One of the earliest myths from the Rig-Veda (page 27 of ‘Hindu Myths’) has creation by dismemberment from an existing entity. It was stated that “Man” pervaded the universe. He was whatever has been and whatever will be. The Gods and sages (who were not named) created the human race by dismembering this cosmic man. Not only was the human race created this way, but the scriptures and the animals as well. The concept of creation from something that already exists probably did not reflect as true creation and hence most of the subsequent myths did not build upon this. The importance of this myth is that the ‘caste system’ of Hindu society is founded in it. The caste system says that certain sections of society are meant by birth for certain tasks. The priests were born from the mouth of the cosmic man, the nobles from his arm, the general populace from his thighs and the servants from his feet.

Another myth in the Rig-Veda (page 26 of ‘Hindu Myths’) has creation through sexual intercourse between the creator and his daughter. The creator is not named but from later myths one can deduce that he is Prajapati, an earlier name for Brahma. How the daughter came into existence is also not specified. Agni the God of Fire fuels the creator’s passion and he takes pleasure in the act. Almost as being incidental, a race of youth, known as the Agnirases, are produced from the union, whose progeny is the human race. This myth mirrors normal human reproduction, which is understandable, but is not ‘divine’ enough to be sustained. It has too many unanswered questions and it involves the heinous act of incest between father and daughter. However it has been used as a foundation for later developments. A myth in the Brahmanas (page 29 of ‘Hindu Myths’) names Prajapati as the creator and states that the daughter is either Dawn or the Sky.

Incest is considered immoral in all societies. However creation from a single couple is not possible without involving incest in some way. Later myths tried to minimise the involvement of incest. Another myth in the Brahmanas (page 31 of ‘Hindu Myths’) has Prajapati producing five children through asceticism or using divine mental powers. There are four sons Fire, Wind, Sun and Moon, and a daughter Dawn. Dawn charms her brothers while they are praying and they ‘spill their seed’. Prajapati does not want the seed to be wasted and has it collected.

Unfortunately the narration ends at this point without recounting how the seed is used to create the human race. This myth is important because it eliminates father-daughter incest (through the process of ascetic creation) to brother-sister incest, which is perhaps less heinous. By the time of the Puranas material changes were made in the Creation myth. The following myth is from the Puranas (page 49 of ‘Hindu Myths’). The Creator is now Brahma, who is not solely the supreme God (as Prajapati was) but the one of the Trinity responsible for little more than Creation. He has a wife Savitri. He plants his seed in her and she carries the embryo for a thousand years. Out of their union were born the scriptures and the arts, time and distance, the sages and the armies of the Gods and the first couple Manu and Shatrupa. Surprisingly Manu and Shatrupa are not born from Savitri but from the mouth of Brahma. Perhaps this reflects a stigma on menstruation and childbirth, a stigma that exists to this day. The origin of Savitri is not explained.

The version of creation in the Matsya Purana is the most complete that I have come across. It is not discussed in the text ‘Hindu Myths’. Using his mental powers Brahma creates the female form of Shatrupa. He gazes lovingly at her and when she goes behind him, he sprouts a face at the back of his head so that he can continue to look at her. Similarly he sprouts a face to the right and left and one on top of his head as well. He marries her and had a son Manu, who was the first man. Manu undertakes a long penance and is rewarded with a wife Ananti. The Matsya Purana does not specify the origin of Ananti, but some sources say that she was a manifestation of Shatrupa. Manu and Ananti then carried on the procreation of the human race. Both Savitri and Shatrupa are earlier names for Brahma’s consort Saraswati.

Ascetic creation has been used to overcome incest. Ananti was a product of ascetic creation. The daughters of Manu and Ananti married the sages that Brahma had created through asceticism and thus the creation of the human race continued without incest.

Optional Exercises

2a. Read the relevant pages of ‘Hindu Myths’ indicated above.
2b. Check out some creation myths at the following site. What are the similarities and differences with the Hindu creation myths?
http://www.crystalinks.com/creation.html

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