cover the trails of truth. The power of the myth continues to delude the masses. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Re-Interpretation of the Theory of Avataras/Kashinath. 1997 "This book tells about the re-interpretation of the theory of Avataras, Hindu Avataras have always been depicted by the priests as the mythological entitles to be worshiped by the believers with fear and hope. Even the modern scholars of Hinduism also putting all their knowledge aside, often paint Avataras as the supernatural beings, plastered with devotional praise, to be worshipped alone. But a careful study says that the Theory of Avataras, among other things, played a great role in unifying several conflicting elements in ancient India to make it a united nation. The class contradictions between the Brahmins and Kshatriyas, which claimed a lot of human blood, were pacified by delcaring Rama and Parshurama, although contemporaries, as the Avataras of Vishnu. Later the Buddha, an agnostic, was also declared to be the Avatara, with the result that Buddhism, with all its high ideals, became one with Hinduism and India was preserved as a land of unity in diversity. But later this doctorine was forgotten. Had the Hindu genius used the Theory of Avataras when confronted with Christianity and Islam, generating crisis, much human blood could be saved that was poured in India, and the country itself was divided in the name of religion obviously, the Theory of Avataras has again to play its tested role to spread unity and love among all the inhabitants of India and the world as well. This process is natural of Hindu genius and the need of the day." (jacket) Purpose of incarnation http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/essays/aspectsofgod.asp An incarnation is essentially an interference in the normal progression of the manifested worlds. It becomes necessary due to the remorseless violation of divine laws by the actions of beings endowed with free will. The law of karma makes each individual being responsible for its action. But in some cases that alone would not act as a deterrent to prevent people from indulging in evil pursuits and causing a great imbalance in the working of the worlds or interfering with the lives of other people. When their number increases disproportionately, a much higher and potent force is required to deal with them. God is not judgmental. But He would also not remain static to the calls of his devotees. So when the situation reaches a boiling point, He decides to take matters into His own hands and come down to earth in physical form to restore order and morality. In Hinduism, an evil force is not opposed to God against His will. It is a force that works for God in its own evil ways. God uses these forces to create situations that warrant His intervention. It is part of His divine drama already planned and embedded in the design. Most of the demons that He slew during his many incarnations were but his own devotees who out of arrogance asked for things that would ultimately lead to the welfare of the good and the destruction of the evil and themselves. From the perspective of duality, we may say the demon was destroyed by a divine force for a good cause. But from the highest perspective of the unity of all creation, we cannot deny the fact that by destroying the evil force God facilitates its ultimate dissolution into Himself and the dawn of a new awareness and promulgation of a new code of conduct among people. So from the highest perspective, an incarnation is a drama (leela) with in a bigger drama (maha leela), orchestrated by God for his own enjoyment and for keeping His laws in place. This, in brief, is the purpose and justification of an incarnation, which the followers of Vaishnavism accept as an undeniable truth. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Here is how the leela is acted out:Shri Mad-Bhaagvat Puraan Ska nd h 7:Cha p t er 1 Shukdev Jee said - "In fact Bhagvaan is Nirgun, Ajanmaa (does not born), cannot be described and is beyond Prakriti, still He with His Maayaa performs all kinds of actions. Sat, Raj and Tam are the Gun of Prakriti, not of Paramaatma. And these three Gun are not always present in the same amount in Prakriti. Bhagavaan takes all Gun at time to time. When Sat Gun is more, He takes care of Devtaa and Rishi; when Rajo Gun is more, He takes care of Daitya; and when Tamo Gun is more, He takes care of Yaksh and Raakshas. When He wants to take any 'body' for Himself then He creates a separate Rajo Gunee creation with His Maaya. When He wants to take strange Yoni (species), He creates them with Sato Gun and when He wants to sleep, then He increases Tamo Gun. Kaal depends on Him not that He depends on Kaal. Whenever this Kaal Eeshwar increases Sato Gun, He increases the power of Devtaa and kills Tamo Gunee Daitya. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Here is how the predestination explained in Vaishanvism: http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/saranagati/html/vishnu_mjs/jiva/jiva_6.html Those devotees who were spiritually situated were simply taking part in the Lord's transcendental lila….. Jaya and Vijaya's fall was a special arrangement of the Lord for His lila… In the following excerpts Srila Prabhupada states something very different; that Jaya and Vijaya are pure devotees who have descended to the material world by the Lords arrangement: This incident, therefore, proves that those who have once entered a Vaikuntha planet can never fall down. The case of Jaya and Vijaya is not a falldown; it is just an accident. (Bhag. 3.16.12, purp.) A devotee once accepted by the Lord, can never fall down. That is the conclusion of this incident. [Jaya and Vijaya] (Bhag. 3.16.29, purp.) From authoritative sources it can be discerned that associates of Lord Visnu who descend from Vaikuntha do not actually fall. They come with the purpose of fulfilling the desire of the Lord, and their descent to this material world is comparable to that of the Lord. The Lord comes to this material world through the agency of His internal potency, and similarly, when a devotee or associate of the Lord descends to this material world, he does so through the action of the spiritual energy. Any pastime conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is an arrangement by yoga-maya, not maha-maya. Therefore it is to understood that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha. (Bhag. 7.1.35, purp.) ,, Similarly, Krsna does not fight with anyone ordinary, but rather with some of His great devotees. Because Krsna wants to fight, some of His devotees come down to this material world to become His enemies and fight with Him. For example, the Lord descended to kill Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa. Should we think that these were ordinary living entities? The fighting spirit is there in Krsna also. …. Just like Jaya Vijaya came just to satisfy his master. His master desired fighting, so some of His servant went to the material world and became great enemy like Hiranyakasipu. Ravana.” We can see that the whole history of cosmic creation and cycles are considered by the Vaishnavites as leela – a fun game, which is all pre-planned. This can be seen clearly in the case of the ten avatars which we will be looking at. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The mythological story goes that the two demigod gate-keepers/dwarapalakas (Jaya and Vijaya) of the abode of Vishnu, known as Vaikunta (meaning place of eternal bliss), barred revered sages from entering Vishnu's abode because Vishnu was sleeping at the time. The sages cursed the Jaya and Vijaya to be born as mortals and roam the earth (Bhuloka). The gatekeepers reported back to Vishnu of the incident that had taken place. He told them that he could not take back the curse, but could give them options on how the curse would be lived out. He gave them the option either to be born several many times as great devotees of the Lord Vishnu, or a few times as powerful individuals that were the sworn enemies of the Lord Vishnu, and to die at the hands of Lord Vishnu. The dwarapalakas chose to be born a few times as enemies of Lord Vishnu, and took the form of the demons Madhu and Kaitabh, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, Ravana and Kumbakarna, and Kamsa(in another version dantavakra) and Shishupala. 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Vishnu wanted to someone to fight with. He cannot really fight with someone who is weak and puny. So the two gatekeepers – those strong watchmen at the gate of heaven – are send out to be born as Asuras – the Demons and the whole scenario is set up so that Vishnu can take the playful forms and kill them over and over again. It is like children playing in their early childhood. It is their means of growing up and becoming. It is just the thrill of killing and fighting. In most cases we can see that there is no moral reason for the incarnation, there is no justice in the killing and foul play; trickery and legalism are used. Evidently it puts God in a poor light. The ostentious reasons given as decay of righteousness, justice and dharma are not the real reason for Vishnu incarnation. Those conditions are created intentionaly for the sole purpose of glorification of Vishnu. (Why should God want to be glorified?) It is similar to the five point Calvinistic thought where God creates a class of people to be put in hell and another to put in heaven. Vaishnavism is thus historically a Calvinistic development within the Early Indian Christianity which went wild. This is in sharp constrast with the concept of incarnation within the historic Christianity where incarnation is for the sole purpose of redemption. Judgement and punishment are part of the process and are always justified as it is a consequence of the free will of sentient beings. The on going ages are intended to give as much time as needed to bring in total salvation based entirely on love. God is love and his actions are based only on love. His actions are always just. It is this supreme self sacrificing love that is expressed in the incarnation of Jesus. Fatherhood of God means a great deal more than we sometimes imagine. It is not merely a term of tenderness; it is also a term of law and discipline. But fatherhood means supremely that if the child has wandered away, the father will suffer everything to save and bring it home again. Within the realm of revealed religion this truth emerged, that the one God, mighty, holy, beneficent, is the Father who will sacrifice Himself to save the child. There man found the point of contact, in infinite love which never abandons him, never leaves him. That is the truth which, coming into revealed religion, saved it from being intellectual apprehension, minus moral dynamic, and sent running through all human life rivers of cleansing, renewal, regeneration. THE PURPOSES OF THE INCARNATION, G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6528/fund62.htm BASIS OF AVATAR MYTH AS STRUGGLE BETWEEN SURAS AND THE ASURAS But every myth has some historic seed and it must be true of the myths of Vishnu Avatars too. A myth is never a reality but is always true in its meaning. It is not history as such, but retells history in a more subtle powerful way to impress the meaning fully. Since these characters do not appear in 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS any of the Pre-Christian documents, literature, history or archeological records the myth refers certainly to some history which is certainly related to Post Christian history. Is there a common thread that runs through the whole ten avatars? We are neglecting the later expansion of infinite avatar and petty additions from the list of heroes and self proclaimed avatars whether leela or serious. One common factor is that in every case it was supposed to kill an Asura. Incarnation - Vasudeva - Vishnu Matsya (Fish) Avatara Asura - Prati-Vasudeva Killed Hayagriva The Shatpath Brahmana and the Bhagavata Purana relate it to Manu, the Padma Purana to Makara or Shankhasura , and the Matsya Purana Kurma (Tortoise)Avatara Varaha (Boar) Avatara Nara Simha (Man-Lion) Avatara Vamana (Dwarf) Avatara Parasu Rama (Rama with the Axe) Rama Bala Rama Krishna to Asura Hayagriva. Associated with the Churning of the Milky Way to get the Amrit Killed Hiranyaksha Killed Hiranyakasipu (brother of Hiranyaksha) Defeated Mahabali (Grandson of Hiranyakasipu) To reclaim Kerala (An Asura Kingdom?) Killed Asura Ravana (Grandson of Mahabali) Killed Asura Dhenuka Killed Kamsa son of an Asura, taken to be the son of Ugrasen Killed Sisupala, the son of Damaghosha, king of Chedi (the rebirth of Hiranyakasipu.) Killed Narakasura son of Hiranyksha with Bhumi Devi in the Varaha Avatar. (Or was he the son of Varahaavatara Vishnu?) If there is a historical germ in these stories, then we must look at it from the historical period essentially after the development of Sanskrit literature. This post dates the beginning of Christian Era. What is given below is the most probable historical explanation. The myths essentially speaks about an on going war between the Vaishnavism (referred as Suras, Devas,gods) and the Asuras (referred in internet sites as daitya, danava, titans, demons, demigods, rakshasa, cannibals,devil). Nagendra Kumar Singh in the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism states: “some are of opinion that the use of the words like daitya, danava, etc, is in accordance with the Puranic character of narrating events of past ages. (Buddha lived long before the authors of the current Puranas.) These words refer to those persons who, in ancient times, followed anti-Vedic religions and consequently found the teachings of Buddha as valid and useful. A similar use of words is found in the legends concerning the destruction or the loss of Vedas. The Puranas say that the 27 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Vedas were destroyed or stolen by the asuras namely Hayagriva, Sankha and others. and who created obstacles to the propagation of Vedic culture. reality?” It would be worthwhile to trace the etymology and history of the Asuras. Who are the Asuras? Much scholarly work were done in this regard that I quote the essential passages from them. They should speak for themselves. There is no doubt that in these legends the world asura refers to those persons who were against Vedic discipline It must be borne in mind that no mythical tale can spring through pure imagination; such tales must have their bases in some for of ASURA. [Source: Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology] 'Spiritual, divine.' In the oldest parts of the Rig. veda this term is used for the supreme spirit, and is the same as the Ahura of the Zoroastrians. In the sense of 'god' it was applied to several of the chief deities, as to Indra, Agni, and Varuna. It afterwards acquired an entirely opposite meaning, and came to signify, as now, a demon or enemy of the gods. The word is found with this signification in the later parts of the Rigveda, particularly in the last book, and also in the Atharva,. veda. The Brahmanas attach the same meaning to it, and record many contests between the Asuras and the gods. According to the Taittiriya Brahmana, the breath (asu) of Prajapati became alive, and "with that breath he created me Asuras." In another part of the 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS same work it is said that Prajapati "became pregnant. He created Asuras from his abdomen." The Satapatha Brahmana accords with the former statement, and states that "he created Asuras from his lower breath." The Taittiriya. Aranyaka represents that Prajapati created gods, men, fathers, Gandharvas, and Apsarases from water, and that the Asuras, Rakshasas, and pisachas sprang from the drops which were spilt. Manu's statement is that they were created by the Prajapatis. According to the Vishnu Purana, they were produced from the groin of Brahma (prajapati). The account of the Vayu Purana is: "Asuras were first produced as sons from his (Prajapati's) groin. Asu is declared by Brahmana to mean breath. From it these beings were produced; hence they are Asuras." The word has long been used as a general name for the enemies of the gods, including the Daityas and Danavas and other descendants of Kasyapa, but not including the Rakshasas descended from Pulastya. In this sense a different derivation has been found for it: the source is no longer asu, `breath,' but the initial a is taken as the negative prefix, and asura signifies 'not a god;' hence, according to some, arose the word sura, commonly used for 'a god.' “The gods are the Suras and the demons the Asuras or "non-gods". This distinction, however, did not obtain in the early Vedic period. Originally the deities, and especially Varuna and Mitra, were called Asuras, but in the later part of Rigveda the term is applied chiefly to the enemies of the gods. In the Atharvaveda, as in subsequent Epic literature, the Asuras are simply demons and giants and goblins. No conclusive explanation can be offered as to how this remarkable change took place in the course of the centuries embraced by the Vedic period. It may have been due primarily to sectarian strife between the religious teachers of those tribes which had been influenced by Babylonian modes of thought and those which clung tenaciously to the forms of primitive Aryan nature worship, and perhaps also the worship of ancestors (Pitris). In the old Persian language, which, like Greek, places "h" before a vowel where "s" is used in Sanskrit, Ahura (= Asura) signifies "god". The Zoroastrian chief god is called Ahura-Mazda, "the wise Lord", as Varuna is addressed in early Rigvedic hymns, "wise Asura and King", and "the all-knowing Asura who established the heavens and fixed the limits of the earth". On the other hand "daeva" in the Iranian dialect, which is cognate with Sanskrit "deva", "god", came to mean "demon". "Asura" is derived from the root "asu", which signifies "the air of life", and "deva" from "div", "to shine", or "deiwo", "heavenly".”…… How the gods of the Indian Aryans became the demons of Persia and the demons of Persia became the gods of India is a problem for which a solution has yet to be found. The Asuras became completely identified with the demons and giants; they symbolized evil, darkness, and drought. In Epic literature we read that "in ancient times the gods and Asuras were very active in destroying one another. And the terrible Asuras always succeeded in defeating the gods." . http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/iml/iml09.htm 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Asuras (Sk.). Exoterically, elementals and evil, gods—considered maleficent; demons, and no gods. But esoterically—the reverse. For in the most ancient portions of the Rig Veda, the term is used for the Supreme Spirit, and therefore the Asuras are spiritual and divine It is only in the last book of the Rig Veda, its latest part, and in the Atharva Veda, and the Brâhmanas, that the epithet, which had been given to Agni, the greatest Vedic Deity, to Indra and Varuna, has come to signify the reverse of gods. Asu means breath, and it is with his breath that Prajâpati (Brahmâ) creates the Asuras. When ritualism and dogma got the better of the Wisdom religion, the initial letter a was adopted as a negative prefix, and the term ended by signifying “not a god”, and Sura only a deity. But in the Vedas the Suras have ever been connected with Surya, the sun, and regarded as inferior deities, devas. http://www.theosophy.org/Blavatsky/Theosophical%20Glossary/Thegloss.htm http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/asura.html Asura, from Sanskrit meaning a "power-seeking" and "power-hungry" being (I don’t see how this meaning comes from the word. But this is how the Brahminic world sees it -Ninan), is similar to a Titan, often, but somewhat misleading, described as a "demon"; or anaya (non-Aryan) people of ancient India. The term's derivation is uncertain. Some scholars derive it from Ashur, the Assyrian god, or from the breath (asu) of Prajapati, or from the root as (to be). According to a Hindu myth, a-sura is the negation of sura, an Indo-Aryan liquor, and refers to non-Aryan abstainers. In Hindu mythology sura came to mean a minor godin contrast to a-sura, "not-god" or "demon," but this is believed to be a false etymology. In older part of the Rg Veda, asura refers to the supreme spirit, like the Zoroastrian Ahura Mazdah, or to Vedic deities (devas) such as Varuna, Agni, Mitra, and Indra. In younger Vedic texts and Hindu mythology asuras become demons or titans who war against the devas (gods). (cf., in the Iranian tradition ahura came to mean "god" while dacva came to mean "demon") 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS According to Satapathe Brahmana the devas and asuras both came from Prajapati, but the former chose true speech while the latter chose the lie. Aitarcya Brahmana relates that devas hold power by day and asuras hold equal power by night. The non-Aryan Danavas and Laityas were called asuras. These may have been peoples who were opponents of the non-Aryans and who were mythologically equated with titans and demons. Asuras are not necessarily evil while devas are not necessarily good. They are consubstantial, distinguished only by their mutual opposition, which is not conceived as an absolute ethical dualism. A.G.H. The negative character of the asura in Hinduism seems to have evolved over time. In general, the earliest texts have the asuras presiding over moral and social phenomena (e.g. Varuna, the guardian of Ṛtá, or Bhaga, the patron of marriages) and the devas presiding over natural phenomena (e.g. Ushas, whose name means "dawn", or Indra, a weather god). Devas and Asuras Modern historians tends to consider Asuras and Devas (the enemies of Asuras) as two divisions of ancient people, who shared same motherland, culture and civilization, for some period of time in the past. Later they split into two groups, harbouring enmity to each other. One group used the name Asura or Ahura as a respectful surname to their chiefs and kings. They used the name Deva or Daiva to denote a demon or devil. On the other hand, the other group used the name Asura to denote a demon and Deva to denote a divine being or god. These groups probably came from Iran, Iraq and Syriya, from the kingdoms like Assyria and cities like Assur into India. Their religion was the earliest form of Zorastrianism. Zend Avesta was one of their sacred texts, which have many similarities with the Vedas. A portion of this group spread to the Baluchistan in Pakistan, the western shore of India and finally to the whole of South India. The probably used the sea route also to reach these regions, since they were very good at navigation. This group is described in the ancient Indian texts as Asuras. In The Civilized Demons: the Harappans in Rgveda Malati J. Shendge shows evidence to show that the early Indus Valley Civilization was an Asura civilization. Essentially therefore Asuras are of Chaldean-Syrian origin and they were spread all over India even as far as Southern tip of the subcontinent. The Asuras probably kept their contact with Syria and Iran since their religious affiliations required it. This explains the predominant Christian presence among the Asuras. Relationship of Asuras and Bhargavas Small pockets of Asura regions existed in northern India and regions beyond Himalays as well. Vrishaparvan, was a famous Asura king, who ruled some unknown kingdom in the Himalayas. The founder of the Puru dynasty of kings in north India (described in the epic Mahabharata as the forefather of the Pandavas and Kauravas), viz king Puru, was the son of Sarmishta, the daughter of 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS king Vrishaparvan. Vrishaparvan's priest was the sage Sukra, (alias Usanus), who was a Bhargava (the son or a descendant of the sage Bhrigu.) Often the Asura kings chose, sages in the line of Bhrigu as their priest, whereas the Devas chose, sages in the line of Brihaspati or Angiras, as their priests. Mahabali was yet another Asura king whose priest also was named Sukra, in the line of Bhrigu. Characteristics of Asuras Historically therefore Asuras were a highly religious people with tremendous power, who were opposed to the Aryan Vedic religion, and of the Vaishnavites. As a characteristic they were highly moral and kept high ethical standards even in war. They kept their word even at the point of defeat, death and disaster. We can see that they even allowed Vishnu to take respite in between the combats and never retracted their offers or promise. All through the Avatara myth story we can notice that as a rule, Asuras could not be defeated by the Suras under normal moral methods. It always required subtle deceit, trickery and treachery even for the Supreme Person Vishnu to defeat the Asuras. In fact, it appears that these deceits, tricks and treachery were eulogized and considered honorable by the Suras, if we take the Avatar Puranas as true. Taking the antagonism of Vedics to the Asuras in general, the natural early choices will be Jains and Buddhists. Asuras in the Jain and Buddhist Puranas The Jain Puranas also mentions Asuras as anti-Vasudeva and names the Asura Kings in that list. So we should also assume that Asuras were also against Jainism. http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/Religionet/er/buddhism/BGLOSSRY.HTM Asura This term is often translated as "ogre" or "titan." They are one of the six states of existence that are in samsara. Different types of Buddhism view them differently. Asura is usually seen as positive, resulting from good karma like human beings and gods. In this interpretation, they dwell in the lower heavens. Other views treat the asuras as resulting from bad karma and hence they are seen as the enemies of the gods. Some types of Buddhism ignore this category altogether and have only five states of existence. 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/glossary.htm In Mahayana Buddhism, anti-gods or demi-gods, who populate the lower heavens, the second highest realm of existence. They enjoy a similar existence to the gods of the highest realm, but are plagued by jealousy of the latter and wage fruitless wars against them. http://www.yogichen.org/chenian/bk086.html . Above the human realm is the asura dharmadhatu; these beings have done numerous good deeds when they were in the human realm but did them with excessive envy and anger toward God. This extra envy prevents them from entering the territory of the gods. They usually fight with God. Non-Death Yoga Yogi C. M. Chen Buddhism considers Asuras as beings among the list of beings the order being- Heavenly Beings, Humans, Asuras and Hungry ghosts. Asuras are beings who have many good things in life, but still like to fight. They appear in the heavens or on earth as people or animals. Hungry ghosts are beings who suffer from constant hunger and Hell-beings. Asura It is a peculiar path in the Six paths. In terms of material enjoyment and psychic power, it is similar to Deva. However, in some aspects, it is even worse than Human Path. The male Asura is extremely ugly, while the female is as beautiful as an angel. The male Asura always fights with each other as they are cruel and furious. They are proud of themselves, and reluctant to learn and practise the Buddhist teachings. http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/bdoor/archive/nutshell/teach4.htm#t14 Thus Asuras were also anti-Buddhists. Theosophical dictionary gives the following explanation for the etymology of Asuras: Two important points are involved herein: -(a) Primarily in the Rig-Veda, the "Asuras" are shown as spiritual divine beings; their etymology is derived from asu (breath), the "Breath of God," and they mean the same as the Supreme Spirit or the Zoroastrian Ahura. It is later on, for purposes of theology and dogma, that they are shown issuing from Brahma's thigh, and that their name began to be derived from a, privative, and sura, god (solar deities), or not-a-god, and that they became the enemies of the gods. . . . – H.P.Blavinsky The Secret Doctrine, II, 59 A Sura is a Kumara -- a god. Because of their great purity, virginality in every sense of the word, Hindu mythology called them gods. Actually they are monads in so pure, as yet unevolved, a state, so undeveloped a state, that they are swept along, as it were, in the evolutionary Rivers of Life. When this Sura or Kumara has become an Agnishwatta, it is then an Asura. And Hindu mythology, or rather Brahmanical theology, with the same spirit behind it that you will find in Christian theology, says -- and I will now use Christian language -- "It has eaten of the Tree of Life, of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and it is no longer virginal and pure." That is the Christian theological way of explaining it. But leaving these dogmatic theologies of the religions aside, what actually are the facts? That from an unself-conscious god-spark, a Kumara -- the Sura, the monad, the same 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS thing -- through suffering and experience in the lower realms of matter, in the different planes, has become an Agnishwatta. It has tasted of the fire and has become a self-conscious god, an Asura. Asura really comes from Asu, the essential meaning of which in Sanskrit is 'to, breathe.' You will find it in other languages. The verbal root as, in Sanskrit meaning 'to be,' is the same essential idea. So the Asuras are not merely unself-conscious god-sparks swept along through the ages unselfconsciously on the Rivers of Life. They are those who have gained self-consciousness; or, to use a Buddhist term meaning the same thing, they have become celestial Dhyanis, celestial Bodhisattvas, celestial Buddhas. Studies in Occult Philosophy by G. de Purucker, Theosophical University Press Online Edition http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/soph/sopssd02.htm Evidently we need to look into other possible religious groups ouside of these three – Vaishanavite, Buddhist and Jain to find the Asuras. They were evidently powerful enough to withstand and even overcome all these three religions. The only choice we are left with is the religion which was brought into India early in the Christian Era by St.Thomas who were known as Issa followers or Christians. This fits in very well within the time line. If these myths have any historical basis this is the only choice we are left with. If this is true then the Vishnu incarnations tells us the story of the war between Vaishnavites and Christians. Whenever Christians became powerful, Vaishanavite leadership found a method of This is seen defeating them which evidenly included subtle deceit, treachery, force and war. throughout the incarnation stories. Generations of the Asuras The puranas themselves give us the story of the generation of Suras and the Asuras. Sage Kashyap, had four wives, Diti, Aditi, Vinita and Kudroo. Diti gave birth to Asuras (demons) and from Aditi were born Suras (Devas, gods) , while from Vinita was born Garuda, the carrier of Vishnu. The two sons Diti were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashyapu . Both of them performed so many religious practices and austerities that in course of time they gained limitless powers. There is a story behind the birth of these two where they are the two gatekeepers of Vishnu's heaven, Jaya and Vijaya,who were cursed to fall from grace and find salvation only in opposition to Vishnu -probably added later. Jaya and Vijaya According to a story from Bhagavata Purana, The Four Kumaras, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanat Kumara who are the sons of Brahma (born from the mind or though power of Brahma), visit Vaikuntha - the abode of Vishnu, to see Him. Due to the strength of their tapas, the four 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Kumaras appear to be mere children, though they are of great age. Jaya and Vijaya, the gate keepers of the Vaikuntha arrogantly stop the Kumaras at the gate, thinking them to be children. They also tell the Kumaras that Sri Vishnu is resting and that they cannot see Him now. The Kumaras grow angry at the gate keepers. They tell Jaya and Vijaya that Vishnu is available for his devotees any time. They lay a curse to Jaya and Vijaya that they would have to give up their divinity, be born on Earth, and live like normal human beings. Vishnu appears before them and His gatekeepers ask Him to lift the curse of the Kumaras. Vishnu says that the curse of Kumaras cannot be taken back. Instead, he gives Jaya and Vijaya two options. The first option is to take seven births on Earth as a devotee of Vishnu, while the second is to take three births as His enemy. After serving either of these sentences, they can re-attain their stature at Vaikuntha and be with Him permanently. Jaya and Vijaya cannot bear the thought of staying away from Vishnu for seven lives. As a result, they choose to be born three times on Earth even though it would have to be as enemies of Vishnu. In the first life they were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Vishnu takes the avatar of Varaha to kill Hiranyaksha, and the Narasimha avatar to kill Hiranyakasipu. In the second life, they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna, being defeated by Rama avatar as depicted in the great Hindu epic Ramayana. Finally, in their third life, they were born as Sishupala and Dantavakra during the time of Krishna. Evidently as a class both the Suras and the Asuras are the same. But there is an ethnic difference indicated. Daityas are identified with the Dravidians. If Diti was Dravidian and Aditi was Aryan then this is the struggle between Dravidians and the Aryans with Vishnu as the Aryan leader who uses trickery and deceit to defeat the Dravidians. Apparently Dravidian faith was not the same as the Daityas got Aryan faith. Asuras had more direct relationship with Syria on a constant on going basis. tremendous strength through their austerities and religious practices. The story of St.Thomas plays around the Dravidan centers mostly except for Kerala where Vedics joined them as a group which was a minority in that area. Who are the Dravidians? We usually take Dravidians as people who are native to India and it is considered that they were the original inhabitants of the Mohen Jodero Harappa Civilization. Chaldea. Keturah. According to the present Dravidian Scholarship they are the descendants of Abrahm of the Old Testament originaly from the Ur of The word Ur indicating village still forms part of the Dravidian languages. In the Old At the the time of partition of properties, Keturah’s children were send to the East after Testament Abraham had another wife other than Sara (which forms the root for Saraswathi) called 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS given them gifts. These people are said to have settled in the Saraswathi and Sind Area. Their father Abrahm was a sojourner of great power and he was the Father figure for the nation. http://tulu-research.blogspot.com/search/label/Brahma “Abraham, a popular leader of masses (legendary prophet for Jews, Christians and Muslims,) lived approximately 2000 BC in the NW Indian subcontinent-Asia Minor-Central Asia region. After his death in the tradition of spirit worship he became the “Bermer(u)” for Tulu tribes. Vedic Aryans converted the Abraham legend into the Brahman, the supreme cosmic creative power. Gradually with time Brahman evolved into the God Brahma with ten or four heads in different Purana epics, by the time of composition of the Ramayana ca. 800-500 BC. The dominance of Lord Brahma in Ramayana has been analysed in detail by SSN Murthy.” “The spirit of Brahma, derived from the mass hero Abraham was one of the earliest spirit worships in the early civilizations around 2000-500 BC. Migrating Tulu tribes and their associates carried Bermer (Brahma) cult around 500 BC from the NW Indian subcontinent to the Karavali (coastal Karnataka) which became their subsequent homeland, the Tulunadu. The Tulu Bermer was imaged originally as a horse riding hero, probably a bearded one like Abraham. Similar horse riding hero image was retained for Bommayya (Brahma) by Halakki and other tribes of Uttara Kannada district. The Uttara Kannada area is in the migration route of the early Tulu tribes. The character of Abraham has been described in the Bible (Genesis) and later retold in the Anacalypsis. Abraham (or the Brahma) was actually a mass hero, an uncommon leader of early tribes, born ca. 1900 BC, more or less during the chaotic time of earth movements, migration of major rivers and mass exodus of tribes from the Indus Valley civilization. Abraham is said to have been lived for a period of 175 years. (The cited lifespan appears to be an exaggerated figure, characteristic of hero worship societies, nevertheless may imply that Abraham was a strong, dynamic character and had considerably long healthy lifespan.) Different tribes called him slightly differently depending upon the style of pronunciation native to them. He was called Abraham by Jews and subsequently by Christians. Arabs called him ‘Ibrahim’ whereas IndoAryans referred to him as Brahma. His father, ‘Terah’ originally came from a place known as Ur of Chaldees or Culdees, a part of Asia Minor. Terah had a beautiful daughter called ‘Sara’ (or ‘Saraswati’ for Indo- Aryans and cohabitants of Pirak and northwest India) born to another wife who was not Abraham’s mother. Abraham or the Brahma fell in love with Sara and married her. For this or other reasons the Abraham and Sara left Ur and settled in Mesopotamia. There he organized Jews and became a venerated hero figure. Abraham has been considered as the founder of Jews. Similarly, Muslims believe ‘Ibrahim’ to be one of their early leader or founder. The original Kaba temple (later a mosque) at Mecca is said to have been built in honour of Abraham or the Ibrahim. At that time, the present day Asia minor-Indian subcontinent region consisting of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (though had different individual provincial names at that time) were all contiguous states where communications and concepts freely exchanged among diverse townships. The Abraham (or the Brahma) was a dynamic leader of the masses and the ordinary people believed that he was the creator of the tribes. The legend of Abraham continued after his death and continued to inspire or haunt memories of the tribes living in the Asia minor-Indian subcontinent region. The legend of Abraham inspired Vedic tribes and others alike. This is the initiation the concept of Lord Brahma the creator of universe in Hindu mythology. Abraham became 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS the Brahma the supreme God after couple of centuries following his demise. In the primitive cultures accustomed to spirit worship, the legendary Brahma, who organized tribes, represented a supreme hero capable of creation of tribes and later the universe itself. Legends turned into myths and Brahma was deified and considered supreme God.” Ravi Mundkur After the coming of St. Thomas, Brahminic domination took over the new concepts of religion brought in by Thomas and transformed it into Vaishnavism in the North and Saivism in the South. However Brahminism through trickery took over Vaishnavism and transformed it totally. Saivism remained as part of the Christian faith for a longer time before they were also influenced by Brahminism. But even today their influence is very small. We can now trace the genealogy of Daitya kings which will come in handy in the discussion 28 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS This genealogy explains the on going mythical history of The Vaishnavite Struggle with Historic Christianity over a period of six centuries If this conjecture is correct, then the stories of the Boar incarnation and Lion-man incarnation of Vishnu tells the story of how the generations of the Christians before Mahabali were driven out from Northern India. This is exactly what we find in terms of geography and order of Vishnu’s incarnation. We can actually see the sequence of Vaishanavite conquest in the figure. Avatar 1. Boar (Varaha) 2. Man-Lion (Narasimha) 3 Dwarf (Vamana) 4. Parasu Rama (Rama with the axe) 5. Rama Dravida Asura King killed Hiranyaksha HiranyaKasipu (Brother of Hiranyaksha) Maha Bali (King of Dravida) great grandson of HiranyaKasipu Lifting Kerala out of the sea and giving to Brahmins Ravana – The King of Sri Lanka Ravana was a great-grandson of Mahabali. 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS First of all we notice that all the incarnations were Vishnu incarnations. Hence they are a history connected with the Vaishnavite traditions and, it is the history which tells how Vaishnavism defeated their opponents. The opponents were all Daityas – who are usually considered as Dravidian Kings and Kingdoms Second all the victims were of one family coming from one lineage. The placement of the events are also interesting. NAME OF DAITYA Hiranyksha Hiranya Kasipu (Brother of Hiranyksha) Maha Bali (Great grand son of Hiranya Kasipu) Keralaputras (of the Kingdom of Maha Bali) Ravana (Grand Son of Maha Bali) AVATAR Boar (Varaha) Narasimha (Man-Lion) Vamana (Dwarf) Parasu Rama (Rama with the Axe) Rama GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION no indication given in any Puranas Indus Valley All of South India – Narmada River to Cape Comorin including Chola, Chera and Pandya Kerala (Chera) Sri Lanka Under the Gnostic influence, the basic avatar concepts were however extended to include a larger number almost including all mankind in one form or other. There are elaborate classifications and explanations, which are summarized, in the following table Kinds of avataras Avataras Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Ksirodakasayi Vishnu "For material creation, Lord Krsna's plenary expansion assumes three Visnus. The first one, Maha Visnu, creates the total material energy, known as mahat-tattva. The second, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The third, Ksirodakasayi Visnu, is diffused as the allpervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramatma. He is present even within the atoms. Anyone who knows these three Visnus can be liberated from material entanglement." (Satvata-tantra) Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, BalaRama, Kalki. Brahma (Rajas), Vishnu (Satvic) and Siva (Tamas). The Trinity as three aspects of one God 1 Purusha-avatara Personal Emanation Incarnations of Visnu 2 3 Lila-avatara Playfull Incarnations Guna-avatara Quality Incarnations 4 Manvantara-avatara Special incarnations of the Supreme Lord who Innumerable manu avataras (504,000 Manus manifest in the life time of one appear in each Brahma): Main 14 also called as vaibhava-avatars: Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, manvantara to assist Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rsabha, Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Indra and the other Sudhama, Yogesvara and Brhadbhanu. demigods in subduing demons and maintaining the principles of religion. 5 Kalpa-avatara Kumaras, Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-narayana, Kardami Kapila, Incarnation within the Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Dhruvapriya, Rsabha, Prthu, Narasimha, Ages Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini,Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. (All these 25 avatars happen every one day of Brahma) Kapila, Rsabha, Ananta, Brahma, Catuhsana, Narada, Prthu, Parasurama, Buddha, ... These are not visnu-tattva but jiva-tattva; jivas, or living beings, empowered for a special mission. Saktyavesa-avatara 6 Spirit filled Incarnation It appears that the number of incarnations increased, till finally an infinite number of incarnations was accepted. It may be an attempt to express the fact that the whole cosmos is permeated with God. After all God is the only reality. Text Reference Agni Purana II-XVI 8c AD Varaha Purana XXXIX,XLVII 16c AD Satapath Brahmana 1.2.5 Narayaneeya of Mahabharata MBh XII 349.37 Mahabharatha XII 338 77-99 4c AD MBh XII 339 104 Bhagavatha Purana I.3 6/7 c AD Incarnations 10 Avatars including Buddha & Kalki Fish, Tortoise These were actually the forms of Brahma which later was associated with vishnu Boar, Vamana, Narasimha, and Krishna Deified heroes Rama-Bhargava, Rama Dasharathi Hamsa, Kurma, matsya Kalki Brahma, Varaha, Nanda, Nara and Narayana, the philosopher Kapila, Dattareya, Yajna, the Jaina Tirthankara Rsabha, the ancient king Prthu, Matsya, Kurma, the physicin Dhanvantari, Mohini, Narasimha, Vamana, Rama- Jamadagnya ( Parsurama ), Veda-Vyasa, Rama-Dasaratha, Rama Haladhara, Krishna, Buddha and Kalkin 19 avatars Matsya, Trivikrama, Vamana, Narasimha, Rama, Varaha, Narayana, Kaplia, Datta, Hayagriva, Mahradhvaja, Narada, Kurmi, Dhanvantari, Sesha, Yajna, Vyasa, Buddha and Kalkin that of gods, animals and men, Hari is all that is male; Laksmi is all that is female; there is nothing else than they.' “This Hari, who is the most immediate of all the energies of Brahma, is his embodied shape” ‘The Vedas, and their divisions; the institutes of Manu and other lawgivers; traditional scriptures, and religious manuals; poems and all that is said and sung; are the body of the mighty Vishnu, assuming the shape of sound.' `The delusion of the false teacher paused not with the conversion of the Daityas to the Jaina and Bauddha heresies, but with various erroneous tenets he prevailed upon them to apostatize, until the whole were led astray, and deserted the doctrines and observances inculculated bythe 3 Vedas. [The teacher was an illusory form of Vishnu, while the Daityas could not be destroyed whilst they performed the sacred rites and were slain by the gods]' The Garuda P. I.202 10c AD Visnu Purana Bk I Ch 8 4c AD Visnu Purana Bk I Ch 21 Visnu Purana Bk I Ch 22 Visnu Purana Bk III Ch 18 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS KINDS OF AVATARS Since the number of avatars have been growing and since in most cases, it would be foolish to say that Vishnu incarnated into forms that are defective, and very often unsuitable in character and nature, various types of avatars are formed to classify them. Here is a table that gives some examples. There is no limit to the incarnations of the Supreme Lord and depending on the roles they play, some avatars can be overlapping to more than one kind... Kinds of avatars 1 Purusha-avatara Examples of actual avataras Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Ksirodakasayi Vishnu Matsya, Varaha, Kurma, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, 2 Lila-avatara Bala-Rama, Kalki. 3 Guna-avatara Brahma (Rajas), Vishnu (Satvic) and Siva (Tamas). Innumerable manu avataras (504,000 Manus manifest in the life time of one Brahma): Main 14 also called as vaibhava-avatars: Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, 4 Manvantara-avatara Hari, Ajita, Vamana, Sarvabhauma, Rsabha, Visvaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudhama, Yogesvara and Brhadbhanu. Kumaras, Narada, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-narayana, Kardami Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Dhruvapriya, Rsabha, Prthu, Narasimha, 5 Kalpa-avatara Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini,Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. (All these 25 avatars happen every one day of Brahma!) Kapila, Rsabha, Ananta, Brahma, Catuhsana, Narada, Prthu, Parasurama, 6 Saktyavesa-avatara Buddha, ... AVATARS OF VISHNU Serial No According to Hari Vamsa 1. Varaha 2. Narasinha 3. Vaman 4. Parshuram 5. Rama 6. Krishna 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. IS. According to Narayani Akhyan Hansa Kurma Matsya Varaha Narasinha Vaman Parshuram Rama Krishna Kalkin According to Varaha Purana Kurma Matsya Varaha Narasinha Vaman Parshuram Rama Krishna Buddha Kalkin According to Vayu Purana Narasinha Vaman Varaha Kurma Sangram Adivaka Tripurari Andhakarh Dhvaja Varta Halahal Kolhahal According to Bhagwat Purana Sanatkumar Boar Nara-Narayan Kapila Datlatraya Jadna Rashabha Prithi Matsya Kurma Dhanwantari Mohini Narasinha Vaman Parshuram Ved Vyas Naradeo 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 19. 20. 21 22. Rama Krishna Buddha Kalkin It is enough to say in a word, that of gods, animals and men, there is nothing else than they.' -[Visnu Purana Bk I Ch 8 (p.53)] THE TEN INCARNATIONS THE STORY OF THE CONQUEST OF VAISHNAVISM OVER THE BUDDHISTS &CHRISTIANS IN INDIA MATSYA (FISH) AVATARA 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The Flood and the Ark This avatar is connected with the Biblical deluge in which Vaivaswata Manu (Satya vrata – The Righteous - Noah) or Noah was saved through the Ark, At the fish's command, Manu embarked in a ship together with the Rishis and the seeds of all existing things, and the ship, bound to the fish's great horn, was preserved during the Flood. Finally it rested on a peak of the Himalayas. The period starting from the creation of Adam or Swayambhuva Manu ended with the coming of the flood and a new dispensation started with the righteous one Vaivaswata Manu. This then reflects the Noah story as well known in the early Christian era in India in all details. The deluge story and the story of Noah form one part of the myth. Gen 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. III - MATSYAVATARA KATHA (BRAHMANICAL VERSION) Shatapatha-Brahmana, I, 8, 1-6. 1. In the morning they brought to Manu water for washing, just as now also they (are wont to) bring (water) for washing the hands. When he was washing himself, a fish came into his hands. 2. It spake to him the word, 'Rear me, I will save thee!' 'Wherefrom wilt thou save me?' 'A flood will carry away all these creatures: from that I will save thee!' 'How am I to rear thee?' 3. It said, 'As long as we are small, there is great destruction for us: fish devours fish. Thou wilt first keep me in a jar. When I outgrow that, thou wilt dig a pit and keep me in it. When I outgrow that, thou wilt take me down to the sea, for then I shall be beyond destruction.' 4. It soon became a ghasha (a great fish); for that grows largest (of all fish). Thereupon it said, 'In such and such a year that flood will come. Thou shalt then attend to me (i.e. to my advice) by preparing a ship; and when the flood has risen thou shalt enter into the ship, and I will save thee from it.' 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 5. After he had reared it in this way, he took it down to the sea. And in the same year which the fish had indicated to him, he attended to (the advice of the fish) by preparing a ship; and when the flood had risen, he entered into the ship. The fish then swam up to him, and to its horn he tied the rope of the ship, and by that means he passed swiftly up to yonder northern mountain. 6. It then said, 'I have saved thee. Fasten the ship to a tree; but let not the water cut thee off whilst thou art on the mountain. As the water subsides, thou mayest gradually descend!' Accordingly he gradually descended and hence that (slope) of the northern mountain is called 'Manu's descent.' The flood then swept away all these creatures and Manu alone remained here. http://www.galileolibrary.com/history/history_page_9.htm Translation by Julius Eggeling, in Sacred Books of the East, XII (Oxford, 1882), pp. 21618. III - MATSYAVATARA KATHA (HINDU PAURANIC VERSION) The story of Vishnus incarnation as a fish Srimad Bhagavatham 8th Skanda 24th chapter In the end of Kalpa, the entire universe was plunged into the sea-water when Brahma, wished to sleep, the demon Hayagreeva stole all the Vedas from Brahma. Knowing the bad intention of the demon, Lord Vishnu took incarnation as a Fish. In the previous Kalpa, one King-sage named Satyavrata was doing penance without partaking food & taking only water. The same gentleman in this Kalpa took birth as Vaivaswata Manu and was crowned as Manu by Lord Vishnu. Once when he was doing Tarpana at Kritamala River, a small Fish come into his hand. This Dravidian King left that water along with the fish in the river. The fish requested that it may be kept in a safe place since there is danger of being swallowed by big fishes in the river. So the king kept it in his Kamandalu. The fish grew large by the hour so that the fish was transferred to a well the next day. Then the fish got large enough so that it was transferred to the pond, then in a river and at last in the sea. The king was surprised and prayed almighty to reveal the fun or magic behind it. They Lord Vishnu appeared and told Manu. Yes, I am Lord Vishnu in the form of a Fish. From today, on the 7th day the 3 lokas will be immersed in the sea water. Oh King, at that time, I will send one boat near you. You collect and keep all vegetables, all seeds and along with Saptarshi get into the boat and in the total darkness move ahead with the help of light from the Saptarshi. You tie the boat on my horns to protect from wind. I will be dragging that ship up to the end of Brahmas night. Then I will reply to your questions and you will know about Brahman. Then Lord Vishnu disappeared. The King sat on a Darbha with its ends towards east and facing to Esanya side. The saptarshis said Oh, King, you are well blessed, since you could see Lord Vishnu & here his words. Then the King tied the ship to the horn of the fish with the help of a snake as a rope. The king praised Lord Vishnu who then gave him Atma-Jnana & Bhakti. Then Lord Vishnu killed the Demon Hayagreeva & recovered the Vedas. (http://www.mudgala.com/sri-krishna-mangal/legends_of_the_world_2.html) 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Asura Hayagriva connection It is then intertwined with the Hayagriva Asura story as they are directly connected. Matsyavatara (The Fish Incarnation) [From the Bhagavata VIII]. There was an intermediate deluge; Brhama slept for a while; the demon Hayagriva stole the Vedas. Lord Vishnu noticed this and took the form of Fish. In the Dravida country, there was a pious King, Satyavrata by name; as he was making an offering of water in the Kritamala River, the Lord appeared as a tiny Fish in the water of his palm. The Fish began to grow, and wondering at this, the King went on transferring it from one vessel or container to another. The Fish, which had finally to be deposited in the sea, told him: "On the seventh day from now, all the worlds will become completely flooded; on the flood waters, a boat will come to you; embark in it with manifold herbs and seeds and surrounded by the seven great sages and every class of living beings; a strong gale will rock the boat, but tie it to my snout with the great serpent, and as you ask me questions, I shall expound to you then the glory of Myself, the Supreme Brahman." Accordingly the sea swelled as huge rain-clouds poured down incessantly, rolled on and engulfed the world; the boat appeared, and also the great Fish; to its single snout, Satyavrata tied the ark. Dragging the ark over the waters, the Lord as a Fish imparted to Satyavrata the teachings about Truth which were collected in the Purana known as the Matsya (Fish). After the waters of the deluge had subsided, the Lord slew the demon Hayagriva and restored the Vedas to Brahma, who awoke from his slumber. [Achaean, the Indian Heritage, p. 377.] http://www.galileolibrary.com/history/history_page_9.htm Hayagriva is also referred to as Sankhasura – the Asura of the Sankh. The Sankh is the shell which is symbolic of the creative sound OHM. Krishna. But later story tells us that Sankhasura was killed by baby 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Sankhasura (Sanskrit) A daitya said in Hindu legend to have waged war against the gods and to have conquered them, upon which he stole the Vedas and hid them at the bottom of the sea, whence they were rescued by Vishnu in the form of a fish. There are also vague references in connection with one of the dvipas (Sankha-dvipa) and it is tempting to suppose that they are connected. Another Hindu legend mentions the killing of Sankhasura by Krishna -- another instance of the way in which this avatara is placed in many different ages as the Krishna spirit in the world rather than as any incarnated avatara of that name: the death of Krishna is stated as having begun the kali yuga in 3102 BC, whereas Sankha-dvipa was one of the great islands of the Atlantean continental system of several million years ago. "Once, at the end of the previous Kalpa, a demon named Hayagriva wanted to take the Vedic knowledge away from Lord Brahma at the time of annihilation. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead took the incarnation of a fish at the beginning of the period of Svayambhuva Manu and saved the Vedas." Srimad-Bhagavatam 8:24 Bhagavatam then reinterprets it in spiritual history. While Brahma was falling asleep (at a time when Vedism has lost all its ground), at the end of the Kalpa, the Asura Hayagriva wanted to take advantage of the circumstances to drown Vedism. Vedas were stolen and a deluge took place. The Asuras took away the Vedas and kept it submerged in the deluge waters. For a period of time Vedas were lost to the Brahmins. We should remember that Vedas were never written down. It is essentially against the Brahminic principle to write down the Vedas since the intonations and recitation methods will be lost in that process. So what does it mean to say that Vedas were stolen or taken away? The only conclusion we can make is that somehow these Asuras were able to make the Vedas meaningless – drown them. Then the Vedas were rescued and a few people were saved to live on in spite of the deluge and total carrying away of the nation under the Christian influence. Before the latest creation of the present universe, the four Vedas (the holy books from the mouth of the Supreme-Deity) remained drowned in the waters. Who was this terrible demon? Thomas? What was this deluge that totally destroyed Vedism. The deluge here probably refers to the Powerful presence of St.Thomas Ministry which engulfed all of India absorbing all Indians. But the Asuras who stole the Vedas still remained and constituted a continuing Anti-Vishnu element. The story therefore tells us that Vedism survived in the new form of Vaishnavism of the Brahmins. It is all the more interesting since it uses the Christian Noahic story as the background. However there are many variations of this story some which are totally antagonistic with the supremacy of Vishnu. In some cases the demon was Hayagriva (Horse Headed) and was killed by 29 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Matsya. In others, the incarnation that killed Hayagriva was itself called Hayagriva with a horse head. At any rate the demon was always the representation of Ajnana – ignorance. (see http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/associates/demons/vishnu/ajnana.htm) Hayagriva, meaning "one with the horse's neck", was the son of 'Kashyap Prajapati'. Through great penance he managed to obtain a boon from the Goddess Durga that he could only be killed by another "Hayagriva". This instilled a sense of invincibility and he started harassing the Devas. The Devas turned to Vishnu for aid, but despite a long struggle of a thousand years, he was also unable to kill Hayagriva. Tired and drained after the battle, Vishnu proceeded to Vaikuntha Dham to rejuvenate and meditate in padamaasna (a yoga posture) with his head supported by the upper end of his taut bow. The Devas once again approached Vishnu for help against Hayagriva but were unable to rouse him from his meditation. The Devas asked a swarm of termites to assist in waking Vishnu by gnawing away the string of the bow upon which he was resting. However, the snapping of the bow string produced such a resonant sound that the universe trembled, and the broken string lashed out with such force that Vishnu's head was severed from his body. The Devas were mortified, and prayed to the goddess Durga for guidance. Durga was pleased with their prayers and told the Devas that they need not fear, as no incident in this universe was without some purpose. She then told them of her boon to Hayagriva and asked them to attach the head of a horse to Vishnu so that he in the guise of "Hayagriva" (that is, one with a horse's neck) could kill his foe. Brahma attached the head of a white horse to Vishnu's body and the revived Vishnu entered into battle with Hayagriva and eventually killed him. atita-pralayapaya utthitaya sa vedhase hatvasuram hayagrivam vedan pratyaharad dharih (Srimad-Bhägavatam 8.24.57) “At the end of the last inundation (during the reign of Svayambhuva Manu) the Supreme Personality of Godhead killed the demon Hayagriva and delivered all the Vedic literatures to Lord Brahma when he awoke from sleeping.” Hayagriva is an avatar of Vishnu. He is worshipped as the God of knowledge and wisdom, with a human body and a horse's head, brilliant white in color, with white garments and seated on a white lotus. Hayagriva is celebrated in the Puranas for rescuing the Vedas from the demons Madhu and 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Kaitabha and teaching them again to Brahma. Symbolically, the story of Hayagriva indicates how the Vedas were restored. In the normal situation the Hayagriva with horse head succeded in destroying the knowledge of Vedas. Evidently it could not be revived. The only way Vedas could be revived was by emulating and copying the basis of the Hyagriva knowledge itself. The old Vedic gods were thrown out and a new Vedanta God was reinstated. This idea is supported by the statement that Vishnu actually made up the Vedas as Hyagriva incarnation. Hayagriva is a very important deity in the Vaishnava tradition. His blessings are sought when beginning study of both sacred and secular subjects. Special worship is conducted on the day of the full moon in August (Sravana-Paurnami) (his avatara-dina) and on Mahanavami, the ninth day of the Navaratri festival. He is also hailed as "Hayasirsa" (Horse-head) There is also a Hayagriva Purana in Devi Bhagavata Purana On the Narrative of Hayagriva (The Devi Bhagavata Purana 1.5) 5-9. Sûta said :-- O Munis! Hear all attentively the glorious deeds of the supremely energetic Vishnu, the Deva of the Devas. Once on a time the eternal Deva Janârdana became tired after the terrible continuous battle for ten thousand years. After this the Lord Nârâyana seated Himself on Padmâsan (a kind of posture) in some lovely place on a level plot of ground and placing his head on the front of his bow with the bow strung and placed erect on the ground fell fast asleep. Visnu, the 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Lord of Ramâ, was exceedingly tired and thus he fell soon into deep sleep. At this time Indra and the other Devas, with Brahmâ and Mahesâ began a sacrifice. 10-13. Then they, for the sake of success in Deva's well, went to the region of Vaikuntha to meet with the Deva Janârdana, the Lord of sacrifices. There the Devas, not finding Visnu, came to know by their Dhyân (meditation) where Bhagavân Visnu was staying and thither they went. They saw that the Lord Visnu, the Deva of the Devas was lying unconscious, being under the arms of Yoganidrâ (the yogic sleep). Therefore they took their seats there. Seeing the Lord of the universe asleep, Brahmâ, Rudra and the other Devas became anxious. 14-18. Indra then addressed the Devas :--“O best of the Suras! Now what is to be done! How shall we rouse Bhagavân from His sleep? Now think of the means by which this can be effected”. Hearing Indra's words S’ambhu said :-- “O good Devas! Now we must finish our sacrificial work. But if the sleep of Bhagavân be disturbed, He would get angry.” Hearing S’ankara's words, Paramesthî Brahmâ created Vamrî insects (a sort of white ants) so that they might eat up the forepart of the bow that was lying on the ground causing the other end rise up and thus break His sleep. Thus the Deva's purpose will, no doubt, be fulfilled. Thus settling his mind, the eternal Deva Brahmâ ordered the white ants Vamrîs to cut the bow string. …. 25-30. Sûta said :-- Thus ordered by Brahmâ, the Vamrî insect soon ate away the fore end of the bow that rested on the ground. Immediately the string gave way and the bow went up; the other end became free and a terrible sound took place. The Devas bcame afraid; the whole universe got agitated; the earth trembled. The sea became swollen; the aquatic animals became startled; violent wind blew; the mountains shook; ominous meteors fell. The quarters assumed a terrific aspect; the Sun went down the horizon. In that time of distress the Devas became anxious what evil might come down. O ascetics! While the Devas were thus cogitating, the head with crown on it of the Devadeva Visnu vanished away; no body knew where it fell. 31-36. When the awful darkness disappeared, Brahmâ and Mahâdeva saw the disfigured body of Visnu with its head off. Seeing that headless figure of Visnu they were greatly surprised; they were drowned in the ocean of cares and, overwhelmed with grief, began to weep aloud. O Lord! O Master! O Devadeva! O Eternal one! What unforeseen extraordinary mishap occurred to us to-day! O Deva! Thou canst not be pierced nor cut asunder, nor capable of being burnt; how is it then that Thy head has been taken away! Is this the Mâyâ (majic) of some. Deva? O all pervading one! The Devas cannot live when Thy condition is thus; we do not know what affection dost Thou have towards us. We are crying because of our selfish ends; perhaps this therefore has occurred. The Daityas, Yaksas, or Râkhsasas have not done this; O Lord of Laksmî! Whose fault will we ascribe this to? The Devas themselves have committed this loss to themselves? 37-41. O Lord of the Devas! The Devas are now dependent! They are under Thee. Now where are we to go? What are we to do? There is none to save the dull stupid Devas! At this juncture, seeing S’iva and the other Devas crying, Brihaspati, supremely versed in the Vedas, consoled them thus :-- “O highly fortunate one! What use there will be in thus crying and repenting? It ought you now to consider the means that you should adopt to redress your calamities. O Lord of the Devas! Fate and one's own exertion and intelligence are equal; if the success comes not through Fate (Luck or chance) one is certainly to show one's prowess and merit”. 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 42-46. Indra said :-- Fie to your exertion when, before our eyes, the head of Bhagavân Visnu Himself has been carried off! Fie, Fie to your prowess and intelligence! Fate is in my opinion, the supreme. …. 47-50. O Glorious ones! …. meditate on the Eternal Mahâmâyâ; who is the Mother of all, who is supporter of all, who is of the nature of Brahmâvidyâ (the Supreme Knowledge) and who is beyond the Gunas, who is the Prime Prâkriti, and who pervades the three Lokas, the whole universe, moving and unmoving; She will dispense our welfare. …. 51-54. Brahmâ said :-- “O Vedas! Now go on and chant hymns to the Sacred Highest Devî Mahâmâyâ, who is Brahmâvidyâ, who brings all issues to their successful issues, who is hidden in all forms.” Hearing His words, the all-beautiful Vedas began to chant hymns to Mahâmâyâ who can be comprehended by Jñân, and who pervades the world. The Vedas said :-- Obeisance to the Devî! To the Mahâmâyâ! To the Auspicious One! To the Creator of the Universe! We bow down to Thee, who is beyond the Gunas, the Ruler of all the Beings! O Mother! Thou givest to S’ankara even His desires. Thou art the receptacle of all the things; Thou art the Prâna of all the living beings; Thou art Buddhi, Laksmî (wealth), S’obhâ, Ks'hamâ (forgiveness), S’ânti (peace), Sraddhâ (faith), Medhâ (intellect), Dhriti (fortitude), and Smriti (recollection). 55. Thou art the vindu (m) over the Prânava (om) and thou art of the nature of semi-moon; Thou art Gâyattri, Thou art Vyârhiti; Thou art Jayâ, Vijayâ, Dhâtri (the supportress), Lajjâ (modesty), Kîrti (fame), Ichchâ (will) and Dayâ (mercy) in all beings. 56-57. O Mother! Thou art the merciful Mother of the three worlds; Thou art the adorable auspicious Vidyâ (knowledge) benefitting all the Lokas; Thou destroyest the Universe and Thou skilfully residest (hidden) in the Vîja mantras. Therefore we are praising Thee. O Mother! Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes’vara, Indra, Sûrya, Fire, Sarasvatî and other Regents of the Universe are all Thy creation; so none of them is superior to Thee. Thou art the Mother of all the things, moving and non-moving. 58-61. O Mother ! When Thou dost will to create this visible Universe, Thou createst first Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes'vara and makest them create, preserve and destroy this universe; but Thou remainest quite unattached to the world. Ever Thou remainest constant in Thy one form. No one in this Universe is able to know Thy nature; nor there is any body who can enumerate Thy names. How can he promise to jump across the illimitable ocean, who cannot jump across an ordinary well. O Bhagavatî! No one amongst the Devas even knows particularly Thy endless power and glory. Thou art alone the Lady of the Universe and the Mother of the world. 62-68. … O Mother!... Is it that Hari incurred any heinous sin. How can that be! Where is sin to thy followers who serve Thee! O Mother! ….. was it that Visnu became proud and to curb that, … Therefore dost Thou gladden Her by giving back Her husband's life. 69-73. Sûta said :-- Thus praised by the Vedas with their Angas, with Sâmagânas (the songs from the Sâma Veda), the Nirgunâ Mahes'vari Devî Mahâmâyâ became pleased. Then the auspicious voice came to them from the Heavens, gladdening all, and pleasing to the ears though no form was seen: “O Suras! Do not care anything about it; you are immortal (what fear can you have?) Come to your senses. …. 74-75. Does anything take place in this world without any cause? Now hear why Hari's head was cut off. Once on a time, seeing the beautiful face of His dear wife Laksmî Devî, Hari laughed in presence of Her. 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS 87-92. Abandoning all sorts of enjoyments, with control over his senses and without any food, the Daitya (Hyagriva) did Japam of the (repeated) one syllabled Mâyâ-Vija-mantra and, meditating the form of the Utmost Sakti of Mine, adorned with all ornaments, practised very terrible austerities for one thousand years. I, too, went to the place of austerities in My Tâmasî form, meditated by the Daitya and appeared before him. 93-95. Hayagrîva said :-- “Obeisance to the Devî Mahâmaye!... 96-100. The Devî said :-- “O child! I am very much satisfied with your wonderful tapasya and devotion. Now say what boon do you want. I will give you the boon that you desire”. Hayagrîva said ;-- “O Mother! grant me that boon by which death will not come to me, and I be invincible by the Suras and Asuras, I may be a Yogi and immortal”. The Devî said :-- “ Death brings in birth and birth brings in death; this is inevitable.” This order of things is extant in this world; never its violation takes place. O best of the Râksasas! Thus knowing death sure, think in your mind and ask another boon.…. There is none in the three worlds to kill him. So let Visvakarmâ take a horse's head and fix it on the headless body of Visnu. Then Bhagavân Hayagrîva will slay the vicious wicked Asura, for the good of the Devas”. 106-112. … Sûta said :-- Hearing these words, Visvakarmâ quickly cut off with his axe, the head of a horse, brought it before the Devas and fixed it on the headless body of Visnu. By the grace of Mahâmâyâ, Bhagavân became horse-faced or Hayagrîva. Then, a few days after, Bhagavân. Hayagrîva killed that proud Dânava, the Deva's enemy, by sheer force. Any man, hearing this excellent anecdote, becomes freed, certainly of all sorts of difficulties. Hearing or reading Mahâmâyâ's glorious deeds, pure and sin destroying, gives all sorts of wealth. Thus ends the fifth chapter of the first Skandha on the description of the narrative of Hayagrîva in the Mahâ Purâna S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam. This evidently is not a Vaishnavite version since even Vishnu has become victim of death and was subject to the Goddess who is above all gods even of Vishnu. After the death of Vishnu, the idea was to resurrect Vishnu by putting on a new head similar to that of Hayagriva and regain the Vedas with cleverness. Madhu Asura and Kaitabha Asura Connection Another legend has it that during the creation, the Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha stole the Vedas from Brahma, and Vishnu then took the Hayagriva form to recover them. S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam X,I On the killing of Madhu Kaitabha 1-49. Sûta said:--O Munis! When the excellent Tâmasi S’akti, the Goddess presiding over sleep came out from the eyes, mouth, nose, heart, etc., of the body of the World-Guru Visnu and rested in 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS the celestial space, then the powerful Lord Visnu began to yawn and got up. He saw the Prajâpati Brahmâ, terrified and spoke to him in words, deep like rumbling in the clouds :-- “O Bhagavân Padmayone! What makes you come here, and leave your tapasyâ? Why do you look so terrified and anxious?” Hearing this, Brahmâ said: “O Deva! The two very powerful and very terrible Daityas, Madhu Kaitabha sprung from the wax of Thy ears approached to kill me; terrified thus, I have come to Thee. So, O Lord of the Universe! O Vâsudeva! now I am quite out of senses and terrified; save me.” Visnu, then, said :-- “Now go and rest in peace, without any fear; let those two stupids, whose life has been well nigh exhausted, come to me for battle; I will certainly kill them.” Sûta said:-- While Bhagavân Visnu, the Lord of all the Devas, was thus saying, those two very powerful Dânavas, elated with pride, came up there, in their search for Brahmâ. O Munis! The two proud Daityas stood there in the midst of the Pralaya water without anything to stand on and with calm attitude. They then spoke to Brahmâ as follows:-- O You have fled and come here? You cannot escape. Go on and fight. I will kill You before this one. Then I will kill him also who sleeps on this bed of serpent. Either give us battle or acknowledge yourself as our servant. Hearing their words, Janârdan Visnu addressed them as follows:-- “O two Dânavas, mad for war! Come and fight with me as you like; I will surely curb your pride. O two powerful ones! If you trust me, come and fight”. Hearing this, the two Dânavas in the midst of that mass of water resting without any support, came up there to fight, with their eyes rolling with anger. The Daitya, named Madhu, became very angry, came up quickly to fight while Kaitabha remained where he stood. Then the hand-to-hand fight ensued between the two mad athletes; Bhagavân Hari and Madhu became tired; Kaitabha came up and began to fight. After that Madhu and Kaitabha joined and, blind with rage, began to fight again and again hand to hand with the very powerful Visnu. And Bhagavân Brahmâ and the Prime Force Âdyâ S’akti witnessed this from the celestial Heavens. So the fight lasted for a long, long, time; yet the two Dânavas did not feel a bit tired: rather Bhagavân Visnu became tired. Thus five thousand years passed away; Hari then began to ponder over their mode of death. He thought:-- “I fought for five thousands of years but the two formidable Dânavas have not been tired anything, rather I am tired; it is a matter of great surprise. Where has gone my prowess? and what for the two Dânavas were not tired; What is the cause? This is a matter, now, seriously to be thought over”. Seeing Bhagavân Hari thus sunk in cares, the two haughty Dânavas spoke to him with great glee and with a voice like that of the rumbling of cloud :-- “O Visnu ! If you feel tired, if you have no sufficient strength to fight with us, then raise your folded palms on your head and acknowledge that you are our servant; or if you can, go on fighting. O intelligent one! We will take away your life first; and then slay this four-faced Brahmâ”. Hearing the words of the two Dânavas, resting there without any support in the vast ocean, the high-minded Visnu spoke to them in sweet consoling words :-- “See, O heroes! no one ever fights with one who is tired, afraid, who is weaponless, who is fallen and who is a child; this is the Dharma of the heroes. Both of you fought with me for five thousands of years. But I am single handed; you are two, and both equally powerful and both of you took rest at intervals. I will therefore take rest for a while, and then fight with certainty. Both of you are very powerful and very much elated in vanity. Therefore rest a while. After taking rest for a while I will fight with you according to the just rules of warfare.” Hearing these words of Hari, the two chief Dânavas trusted and remained far aloof, ready to fight again. Now the four-armed Vâsudeva, seeing them at a sufficient distance, began to ponder in his mind thus :-- “How their death can be effected? Thinking for a time, he came to know that they have been granted, by the Supreme S’akti Devî, death at their will (Ichchâmrityu); and therefore they are not getting tired. I fought so long with them uselessly; my labour went in vain. How then can I now fight, with this certain knowledge. Again if I do not fight, how these two Dânavas, elated with their 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS boon and giving troubles to all, be destroyed? When the boon is granted by the Devî their death is also well nigh impracticable. Who wants his own death, even placed in very great distressed circumstances. Attacked by terrible diseases, reduced to indigent poverty no one wants to die; so how can it be expected that these two haughty Dânavas would want their death themselves? Therefore it is advisable me to take refuge of that Âdyâ S’akti, the giver of the fruits of all desires. No desires can ever be fructified unless She is thoroughly pleased. Thus thinking, Bhagavân Visnu saw the beautiful Devî Yoga Nidra S’iva, shining in the air. Then the supreme Yogi, Bhagavân Visnu, of immeasurable spirit began to praise with folded palms that great Bhuvanes'varî Mahâ Kâli, the giver of boons for the destruction of the Dânavas. “O Devî! I bow down to Thee O Mahâmâyâ, the Creatrix and Destructrix! Thou beginningless and deathless! O auspicious Chandike! The Bestower of enjoyment and liberation I do not know Thy Saguna or Nirguna forms; how then can I know Thy glorious deeds, innumerable as they are. To-day Thy undescribable prowess has been experienced by me, I being made senseless and unconscious by Thy power of sleep. Being tried again and again by Brahmâ with great care to bring me back to my consciousness, I could not become conscious, so much my senses were contracted down. O Mother! By Thy power, Thou didst keep me unconscious and Thou again hast freed me from sleep, and I also fought so many times. O giver of one's honour! Now I am tired; but Thou hast granted boon to the two Dânavas and therefore they are not getting tired. These two Dânavas, puffed up with pride, were ready to kill Brahmâ; and therefore I challenged them to fight with me and they too are fighting fiercely with me in this vast ocean. But Thou hast granted them the wonderful boon that they will die whenever they will; and therefore I have now come to Thy refuge, as Thou protectest those that come under Thy shelter. Therefore, O Mother, the remover of the Devas' troubles! These two Dânavas are become exceedingly elated by Thy boon and I, too, am tired. Therefore dost Thou help me now. See! those two sinners are ready to kill me; without Thy grace, what can I do now? and where to go?” 50-59. Thus praised by the eternal Vâsudeva Jagannâtha Hari, with humility and pranams, the Devî Mahâ Kâli, resting in the air, said smiling :-- “O Deva deva Hari! Fight again; O Visnu! These two heroes, when deluded by My Mâyâ, would be slain by you; I will delude them certainly, by My side long glance; O Nârâyana! then slay quickly the two Dânavas, when conjured by My mâyâ”. Sûta said :-- Hearing these loving words of Bhagavatî, Bhagavân Visnu went to the scene of battle in the middle of that ocean, when the two powerful Dânavas of serene tempers and eager to light, became very glad on seeing Visnu in the battle and said :-- “O four-armed one! we see your desire is very lofty indeed; well stand! Stand! now be ready for battle, knowing that victory or defeat is surely dependent on Destiny. You should think now thus :-- Though it is generally true that the more powerful one wins victory; but it also happens sometimes that the weak gets the victory by queer turn of Fate; so the high souled persons should not be glad at their victories, nor should express their sorrows at their defeat; so don’t be glad, thinking, that you on many former occasions fought with many Dânavas who were your enemies, and got the victory; nor be sorry that now you are defeated by the two Dânavas”. Thus saying, the powerful Madhu Kaitabha came up to fight. Seeing this, Bhagavân Visnu struck them immediately by fist with great violence; the two Dânavas, elated with their strength, struck Hari in return with their fists. Thus fighting went on vigorously. 60-87. Now seeing the two Dânavas of great powers, fighting on incessantly, Nârâyana Hari cast a glance expressive of great distress, towards the face of the Devî Mahâkâli. Seeing Visnu thus distressed, the Devî laughed loudly and began to look constantly with eyes somewhat reddish and shot towards the two Asuras side-long glances, of love and amorous feelings which were like arrows from the Cupid. The two vicious Daityas became fascinated by the side-long glances of the Devî and took great pleasures in them; being extremely agitated by these amorous darts, looked with one steady gaze towards the Devî, of spotless lustre. Bhagavân Hari, too, saw the wonderful enchanting pastime of the Devî. Then Hari, perfectly expert in adopting means to secure ends, began to speak 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS smiling and in voice like that of the rambling cloud, knowing the two Dânavas enchanted by Mahâmâyâ, thus :-O two heroes! I am very glad at the mode of your fighting. So ask from me boons. I will grant that to you. I saw many Dânavas before, fighting; but never I saw them expert like you, nor I heard like this. I am therefore, very much satisfied by your such unrivalled powers. Therefore, O greatly powerful pair of Dânavas! I wish to grant both of you any boon that you want. Seeing the Devî Mahâmâyâ, the gladdener, of the Universe, the two Dânavas felt themselves amorous; and therefore they became proud on hearing Visnu's those words and told Visnu, with their lotus-like eyes wide open, thus :-O Hari! what do you like to give us? We are not beggars; we do not want anything from you. O Lord of the Devas! Rather we will give you whatever you desire; we are donors; not receivers. So O Vâsudeva! Hrisi Kesa! We are glad to see your- wonderful fight; so ask from us any boon that you desire. Hearing their words, Bhagavân Janârdan said :-- “ If you both are so much pleased with me, then I want this that both of you be killed by me.” Hearing these words of Visnu, Madhu Kaitabha became very much wondered and thinking “we are now cheated” remained for some time merged in sorrow. Then reflecting that there is water everywhere and solid earth nowhere, they said :-“O Janârdana Hari! We know that you are truthful; therefore now we want this desired boon from you that you wanted to grant us before now grant us this desired boon of ours. O Madhusûdana! We will be slain by you; but kill us, O Mâdhava! on a solid earth, free from any water; and thus keep your word. S’ri Bhagavân Hari laughed and remembering His Sudarsan disc said :-- “O two highly fortunate ones! Verily, I will kill both of you on the vast solid spot without any trace of water. Thus saying, the Devadeva Hari expanded His own thighs and showed to those Dânavas the vast solid earth on the surface of water and said :-“O two Dânavas! See, here is no water. Place your two heads here; thus I will keep my word and you would keep your word.” Hearing this, Madhu Kaitabha thought over in their minds and expanded their bodies to ten thousand Yojanas. Bhagavân Visnu Hari also extended his thighs to twice that amount. Seeing this, they were greatly, suprised and laid their heads on the thighs of Visnu. Visnu of wonderful prowess, then cut off quickly with His Sudarsan disc the two very big heads over His thighs. Thus the two Dânavas Madhu Kaitabha passed away; and the marrow (meda) of them filled the ocean. O Munis! For this reason, this earth is named Medinî and the earth is unfit for eatable purpose. Thus I have described to you all that you asked. The sum and substance is this that the wise persons should serve Mahâmâyâ with all thei hearts. The Supreme S’akti is worshipped by all the Devas. Verily verily, I say unto you that this is decided, in all the Vedas and other S’astras that there is nothing higher than this Âdyâ S’akti. Therefore this Supreme S’akti should be worshipped anyhow; either in Her Saguna form or in Her Nirguna state. Thus ends the ninth Chapter of the first Skandha on the killing of Madhu Kaitabha in the Mahâpurana S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâs According to this story Mula-Prakriit (Original Nature), Adi-Sakti(Primal Energy) belongs to Devi (goddess) and not to Vishnu Madhu means nectar in Sanskrit . Madhu kaita means belonging to honey bees. It can be the qualities or nature of honey bees. One of the meanings of "bha" is "having a similarity to". "Madhu Kaitabha" 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS means "having a semblance to the nature of honey bees". The Asuras Madhu and Kaithabha implies something sweet as honey. It was these sweet honey that destroyed the Vedas and made sacrifices come to a stop. According to the Maha-bharata and the Puranas, Mahu and Kaitabah sprang from the ear of Vishnu while he was asleep at the end of a kalpa, and were about to kill Brahma, who was lying on the lotus springing from Vishnu’s navel. Vishnu killed them, and hence he obtained the names of Kaitabha-jit and Madhu-sudana. The Markandeya Purana attributes the death of Kaitabha to Uma, and she bears the title of Kaitabha. The Hari-vansa states that the earth received its name of Medini from the fat (medas) of these demons). In one passage it says that their bodies, being thrown into the sea, produced an immense quantity of fat, which Narayana used in forming the earth. In another place it says that the medas quite covered the earth, and so gave it the name of Medini. The Fat of the earth comes from these two Asuras. Without that the earth would have no medus – youthhood. The myth therefore describes the basic fat on which the earth is created now is the fat from Madhu Kaita. 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Brahma became extremely proud of his position as the creator and about his powers and his Knowledge. (jnAnam). Vishnu wanted to teach him the lesson of humbleness. So he created two Asuras Madhu and Kaitabha out of two drops of water from the lotus leaf. (Other version makes them from his ear wax). These Asuras stole the Vedas and hid them in the Patala. Brahma could not create his kalpa era without them. So he approached Vishnu. Vishnu incarnated as Hayagriva He rushed to Patala lokam and raised His "uthGitham" (outgoing breathe interpreted as OM) in samavedha swaram which terrified the Asuras. They hid the Vedas (which were in the form of babies) and escaped in fear . Hayagriva thus retrieved the Vedas and gave it back to Brahama to start again. Yet another legend has it that during the creation, Vishnu compiled the Vedas in the Hayagriva form. In VishNu puraaNam the list follows thus: "Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Ashva, Simha rupathibhi” ( In the forms of fish, torotoise, boar, horse and lion) 30 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS It may be assumed that such retrieval of lost status of the Vedic religion was repeated and were led by various leaders. These most probably represents the tribal leaders with those insignia. This is supported by the similar epics in Buddhism also. Like Mahakala, Hayagriva is one of the Eight Great Protectors of Buddhism, called as Tam Drim, a guardian and a destroyer of obstacles to enlightenment. He is a popular personal, deity among the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism. Hyagriva Buddhist representation The earliest surviving Tantric text date back to about 600 A.D 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Hayagriva is one of the emanations of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Hayagriva is also regarded as Yidam or Istadevata. Hayagriva has many forms often with three faces, six arms and four legs sometimes with huge wings. Hayagriva can be recognized by a small horse head surmounted on the top of his main terrific head. He is a wrathful god. Tantrism is common to both Hinduism and Buddhism of the period. In Tibet, Hyagriva is one of the Dharmapalas who protect the teachings of Buddhis and the land of Tibet. His name means ‘horse-necked’. He has a stocky human body and a horse’s head, although sometimes he is shown with a smaller horses’ head above his own human one. Other drawings show him with three horses’ heads, which is when he takes the form of Krodha Atigyhya, the ‘Angry Highest Secret’. In this form he carries a goad, a noose, a club and a sword together with lotus emblem and a skull. Hyagriva or Tamdrin as he is also called , is the protector of the padma family of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (those who refuse to enter Nirvana until all are enlightened.) He is seen as an emanation of Amitabha Buddha and is understood to embody the speed of all Buddhas. His essence resides in the chanting of the syllable ‘hri’ which. Like the stallion’s whinny, is the sound that curs through illusion and reveals the nature of reality. Hyagriva also protects horses. The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic ... By John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews The Matsya Kingdom was founded by fishermen community who later attained kingship. The Sanskrit word Matsya means fish. Satyavati, the wife of Kuru king Santanu was from this community. King Virata, a Matsya king, founded the kingdom of Virata. He was the father-in-law of Abhimanyu the son of Arjuna. The epic Mahabharata relates the founder of Matsya kingdom to the ruler of Chedi, viz Uparichara Vasu. He was of the Puru dynasty (1,63). Apart from the five royal sons of this king – Pauravas - he had a son and a daughter born of a women of fisherman community. This male child, in due cource established the Matsya Kingdom and founded the royal dynasty called Matsya Dynasti. Their location could be on the banks of river Sindhu. 311 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Tamdrin, Hayagriva, Horse-Throat Emanation of Amitabha, dharmakaya of all the Buddhas of the Lotus family, And emanation of Vajra Dharma and Chenrezi, You are the body of great ferocity manifest from the syllable HRI: Homage to Tamdrin with the horse's neigh An interesting fact is that fishing was the main occupation of the people who lived near river Saraswati. After the Saraswati River dried up, they migrated to river Charmanwati now known as Chambal meaning fish in Dravidian languages. Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, was son of Satyavati who belogned to this fishermen community later became Veda Vyasa who compiled and edited the Vedas and the Puranas. There were six other Matsya Kingdoms The Pandya Kingdom in the extreme south, also bears the icon of a fish on its official banner showing some connection with the Matsya kings. The main Matsyas under Virata had its capital named Viratanagari which is now known as Bairat in Jaipur district of Rajasthan. Swayam Pradhana temples with matsyavatara are very rare. Nagalapuram The one that we know of is in This temple contains few rare Stone images such as Vinahara Dakshinamurthi, Hayagriva Bhuvarala and Trivikrama and was built by Krishna Raya of Vijayanagara Kingdom. From 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS historical records we know that this area was one of the major Christian centers renowned all over the world. 700 BCE–1200 CE. The seals unearthed from the archeological sites of Indus valley civilization, like Harapa and Mohenjodaro, contain a large number of images of fish. These fish symbols were interpreted as representing stars according to Iravattam Mahadevan (fish symbol which he translates as “meen” of the Dravidian languages). Parpola maintains that these represent the Fish God revered by the inhabitants of the Indus valley is connected with the constellations. Or was this the memory of the great Noahic deluge. This ancient memory probably lies behind the Matsya Avatara 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Hayagriva appears to be a King of the Matsya kingdom. There is no doubt that the initial Matsyavatara was an attempt to retell the Noah and the Ark story in the Indian way. Noah was asked to get together his family and all the species into the ark. Here Vishnu asks the Manu to gather the seven Rishis and the animals. How did the Matsya come into the picture of Noah’s story connects us to the era of Pisces that is supposed to have emerged soon after the universal flood. However the story of retrieving the Vedas is an addendum which does not fit the context. These must be two separate stories mixed together in the processes of the growth of mythology. The second part is the story of the Asura – Sura struggle for vedic supremacy and relates to the history of the recent past. The Matsya Kingdom which took active role in the reinstatement of the brahminic power got mixed up with the Matsya of the Noah’s ark story. It must be a myth telling the story of how the Brahminic Vedas were rescued from the pralaya of Thomas faiths of the Asuras. We have also seen how the Sakthi group dealt with the same story making Devi as the supreme laughing at the decapitulation of vishnu’s head and putting on a horses head instead. This group was laughing at the Vaishnavites in trying to copy the theology of the Asuras saying that it is laughable for Vishnu to put on the foolish horses head of the Asura.Asuras Madhu and Kaithabha laughs at the Vaishnavite attempt at syncretization. KURMA (TORTOISE) AVATARA “In Kurma Avatara, Lord Vishnu is incarnated as a tortoise. Lord Vishnu is said to have helped the gods in churning of the ocean for nectar. … The Devas approached Vishnu for help. Vishnu then asked them to churn the ocean of milk after adding medicines into the ocean. Mount Mandara could be used a the churning stick he said. He requested them to ask the help of asuras in lifting the mountain in exchange for offer of the share of nectar of immortality that would ensue from the 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS churning. Both the devas and the asuras churned the ocean using the serpent Vasuki as the rope. As the churning was proceeding the mountain was sinking and then Lord Vishnu took the form of the tortoise Kurma and kept the mountain afloat. As soon as the bowl of amrita, the nectar of immortality was out, the asuras grabbed it. Then Lord Vishnu took the form of an apsara, a beautiful maiden, and seduced the asuras into letting her distribute the nectar and also to abide by her order of distribution. As soon as the devas were served the maiden disappeared thus totally deceiving the asuras and making them totally weak.” http://www.ssvt.org/home/Dasavatara.asp#Varaha%20Avatara The whole nation of Devas were falling apart both physically and mentally. So as usual they approached Brahma for help. (In the older versons of ths Avatar, it was Brahama who took the form of the Tortoise) . Brahma knew he was not strong enough against the mighty Asuras and advised them to seek the help of Vishnu.. When all the efforts to revive them using the Sanjivini medicine failed Vishnu realized that the only way for the Devas to survive was the procurement of Amirtham – the Elixir of Immortality contained in the Milky Way. All the power of the Devas added to the power of Vishnu were not able to churn the Milky Way long enough to obtain the elixir. The only people who could do that was the Asuras. So Vishnu enlisted their help with promises of part of the Elixir while he promised Devas that he will ensure that Asuras did not get any chance of getting the elixir. For a churning rod they selected the Mandara Mountain and used Vasuki the serpent as the rope. Cunningly Vishnu suggested that the Asuras should take up the head of the serpent while the Devas could use the tail part. During the churning process Vasuki breathed out poisonous vapor which As a result Vishnu became the made the Asuras weak. This made sure that if a war ensued Asuras will not be able to stand. During the churning the mountain Mandara began to sink in the Ocean. Tortoise to hold it up. That is the first part of the story. 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The churning produced several things. What first emerged was the eternal poison. The myth is honest enough to admit that even Vishnu could not deal with this calamity. If it fell in the cosmos it will destroy it. At this point Siva graciously gulped it down taking the poison on himself and saving the world. He alone could do that as Mahadeva. This was followed by the Poison Halahala, Varuni (Goddess of Wine and Intoxicants), the Cow Surabhi, Parijatha (the divine tree), the Apsaras (the celestial nymphs), the Moon, the goddess Laxmi (Goddess of fortune – whom Vishnu took as his wife) and Dhanvantari (the God of Medicine). When the Amrit itself came out at last it came to the Asuras. As a result Vishnu had to cheat them out of it. To do this Vishnu appeared in the second form as Mohini the enchantress and offered to serve the Amrit to both the Suras and the Asuras. “She offered to arbitrate, and in the grand tradition of all Tricksters proceeded to rob the trustful demons.” serving. The gods received their portion first and as soon as For this, she ordered the Devas to form one row and the asuras another. Then the maiden Mohini began she had served them Mohini disappeared, bowl and all! Mohini had tricked the Asuras!!! The asuras who got nothing for their efforts now realized that they had been tricked and this time by a young, beautiful woman, who was none other than Lord Vishnu in Mohini's disguise!! The demons, deprived of the drink, remained dark and gloomy asuras. Feeling betrayed, they attacked the gods. Vishnu picked up Sharanga, the bow that had emerged from the cosmic sea, and shot deadly missiles at the asuras, helping the devas push them into the deepest recesses of the cosmos, the Patala. As the gods celebrated their victory, Vishnu blew the divine conch Panchajanya and placed the radiant jewel Kaustubha on his crown 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Evidently this myth does not portray Vishnu either as the Supreme Person nor even as an honest god. It is still preserved as a myth for us. history? The story itself tells us a deep truth that the Elixir of Immortality was stolen from the Asuras who were the people who worked most. What is this Elixir of Immortality? We know that Vedism as Brahminism was dying out totally. The weakened Suras were unable to survive with occasional dose of Sanjivani, the only way out was to deceive the Asuras and get the products of their efforts. Syncretization was the only way out. The Elixirs are nothing but the concepts of Isvara, the Logos (Om) and the incarnation (Avatar) and the related theologies. We see the results today. Brahminism took over the symbols and the basic theology of Thomas Christianity which was the faith of the Asuras. This story tells us in plain words how Vishnu became the god of the Suras. Sri Kurmanatha temple at Srikakulam, Andhrapradesh, India is the only temple devoted to Lord Vishnu's tortoise incarnation. The present temple is at least 700 years old while the original temple is now claimed as to have been built in 200 AD. According to the temple legends, this temple was originally a Saivite temple worshipping Lord siva and was called panchalingaswara. It was Sri Ramanujam who won the battle against The Saivites and built the second dwaza pillar as the victory pole. Then onwards vaishnavites started the worship of Kurmanatha as the principal deity. (http://srikurmanadhatemple.org/) This might probably give us the clue to the myth. Were the Saivites the Asuras who helped to get the Amrit and held the head part of the Serpent string to be victims of the poison and were cheated out of the Elixir of Immortality? Saivism remained within the historical Christianity long after the conflict between Saivism and Vaishnavism. Mohini appears again in the same seductress role in order to save Siva from the Asura Bhasmasura to whom Siva foolishly gave the power to kill by touching anyone on their forehead. Mohini was able to make him do it on himself thus saving Siva himself. Mohini again appeared in much later Kerala history where she gave birth to a child of Siva. Since Mohini did not have the vagina the child was born through the thighs. This is the great god Ayyappa of Sabarimala. Ayyappa’s closest friend was a muslim and so we can date it certainly as later than 600 AD. Mohini however is nowhere a central deity nor worshipped except in Lord Ranganatha temple in Srirangam, that on Vaikunta Ekadasi day only. Mohini Siva interaction indicates the synthetic combination of absorption of Saivism by Vaishanvism. But the total synthezis never took place. This may be a ridiculing of Saivism by Vaishanavites. There What can it be telling us about what happenned in Indian 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS are many such stories that try to tarnish Saivism as developed by Vaishnavites. This mixing up is portrayed in the Bana dynasty stories also. So the basic Palaazhi madanam and the sequence of Mohini deceit is an explanation of how the elixir was cheated out of the Asura’s hand and made use of by the Suras. How will you explain this in terms of the Vaishanava - Christian historic context? Christianity in India was destroyed by the infiltration of Gnostic heresy into the church which destroyed the Church. VARAHA AVATARA 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Varaha - Gupta Period, Early 5th century ADCave 5, Udayagiri, Madhya Pradesh, India. This is the gist of the story. The question is who is this Hiranyaksha? According to Srimad Bhagavatam Hiranyaksha is the first Demon. yatrodyatah ksiti-taloddharanaya bibhrat kraudim tanum sakala-yajna-mayim anantah antar-maharnava upagatam adi-daityam 31 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS tam damstrayadrim iva vajra-dharo dadara (S.B. 2.7.1) "The unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar for the rescue of the earth and pierced the first demon Hiranyaksa with His tusks." Hiranyaksha was an Asura who was the son of Diti, and a king of pre-ancient Dravida.. people of Dravidia. Daksa, the So we should assume that the Asura people came into existence sometime in history among the Indian According the Bhagavatamrta, in Uttanapada's lineage, the son of Praceta was of Daksa was Diti, and the son of Diti was Hiranyaksa His older brother was Hiranya Kasipu. Hiranyksha means daughter (http://www.bvml.org/SBBTM/va.htm). ‘Golden Eye” The boar-avatara was a descent of Vishnu in the form of a boar, to deliver the world from the demon Hiranyaksha -- the ruler of the fifth region of Patala (the nether world) -- who had carried the earth into the lower regions of his spheres. The contest between Vishnu in this form and Hiranyaksha took place beneath the water, according to the Puranas; Vishnu emerged victorious and raised the earth from the deep. This legend, among several other interpretations, may refer to the risings and sinkings of continents. http: //www.bvml.org/SBBTM/va.htm In the Laghu-Bhagavatamrta, it says, "Lord Varaha appeared twice in one kalpa (day of Brahma). He appeared during the Svayambhuva-manvantara from Brahma's nostril to rescue the earth, and during the sixth manvantara (Caksusa-manvantara), He appeared to rescue the earth and kill Hiranyaksa." At the time of Varahadeva's appearance or in the beginning of the kalpa, Manu did not have any children. So how could Hiranyaksa have taken birth in the reign of Svayambhuva Manu? Therefore, it is seen that in the Bhagavatam, in answer to Vidura's question, Maitreya Muni has described the pastimes of Lord Varaha in both the Svayambhuva devastation and Caksusa devastation. Svayambhuva Manu and Satarupa gave birth to two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, and three daughters, Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti: The Boar incarnation appeared in two different millenniums. During the period of Svayambhuva Manu, the earthly planet remained submerged in the water of devastation, so the Lord appeared as a white boar and lifted the earth and set it properly. During the period of Caksusa Manu Lord Boar was red and He killed the demon Hiranyaksa. Visnu Purana 1.4.45-50 states: “He then rescued the earth and reestablished it floating over the ocean like a large ship. After planing the earth, he adorned it with mountains and then divided it into seven continents. After this, the god Hari, taking the shape of four faced Brahma and in accordance with the rajas created life” In Taittiriya Samhita 7.1.5 it says: “This universe was formerly fluid. All was water. Over it Prajapathi moved in the form of wind. He saw the earth. Becoming a boar, he lifted her. Becoming Viswa-Karma, he planed her. She extended. Hence earth is called Prthvi” 32 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Thus if we go through the various versions in Puranas and Samhita we have the Boar as incarnation of Vishnu, Prajapathi, Hari, Brahma, Viswakarma etc. We may conclude that all these were transformed into one personality which later came to be called as Vishnu. According the Wikepeida, the deluge occurred during the period between 1,918,143,100 B.C. to 1,916,463,100 B.C., the Varaha Avathar must have occurred on the fourth day of the 2nd month of 1,916,463,100 B.C. as per the Pauranic calendar about 2 billion years ago! The Earth is accepted by scientists to be around 4.5 billion years old. There are too many contradictions in time and story that we will have to take the myth as a myth and try to see what it is really trying to tell us. The Varaha Avatar is worshipped only in the Andhra Pradesh area. The oldest temple associated with the Boar Avatar is found in Multan, now in Pakistan. • • • The Mahabharata 3.81.15 mentions a Varaha-tirtha in Haryana State where Lord Vishnu appeared as Varaha. At the place known as Soronksetra Lord Varaha picked up the earth on His tusk. This place is located south of Delhi After killing the demon Hiranyakasipu, He rested at Vishrama-ghat in Mathura and spoke the Varaha Purana to Mother Earth. http://varaha.avatara.org/ Historically it is connected with the Indian subcontinent and to the places Multan and Mathura. We cannot esccape from that conclusion. During the life of Bhumi Devi (Earth) under the sea with Hiranyksha, she was with child. But when vishnu in the form of Boar rescued Bhumi it was believed that the child was that of Vishnu. This son, Hiranyksha’s son was Narakasura who ruled Assam. There was a doubt about his paternity. However he is called as an Asura, and was an antagonist to Vishnu. Narakasura Narakasura was the son of Goddess earth, (referred to as Bhumi), by Lord Vishnu himself during his Varaha (boar) avatar. In other sources, he is the son of the asura Hiranyaksa. He is said to have established the kingdom of Pragjyotisha in Assam after overthrowing the last of the Danava king Ghatakasura. 32 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS Krishna fighting Narakasura An alternate story is told in the South where it was Satybhama who killed Narakasure Narakasura's Killing Narakasura was a demon king, ruling Pragjothishyapur, a southern province in the present day Nepal. He gained a boon from Brahma that he would die only in the hands of a woman. Armed with the boon, he ruled like a despot. Narakasura was infamous for his wicked ruling and high disregard for demigods and women. Addicted to power, he defeated Lord Indra (king of demigods) and abducted 16000 women and imprisoned them in his palace. He stole the earrings of Aditi (the heavenly mother goddess) and usurped some of her territory. Aditi was a relative of Satyabhama. When she heard of the Narakasuara's ill treatment of women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged. Satyabhama approached Lord Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasura. Krishna not only agreed, but also offered to drive her chariot in the battlefield. On the day of the war, Satyabhama fought Narakasura bravely, but she was no match to his trained skills. After a few days days, when Narakasura got a chance, he took aim at Krishna, hurting him lightly. Krishna fainted in a preordained divinely plan adopted to empower Satyabhama. Seeing this Satyabhama was furious. She doubled her attack on the demon king and killed him finally. Her victory on Narakasura translated into freedom for all his prisoners and honoring of Aditi. Having rescued the 16000 women, Krishna was compelled to marry them per the customs of the day. (Theosophy encyclopedia) The Puranas apparently have no knowledge of this. Diwali, the festival of light is also called "Naraka Chaturdasi" and is the celebration of this victory. There are practically two accounts of the Varaha Avatars whereas the older puranas consider Varaha as and avatar of Brahma, later puranas ascribes it to Vishnu. This is one of the occassions when Vaishnavites take over the older stories and rewrite it in terms of Vishnu. In the former Brahma the Creator, in the shape of a boar raised the earth and brought it above the waters. In the latter Vishnu in the form of a Boar extricated the world from a deluge of iniquity by the rites of religion. 32 14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS The first mention of this avatara is found in the Taittiriya Samhita and reads as follows: “The Universe was formerly water, fluid. On it Prajapathi (Brahma) becoming wing, moved. Becoming a boar, he took it up.” Taittirya Brahmana concurs with this description with more details. In the Sathapatha Brahmana the boar is called Emusha. The two recessions of Ramayana also gives the two versions, in the older version it was Brahama and in the latter it was attributed to Vishnu.in the form of Brahma. The alteration of the text is clearly noriceable Old version “All was water only; in which the earth was formed. Thence arose Brahma, the self-existent, with the deities. He then becoming a boar, raised up the earth, an