Hindu Gods And Heroes

CONTENTS


I. THE VĒDIC AGE:

Popular Religion, p. 9--Ṛig-vēda and priestly religion, p.
11--Dyaus-Zeus, p. 14--Ushās, p. 18--Sūrya, p. 19--Savitā, p.
19--Mitra and Varuṇa, p. 19--Agni, p. 22--Sōma, p. 23--Indra, p.
25--The Aśvins, p. 35--Vishṇu, p. 37--Rudra-Siva, p. 42--Summary, p.
42.


II. THE AGE OF THE BRĀHMAṆAS:

Growth of Brahman influence in expanding Aryan society, p. 45--System
of priestly doctrine: theory of Sacrifice and mechanical control of
nature thereby, p. 48--Its antinomianism: partly corrected by the
growing cult of Rudra-Śiva, p. 53--The Upanishads: their relation to
the Brāhmaṇas, p. 59--Brahma the Absolute, p. 60--Karma-Saṃsāra, p.
63--Results: Śaiva Theism, p. 65--Kṛishṇa: early history and legends,
p. 66--Teachings, p. 68.


III. THE EPICS, AND LATER:

I. The Great War and the Pāṇḍavas, p. 70--Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa, p.
74--Nārāyaṇa, p. 76--Bhagavad-gītā and Nārāyaṇīya, p. 77--Growth of
church of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa, p. 79--Worship of Pāṇḍavas, p. 92--New
erotic and romantic Kṛishṇaism, p. 94.

II. Rāma: legend of Rāma and constitution of Rāmāyaṇa, p. 98.

III. Some later Preachers, p. 103--Religions of Vishṇu-Kṛishṇa and
Śiva in Southern India, p. 103--Śaṃkara Āchārya, p. 105--Rāmānuja, p.
107--Nimbārka, Madhva, Vallabha, p. 108--Jñānadēva, p. 109--Nāma-dēva,
p. 109--Tukārām, p. 109--Rāmānanda, p. 110--Tulsī Dās, p. 110--Kabīr,
p. 110--Nānak, p. 110--Chaitanya, p. 110.

IV. Brahmā and the Trimūrti, p. 111--Dattātrēya, p. 114.

V. Two Modern Instances, p. 116.


CONCLUSION.

* * * * *




EDITORIAL NOTE


The object of the Editors of this series is a very definite one. They
desire above all things that, in their humble way, these books shall
be the ambassadors of goodwill and understanding between East and
West--the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this
endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the
highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper
knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought
may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither
despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour.

L. CRANMER-BYNG.

S. A. KAPADIA.

NORTHBROOK SOCIETY,

21 CROMWELL ROAD,

KENSINGTON, S. W.

* * * * *




HINDU GODS AND HEROES

CHAPTER I

THE VĒDIC AGE


Let us imagine we are in a village of an Aryan tribe in the Eastern
Panjab something more than thirty centuries ago. It is made up of a
few large huts, round which cluster smaller ones, all of them rudely
built, mostly of bamboo; in the other larger ones dwell the heads of
families, while the smaller ones shelter their kinsfolk and followers,
for this is a patriarchal world, and the housefather gives the law to
his household. The people are mostly a comely folk, tall and
clean-limbed, and rather fair of skin, with well-cut features and
straight noses; but among them are not a few squat and ugly men and
women, flat-nosed and nearly black in colour, who were once the free
dwellers in this land, and now have become slaves or serfs to their
Aryan conquerors. Around the village are fields where bullocks are
dragging rough ploughs; and beyond these are woods and moors in which
lurk wild men, and beyond these are the lands of other Aryan tribes.
Life in the village is simple and rude, but not uneventful, for the
village is part of a tribe, and tribes are constantly fighting with
one another, as well as with the dark-skinned men who often try to
drive back the Aryans, sometimes in small forays and sometimes in
massed hordes. But the world in which the village is interested is a
small one, and hardly extends beyond the bounds of the land where its
tribe dwells. It knows something of the land of the Five Rivers, in
one corner of which it lives, and something even of the lands to the
north of it, and to the west as far as the mountains and deserts,
where live men of its own kind and tongue; but beyond these limits it
has no knowledge.