Hindu Mythology

Lesson 8: Purposes of Mythology

Continuity and Stability

“Myths grant continuity and stability to a culture. They foster a shared set of perspectives, values, history -- and literature, in the stories themselves. Through these communal tales, we are connected to one another, to our ancestors, to the natural world surrounding us, and to society; and, in the myths which have universal (i.e., archetypal) themes, we are connected to other cultures. “

There are over 20 languages in India (each of which is spoken by over a million people) and over 100 dialects. Each language represents a sub culture dramatically different in clothes, food, rituals etc. Through out the centuries there have been political antagonisms that exist even today. Yet this diversity is bound by a common mythology.

The Ramayana is a classic example of this. We have earlier seen that the Ramayana has been written in many languages. The following site has a map of India showing the principle version of the Ramayana followed in the various regions and written in the language native to that region. The Ramayana is revered in every region of India.

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/maxpages/spec...

We have also seen the route taken by Rama. There are many places that are not on this route, but which sustain the belief that Rama passed that place during his exile. One such place is Mumbai on the west coast of India, where I live. In Mumbai there is a sacred tank of water known as Banganga. Ban is the Hindi word for arrow and Ganga refers to the holy River. The water in this tank is believed to come from the Ganga. Rama is believed to have stopped at the spot in search of his kidnapped wife Sita. Overcome with fatigue and thirst, he asked his brother Lakshmana to bring him some water. Lakshmana instantly shot an arrow into the ground, and water gushed forth from the Ganga, over a thousand miles away. Everyone somehow wants to be a part of the epic. Legends like this intertwine with mythology to sustain a cohesive culture.

We have also seen how certain events in Hindu mythology are similar to events in other mythologies. While discussing the Ten Incarnations of Vishnu you were referred to the following site.

http://members.tripod.com/~srinivasp/myt...

I quote from the write up on the first incarnation known as Matsya Avatar.

“It [the Fish that was an incarnation of Vishnu] predicted that the world would come to an end by a huge flood in seven days and requested the king to build a huge boat and take the seven sages (hermits), seeds of all plants, one animal of each type and told him that he would appear as a fish to propel the boat to Mt Himavan for surviving the flood to the next yuga (eon).” Compare this with the following verses from the 6th Chapter of Genesis. 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 6:18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. 6:19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

The similarity shows a connection through shared experiences.

Optional Exercises

2a. Browse through the texts and web sites and locate other examples that demonstrate that Hindu mythology fulfils this purpose.

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