Hindu Gods and Heroes

Hindu Gods And Heroes, by Lionel D. Barnett

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Title: Hindu Gods And Heroes Studies in the History of the Religion of India
Author: Lionel D. Barnett
Release Date: October 4, 2007 [EBook #22885]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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The Wisdom of the East Series
EDITED BY
L. CRANMER-BYNG
Dr. S. A. KAPADIA

WISDOM OF THE EAST
HINDU GODS AND
HEROES
STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE RELIGION OF INDIA

BY
LIONEL D. BARNETT, M.A., LITT
* * * * *

PREFACE
The following pages are taken from the Forlong Bequest lectures which I delivered in March last at the School of Oriental Studies. Owing to exigencies of space, much of what I then said has been omitted here, especially with regard to the worship of Siva; but enough remains to make clear my general view, which is that the religion of the Aryans of India was essentially a worship of spirits--sometimes spirits of real persons, sometimes imaginary spirits--and that, although in early days it provisionally found room for personifications of natural forces, it could not digest them into Great Gods, and therefore they have either disappeared or, if surviving, remain as mere Struldbrugs. Thus I am a heretic in relation to both the Solar Theory and the Vegetation Theory, as everyone must be who takes the trouble to study Hindu nature without prejudice.
L. D. B.
May 29, 1922.
* * * * *

CONTENTS
I. THE VEDIC AGE:
Popular Religion, p. 9--Rig-veda and priestly religion, p. 11--Dyaus-Zeus, p. 14--Ushas, p. 18--Surya, p. 19--Savita, p. 19--Mitra and Varuna, p. 19--Agni, p. 22--Soma, p. 23--Indra, p. 25--The Asvins, p. 35--Vishnu, p. 37--Rudra-Siva, p. 42--Summary, p. 42.
II. THE AGE OF THE BRAHMANAS:
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-Siva, p. 53--The Upanishads: their relation to the Brahmanas, p. 59--Brahma the Absolute, p. 60--Karma-Samsara, p. 63--Results: Saiva Theism, p. 65--Krishna: early history and legends, p. 66--Teachings, p. 68.
III. THE EPICS, AND LATER:
I. The Great War and the Pandavas, p. 70--Vishnu-Krishna, p. 74--Narayana, p. 76--Bhagavad-gita and Narayaniya, p. 77--Growth of church of Vishnu-Krishna, p. 79--Worship of Pandavas, p. 92--New erotic and romantic Krishnaism, p. 94.
II. Rama: legend of Rama and constitution of Ramayana, p. 98.
III. Some later Preachers, p. 103--Religions of Vishnu-Krishna and Siva in Southern India, p. 103--Samkara Acharya, p. 105--Ramanuja, p. 107--Nimbarka, Madhva, Vallabha, p. 108--J?anadeva, p. 109--Nama-deva, p. 109--Tukaram, p. 109--Ramananda, p. 110--Tulsi Das, p. 110--Kabir, p. 110--Nanak, p. 110--Chaitanya, p. 110.
IV. Brahma and the Trimurti, p. 111--Dattatreya, 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 VEDIC 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