Transcript The Mythology of India

The Mythology of India
Mrs. Kercher
SANSKRIT
• Historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary
liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism, and
Mahayana Buddhism
• Sanskrit was the classical standard language of
ancient India
• The oldest known stage of Sanskrit is Vedic or
Vedic Sanskrit, because it was the language of
the Veda, the most ancient extant scriptures of
Hinduism.
• The Veda probably date back to about 1500 or
earlier, many centuries before writing was
introduced into India.
Symbols
Alphabet Vowels
VEDIC GODS
• The Vedas describe a number of deities, most of
whom are personified forces of nature.
• The most often mentioned are: Indra, Agni,
Soma, and Varuna.
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Indra is the chief deity and the god of war and rain
Agni is the fire of sacrifice
Soma is the hallucinogenic drink of the sacrifice
Varuna is associated primarily with issues of morality,
guilt and forgiveness
• More information can be found at:
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/vedicgods.asp
AGNI
A CLOSER LOOK AT AGNI
• Agni took three forms: celestial as the sun, atmospheric as
lightening, and terrestrial as fire.
• His three spheres are the Earth, Sky, and Space.
• He is priest of the gods and the god of priests, and serves
as liaison between gods and men.
• His fire altar was oriented toward the East, the direction of
the sunrise, the ever-new beginning.
• In Hindu mythology Agni was born from a lotus created by
Brahman, and as the god of fire is pictured red having two
faces and seven tongues to lick up the butter used in
sacrifices.
• The Vedic fire sacrifice was personified as Agni; the
crackling of the fire, with its oblations of ghi (a kind of
clarified butter), was believed to be the voice of Agni.
• He is the most important of all of the Vedic deities.
VARUNA
A CLOSER LOOK AT VARUNA
• Varuna is the genius of the waters, the regent of
the ocean and the creator and preserver of the
heaven and earth.
• He is also the governor of the night/darkness
and the lord of punishment.
• Varuna is all encompassing, ocean sun, king of
the universe, the supreme divinity.
• In later times he became lord of the sun gods,
and still later he became the god of the oceans
and rivers, a position he still occupies today.
The Brahmanic Deities
• The Hindu Trinity
– Brahma – god of creation
– Vishnu – preserver of the universe
– Shiva – god of destruction
http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/hindu_trinity.php