Gleanings in World Mythology
Contents: Preface. 1. Rudra-The guardian of the uncreate. 2. Franciscus Bernardus Jacobus Kuiper’s ‘Reconstruction’ of ancient Indian Cosmology: an appraisal. 3. Some aspects of the Devasura conflict in Vedic tradition. 4. Vedic Asura-Varuna vis-a-vis Avestan Ahura Mazda: Some observations. 5. The Old order Changeth…: A case study of the Indian Sky Gods. 6. Some observations on the status of Goddesses in Vedic, Avestan and Greek Pantheons. 7. The ‘Theft’ of fire: some observations. 8. The Mahabharata motif of Agni going into hiding and the germ of the idea in the Rigveda. 9. Agni’s going into hiding and Rudra-Siva’s destruction of the Sacrifice of Daksha: Some observations. 10. Further observations on the destruction of the Sacrifice of Daksha by Rudra-Siva. 11. Rudra-Siva and Hermes: some mythological parallels. 12. Vishnu Dasavatara: an interpretation of their symbolism. 13. Hunger, Greed and the ‘Fall’ of Man. 14. Oedipus complex versus Hamlet Syndrome: an approach to mythology. 15. Quantum of retribution for rape in the ancient world: a mythological overview. 16. Vrinda: Collateral damage in a divine intrigue. 17. Satta Sahajatas: The seven connatal ones of the Buddha. 18. Avalokitesvara/Kuan-yin and the transformation from a male divinity into a female one. Select bibliography. Index. Plates.
This book is a collection of eighteen papers on the mythologies of various peoples, from all over the world-Indian (vedic and epic-puranic), Mesopotamian, Avestan, Greek, and Norse, published by the author, over a period spanning about 35 years (1987-2022); there are a few more in the pipeline. As some of the journals and edited works, in which they have appeared, are not often easily available to students and the general readers, they are being published, in the form of an anthology.
The anthology begins with Rudra, the guardian of the Uncreate; moves on to ancient Indian cosmogony, deals with the devasura conflict in vedic tradition: attempts a comparison between vedic Asura-Varuna and Avestan Ahura Mazda: traces the vicissitudes in the fortunes of the Indian sky gods; and makes certain observations on the status of goddesses in vedic, Avestan, and Greek pantheons.
The theft of fire is studied next. Initially certain deities, like Agni and Rudra-Siva in India, and Hermes in the Greek world, were not accorded a position in the orthodox pantheon. The next four papers discuss the manner, in which they attained prominent position in the pantheon. An attempt has been made to provide an interpretation of the symbolism of the Vishnu Dasavatara.
The author has tried to explore the role of hunger and greed in the 'fall' of man. A psychoanalytical approach to mythology has been attempted in the context of the Oedipus complex and Hamlet syndrome, and a legal approach in the context of the crime of rape in the ancient world. There are also two papers on Buddhist mythology-one dealing with the seven connatal ones of the Buddha, and the other with Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara and his transformation into the female deity, Kuan-yin, in China.
