Hindu Mythology

Lesson 8: Purposes of Mythology

Explain the Unexplainable

“Myths explain the unexplainable. They reveal our fate after death, and the reasons for crises or miracles, and other puzzles -- and yet they retain and even encourage an aura of mystery. Myths also satisfy our need to understand the natural world; for example, they might state that a drought is caused by an angry deity. This purpose of mythology was especially important before the advent of modern science, which offered the Big Bang theory to replace creation myths, and it gave us the theory of evolution to supplant myths regarding the genesis of humanity. And yet, science creates its own mythology, even as its occasional secular barrenness threatens to strip us of the healthful awe which other types of mythology engender.”

This purpose is the least relevant because most of the “mysteries” that mythology was used to explain have today been explained by science. Yet this aspect has not lost its fascination.

King Uttanapada and his wife Suniti were unhappy because the queen had been unable to produce an heir to the crown. Since the continuance of the line was imperative, the queen insisted that her husband take a second wife. Uttanapada married Suruchi, who soon bore him a son, Uttam. As it turned out, Suniti, the first queen, also became pregnant after some time and gave birth to a son who was named Dhruv. This did not please the second queen who did everything necessary to win the king's favour for herself and her son. Consequently Suniti was forced to live outside the royal palace with her son Dhruv, while Suruchi and her son Uttam enjoyed all the luxuries in the palace. It is no coincidence that Suruchi means "the desire to enjoy' whereas Suniti means "that which is correct". Once Uttam was sitting on the king's lap when Dhruv arrived there and wanted to sit on his father's lap. But for the fear of Suruchi the king did not take Dhruv in his lap. Suruchi came just then and she ridiculed Dhruv. She said, "If you wish to sit on the king’s lap, you must worship Vishnu, and take birth through me and then wait for your chance to sit on the king's lap."

Dhruv set out with firm determination to please Vishnu. He arrived in Madhuban and took a seat under a Kadamba tree on the bank of the river Yamuna. During the first month he ate roots and tubers. In the second month he ate dried leaves. During the third month he managed with Yamuna's water. During the fourth month he sustained himself on the air only. Then Dhruv even stopped breathing. Now, standing on one leg only, he was fully concentrating on Vishnu.

Pleased by his prayer Vishnu appeared and said, "Your desire shall be fulfilled. After enjoying your kingdom, you shall come to my abode as the pole star, whose position in the sky remains constant, symbolizing unwavering devotion." This is the reason the pole star remains fixed while all other stars revolve. In Hindi the pole star is known as Dhruv.

Optional Exercises

6a. Read about Dhruv at the following site.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/9380...

6b. Browse through the texts and web sites and locate other examples that demonstrate that Hindu mythology fulfils this purpose.

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