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Search - Hindu Gods And Heroes: Studies in the History of the Religion of India

Hindu Gods And Heroes Studies in the History of the Religion of India
Author: Lionel D. Barnett

?Who are the gods to whom these priests offer their prayers and psalms? They are many, and of various kinds. Most of them are taken from the religion of the people, and dressed in new garb according to the imagination of the priest; and a few are priestly inventions altogether. There is Dyaush? pit?, the Sky-father, with Pithiv? M?t?, the Earth-... more »mother; there are V?yu the Wind-spirit, Parjanya the Rain-god, S?rya the Sun-god, and other spirits of the sky such as Savit?; there is the Dawn-goddess, Ush?s. All these are or were originally deified powers of nature: the people, though their imagination created them, have never felt any deep interest in them, and the priests who have taken them into their charge, though they treat them very courteously and sing to them elegant hymns full of figures of speech, have not been able to cover them with the flesh and blood of living personality. Then we have Agni the Fire-god, and S?ma the spirit of the intoxicating juice of the s?ma-plant, which is used to inspire the pious to drunken raptures in certain ceremonies; both of these have acquired a peculiar importance through their association with priestly worship, especially Agni, because he, as bearing to the gods the sacrifices cast into his flames, has become the ideal Priest and divine Paraclete of Heaven. Nevertheless all this hieratic importance has not made them gods in the deeper sense, reigning in the hearts of men. Then we find powers of doubtful origin, Mitra and Varua and Vishu and Rudra, and figures of heroic legend, like the warrior Indra and the twin charioteers called A?vina? and N?saty?. All these, with many others, have their worship in the ig? v?da: the priests sing their praises lustily, and often speak now of one deity, now of another, as being the highest divinity, without the least consistency.? CONTENTS I. The V?dic Age : Popular Religion, ?ig-v?da and priestly religion, Dyaus-Zeus, Ush?s, S?rya, Savit?, Mitra and Varu?a, Agni, S?ma, Indra, The A?vins, Vish?u, Rudra-Siva, Summary, II. The Age of the Br?hma?as : Growth of Brahman influence in expanding Aryan society, System of priestly doctrine: theory of Sacrifice and mechanical control of nature thereby, Its antinomianism: partly corrected by the growing cult of Rudra-?iva, The Upanishads: their relation to the Br?hma?as, Brahma the Absolute, Karma-Sa?s?ra, Results: ?aiva Theism, K?ish?a: early history and legends, Teachings, III. The Epics, and Later : I. The Great War and the P???avas, Vish?u-K?ish?a, N?r?ya?a, Bhagavad-g?t? and N?r?ya??ya, Growth of church of Vish?u-K?ish?a, Worship of P???avas, New erotic and romantic K?ish?aism, II. R?ma: legend of R?ma and constitution of R?m?ya?a, III. Some later Preachers, ?Religions of Vish?u-K?ish?a and ?iva in Southern India, ?a?kara ?ch?rya, R?m?nuja, Nimb?rka, Madhva, Vallabha, Jñ?nad?va, N?ma-d?va, Tuk?r?m, R?m?nanda, Tuls? D?s, Kab?r, N?nak, Chaitanya, IV. Brahm? and the Trim?rti, Datt?tr?ya, V. Two Modern Instances, Conclusion.

ISBN-13: 9781516807420
ISBN-10: 1516807421
Publication Date: 8/8/2015
Pages: 92
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
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Genres:

Religion & Spirituality >> Hinduism >> Theology

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